Consolidation
Published on 27th February 2024 Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutesThe magazines Cumbria and Lakeland Walker have been combined, a move that makes me wonder about the wisdom of remaining a subscriber. The strictures at the height of the pandemic saw me subscribe to a number of magazines, mainly to cut down on shop visits and also to contribute to keeping them going through a tough time. Lakeland Walker was one of these and had its uses for getting ideas for Cumbrian outings, especially among the Lakeland fells.
Since then, there have been a number of changes. Firstly, the world has turned against plastic, so many magazines are mailed in paper envelopes, not the best for keeping them dry during some of the deluges that have beset us during the last twelve months. My preference is for waterproof wrapping materials derived from plant matter, which some have been using.
What once was a title printed on A4 paper now is part of a combined title printed on what appears to be A5 paper, an increase in the size of the once smaller format Cumbria magazine, though. So, we have the perhaps clumsily titled Cumbria and Lakeland Walker magazine. In some ways, the combination is reminiscent of The Scots Magazine, which also has an outdoors section, albeit without maps. Thus, the merged entity can work and there may be a finite number of walking ideas among the Lakeland fells anyway.
Lakeland Walker had lost its long term editor John Manning too, so there may have been editorial instability. Only time will tell how things will out for the new title and if I remain a subscriber, for there can be too many magazines and not enough time to read them all. Current market conditions are challenging anyway, which ultimately may explain the merger.