About Us
If you are looking for another John Howes, see No, not me... below.
MalvernTrail is a web site put together (content, design, tech) by John Howes. He moved to Malvern (Worcestershire, UK) in October 2001 after many years involvement in community and voluntary action in London. A founder member of London Cycling Campaign, he was their rides organiser for seven years and the longest serving crew member for Bicycle Beano cycling holidays. He hopes to attract a wide range of people to cycling, walking and appreciating the local environment.
Enquiries welcome on:
- Cycling or walking trips in the area.
- Web design, production, management.
- Use/commission of photographs.
Rates are kept low for most purposes. Website designs are kept clean and simple, for ease of update, access and readability, and to be search engine friendly. Basic pages can be set up from £25 and help is available on getting the content right too, plus advice on options (not just on what Malvern Trail can offer).
Copyright
All material on this web site is copyright of John Howes, unless otherwise stated. Please get in touch if you wish to re-use any of it, especially photos. Also please let us know of any web links to MT that you create. Thanks.
Contact details
or leave a message on 01684 878357 (voicemail only, please leave an email address if at all possible ).
Adverts
Adverts are placed on the web site in a number of ways, but we aim for them to be relevant and practical within the constraints of the particular facilities. Do let us know if there are any problems, objectionable ads etc. We would be happy to hear from anybody interested in placing an appropriate advert.
Quotes
"Suggestions for following in [Elgar's] tyre-tracks are available at the excellent website www.malverntrail.co.uk". Simon Calder, The Independent online travel section, 23 March 2002.
"A good web-based link to the area, with loads of route and local info" Cycling Plus, February 2004.
Other sites
Websites managed by myself include
- VolResource, a portal for the UK voluntary and community sector providing a wide range of information, along with the associated VoluntaryNews news pages and events listings, and CharityBlog.
- MEGA - Malvern Ethical and Green Alliance; Transition Malvern Hills (local Transition Towns initiative).
- CycleMalvern and MalvernGreen on WordPress.
Some sites created for clients:
- Carno Station Action Group. Campaigning to re-open this train station on the Cambrian Line in mid-Wales.
- GTN CycleTours. The cycling holidays in seriously hilly parts of France, run by colleagues, now lower key and connected with Central London CTC.
Web related services provided by/involving other Howes brothers:
- Red Back Graphics designers and illustrators.
- Kerchunga Easy to set up and use web content management.
- HowesComms Web and video production.
Purely family:
- James Howes, nephew, and family.
- My family tree can be found on ancestry.co.uk - Howes Watkins Neal Scott. Ancestors from Norfolk (mainly Norwich), Somerset (around Crewkerne), Breconshire (near Talgarth) and the Rhondda; mainly weavers and tailors, shoemakers, coalminers and the inevitable 'ag labs'. A few publicans too despite known family temperance sympathies. And now extended to include (Watts) cousins in Nebraska, California and Canada. NB no (known) Malvern connections.
No, not me ....
The artist John Howes has his own website at johnhowes.co.uk.
John Howes, of electrical retailers Howes of Southborough (Tunbridge Wells), a vintage radio technical expert.
John Howes, who was quality control chemist and later tour guide at Westons Cider in Much Marcle, and has a bench inscribed in his honour at the back of the courtyard there.
Howes Cycles, cycle shop in Cambridge; 104 Regent Street, phone 01223 350350. Established by John Howes in 1840 and still run by the family.
John Howes, deputy editor (at Oct 06) of the Leamington Courier Series.
John Howes, who has something to do with Tarn Hows SSSI in the Lake District.
Michael J. Howes, who was at RRE, Malvern, 1969-1971.
John Howes, 'criminal lawyer' based in Fort Lauderdale, USA.
From Access to Archives: (Norfolk record office, Howes family papers, noted Nov 04) John Howes of Grays Inn, 1758 to 1787; John Howes of Morningthorpe, High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1718.
From a comment on BBC North East Wales Historical page: "John Howes. An entry in the Census records states that he was "...one of the last to return from the Charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava after a failed attempt to capture the Russian guns..." We would be very interested in a copy of this photo, if possible, and any further information you may have. John Howes was born in Norfolk but ended his days living in Warwickshire."
There's a John Howes Close in Easton, Norwich (the city where my grandparents grew up) - although Google Maps shows it with as Howe's.
And no (known) connection with Howes Bookshop in Hastings (antiquarian).
A fresh Google on this, Dec 09,has found several more sicne the last trawl:
- John Howes -another non-profit finance person (treasurer and trustee of BMS World Mission), in Sussex.
- John Howes, Design Team Leader at Dyson (presumably based in Malvern).
- John Howes, a full time spinal surgeon, based at the spinal unit at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
No, not that Malvern ....
Malvern, Victoria, Australia (eastern suburb of Melbourne - where Malvern Star bicycle company started). We've also been told that there is a Malvern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia.
Malvern County, now absorbed into Selwyn District, South Island, New Zealand.
Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA.
Malvern, Arkansas, USA. "Brick capitol of the world"! Daily Record link.
Nor Malvern in Iowa or Ohio, USA.
Apparently there is also a Malvern in Jamaica, Canada (neighbourhood of Toronto) and South Africa (suburb of Johannesburg).