Your favourite monthly read?

[pillingslock]

Dear All!

 

Firstly - all respect to the forum, as I know there are guidelines on promoting products etc, but I'd really like to ask forum members what publications they are reading regularly?

 

Whether they buy them or borrow them - I think the forum can give a good guide on which waterways publications actually circulate and get read or pay lip-service to the industry.

 

My personal feeling is that many of our punters pop into the office specifically to grab the "Freebie" waterways monthly but we also sell 20-30 copies of the supposed No.2 selling glossy. We don't stock the No.1 glossy as we can't afford to advertise in there...it's 50% more expensive than where we do currently, but do double the people read it?

 

Or are we all now reading things on-line more than buying the glossies?

 

Your feedback is appreciated!

 

Paul

Edited June 12, 2009 by pillingslock

[carlt]

I've always bought PBO and Classic Boat.

 

They have useful articles, honest reviews and interesting columnists. They actually credit their readership with practical skills and include diy projects.

 

The IW mags are lacking all of these, apart from one, which has interesting columnists (but not interesting enough to part with cash).

 

I still read all the inland mags in the WH Smiths reading rooms, btw.

[Tony Brooks]

Dear All!

 

Firstly - all respect to the forum, as I know there are guidelines on promoting products etc, but I'd really like to ask forum members what publications they are reading regularly?

 

Whether they buy them or borrow them - I think the forum can give a good guide on which waterways publications actually circulate and get read or pay lip-service to the iadds and the ndustry.

 

My personal feeling is that many of our punters pop into the office specifically to grab the "Freebie" waterways monthly but we also sell 20-30 copies of the supposed No.2 selling glossy. We don't stock the No.1 glossy as we can't afford to advertise in there...it's 50% more expensive than where we do currently, but do double the people read it?

 

Of are we all now reading things on-line more than buying the glossies?

 

Your feedback is appreciated!

 

Paul

 

 

CB, for obvious reasons, WW mainly for the news, adds & "new equipment" section. Canals & Rivers if I am at a lose end and want another mag. Towpath Telegraph when I come across it.

 

Occasionally Boats & Outboards if I am looking for something in the small adds or just to keep up to date with prices etc. across a range of boats.

[the grinch]

WW never miss it

Gas engineer as it comes free to all us Gasmen!

Wey South (wey & arun canal trust mag)

and waterways + local IWA mags

[dasboot]

I think the circulation of WW is around 16,000 and CB 13,000 (corrections welcomed). WW has declined over the last decade and is still declining - probably because the internet has replaced its usefulness as a market place. Back in the 1980s if you were looking for a second hand narrowboat you bought WW - the classifieds were full of them.

 

Personally WW is the better overall - although CB has some good articles but still a trashy "tabloid" feel to a lot of the mag.

 

I don't know the advertising rates, but I'm amazed that so many businesses do advertise in them in this internet age. Perhaps because they always did. Few waterway businesses display much grip on the art of marketing - difficult for cottage industries to do I suppose.

[churchward]

I have Canal Boat on subscription (if only to read about what Bones has drilled a whole in or chopped off that she shoudln't! ) but end up buying Waterways World most months too. Then occasional others like Canal & River and Towpath etc.

Edited June 12, 2009 by churchward

[Timleech]

One mag subscription, Model Engineers' Workshop.

I don't do much model engineering but it does have useful tips for the machine shop & there's no equivalent 'pro' mag.

I did read the latest 'review' of a certain novel propellor in WW, in the local chandlery the other day. I very occasionally buy a waterways mag, always WW, maybe because it was the only show in town back when I was an 'enthusiast'

 

Tim

[pillingslock]

CB, for obvious reasons, WW mainly for the news, adds & "new equipment" section. Canals & Rivers if I am at a lose end and want another mag. Towpath Telegraph when I come across it.

 

Occasionally Boats & Outboards if I am looking for something in the small adds or just to keep up to date with prices etc. across a range of boats.

Can I detect that many boaters have trouble coming across a Towpath Talk then? - we have 100 delivered and usually have a dozen or so left by the time the next issue is out.

[johnmck]

Can I detect that many boaters have trouble coming across a Towpath Talk then? - we have 100 delivered and usually have a dozen or so left by the time the next issue is out.

