Accuracy of Magazine site / tour articles
Later this year we will be spending a few days at Chester Fairoaks, OH noticing an article in the February Magazine on touring Merseyside, Chester and Lancashire was interested to read about the club site. You can walk along the canal into Chester from the site in an hour, she informs me.
(Extract from article)
However, with time at a premium, I instead opted to visit Chester itself on this occasion, to sample the majesty of this ancient city. If you fancy a canalside walk into town, there is a path from the site which takes around an hour, but there are buses too; travel information is available in the well-stocked on-site information office.
Which was news to me because my research didn’t tally with this. The OS map showed the canal some distance away, with a fair bit of road walking even to get to it. Then along the tow path the distance was about 6 miles into Chester, that’s some fast walking in around hour. It’s marked as a cycle way, so perhaps on a bike? Perhaps someone who has visited the site can point out something I am missing, but at the moment it doesn’t fill me with confidence on the accuracy of the article.
I am not sure whether these articles are just submitted by members or paid for. The blurb on the club website in relation to this one might suggest the latter A regular contributor to the Club magazine, she has previously worked for the Press Association, The Bookseller and local newspapers.
Comments
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You are correct Steve, the Shropshire Union canal is on the other side of the M53. You can access it by walking back to the main road, turning right for a 100yds or so till you meet Little Stanley Ln. This lane goes under the M53 to the canal. Like yourself, looking at the OS, it's a fair walk so we gave it a miss.
Aside, we now go to an excellent CL in preference to the club site. Easy access of the Motorway with excellent views across Cheshire. It is also close to Frodsham. Spacious fully service pitches..https://www.thecheshirelookout.co.uk
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This isn’t that unusual, unfortunately. Some articles about attractions have referred to sites that are closed, for example. The Club simply doesn’t do its homework. On a separate issue, but illustrating again a lack of due dilligence, the club is applying for planning permission for a new site, the local villagers are up in arms and some of their criticisms refer to facilities the club says are present in the village that are not eg a shop.
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For as long as I can recall, articles in the Club Magazine, (right back to the days of it being called Enroute), have often been inaccurate, particularly from a geographical, research point of view. Contributing journalists possibly have little real, practical knowledge of what they are providing, and give scant regard to accuracy. It’s debatable if anyone actually from the Club does any kind of proof reading, correction before it goes to print/publish. Hence the moral is to do your own research (as you clearly have) and not get any unwanted surprises.
It always amused us that at one time, when the Club mentioned “nearest Club Site” Tredegar was given as the closest to Minehead. Fine if you could fly like a bird, otherwise you had the little matter of St George’s Channel to get around🤣
I never trust anything in a newspaper, magazine, Club Mag is no different.
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+1 to TDA as I too can recall some awful mistakes down the years. These 'trips' are all done from their desks.
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Totally agree about your own research TDA, I almost never read the articles, in fact rarely look at the magazine but the OH likes it.
In this case CS it looks as though the author stayed at the sites, it’s certainly written that way, given that I would have though the accuracy would have been better.0 -
I think there is a lot of "distance optimism" both online and on the printed page. You see it all the time on Facebook groups. If I give a distance I usually measure it on Google Maps before committing to paper. Another issue is I wonder if a lot of the writers employed by the Club to write articles are relatively young, where as the readership tends to be towards the older age group. So what for some is a six miles fast walk/jog would be difficult for most at half the distance. Maybe what the Club need to provide for contributors is some guidelines pointing out that when suggesting walks etc they need to appreciate the walking abilities of the memberships will vary greatly.
David
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I’ve certainly come across that in many site reviews. Phrases such as “an easy walk” are not that helpful. Especially when you know what they are referring to is far from easy, even for a younger person.
However in this case I think it’s just a total mix up. Perhaps the Author had some notes referring to the canal tow path into Chester and ended up with walk rather than bike ride. I am / was a fair walker but even in my youth 6 miles in an hour would have been a bit fast. Also it refers to a path from the site, which clearly isn’t the case and getting to the canal adds another mile and a bit.
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We visit this site on a regular basis hoping to go back down there is a few weeks. The article is right that you can access the city via the canal we have done this many times but on the bikes it is walkable but my guess is it would take a while and the return journey would probably take it close to 10 miles so not a very accurate description. The site is good though one of our faves and is easy to get to and handy for places to visit with Liverpool a short drive away as well as North Wales
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Don’t disagree with that either DK. Terrain knowledge is important, that’s why a good old fashioned OS map, paper or digital is a valuable asset. We used to do a lot of the coastal walks around Cornwall when younger, and very fit. We could waltz up and down some serious inclines easily in those days, even at times scrambling in parts. I quake at the knees thinking about them nowadays.
Canal paths tend to be easy, but again sometimes not what you expect. I was going to do a stretch on bike of Kennet and Avon a few years ago, but it was more like a sheep track, very narrow and tufty grass. Without a doubt had I attempted it on bike I would have been in the canal🤣 It wasn’t that pleasant to walk.I have just googled club site to central Chester, walking. Advice is one hour 51 minutes🤔 No idea what route used, but it usually comes up with quickest. 34 minutes by bike.
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Professional journalist piece, writer usually associated with Farmers Guardian.
You are more likely to get a better insight into Club tour reality by taking a look at some of the real life touring blogs out there, and cherry picking the good ones. My main issue with journalism like this is that I imagine someone using a mobility scooter, and thinking that Fairoaks to central Chester is a doddle (an hour!) and getting stuck. There has to be a larger dose of reality in these paid for articles.
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There was a professional journalist posted on here a couple of times last year. He/she was obviously hoping to collect info for writing articles. Maybe it was the same person.
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I don’t know why Club doesn’t simply utilise the wealth of experience it has within the Membership. There will be dozens of folks that could do a comprehensive area tour, based upon real experience, actually doing the walks/cycle rides, enjoying the local attractions, and with some decent photographs. It’s starting to do it with photos, so why not articles. Some of the travel blogs I have seen, read, watched are a lot better than some in Club magazine.
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For years (probably quite a few decades actually) I have glanced at these reviews and doubted the truth of some obvious glaring inexactatudes. So I have taken to carefully going through reviews of sites and areas that I know well and counting up a score of of these "errors" to give a measure of the misinfomation that is acceptable to the Club. I can then apply that factor to reviews of places that I do not know to improve the usefullness of the article.
I live about a mile from a major site of the Club and it is astonishing what appears in reviews and publicity pieces that is either just not true or totally misleading. A good example is suggestions for places to eat being 12 to 15 miles away in Glasgow while the villiage I live in is overflowing with great places to eat.
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Lazy desk bound journalism in some instances. Most Club Sites do have good local eateries listed in on site information huts, and lots of folks leave leaflets in there as well.
Actual Club Site reviews would work better and be more helpful if there was a bit of a “prompt” format for reviewers to follow. As it is, things like “Arrival and welcome”, “peace and tranquillity”, etc. simply don’t work on a regular basis, as there are inbuilt variables, such as different staff, different times of year, possible building work and other things outside control of Club going on.🤷♀️ Tend to encourage the gripers too much, ie “the site Manager didn’t smile at me” types.
Recommending pitch locations, recommending places of interest, recommending shopping and eateries, good places to take children, how easy is the location with a pet, is there public transport close by/transport information, nearest garage for fuel, actual walking times both fit and more sedentary, are local roads walkable with children/pets/aids. All far more useful, particularly as most Club Sites don’t vary nowadays in terms of operation and facilities, and each webpage has site photos and information already.
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🫣🤭 oops🤣🤣
Just testing😁 OH says I often get my channels crossed😁
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