The Midland Group has recently boosted its membership with two new faces.

Latest person to join is Hugh Hunston, a busy freelance who will be already known to lots of members. Among Hugh's outlets are Business Car magazine, Dealer Update, The Bulletin and he is a contributor to Auto Express, The Daily Telegraph and The Times.

He is a winner of the Guild of Motoring Writer's and Ford sponsored Timo Makinen Trophy and twice winner in the Conoco Jet Awards. Motorsport, rugby union, music, travel and reading are all interests listed by Hugh on his application to the Group.

And a little earlier we welcomed Andrew Noakes to our Group. Andrew, 37, is a freelance writer as well as part-time lecturer in automotive journalism at Coventry University.

He is the author of nine motoring books, the latest a just published work on the legendary Cosworth DFV grand prix engine. He is a contributor to many motoring magazines, including Car, Classic & Sports Car, Auto Express and Carbuyer and contributes to several websites.

Andrew lists his interests as motorsport (sprinting and hillclimbing a 1972 MG Midget) and he collects vintage watches.

An imaginary drive to Italy in an economical hot hatch has won the Group's second Phil Llewellin Award for a 14-year-old Shrewsbury boy.

Lewis Evans, who was just 13 when he wrote his winning entry, is planning to take Mum Jenny and Dad Martin on holiday to Egypt with the £1,000 worth of travel vouchers that come with the award.

He will also spend a day with Aston Martin at the company HQ at Gaydon, Warwickshire, enjoying a passenger ride in one of the current range and his parents will also receive an Audi of their choice to drive for a week.

The Phil Llewellin Memorial Award was set up by the Midland Group after Phil died aged 62 while on holiday in Croatia in 2005. Entrants had to be aged 16 or under and write about a green holiday. Lewis, whose grandfather Eric Hughes is a Shropshire Star van driver, saw the competition advertised in the paper and decided to enter.

The Grange School pupil said: "I was amazed I won. I never thought I would. I enjoy writing. I'm not sure what I want to be when I grow up at the moment - it might be something to do with writing but there's lots of things I could do at the moment.

"I'm looking forward to the holiday. I picked Egypt because my Mum has always wanted to go there and I have too but we've not really had the chance so I decided on there."

Jenny Evans said: "He had to write a story about a green holiday so he wrote about a drive in a caravan from England to Italy and described the greenery and going through the Alps and crossing from Dover."

Lewis was partly prompted to enter again after receiving an email that was sent to all the entrants who were not successful the first time, urging them to have another go.

Midland Group chairman was joined by Beth Llewellin when he handed over the travel vouchers at the winner's Shrewsbury home, along with a Mont Blanc pen in an inscribed box.

My Ideal Green Holiday
By Lewis Evans

Walking down my driveway I took a look at my car, a nippy little Golf GTi yet still quite economical. I clambered into the car packed with items essential for my trip and started up the engine.

A familiar rumble shook me as the 2 litre engine warmed itself and the gravel underneath me crunched as I pulled away from my humble home. Shortly after I joined the motorway full of other drivers commuting to and from busy towns and cities I glanced in my rear view mirror and saw my cosy little caravan trundling along behind me.

From time to time I'd take a look at my speedometer slowly climbing. I watched it scamper upwards like a hawk climbing higher into the sky. I'd been driving for some time when I pulled off the motorway as I saw a sign that lit my face up. Dover. I drove down to the port and looked from side to side amazed at the beautiful port. Ferries coming and going whilst people of the town got on with their lives shopping and working. I slowly pulled onto the ferry and parked my car.

A short 45 minute journey across the English Channel brought me to Calais. A bustling town full of people rushing around. It was nothing like England. Pulling off the ferry I watched as Calais turned from a large city to a small speck in my mirror the further I got away from it.

Starting to turn southeast I was heading towards Italy. Driving through France admiring the Frances great roads as I travelled across them. Compared to English roads they were like driving on silk, they were so smooth, I wish I could drive on them forever but sadly, I had to go to sleep as I'd been driving all day. I set up in a small camp and settled down for the night.

I awoke the next morning and immediately started up the engine of my little hatchback. It rumbled as I pulled away from the site and rejoined my drive to Italy. I had reached a milestone in my journey. The Alps. The icy mountains laced with tarmac climbed high into the clouds like the Eiffel Tower but 100s of them all aligned perfectly.

Winding around the roads was a task in itself. Sometimes teetering on the edge I wormed my way up and down until I reached the other side of the mountain range. What a beautiful sight. The crisp Italian air filled my lungs. In front of me I saw vineyards filled with the plumpest grapes, I saw rocky, fertile areas of land and finally I saw behind me the Alps, then started driving down windy roads of Italy.

After driving 100s of miles I ended up on another camp site. I had finished my long journey to Italy.