Full members
Full members of the Midland Group are those working in automotive media as writers, editors, authors or other editorial content creators.
To contact all the members use our contact form.
AUCHTERLONIE, Robin
Motoring writing career started in 1981 with some well-chosen words on the Ford Cortina Crusader. Former editor of the Milton Keynes Citizen and the paper’s motoring editor. Now freelance, contributing a weekly road test and other copy to the Citizen and other papers across the UK in the JPI portfolio. Website at wheelwrite.co.uk.
Status: Freelance
Publications: Milton Keynes Citizen and other Johnston Press titles nationwide. Managing Editor of wheelwrite.co.uk and contributor to Vale Life magazine, Media Publishing Group and Ship Management International
Circulation: National
Email: auchies@sky.com
Tel: 01908 367467
Mobile: 07748 046164
AUCOCK, Richard
Wrote for classic car club magazines and a local paper, then won the 1996 IMCO Motoring Writer of the Future award and 1998 Sir William Lyons award. Joined Motoring Research in 2001, providing a wide range of copy for a variety of national and international publications. Chairman of the Guild of Motoring Writers.
Status: Managing Director, Motoring Research Ltd
Publications: Contributor to MSN Cars, BBC Top Gear, Total 911, Car Dealer Magazine and motoringresearch.com
Circulation: National, International
Email: richard@motoringresearch.com
Tel: 01902 650154
Mobile: 07967 823529
BARNES-CLAY, Tim
A regular on the car launch circuit, Tim’s career path in radio and television led him into freelance motoring journalism. He writes car reviews and motoring features for digital and print clients, and he is the editor of FQ Magazine. Tim also presents video test-drives - and does voiceover work.
Status: Freelance
Publications: Supplier of written car reviews and motoring features for national outlets including Confused.com, Sorted magazine and Quay Pages. Also a contributor to regional independent publications. Road tests are also featured at carwriteups.co.uk and twitter @carwriteups.
Circulation: National, international
Email: tim@carwriteups.co.uk
Mobile: 07949 106155
BRADLEY, Alan
Interested in all aspects of cars, trucks and things that go, Alan, along with Andrew Clews, started The Motoring Podcast to provide a weekly, audio automotive news roundup. The podcast won the Guild of Motoring Writers Breakthrough Award in 2017. Alan is a former product designer and combines podcasting with his career as a business consultant.
Status: Automotive podcaster
Publications: The Motoring Podcast
Circulation: National, international
Email: alan@motoringpodcast.com
Mobile: 07803 897456
BROWN, Russ
Russ cut his editorial teeth as a regional club magazine editor at the turn of the century, with occasional submissions to national magazines. In 2010 he was recruited by LROi’s Editor-in-Chief to take on the role of Clubs Editor, a role which he has expanded to include travel, workshop, vehicle and event feature writing and photography.
Status: Clubs Editor, Land Rover Owner International
Publications: Land Rover Owner International
Circulation: National, international
Email: russ.brown@lro.com
Tel: 01409 251412
Mobile: 07979 645642
facebook.com/RussBrownPhotojournalist
COOKE, Sue
Sue has pursued a driving interest in cars and motoring for the last 20 years and is a full time freelance motoring journalist. She contributes road test reviews, features and comments about motoring to 39 business and lifestyle magazines and online media throughout the UK with a total circulation of almost 400,000.
Status: Freelance
Publications: Birmingham Living, Business West Insight, Eastlife, lifestyle magazines for Minerva Publications, Chamberlink business magazine, The Scene for Telford, Birmingham, Shrewsbury and Oswestry, NOVA lifestyle.
Circulation: National
Email: info@suecooke.co.uk
Mobile: 07768 178065
DONALDSON, Ian
Provides road tests to Reach plc (former Trinity Mirror) newspapers via Driving Force and supplies JPI titles throughout the UK. Also contributes to the Express & Star and Shropshire Star.
