Have I got news for you

Amongst things that got soaked at Skip was my home phone. I plugged in a new phone this morning and it immediately rang. It was a researcher from the television programme Have I got news for you looking for permission to use the now defunct Scottish Curler as the 'guest publication'. Unfortunately, I could not help of course, and I explained that the magazine had gone under.

Undaunted, the young man at the other end of the phone was set to contact someone at Clyde and Forth Press, the former publishers and owners of the title. So curling may still get a mention on a future programme!

I don't remember any headlines I wrote being potentially funny over the seven years I was editor! But I'm sure that we will get a laugh if the magazine is used.

It made me smile when I was waiting for the plumber to arrive. If you are interested, he's found a couple of leaks so far. I fear Christmas has been cancelled this year! Good news is that my wee curling stone collection has survived a dousing. Other items have not been so waterproof. Hopefully my main computer has escaped - I'll find that out once power is restored.

As the television is a goner, the task of resurrecting archive footage from old tapes is also on the back burner for a while. Hopefully the tape player - DVD recorder that I use has survived.

Looking back

For those who enjoy nostalgia, the Scottish Curler magazine from fifty years ago is examined here, or click on the 'Looking back' tab above.

Scottish Curler to fold, again

I came home this evening to the news that the Scottish Curler magazine is to cease publication. Helena Morrow, the magazine's MD, has written to all the correspondents to say that, despite best efforts, the Scottish Curler falls short of revenues required to make it a viable business proposition in today's media environment.

I edited the magazine for seven years when it was produced by the Dunfermline arm of Clyde and Forth Press. Especially in the latter years of my tenure I was made very aware of the difficult financial position of the magazine. When the call came early in 2009 that the decision had been made no longer to produce the magazine in print, I was disappointed, but not surprised. I was not willing to continue with just some sort of electronic magazine, and so I made the decision to retire as Editor. Efforts were made to find another publisher, initially without success, see here.

My reaction was one of delight, as well as some surprise, when I learned that Helena and her team at Ardrossan took on the publishing of the magazine (here). I offered to do the 'junior beat' for the team, and the Looking Back feature every month, and I enjoyed that challenge last season.

Helena has indicated that the magazine witnessed an increase in circulation and a growth in advertising in the past year, but that apparently has not been sufficient to allow it to continue. The Souvenir Edition from the Curling Awards dinner, due out soon, will be the last edition from Clyde and Forth Press.

New Scottish Curler

You can perhaps imagine my feelings when the October issue of the Scottish Curler dropped through my letterbox yesterday. Certainly I am pleased that the magazine continues to be printed, as earlier in the year it was set to fold completely. But it was odd to see the magazine, of which I was Editor for seven years, now in other hands!

It was exciting to find out what was inside. No, I'm not going to go into details on the content. That's for you to read. You can subscribe online here on the magazine's revamped website. There are twenty-eight pages too, four more than in the past. It deserves your support.