Magazine Subscriptions

[Gardian]

Mrs G subscribes to two UK 'women's mags' for delivery to our home here in France. You know the kind of thing - rubbish really & my steam railway mago is much better content and interest. ?

Anyway, the cost of the subscription has been edging up over the years and the latest renewal invitation was for an eye-watering £111 - this for a monthly magazine with a UK cover price of £4.30. Now of course it has to be mailed, but they airfreight a pallet load of French deliveries over here somewhere and La Poste does the rest. On the volumes we're talking about, the rate will be a small fraction of what it would normally cost to send from the UK (£5.60).

I suggested that she have a conversation with them and point out that the rate for new subscribers was £102. If she could get that, she'd have been happy-ish. Otherwise, she'd cancel.

So .......... a lot of humming and hahing on the other end of the phone and after not too long, the offer was made of £61 !!

Confirmation just received by email, so not a case of poor hearing on her part as I uncharitably suggested. That's 45% less, which is even more than I ever got when shopping around for car insurance quotes (a notorious con).

So 'les filles', don't take it lying down !

[alittlebitfrench]

I just go down to WH Smiths in Paris. They sell all UK mags.

They even sell 'Living in France' type magazines which I have always found quite a bit strange. Why buy such a magazine when you already live in France ?

Off subject question ( given you subscribe to my steam railway) do trainspotters exist in France ? Never seen trainspotters at the end of platforms collecting numbers.

[andyh4]

Train spotters do exist in France and there is also a quite strong contingent of railway modellers.

With Vigipirate, sitting at the end of a railway platform with a camera, note book - and maybe a flask (maybe not with sweet tea in it) - is not recommended and is why you have not seen such individuals. They do however exist and a number report in the French railway and model railway press - for example Le Train and Voies Ferrées to name just two.

[Gardian]

ALBF - it's actually 'Steam World' that I subscribe to and a fine mag it is too.

It's just £4.50 if you buy it over the counter in the UK, but the enthusiast ones over here are €10+ , so quite pricey.

Andyh4 is quite right I'm sure, but I just get the feeling that there's nothing like the interest that there is in the UK. A bit simplistic maybe, but main line steam went out in the 50's over here, whereas it was a decade later in the UK.

[alittlebitfrench]

I actually had a sneeky peek at the top shelf rail mags at gare St Lazare in Paris today and there are plenty of mags. Not all about modelling. So there is a passion for trains. There are many forums about as well I have discovered.

France have some brilliant rail routes but their trains are a bit less inspiring.Having said that there are still some proper locomotives still operating. No steam mind you.

I would love to buy and renovate an old train station in France. Living next to a train line (well apart from a TGV) is quite romantic.