The Old Blue - what did you think of it?

[jtaylor]

Having received my copy of "The Old Blue" I wanted to firstly express my views on it, and secondly to seek constructive feedback from the forum, which should help John Hopgood with future editions.

So, here's my thoughts:-

1. The matching style with "The Blue" (the school magazine) gives an excellent professional impression, with consistency between the two publications.
2. The more colourful and glossy style makes it more attractive to non-Old Blues, and hence more of a coffee table magazine - a fantastic showcase for the school and the activities of it's Old Blues.
3. The content is varied and interesting, well categorised and easier to read. The addition of more photos provides a more interesting magazine overall.

I'm not a literary critic, so sorry if the above are rather simplistic - I just want to say how good a job I feel John has done, especially as an un-paid volunteer, and hope that this standard can be kept up in the future.

The CHA really is flying now, with the Carol Concert, the Young Old Blues event in Jamie's, and our first edition of the new magazine!

Please do add your comments below, and vote too, so that we can give some good feedback to Sara and Wendy for the future.

Some comments already here:- viewtopic.php?t=1056 , but add your new comments in this thread

[UserRemovedAccount]

Have received my copy of The Old Blue and rate it FIRST CLASS. It is well laid-out, has a good clear font (for elderly readers like me!) and the illustrations are well chosen and add greatly to the visual impact. On top of all that, the contents are very interesting to read. Well done, John!

[Mid A 15]

Just to add my ten pennorth and state that I think John has done an excellent job with the assistance of his contributors.

I'm not an arty farty individual so lay out etc largely passes me by other than the font and size being easy on the eye which it is.

Content is the important issue for me and I found it far more inclusive of all generations of Old Blues than on some occasions previously (I'm not referring just to John's era). I especially liked the features on Old Blues and their jobs and Woodworm. Looking at what people are doing by the decade they left is also a good idea.

Overall very impressed. Well done to all involved.

[Great Plum]

I would just like to echo the comments anbove - it is certainly a fine effort...

[Katharine]

A very good read, coming in as a Hertford Old Blue, I'd like to say it is very good. I like the way it is fully integrated BUT one suggestion I would like to make, if it is possible. We did have our own School Magazine, if there is an archive of it couldn't snippets be included in 50 years ago and 25 years ago? I know there were never as many girls as boys at the schools but we should not be considered second class citizens.

An example of the thought processes of some male Old Blues occurs on page 9, second paragraph in the Founder's Day speech when he says 'We have all benefited in our various ways, from the remarkable ethos of both Christ's Hospital and Hertford'. That single sentence grated most horribly with me.

[jhopgood]

All suggestions gratefully received, particularly if they allow us to improve and involve more Old Blues.
I assume you have a volunteer in mind to trawl the Hertford magazine and come up with a synopsis. I have no idea where my correspondents keep their old copies of the Blue, or whether they go down to CH to research, but we would need a Hertford Old Blue to do the same for that magazine.
With respect to the Founders Day Speech, some things take longer than others to filter out.
I am very interested in receiving all comments, good and bad, so that we can move forward.
One way to broaden the interest level would be to have a female editor or assistant editor.
Any volunteers?

[Mid A 15]

Expanding on the Old Blues jobs feature profiles:

How about "Focus From The Forum" as a feature?

I know Rex selected a thread from the forum in his piece and very interesting it was too.

However maybe individuals from here (if willing obviously) could either submit their own profile of what has become of them or answer some sort of internet based questionairre.

Such a feature would "plug" the forum and hopefully be relatively easy for John as it would be internet based either "PMd" via the forum or posted here first.

I am the most boring, uninteresting person in the world so don't suggest me to go "over the top" first if the idea is deemed acceptable and practical

[englishangel]

A very good read, coming in as a Hertford Old Blue, I'd like to say it is very good. I like the way it is fully integrated BUT one suggestion I would like to make, if it is possible. We did have our own School Magazine, if there is an archive of it couldn't snippets be included in 50 years ago and 25 years ago? I know there were never as many girls as boys at the schools but we should not be considered second class citizens.

An example of the thought processes of some male Old Blues occurs on page 9, second paragraph in the Founder's Day speech when he says 'We have all benefited in our various ways, from the remarkable ethos of both Christ's Hospital and Hertford'. That single sentence grated most horribly with me.

I agree, as though we weren't really Christ's Hospital. Horsham and Hertford would have been better.

[englishangel]

Apart from that I thought it was excellent.

Even better than my Uni alumni magazine.

I like the 'what they are doing' by decade.

Another thing that might be included is 'where are they now?' There certainly used to be one in the CHOGA magazine.