 

I read Towpath Talk online, so never have a problem. Just wish the new issue came out the first of the month and not in the middle!!!!

 

Also get CB and WW on subscription.

 

John.

[Lady Muck]

I buy CB and WW, I'm relatively new to boating so probably wouldn't find it as repetitive as others might. I save the cruising guides from these and I'm using them alongside the Nicholsons guides for this trip and they have been quite useful.

 

I save the maintenance notes and repairs notes and some of the articles on fancy boats. I like Canal Boat the most because it seems younger (I'm not 40 yet, but I often feel like an embryo in the boating world!).

 

Not mad on Canals and Rivers because it seems to be aimed at retired boaters and we both think they should get a food stylist for the cookery page photo or they should commission an illustration instead, because, although I'm sure the food is tasty, it always looks like some curry that the dog sicked up!

 

I read Towpath Tittle Tattle online or pick up a free one whenever I can.

[sueb]

Motorhome Monthly and Computer Active. We don't tend to stop where TT is available but pick it up when we do.

Sue

[Lady Muck]

Motorhome Monthly and Computer Active. We don't tend to stop where TT is available but pick it up when we do.

Sue

 

Actually, theres very little difference in Motorhome and Canal mags these days - one has water and one does not.

[Dyad]

I started looking into boating in 2006 and subscribed to CB in early 2007, I got a freebie item for subscribing, since then they have had some great items for new subscribers, bugger should of waited.

I have on occasions bought WW when in the supermarket if there is an interesting article in it, the ads look the same in both though.

I have only seen one Towpath Telegraph when I was out on Neil's Canal Voyager hotel boat this April, where do you get the TT?

 

Kev

Edited June 12, 2009 by Dyad

[matty40s]

occasionally buy one or the other of the WW/CB glossies but have stopped now for financial reasons, pick up TT when I can find one. i find some BW stops, and marinas allow old ones to be put with the book swap facility, but some bin the mags thinking people don't want to read them(or, "we sell em so ain't goin' to undermine our margins by allowin this")

[pillingslock]

occasionally buy one or the other of the WW/CB glossies but have stopped now for financial reasons, pick up TT when I can find one. i find some BW stops, and marinas allow old ones to be put with the book swap facility, but some bin the mags thinking people don't want to read them(or, "we sell em so ain't goin' to undermine our margins by allowin this")

Old Copies in the Book-swap - top idea mate! We'll put out back-issues in our Laundry/book-swap!

[matty40s]

I put about 2 years worths, first time, and they ended up in the skip in 4 days. however, marina people must have noticed, and started to put theirs in bit by bit, and they are now being allowed to stay and be untilised.

[starman]

I've always bought PBO and Classic Boat.

 

They have useful articles, honest reviews and interesting columnists. They actually credit their readership with practical skills and include diy projects.

 

I agree, I think they are great mags. When I had a wooden boat I used to love reading Classic Boat even though it was all vintage yachts and mine was a humble Broads cruiser. Comparisons with the inland waterways mags are difficult: PBO covers a much bigger market of offshore yachts and cruisers, and has a circulation of about 47,000 compared with Canal Boat's 12k so it can spend a lot more on the editorial content. Classic Boat has an international circulation which, though small (12k), gives it access to syndicated international material.

BTW as an aside, I wonder how many narrow boat owners do much diy on their boats – my sailing son-in-law is always tinkering and adding bits to his yacht but many nb owners seem content to polish the brasswork.

[Offcumden]

I buy CB and WW, I'm relatively new to boating so probably wouldn't find it as repetitive as others might. I save the cruising guides from these and I'm using them alongside the Nicholsons guides for this trip and they have been quite useful.

 

Like yourself we are relatively new to boating and eagerly awaited publication of both WW and CB whilst we were looking to buy a boat. We also saved the cruising guides believing that they would be useful as the guides quickly become outdated in terms of local services, shops and pubs etc

We had WW on a subscription basis but did not renew the subscription once we bought the boat as we were continuously cruising and secondly the amount of copy was becoming less and less in comparison

to advertising. Once aboad we continued to buy CB but stopped for the same reason.

