Slimmed down magazine
Comments
-
Just received our August magazine, what a disappointment. Like others have said it just about sums up the unfortunate road the club is going down.
My wife and I have been members for 30years but we will have to really think hard about renewing. In my view the club is quickly becoming just like Haven etc.
3 -
Haven? It couldn’t be more different.😂😂
0 -
I certainly wouldn’t base my Membership renewal upon the state of the Club Mag. As far as I’m concerned, it’s always been something additional that you got, and therefore take it, go digital, or just ignore it. Did used to like the letters page, always some fun in there, but CT covers most of that nowadays🤭
1 -
I was wondering what all the fuss was about as the magazine we got last week, still not opened, was not too thin. However, just today we got something that OH was about to categorise as a junk mail delivery, but which turned out to be the August “magazine”…..pitiful!
Have tried to read ones on line, but , like K Brown, it just does not work for me.
2 -
I look at it online and it took me all of 3 to 5 minutes to glance through heyho and glad I do not have to pay the postage to have it sent here. I used to have the French caravan magazine until this year and that was more interesting to look at and some bits I can read and have passed them onto a friend in UK which keeps him quiet for for some time.
We are thinking of cancelling our membership later this year as not used club sites this year and probably not next year either.
1 -
I got home and after a while I sat down to see what all the posts were about in this thread. I decided, as you would expect from me, to actually really look at what had really changed in terms of numbers. I used the July and August issues for comparison.
Now this is just me putting broad headings onto the various pages from one to the other to categorise them and then did a simple count. Now a very rough count and I'm sure others might get different results.
So no changes in Letters (still one page) and opinions. Club sites news and CLs news were the same and tail lights still the same'
Headlines down from two page to one page. Photos had gone down three.
Pages about touring and nature, sport...in the UK 12 pages in July while August had 14.
Abroad touring went from 6 to 4 (don't shoot me I'm just the messenger)
Archive and posts from CT had gone.
Crosswords and puzzles down to one page from 3.
Products seem to have gone.
But the biggest difference was adverts, down from 54 pages, (not a mistake 54) down to 15.
So is all these mainly negative posts about the slimmer magazine justified for me? No!
It had more or less as much editorial content as before and those are the parts that I actually read in previous issues. I never found the MH and tow cars at £60,000+ reviews relevant to me, although the caravans prices in my price band were.
I certainly never read the 54 pages of adverts.
Like I said, a very rough count and a very rough categories of the pages but hopefully useful and no one can dispute where the main pages have gone - the adverts.
Also everyone is entitled to their views but basing touring with the club on the magazine just does not make sense. If it went I would still use club sites. And for the same reason I'm not bothered about being 'consulted' about the changes. As long as club sites remain at the same quality as they are.
So for me I quite like this new version, I wonder if it's here to stay?
2 -
Having got the magazine it looks to be little more than a leaflet advertising sites and holidays. To me the most interesting things are the articles on caravans cars and motorhomes. Without them it is just a travelogue and sites adverts. Frankly it was the worst publication I have ever received and if the club treat me with that contempt to suggest that was a useful special edition then I will have to seriously consider my membership. Frankly I learned nothing, it was a waste of paper. I have always tried to support the club but not this time.
Looks like an own goal.
5 -
Wildwood
You are obviously a pretty experienced member and I can see for anyone who has been in the club for a while that often much of the content of the magazine is repetitive and probably of no interest to longer term members. In some ways the Club has a split personality in that it is made up of long term members and quite new members, the latter certainly seems to have increased in recent years. I keep an eye on Social Media, particularly Facebook, and some of the questions I see being asked on there would suggest a lot of newer members have very little knowledge of the Club so would probably find what you and I see as repetitive as interesting. Probably an impossible task to keep everyone happy?
David
0 -
Summarising the comments on my post in my opinion it seems to me that:-
A lot of members are concerned about the travel of the Club regarding the long term members.
Also the ever increasing site fees. Is our Club in financial difficulties?. I guess the insurance side subs the sites but the quotes are very expensive and certainly not competitive even allowing for the extras the Club promotes.
We do not seem to see many criticisms on the letters page only praise. Obviously we see speeding concerns which is needed but essentially ignored by a large number of our members. It appears education is not working and I cannot see how the site Wardens can enforce it.
1 -
LPC
I have been a member for about 43 years and the letters page in the Magazine have always been somewhat benign in nature. A monthly magazine is hardly the vehicle for debate? Perhaps we should be more appreciative of the Club setting up this forum where proper debate can take place? I very much doubt the Club is in financial difficulties but clearly some things have changed and no doubt we will get the full information when the accounts are published ahead of the AGM?
David
0 -
Your OP was about the club magazine August edition?
A lot of members are concerned about the travel...
Well you mean perhaps a lot of members posting on here, I don't think you can extrapolate that to all the membership?
Ever increasing site fees?
I think prices haven't gone up this year and 2025 prices are the same as for 2024, so ever increasing? You maybe forgetting the excellent T&C which are really heavily based in out favour? There are more expensive sites out there, and cheaper ones too of course.
certainly not competitive
Not sure what club insurance quotes has to do with it? Firstly how do you know they are certainly not competitive? Is that a fact? When I renewed mine it was, sometimes people post they are and sometimes not. I suppose it depends on individual circumstances.
The magazine is a promotional tool and the letters have never been that negative. As to speeding and (sorry have you been on club sites?) I have certainly seen it enforced with cars being asked to park in the car park and people spoken to.
0 -
Preferred this shorter version even read it for a change.
just got back from Castleon site 30 % empty mid week service pitches 4 out of 12 pitches being used, ok Friday, Saturday full.
1 -
As a member for some 42 years I have rarely, if ever, made negative comments about the Club but I feel like having a bit of a moan about this. I am not complaining about what they've done to the magazine, more the way they've gone about it.
Like others, I presumed some kind of supplement had been issued, unsurprising given this has come out of the blue with no pre-announcement as far as I'm aware. Reading the editorial, I saw we were being welcomed to a 'very special August edition' which would go on to provide an explanation. It didn't, although it was indeed 'special', but not for the reasons given. It's almost as if the Club are a bit embarrassed about it and didn't want to spell out their reasoning for slimming it down... or perhaps hoping we wouldn't notice!
So to summarise, I think this is all a bit underhand and the Club should explain itself. I've no doubt some will be happy about the change, others not so much, but as I say, that's beside the point.
3 -
site managers hours reduced on next years contracts ,bin point now just one central point with lids that you strugglle to lift so that you can put your rubbish in ,price increases on pitches , special offers on site fees,club mag reduced in content some good some bad removed , but head office number of staff increased ,I still think that the company is maximising profit margins to effect a future sale to venture capitalist companies time will tel
1 -
It’s a private limited company and not likely to be of interest to anyone other than club members. There are no profit margins. Any operating surplus is ploughed back into refurbishing and obtaining sites.
2 -
Hi Cornersteady
I am not sure what sites you frequent but in my experience virtually no members keep to the 5 mph requirement. ( I must admit it is difficult to keep it down to 5 mph or less)Obviously Wardens will stop members if they see it but the Wardens cannot patrol the site constantly. The other problem is children and adults riding their bikes the wrong way around the site and many do exceed 5 mph.
2 -
Well a lot is the answer to your first question and my experience is the opposite with the speeders being the exceptions. I was replying to regarding the actions wardens can take, 'offenders' spoken to and repeat offenders must leave their car in the car park. Seen it done.
1
