Editor defends her county
Surrey Life
editor
Caroline Harrap has sprung to the defence of the county on BBC radio after
Lonely Planet rubbished the area in its latest guidebook.
In the new edition of their guide to Great Britain, the well-known travel publisher describes Surrey as: ‘The heart of commuterville, but for the most part made up of uninspiring towns and dull, sprawling suburbs…’
Following their damning verdict, which caused outrage across the county, Archant Life editor Caroline was only too happy to set the record straight during an interview on BBC Surrey’s breakfast show.
"We couldn’t believe it when we heard what Lonely Planet had written - nothing could be further from the truth!" she said. "In fact, it nearly caused a riot in the Surrey Life office!
"Here in Surrey, we have some of the most beautiful countryside in the whole of the south-east – not least the spectacular Surrey Hills, which are designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and stretch right across the county.
"Then, of course, there’s our wonderful towns and villages, which far from being dull or uninspiring are mostly steeped in history – with cobbled streets, ancient buildings and castle keeps.
"And what about all the fantastic places to visit – Denbies Vineyard in Dorking; Hampton Court Palace in East Molesey; all the amazing National Trust properties; the list goes on…
"It makes you wonder whether these people have ever actually visited Surrey."
As well as being interviewed on the radio, the team at Surrey Life were quick to capitalise on the story, making it the lead on their website and putting it on their blogs, Facebook and Twitter, with a follow-up to come in the next magazine.
Within minutes, they were being inundated with e-mails, letters and phone calls from irate readers.
However, Lonely Planet travel editor Tom Hall, who was also interviewed on the BBC programme, has stood by the book’s comments.
"Our authors visit all the destinations in the guidebook and judge which they think travellers and holidaymakers will be most interested in," he said.
"Authors update the Great Britain guidebook every two years so they will be back soon to research for the next edition.
"If they feel that the towns in the area have something more to offer, they may be included in the next book."
Related Links:
http://www.surreylife.co.uk