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P R

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Hello everyone, as you can see i am fairly new to the forum, although have been reading it for a while. Have been holidaying with my family on hire boats 2-3 times a year for a few year's and think the next step to boat ownership can only be a year or so away, weather we buy outright or get involved with a boat share is still up for debate. But thats not my question for today, just wanted to introduce myself as is the first time i have started a topic. I want to take out a subsciption to a canal/narrow boat magazine wonder'd which one's you would recomend.

 

 

Pete

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Albion Influencer

Albion

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hello everyone, as you can see i am fairly new to the forum, although have been reading it for a while. Have been holidaying with my family on hire boats 2-3 times a year for a few year's and think the next step to boat ownership can only be a year or so away, weather we buy outright or get involved with a boat share is still up for debate. But thats not my question for today, just wanted to introduce myself as is the first time i have started a topic. I want to take out a subsciption to a canal/narrow boat magazine wonder'd which one's you would recomend.

 

 

Pete

 

I'm actually downsizing on the magazine front now as I no longer boat in the UK but still retain an interest in it. This is the order in which I gave them up/didn't which indicates my thoughts on their merits.

1. Canals and Rivers (used to be Canal and Riverboat) - gave up ages ago ;)

2. Canal Boat - recently and slightly reluctantly

3. Waterways World I have retained as my only magazine link in very slight preference to number 2.

HTH

Roger

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carlt Veteran II

carlt

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Free to download (or view online (as PDF) is Towpath Talk:

 

http://www.towpathtalk.co.uk/

 

Previous issues can similarly be viewed.

 

Also free to pick up from canal chandlers, boat yards etc (See under "Find your nearest Free Copy" on the left hand side at the above site).

 

Stewey

Towpath Talk (if you pick it up, rather than download) has the advantage, over the others, in that it is more absorbent and slightly softer.

  • Greenie 2
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alan_fincher Veteran II

alan_fincher

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I need to be careful what I say, as some forum members are either columnists or contribute articles to some of the magazines.

 

But on the whole, I find them all consistently disappointing, and tend to get rather annoyed with myself each time I spend money on one.

 

I think Waterways World is marginally the best of a bad bunch, and it has improved a little, if only because of some articles involving "recent" canal history from the 1960s/1970s. I just wish Richard could be persuaded to give them enough space that the pictures were reproduced large enough to see any detail.

 

Canal Boat is the only other one of any substance,

 

Canals & Rivers (I think it's now called) is dire beyond belief. I bought a copy because I thought the publication of some of one of the "Idle Women's" diaries might be of some interest. To be honest, even that was fairly "content free", but it at least matched the rest of the magazine.

 

Towpath Talk may be free, but it needs to be - I can't imagine anybody actually handing over money for it.

 

I would add, (not really grovelling), that some of the articles by forum members are rather better than the average content of WW or CB, so I'm not knocking their attempts to improve these mags.

 

I did buy the latest WW. I was rather surprised to find it featured the very bizarre 15 year old boat "William", (Stowe Hill - formerly with butty Anne) as one of it's featured boats. We are asked to believe that a similar build today would cost £130K, although it says things like "its simple electrics and only 2 domestic batteries". One wonders if ABNB are paying to get the article included, although it doesn't actually claim to be an advert!

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J R Community Regular

J R

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Posted

I need to be careful what I say, as some forum members are either columnists or contribute articles to some of the magazines.

 

But on the whole, I find them all consistently disappointing, and tend to get rather annoyed with myself each time I spend money on one.

 

I think Waterways World is marginally the best of a bad bunch, and it has improved a little, if only because of some articles involving "recent" canal history from the 1960s/1970s. I just wish Richard could be persuaded to give them enough space that the pictures were reproduced large enough to see any detail.

 

Canal Boat is the only other one of any substance,

 

Canals & Rivers (I think it's now called) is dire beyond belief. I bought a copy because I thought the publication of some of one of the "Idle Women's" diaries might be of some interest. To be honest, even that was fairly "content free", but it at least matched the rest of the magazine.

 

Towpath Talk may be free, but it needs to be - I can't imagine anybody actually handing over money for it.

 

I would add, (not really grovelling), that some of the articles by forum members are rather better than the average content of WW or CB, so I'm not knocking their attempts to improve these mags.

 

I did buy the latest WW. I was rather surprised to find it featured the very bizarre 15 year old boat "William", (Stowe Hill - formerly with butty Anne) as one of it's featured boats. We are asked to believe that a similar build today would cost £130K, although it says things like "its simple electrics and only 2 domestic batteries". One wonders if ABNB are paying to get the article included, although it doesn't actually claim to be an advert!

 

For someone new to narrowboats, Waterways World can be a good introduction and alot of useful information can be picked up from it, boat reviews etc.. Towpath Telegraph gives a different slant on things but is worth a mention. Don't forget to recycle!

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P R Contributor

P R

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Towpath Talk (if you pick it up, rather than download) has the advantage, over the others, in that it is more absorbent and slightly softer.

Nice :lol:

Thanks all, looks like Waterways World is the most recomended

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Tony Brooks Veteran II

Tony BrooksDonate to Canal World

Posted
Posted

Hello everyone, as you can see i am fairly new to the forum, although have been reading it for a while. Have been holidaying with my family on hire boats 2-3 times a year for a few year's and think the next step to boat ownership can only be a year or so away, weather we buy outright or get involved with a boat share is still up for debate. But thats not my question for today, just wanted to introduce myself as is the first time i have started a topic. I want to take out a subsciption to a canal/narrow boat magazine wonder'd which one's you would recomend.

 

 

Pete

 

 

Naturally I have to say Canal Boat :)

 

Actually I think it is leading in the practical side of owning boats stakes but then again I could not say otherwise - could I.

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Québec Rising Star

Québec

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Started off buying WW every month, then realised that unless there was a particular story or article I was interested in it began to feel a bit repetitive, and I do think it's a challenge - for many such magazines - to consistently find interesting stuff.

 

That last point was brought home to me last month (November) when WW and Canal Boat both covered the opening of the Droitwich (which I suppose was 'new' news, and so to be expected) and both had a photo of what looks suspiciously like the same boat on the cover - presumably by the same photographer.

 

ww_Nov_2010_edited.jpgcanal-boat-magazine.jpg

 

I now have a quick look through it before deciding (or not)to buy.

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RLWP Veteran II

RLWP

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We take Waterways World, NarrowBoat and Canal Boat, and I'm considering dropping WW

 

Richard

 

I must say I'm thoroughly sick of the sycophantic boat reviews in both CB and WW, but WW seems slightly more nauseating

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Teadaemon Proficient

Teadaemon

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Not particularly relevant to canal boaters, but by far my favourite boating magazine is Watercraft - I've been a subscriber for the past two years and have just bought a two year subscription. Practical Boat Owner is also good, and probably more relevant to people who aren't interested in designing and building boats as well as using them.

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