Many folk might be unaware that our local newspaper The Nairnshire has a loyal fan base who almost camp out on the streets of a Monday night to obtain their fresh off the press copy. For the uninitiated small groups of people wait outside the three Nairn Monday night outlets awaiting the arrival of the circulation van driver (The Nairnshire offices, the Co-op, and Morning, Noon and Night). The paper is printed and then delivered from presses at Dingwall. (picture will enlarge)
The driver has a set route, delivering first to the Nairnshire offices, then walking to the Co-op. The hush of waiting folk outside the co-op is broken when the delivery van is spotted. 'It's coming, his van has just gone past'. Sure enough a couple of minutes later the driver arrives with his slender bundle for the waiting punters. The rattle of small change is heard as the crowd of three gathers up the 40p cover price from deep pockets ready for their purchase. The paper hasn't reached barcode technology yet so special buttons are pressed on tills to enable the sale.
Meanwhile the driver continues on his journey to the Morning, Noon, and Night store where another loyal fan base awaits their copies.
In a world of Internet driven news the Monday night vigils are fast becoming history. Folk get their news when they switch on their computer, or increasingly when it arrives on their mobile phone. News is seen and read as it happens, not in the case of our weekly newspaper when it is printed. But whilst there are only a few who queue for their Monday night news fix, there are plenty who amble out and buy a copy of the two minute silence on a Tuesday justifying The Nairnshire's existence. How long it will last no one can be sure, the bottom line is for as long as advertisers throw their money in the Nairnshire's direction. Meanwhile back on the mean streets watch out for the Nairnshire twitchers around 9:00 p.m. on Monday nights, they are fast disappearing!
As Simon Kelner the newly appointed managing director of the Independent and the Independent on Sunday claims: "We don't have a circulation problem. We have a frequency of purchase problem." Hmm... maybe he needs a few more twitchers?!
Hold the cyber-frontpage Irigtht:
UPDATE: BREAKING NEWS...
Nairnshire Telegraph goes on-line!
5 comments:
Excellent - many folk have been waiting years for this (Especially on Monday nights!)
Could I ask someone to turn the page please - I've read that one now
It's a newspaper but it's also a cult.
Must have missed the cult bit - what page is that on?
@ anonymous of 18.40 19/8
Thanks for that, we will check it out with some of our fellow co-conspirators.
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