Can't comment on the content, unfortunately. As of the time of this posting, it doesn't appear under the "Magazines" section accessed after logging in nor via the app I use on the iPad. The paper copy has yet to appear in the postbox, too.

John

Neil,

Thank you, but people say there are only six basic jokes. That's why I have moved on to quotations, but if I see a joke that's new to me (and there are lots of old chestnuts out there) I'll use it. You may have noticed that sometimes I write my own…

Regards

Geoff

Hi There

1 1/2 pages of contents is balanced out by a smaller helping of Ed's Bench.

We have to atract new readers and the civer redesign is the way to do it.

Everything is specifically selected to attract the buyer in the newsagents.

My copy has not arrived yet.

On sale on Friday in newsagents.

regards David

As a reader of MEW since issue No1, I must congratulate the editorial and design team of MEW for ruining a perfectly good magazine layout. It wasn't broke, so why did you try to fix it ?

I have the same comment about the missing Issue Number banner on the front cover, as others have already made – please put it back.

Contents page back to page 3 please. It's then easy to find that article in the issue one vaguely remembers by flicking straight to page 3 in each of the last few issues. OK, when the hard-copy index is published, or the on-line versions are updated, one should be able to go straight to the relevant issue – but not if you can't remember the article title. Surprisingly, seeing the contents page often jogs the memory.

BTW. Why have a page and a half of content ? More than half the additional space is just a repeat of "In our next issue" on page 41 and a lportion of the main contents page is an advertisement for "Subscribe today", repeating the information on page 35. Go back to the old, one page version please.

"The cover has been brightened up so it is easier for reader to find it on the newsagent's shelf" – Oh yeah ! Who are you trying to kid ? Compare it with issue 208. Apart from a change of colour in the words "Model Engineers'" and the loss of the words "The practical hobby magazine", the only real change (apart from the missing issue number banner) is the title on a black background instead of transparent to the main picture.

OK. The new article headlines and author's photograph are acceptable, but I wish they wouldn't intersperse adverts between editorial content. "Model Engineer" magazine (see Issue 4467) is a good example of a better layout in this respect.

Mark me down as "Unhappy"

Andy

The real problem in finding any magazine in WHS is that there are now so many, all squashed in that you can only see the left hand side of the cover and that can be so narrow as 1 -> 1.5".Whats more they move them around as well.

Well, issue 209 arrived in the post this morning. (I see it's also in the digital section.) I've only had a chance to flip through it so far and I must say, I think it's great! It has a fresh "feel" to it and appears to be thicker, somehow. I like the layout of the articles and the whole thing seems very well balanced. Well done, David and the production team. I think I will renew my subscription after all!

John

"I do prefer the contents nearer the front, but if it frees up premium advertising space it helps make sure the mag continues…"

How can moving the "Editor's Bench" to the space originally occupied by the contents list and then INCREASING the "Contents" to 1.5 pages free up space ?

"1 1/2 pages of contents is balanced out by a smaller helping of Ed's Bench"

See same remark above

Sorry Stub Mandrel and Editor (David) – the arithmetic don't make sense !

Andy

John

|" Answers on the back of a two pound coin please and send to Ketan at ARC so he can pay me back."

As I recall, last year it was one pound that he owed you – that's some interest rate!

N

Well, I'm going to buck the trend and say I Like the new look, alright, losing issue number on The top left of the cover is a bit of an inconvenience however, I do like the layout of the contents page. One criticism would be that as the preview of articles for the next issue is on the contents page, I don't see the need to take up 2/3 of page 41 with exactly the same information. Keep the preview on the contents page and use the space on p41 or wherever it would appear in other issues to better purpose ( not for advertising!!).

Other than those minor comments, well done to the editorial and design team. Nice fresh look

CB.

Got mine from the newsagent yesterday. I have no problem with the content and ranges of articles. As usual some that are of interest and others not so interesting to me at this time but could be in the future. I like the new type faces at the article headings etc. and the total lack of colour across the pages other than in the photographs.

The things I do not like so much are:

• the gaudy and over fussy front cover and as others have said the missing the issue number from the top left.
• The distribution of adverts throughout the magazine which I find irritating and distracting. Of course I understand the necessity of having adverts but why can they not be confined to the pages before and after the collection of articles?

I also buy Engineering in Miniature which has a superb, slightly understated appearance and layout throughout. The adverts are also where they should be before and after the articles. Have a look at for example the November issue and see what I mean.

OMG,

Just a little disingenuous surely?

Not at all. It is just my frank and open opinion and a perfectly reasonable question.

I seem to recall that some clown had the same “bright” idea some years ago with leaving the issue and volume nos. off the front cover of Model Engineer and severely upset half the readership.

Having read through issue 209 a few times I find the new design overall pleasing. Well done. The only little item that could have been left as it was is, as many have said, the issue number in the top left corner.

I found that a very good thing when I began to read the magazine because at least I flips back and forth through the issues from time to time and then the issue number makes it very easy to find the desired issue quickly. For me I kind of saw that as part of the "logotype" or heading of the mag and apart from the number that have not changed.

BR

/Peter