Category: Newspapers and Magazines

Thank You And Goodbye From The Warminster Journal

From the front page of the Warminster Journal, Thursday 12th December 2024:

Thank You And Goodbye
It is with sad hearts that we must tell you that this is the last Warminster Journal we are publishing. During the covid period many advertisers moved away from publications like ours onto on-line sites – they never came back.

Therefore over those years we have had to subsidise the Journal with savings from before. Now with other problems in production we feel the time has come to step back and say goodbye.

It has been great seeing and sharing the news of our town of Warminster and the area around us. This we shall particularly miss. We are so thankful for the many articles submitted and that, almost family, relationship we have experienced.

We must not forget the wonderful members of staff we have had the privilege of working with over all these years. Without them the Journal would not have been able to continue for as long as it has. Our newspaper has served the people of Warminster, Westbury, Mere and the surrounding area for more than 140 years and our journey together has now come to an end. We wish you all well in the years to come.

Our newsagent and stationery shop, Coates & Parker, along with the photocopying and printing departments will remain open and welcoming. We hope to see your visits.

There is little more we can say except there is a possibility someone will willingly take the Journal on and start publishing it again in the new year.

With our best wishes for Christmas and New Year and your futures.

Diana Watkins and Ray Shorto (joint editors).

Comments On Facebook About The Demise Of The Warminster Journal

Thursday 12th December 2024

As Issue No.7,419 of the Warminster Journal is published today, the final issue as the editor Ray Shorto has decided to end it, here are a few comments from Facebook pages:

Terry Hillier:
Genuinely sad for the paper and the name but hardly surprising. The last time I read it, there were 8 pages . . . . no online version, out-dated content and generally pointless. News papers (papers) are a thing of the past. Yesterday’s news at best, or indeed last week’s, in this instance. Instant media is what grabs peoples’ attention. Why did they not invest in an app? Update as stories came in and save on paper too? The shop won’t be around too long after this. If it hasn’t fallen down before it closes. I am sincerely sorry about this. Poor direction as always. #remaininthepast #become-extinct.

Gas Guzler:
Sorry to hear this but to be honest it was the same stuff each week ,or it started to become a picture book . . . if it wasn’t “the toad road” it was the all other areas being mentioned. I find more on my shopping receipt to read than I do in the Journal nowadays.

Sally Gerrish:
Alan Gallagher used to call it “the 3 minute silence’ cos that’s how long it took to read it.

Nigel Hampton:
This is sad news for all concerned. But when local news is delivered on sites like this in an instant and for ‘free’ (as long as you allow the algorithm to track your every view and click), it’s very difficult for a weekly town-based printed newspaper in 2024. In just over 10 years, even the number of national newspapers sold each day in the UK has fallen from more than 9 million to less than 3 million. I believe local journalism is a force for good and for the community but any profitable future now really involves being online (like the Frome Times – both online and freely distributed fortnightly with 12,000 copies). It seems that’s a step the Journal has been unwilling or unable to take.

Christine Mabbett:
The Editor is blinkered. He has overlooked the fact that Warminster is surrounded by vibrancy, a talented younger generation and worldwide technology. He would be wise to get his hands on a copy of Scilly Times. This publication gets sent out far and wide since being revamped a few ago.

Samantha Ritchie:
Sad, but it’s a shame they couldn’t have found a way of bringing it more into the modern world. That’s its downfall, really. As most of the major newspapers are finding, you have to move with the times.

David McGirr:
It’s sad that it’s going but as a local business, I found that it was only interested in revenue from adverts rather than news. If there was a story from a local business, they would run it, but only if you took an advert of the same size! Sad for the team involved but as many have said, the management didn’t move with the times and encompass the younger generation.

Nikki Dancey:
This is very sad, and the Journal has been a big part of many lives growing up. However, I think in this day and age of instant news and everything being online, people want their news like that, particularly younger generations, so it was inevitable that sales would dwindle. A sign of the times unfortunately, but very sad.

