Since Magazines. In the World’s Best Interests launched this month, our editors have been thanking readers for choosing a printed copy, and some of those readers have started writing back to tell us why they chose us in the first place.

Among them is a letter to Angling Times, from Michael, a reader who bought the very first issue back in 1953 and still remembers it:

“I well remember buying the first issue and what a refreshing change it was from the angling magazines available at that time. I was 18 years old and had to go into the RAF to do my National Service, and my mother used to send it every week. The A.T. was then in newspaper tabloid form, black and white, but I used to devour every word.”

And more than 70 years later, the magazine is still part of his week:

“I am now in my 92nd year and still go fishing, but I now need a comfortable swim. The days of hacking my way through the undergrowth to get to the water’s edge are long gone. I still get a little ‘buzz’ when the AT drops through my letter box every week.”

Sam Gallimore, Chief Customer Officer at Bauer Media, UK Publishing, said, “Angling Times is one of our oldest titles in the UK, and hearing from someone who has been with it since that very first issue is a reminder of what we’re here for – to enrich everyday life. For our customers, that might be a hobby, a passion or an hour to themselves each week. For us, it’s the reason we make every issue the way we do, and why we’re saying thank you to every reader who chooses us.”

Magazines. In the World’s Best Interests is led by the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) and backed by nine UK publishers, including Bauer Media. Since it launched on 5 October, editors across more than 200 titles have each given a page to a personal thank-you note to their readers, and Bauer Media has taken the campaign beyond print with space across its radio stations and outdoor locations. Its message is simple: make time for the things you love. More is planned over the next 18 months.