Status: Freelance
Publications: Northants Telegraph, Northampton Chronicle & Echo, Wolvehampton Express & Star, Shropshire Star, Derby Telegraph
Circulation: Northamptonshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire
Email: ianpress2@gmail.com
Tel: 01536 772099
Mobile: 07889 387668
DUFFY, David
Compiles road tests, news and features for Newsquest Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, and supplies road tests via Newsquest Digital Media to 200 publications. Winner of the GOMW/Mitsubishi Award for Innovation in Regional Motoring Journalism 2010, 2011 and 2012. Shortlisted for Automotive Regional Journalist in Newspress Awards 2017, 2018.
Status: Freelance
Publications: Newsquest Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. Publishers of the Oxford Mail, The Oxford Times, Oxfordshire Limited Edition, Herald Series, Witney Gazette, Bicester Advertiser, Banbury Cake and Wiltshre's The Buddy magazine. Newsquest websites nationwide.
Circulation: Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, National
Email: duffydavid@btinternet.com
Tel: 07815 603 959
GOULD, Mike
Status: Freelance
Following a 30-year career at Land Rover and its predecessors, the last six in public affairs, Mike began a freelance career in 2003. Mike has written four books and contributed to a fifth. Mike was editor of Land Rover World and Range Rover World and is now a regular contributor to Land Rover Owner International.
Publications: Land Rover World, Range Rover World, BBC Radio Oxford. Contributor to The Land Rover File and author of The Land Rover Scrapbook and Range Rover: the anniversary guide
Circulation: National, International
Email: mikegould48@btinternet.com
Tel: 01235 550534
Mobile: 07780 507381
HADLEY, Paul
Editor of Motor Verso since 2013, and has been running the publication as a full-time business since 2015. Writes on all motoring topics from car reviews to testing related products and services. Specialises in photography, producing unique images for Motor Verso.
Status: Editor, Motor Verso
Publications: Motor Verso
Circulation: National
Email: paul.hadley@motorverso.com
Mobile: 07732 089986
HICKMAN, Bob
Contributes to and publishes numerous titles aimed at the emergency services market. Editor of Firestyle magazine and compiler of regular eight-page motor supplement, and also responsible for commissioning life style articles for the magazine. Also contributes on occasions to Midland newspapers.
Status: Motoring Editor, 999 Services Publications Ltd
Publications: 999 Services Publications, Motor Caravan Monthly
Circulation: National
Email: bob.hickman@blueyonder.co.uk
Tel: 01902 650302
Mobile: 07973 440969
JOHNSTON, Tom
First-ever reporter on Auto Express, later news editor and associate editor, also motoring correspondent for the Daily Star and contributor to the Daily and Sunday Express. For 17 years he was PR manager for Jeep UK. Now as a freelance writer, content creator and copy editor, Tom works with websites and magazines on varied, though mainly automotive, projects.
Status: Freelance
Publications: Phonebox Magazine TheCarExpert.com TheVanExpert.com
Circulation: Buckinghamshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire,
national, online
Email: tom@johnstonmedia.com
Mobile: 07715 622567
McCARTHY, Bill
Motoring writer for Driving Force database which supplies regional titles and their websites throughout the UK. Also provides copy for Midland News Association titles and websites, plus own websites at motorstravelopinion.com and occasional motoring copy at sutton-life.com.
Status: Freelance
Publications: Driving Force syndication
Circulation: National, International
Email: macfive54@gmail.com
Tel: 0121 308 8677
Mobile: 07855 733220
MULLEN, Enda
Writes weekly road tests for CoventryLive and BirminghamLive, the online platforms for the Coventry Telegraph and Birmingham Mail.
Also weekly road tests for Driving Force, which provides syndicated motoring content for Reach plc (former Trinity Mirror and Local World) titles across the UK.
Status: Motoring Editor, Solihull News
Publications: Driving Force syndication, Solihull News, Birmingham Post
Circulation: National, Regional
Email: enda.mullen@trinitymirror.com
Tel: 0121 234 5659
Mobile: 07905 815666
NOAKES, Andrew
Award-winning automotive journalist and editor. Former technical editor of Fast Car and editor of Classics, now freelance. Author of more than 20 motoring books. Writes about new cars, classic cars and automotive technology, and runs the unique automotive journalism Masters course at Coventry University. Former Guild of Motoring Writers chairman.