I know there is a section on Friends Reunited and there is here of course, but not everyone has Internet access, or knows how to use it if they have.

110/100 to John.

I haven't kept my CHOGA mags, but if Kerren hasn't got them I bet Joan Newall has.

[jhopgood]

Apart from that I thought it was excellent.

Even better than my Uni alumni magazine.

I like the 'what they are doing' by decade.

Another thing that might be included is 'where are they now?' There certainly used to be one in the CHOGA magazine.

I know there is a section on Friends Reunited and there is here of course, but not everyone has Internet access, or knows how to use it if they have.

110/100 to John.

I haven't kept my CHOGA mags, but if Kerren hasn't got them I bet Joan Newall has.

I had thought of visiting the UK in the near future but they won't let my swollen head on the plane, so I am having to take a ferry.

Despite what many may think, it really was a team effort with Sara and I coordinating the page setting with the people from Sunset Design, who designed and produced the Blue.

The idea for articles on "Working" Old Blues came from John Gower, Rex coordinated the contributors for updates and other sections, Rebecca and Sophie did the creative section, Ruth did the Young Old Blues, Peter and Lewis wrote items, Louise came through with the logo, which, by the way, has been a great success, and so it goes on.

So many thanks to all of them.

Now the serious bit.

I am genuinely interested in improving the magazine and trying to ensure that we get as much in as people want and drop the bits that are of marginal interest. So constructive criticism is more than welcome.

As is my request for proof readers. I am still trying to find out who Diaan Goulde is, although I took the photo, and also how CH had a prop playing for the First IV, how Brian Holland died on May 9rd etc. Silly mistakes but they detract from the overall quality we are trying to achieve.

So many thanks for all your praise but, with your help, we can do even better next time.

BTW, can the section titles be improved?
Are there any gaps we should fill?
Any Old Blue in an unusual line of business or part of the world that we can write about?
Any other suggestions?

[jtaylor]

I'm happy to proof-read, other commitments allowing.

I'm not as pedantic as some can be, and won't spot the minor nuances of grammar etc. but am happy to proof-read a section carefully.

J

[Katharine]

I haven't kept my CHOGA mags, but if Kerren hasn't got them I bet Joan Newall has.

My thought exactly, Mary. Joan was a very close contemporary of my aunt in 6s.

[englishangel]

I'm happy to proof-read, other commitments allowing.

I'm not as pedantic as some can be, and won't spot the minor nuances of grammar etc. but am happy to proof-read a section carefully.

J

I'll happily proof-read, I did a course in it once and I am as pedantic as the day is long, just ask my kids.

[UserRemovedAccount]

John,
I worked for three years on a very prestigious defence magazine which came out monthly. We had an extraordinarily taut system for proof-reading. The commissioning editor for each piece attached a cover-sheet to each article he was sponsoring for the next issue. He then proof-read every one of those articles, made any corrections and signed off on each of the cover-sheets. He then passed them around his fellow editors, who proof-read them, corrected any errors and also signed them off on the cover sheet. All articles were then passed to the Deputy Editor, who read them, made any corrections and signed them off. The whole shebang then went to the Managing Editor who proof-read the whole thing, checked all the cover sheets and then signed them off himself. There was a similar process for pictures and diagrams, and their captions. The magazine then went to the designer/type setter and when the printer’s proofs came back they were divided among the editors and read again. Round and round went the bl**dy great wheel until the final proof went to the Editor who, after great care and due deliberation, signed it off, it all went off to the printer, and we made a collective sigh of relief and started work on next month’s issue.

Then, finally, someone came into the offices with the first mags off the press and we grabbed them and looked through. You could guarantee that within ten minutes we had found at least three “typos” (ie, printing errors) and at least one grammatical error. Bits of text got transposed. Sometimes, we even found errors in the picture captions (That’s not an F-118 Zombie Mark 23 it’s a Mark 24B – any fool can see that!) or even that two captions had been transposed so that the pictures were completely wrongly identified. We could NOT have taken greater care or been more pedantic, there was a detailed “paper-trail” for each article (i.e., on the cover-sheets) and it all, of course, took up a great deal of our time. But despite all of that mistakes were still made.

So, please don’t worry. These things happen and as I have explained above, even with a large staff of professional journalists, we were unable to avoid errors. Of course, there are places where improvements could be made - there always are - but the fact of the matter is that you have produced a super magazine, which is being praised by all who read it. Be happy, man!
P.S. I love the pic on page 7 - absolutely delightful!

[darthmaul]

Yes, congratulations to you John.

The CHA have a policy of giving us current Grecians a copy too, to get us used to the idea. It is rather good - actually interesting as well...

I look forward to future issues.