Sir Ray the old soldier issued a request before hostilities in Iraq that there should be no anti-war stories
Sir Ray, the old soldier, issued a “request” before hostilities in Iraq that there should be no anti-war stories. “When British troops come under fire,” he wrote, “I ask you to ensure that nothing appears in the columns of your newspapers which attacks the decision to conduct the war in which those men are now involved, nor… anything which attacks the troops themselves.”There were complaints from unions and freedom of information groups, but what Sir Ray says goes at Tindle Newspapers. He owns every share, and has no intention of selling or floating on the stock market “I wasn’t in this to go public I was into it because I loved newspapers.”. Focus
BBC Origin Publishing Ltd Circulation: 53,270. £3.25
www.focusmag.co.uk For monthly science and technology stories, Focus is the UK’s answer to Wired magazine.
Alongside eye-catching photography and light-hearted news – “pond of death fills with exploding toads” – Focus’s articles are educational and accessible. With “ask the experts” boxes accompanying most of the big features and a monthly look at “the world’s greatest mysteries” (“Are alien big cats roaming the UK?”), never have science and technology been so user-friendly 8/10 Stuff Haymarket Magazines Ltd Circulation: 74,570. £3.70 www.stuffmagazine.co.uk Stuff is full to the brim of “gadgets, gear and technology” – its pages feature gorgeous photos of new kit and the gorgeous models holding them, plus pages of consumer technology top 10 lists. As a buyer’s guide, Stuff excels, and its place as Britain’s favourite tech magazine means that it gets the best exclusives and first-looks of any of its rivals. This month, in-depth articles include the secrets of the PSP, a glimpse of the Infinium Phantom and iPods for the car Good for serious gadget fans 9/10 T3 Future Publishing Circulation: 54,217.
£3.70 www.t3.co.uk Self-styled as “the world’s best gadget magazine”, T3 is Future Publishing’s answer to Stuff, and is priced the same. There is crisp photography, cheeky copy and pages of product information on items like iPod skins and Bluetooth headsets. There’s a page devoted to stylish laptop bags this month that marries fashion with functionality, and another to fancy football boots. Detailed “how-to” guides at the back add value to what could easily be an also-ran T3 has a lot to offer the tech-savvy reader 7/10 Boys Toys Freestyle Publications Circulation: 50,000.