Recently we bought a copy of CB from our local Marina as it contained a cruising guide to the Leeds Liverpool. As luck would have it it was the second report of two.The part which we are on and where we lived prior to moving onto the boat was in the previous months edition.

The next rainy day curiousity got the better of us and we bought the missing article only to find that our local pub which closed two years ago was still listed as one of the top ten pubs to visit. No reference was made to the sympathtetic restoration of the Foulridge Wharf which is due to open as a Cafebar/Bistro next month. Simarly in the Key to boatyard services no mention was made of Lower Park Marina althought fleeting reference was made to it towards the end of the report, it made no mention of the new extension to the marina, which is just about to open.

Perhaps the fact that the second report which we had bought first, had had to correct three telephone numbers should have given us a clue that the report was dependent on historical facts rather than contempary copy.Whilst I have no connections with either of the two organisations omitted I would be very suprised if either used that publication to advertise their exsistance, and given the high cost of these publications and the apparent lack of factual reporting I fear I shall no longer be supporting their cause

 

john

[Guest User]

For me WW, CB and Canals and Rivers ... I agree they tend to have a focus on attracting new readership rather than retaining long term readers. It would be nice if they took a subject to a bit more detail every now and them. Also, Towpath Talk .. in paper form .. I prefer to read paper copy, its easier on the eye than a computer screen. And member's newletters from IWA, NABO, GOBA etc

 

In response to the point made about whether NB owners do much DIY other than polishing their brassware .. I'm regularly in and around two marinas on different waterways and at both there's a significant number of narrowboater's that do a lot of DIY, myself included (read the techy stuff on this forum too to get an idea of the amount of DIY on an even wider scale)

Edited June 13, 2009 by Graham!

[Dawnie]

Countryfile magazine, very useful walks etc included, sky at night and anglia afloat oh and GOBA news. Waterways mags are difficult to get round here unless you pre order at the newsagent or subscribe. Even so after about two years the artcles are repetetive and as John mentioned, not necessarily up to date.

[churchward]

I agree, I think they are great mags. When I had a wooden boat I used to love reading Classic Boat even though it was all vintage yachts and mine was a humble Broads cruiser. Comparisons with the inland waterways mags are difficult: PBO covers a much bigger market of offshore yachts and cruisers, and has a circulation of about 47,000 compared with Canal Boat's 12k so it can spend a lot more on the editorial content. Classic Boat has an international circulation which, though small (12k), gives it access to syndicated international material.

BTW as an aside, I wonder how many narrow boat owners do much diy on their boats – my sailing son-in-law is always tinkering and adding bits to his yacht but many nb owners seem content to polish the brasswork.

I don't believe in spending money when you can do it yourself. Personally I have always had a practical bent so I can turn my hand to most things either mechanical, plumbing, wood and metal work and some electrickery. I have been a keen car restorer for many years and come from an engineering family so it I just get on and do it myself drawing on my own experience and advice from others including this forum of course.

 

So thus far any work needing doing has been done by me on my narrowboat, all except blacking the hull which I don't fancy doing.

Edited June 13, 2009 by churchward

[NB Alnwick]

It is interesting that before we bought our boat, we bought WW every month (as well as most of the other boating mags) and always read them from cover to cover - even the small ads. Since then we have just bought an ocasional copy and rarely do more than skim through it just taking in the interesting bits . . .

[CanalWalker]

I dont get WW because of the endless adverts, unless it has a long article about the L&L in it. I used to subscribe to CB but stopped as reading it you wouldn't think there were anything other than narrowboats on the canals. Again I would get it if it had an article i was interested in. I find some of the columnists annoying too. I read TT but mostly just flick through it.

So I dont buy any magazines regularly it all depends on the content.

[canalchris]

CLASSIC BIKE GUIDE

[carlt]

I dont get WW because of the endless adverts, unless it has a long article about the L&L in it. I used to subscribe to CB but stopped as reading it you wouldn't think there were anything other than narrowboats on the canals.

 

Years ago I actually wrote a letter, to WW, thanking them for including a nice picture of a beautiful, but scruffy, wooden L+L short boat.

 

The caption said that eyesores, such as this, shouldn't be on the waterways but it was just a nice change, to see something different.

 

They didn't print my letter (they may have detected a slightly sarcastic tone).

Edited June 13, 2009 by carlt