Back on talkSport – and live in Leeds

What are the hot topics in travel this weekend? That’s the question I’ll be answering on the Duncan Barkes programme on talkSport late Friday/early Saturday as Hit the North continues its regular, late-night travel slot.

Duncan Barkes

And this week there’s a twist: I’ll be live in Leeds, researching a story for Heritage magazine and checking out plans for this year’s Yorkshire Day celebrations on August 1st.

Amongst the topics under discussion are the following:

* Planning a post-World Cup holiday? Good reasons to try Portugal or Greece

* Hunt wants us to holiday at home, but where is he taking his hols?

* Tony Benn does it sitting down

The Seatcase

* Plus an on-the-spot report from Leeds

If you’ve got any questions, ideas, comments or thoughts, post them below and we’ll get them on the air.

Starting out? Go local and take it online – that’s my pitch

In case you missed it amid World Cup hysteria, I was interviewed this week by the website EssentialWriters.com.

I’m often asked for advice for people starting out in travel writing and, aside from don’t give up the day job, I’m afraid there is no magic formula.

However, read the story here and you’ll find some pragmatic advice I did try to offer up to budding writers.

The piece also links to details about my Cumbria book.

Does anyone agree with the advice? Or want to take me to task? Or simply ask a questions not covered by EssentialWriters.com?

Fire away.

* UPDATE

Inspired by comments, some further reading from today’s Media Guardian; story here.

Back on the radio – Hit the North comes to Talk Sport

Cast your mind back. In a previous incarnation, Hit the North used to blog about a travel-talk slot I used do for radio station CityTalk. The erstwhile breakfast show presenter, Duncan Barkes, has now moved to talkSport.

Hit the North will be joining Duncan for late-night travel discussion from Saturday, May 5th onwards. Programme details here. Tun in to catch us on DAB or online.

This week, we will be discussing the following:

• Travelodge sleep Police; story here
• Survey shows cheapest holiday destinations this summer; story here
• Bed & Fed – cheaper than a B&B, better than dossing on a mate’s sofa; story here
• Boring but useful advice on how not to screw up at the World Cup; story here

So, got any comments, questions, random thoughts or mad urges to voice your opinion?

Add a comment below and we’ll get it on the air.