Status: Freelance, lecturer at Coventry University
Publications: Classic Cars, automotivejournalism.uk, gomw.co.uk
Circulation: National, International
Email: andrew@pgan.com
Tel: 024 7688 7480
Mobile: 07980 293539
PERKINS, Neil
Supplies features, news and images to automotive, lifestyle and sporting publications and websites on five continents. Manages press office and editorial distribution for several rounds of the FIA World and Middle East rally championships and FIA World Cup Cross-Country events. Freelance writer in several global motor racing and rally series.
Status: Freelance
Publications: Motor sport publications globally, especially Middle East, plus lifestyle and owner publications globally
Circulation: International
Email: ndppublicity@googlemail.com
Tel: 01952 825001
Mobile: 07831 123153
RUSSON, Chris
As chief motoring editor for Driving Force, provides motoring copy for all the Reach plc (formerly Trinity Mirror plc) regional newspaper titles across the UK.
Status: Chief motoring editor, Driving Force
Publications: Trinity Mirror Driving Force syndication
Circulation:National
Email: chris.russon@drivingforce.uk.net
Tel: 0121 234 5469
Mobile: 07590 985128
SLACK, Mark
Contributes to a number of motoring supplements in both weekly and evening newspapers, monthly lifestyle magazines and web based media.
Covers new car tests, product news, features and opinion pieces.
Status: Freelance
Publications: Johnston Press, Northwest Evening Mail, The Journal, Central Independent Newspapers, Wiltshire Times & Gazette, Devonshire Magazine, Accouter Design
Circulation: East Midlands, West Midlands, North West England, Devon, Wiltshire, National & International via agency
Email: markslackmedia@gmail.com
Tel: 01773 853132
Mobile: 07769 583383
linkedin.com/in/mark-slack-55006522
STEPHENS, Ed
Edits travel and motoring pages of the Birmingham Mail and Birmingham Post as a freelance, after 40 years on the staff. Writes road tests and news stories for both papers, Driving Force, various other motoring publications, regional titles across the UK and in the national Daily Record.
Status: Freelance
Publications: Birmingham Post, Birmingham Mail, Driving Force syndication
Circulation: National
Email: edwardstephens@talktalk.net
Tel: 01922 620756
Mobile: 07802 920006
TAYLOR, Syd
Taylor’s weekly road tests and motoring features spread far and wide into many titles. He also writes about motorcycles, reviews restaurants and pens pieces on security. Before turning to the typewriter, he taught in secondary education and higher education colleges. Taylor also writes as Rory Dumfries, Simon Winterbourne and Mason Tinley.
Status: Freelance
Publications: Various 'Life' titles, Young at Heart, FS, The Villager, Staffordshire Outlook, In Business, Legal Eagle, 3V Media plus evening regionals and lifestyle supplements
Circulation: National
Email: sydtaylor000@gmail.com
Tel: 01902 845052
TUDOR-LANE, Adam
Tudor-Lane developed a passion for cars at an early age, and developed that passion into an automotive media career. At 16 he arranged work experience in the Hyundai World Rally Team, at 20 he was running four French car owners’ forums. This gave him a taste of automotive journalism, which he has pursued since 2012.
Status: Freelance
Publications: carwitter.com, MK Pulse, NN Pulse
Circulation: National, International
Email: atl@carwitter.com
Tel: 01908 502599
Mobile: 07981 215418
TURNER, Vicky
Became editorial assistant for Classic Land Rover and Classic Military Vehicle magazines in 2016, rising to assistant editor by 2018 before turning freelance. Still writing for Classic Military Vehicle, and also the first and only female columnist for Land Rover Owner International.
Status: Freelance
Publications: Land Rover Owner International, Classic Military Vehicle
Circulation: National, International
Email: vicky.t@gmx.com
Mobile: 07711 643869