Reeling At The Abrupt Decision

Wednesday 11th December 2024

From the Warminster Journal website:

We are devastated to confirm that the rumours are true. Editor Ray has concluded this week to cease publication for good and has informed staff today. We are reeling at the abrupt decision just before Christmas. Thank you everyone for your support. We have done all we can and tried to serve our community as a newspaper should.

Warminster has sadly lost a significant part of its history today and we appreciate your well wishes as we lament this momentous occasion for our wonderful town.

Advertising In The Warminster Journal

Monday 1st April 2024

Adverising in the Warminster Journal

Display Advertisements received up to Tuesday 10 a.m.
Run on Advertisements received up to Wednesday noon.
Subject to space availability.
On SALE Thursday noon 70p.

Colour Advertisements

(15% reduction for black only)

Display minimum 2 ins or 5 cms

FRONT PAGE – All Adverts

£9.40 plus VAT per single column centimetre

RUN OF PAPER – Including Coming Events

£3.50 plus VAT  per single column centimetre

Discount for:

1/4 page 10%;

1/2 page 15%;

Full page 20%

CLASSIFIED – FULL DISPLAY

e.g. SITUATIONS VACANT, PUBLIC & LEGAL NOTICES

£3.90 plus VAT per single column centimetre

Discount for:

1/4 page 10%;

1/2 page 15%;

Full page 20%

CLASSIFIED  – RUN ON

In black only -including VAT at 20%

60p per word,  Minimum £6.00

Additional charge for display £6.00

Additional charge for a boxed advert £6.00

Additional charge for a Box Number £8.50

BIRTHS, MARRIAGES, DEATHS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

In black only – Including VAT AT 20%

60p per word, prepaid Minimum £6.00

6 columns to page   

Each column 42 mm wide

Type area:    Front page 280 x 264 mm.

Inside pages 320 x 264 mm.

________

Warminster Journal
36 Market Place, Warminster, Wilts BA12 9AN.
Telephone: 01985 213030 or 01985 212945
sales@coatesandparker.co.uk
adverts@warminsterjournal.co.uk
news@warminsterjournal.co.uk

_________

Conditions of Acceptance of Advertisements

Orders for insertion of advertisements in the Warminster Journal are accepted subject to the following conditions:

  1. Advertisement copy shall be legal, decent, honest and truthful; and shall comply with the requirements of current legislation.
  2. The publisher does not guarantee the insertion of any particular advertisement on any particular date or in any particular position. The publisher reserves the right to re-classify any advertisement in accordance with the general policy of the paper.
  3.  If, by the fault of the Warminster Journal, there is any error, misprint or omission in the printing of an advertisement or part of an advertisement the publisher will either re-insert the advertisement or relevant part of the advertisement as the case may be or make a reasonable refund of or adjustment up to the full cost of the advertisement. No re-insertion, refund or adjustment will be made where the misprint or omission does not materially detract from the advertisement. In no circumstances shall the total liability of the publisher exceed the price paid to the publisher for the insertion of the advertisement.
  4. It is the responsibility of the advertiser or advertising agency to inform the publishers immediately of any error, misprint or omission as the publisher’s responsibility under condition 3 is limited to the first such error, misprint or omission. Apart from the case of advertising agencies any claim for errors must be made by 10 a.m. Tuesday following publication.
  5. The publisher reserves the right to:(a) cancel the order at any time by giving reasonable notice before the next insertion.
    (b) make any alteration it considers necessary or desirable in an advertisement.
  6. The copyright of all artwork, design or typesetting created or amended by the publisher or his employees shall vest in the publisher.
  7. Copy will be changed as requested by the advertiser provided adequate time is allowed.
  8. Proofs may be supplied upon request; and alterations will be made provided adequate time is allowed.
  9. The publisher will allow cancellation of an order or unexpired part without penalty in the event of the death or failure of the advertiser.
  10. The publisher requires any cancellation of an order or part order before 10 a.m. Tuesday prior to publication day.
  11. Where voucher copies, tearsheets or otherproof of insertion have been requested they will be supplied as soon as practicable.
  12. Artwork supplied as computer files should be CMYK for colour output. Artwork supplied in colour will be charged the colour rate.
  13. The placing of an order by an advertiser, or advertising agency on behalf of themselves or a client constitutes an assurance that all necessary authority and permission has been secured in respect of the use in the advertisements of any pictorial representations of (or purporting to be of) items, places or living persons, and of references to the words attributed to living persons.
  14.  The advertiser/advertising agency agrees to indemnify the publisher in respect of all costs, damages, or other charges falling upon the newspaper as the result of legal actions or threatened legal actions arising from the publication of the advertisement, or any one or more of the series of advertisements, published in accordance with the copy instructions supplied to the newspaper in pursuance of the advertiser/ advertising agency’s order. In any case where a claim is made against the newspaper or the newspaper is sued and the advertiser/advertising agency may ultimately be liable under the terms hereof, notice in writing shall be given to the advertiser/advertising agency, and consultation shall take place before any expense is incurred  or the claim is settled or the case is defended or otherwise disposed of.
  15. When credit is allowed, payment for an advertisement must be made no more than 30 days from month end during which the advertisement was published. The publisher reserves the right to charge interest on overdue accounts.
  16. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss or damage occasioned by any total or partial failure (however caused) of publication or distribution of any newspaper or edition in which any advertisement is scheduled to appear.
  17. Every endeavour will be made to forward replies to box numbers to the advertiser as soon as possible after receipt by the publisher (unless other arrangements have been made), but the publisher accepts no liability in respect of any loss or damage alleged to have arisen through delay in forwarding, or omitting to forward such replies (howsoever caused). The advertiser  authorises the publisher to return to its originator any communication which, in the opinion of the publisher, should not be delivered to the advertiser.
  18. The publisher reserves the right to refuse publication of any advertisement without notice or explanation.  No correspondence can be entered into as to the rejection of advertisements.
  19. The placing of an order for the insertion of an advertisement shall amount to an acceptance of the above conditions and any conditions stipulated on an advertiser or agency’s order form or elsewhere by an agency or an advertiser shall be void insofar as they conflict with them.

Two Wiltshire Titles Added To The British Newspaper Archive

Wednesday 26th July 2023

News from the British Newspaper Archive:

We’re delighted to have added two brand new newspapers from Wiltshire to The Archive this week – the Wiltshire County Mirror and the Wiltshire Telegraph – alongside extensive updates to our existing titles. Find out more: https://bit.ly/475DPPB #TuesdayTitles #WiltshireHistory

“Community” Paper My Arse!

Tuesday 14th June 2022

From The WAG House, Warminster Action Group, Facebook page:

Sent in by Jette

I have just had a major anxiety attack brought on by Warminster journal! They have made any publicity with them impossible throughout my Brave the Shave campaign to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support & entirely avoided doing any work themselves. They have misled and lied to me. I would like to give you the whole story. I am flabbergasted and now a tearful wreck.

As a warning to locals, if you are looking for any local publicity for a charitable cause and can’t write it all up yourself, because you are not a reporter, don’t bother with them. Without paying out a load of money, they won’t do anything before the event to raise awareness. They won’t attend, not even to take photos (& if they say they will they just don’t turn up & deny saying they would later) They won’t write the article and then they will charge you if you put a link to where people can donate! They put obstacles at every step, even when you try to give them the event photos YOU HAVE ON THEIR BEHALF, as requested ! And the ‘excuses’ were risible. “Community” paper my arse !

It Ain’t Half Hot, Aung San Suu Kyi

Saturday 28th April 2012

Quentin Letts, writing in today’s Daily Mail, reckons the classic tv comedy It Ain’t Half Hot, Mum (first shown on BBC1) is the favourite show of the Burmese democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi. Apparently she used to watch it when she lived in Britain during the 1970s.

In 1972 Aung San Suu Kyi married Dr. Michael Aris, a scholar of Tibetan culture, who was living in Bhutan. Dr. Michael Aris died on 27th March 1999. Ang San Suu Kyi’s sister-in-law, Mrs. Lucinda Phillips, lives at Teddington House, Church Street, Warminster.

To see a You Tube film clip of It Ain’t Half Hot, Mum click here.