CRITICAL REFLECTION #3

The decision mid semester to combine each individual features magazine into one had a profound effect on my role as Editor of WINOL Travel and Adventure. In my previous Critical Reflection I outlined the pros and cons of maintaining a magazine in relation to it's navigation and target audience. With my initial struggle to manage and upload content on a regular basis, I supported this decision wholeheartedly.

Near the start of the semester, www.winol.co.uk ranked *1,309,425 globally and *38,579 in the UK [16.10.2013] peaking on Thursday 10th October with *67 page views. This was most likely the result of the weekly WINOL News bulletin aired on the Wednesday prior. Compare this to the end of the semester and we see a steep decline (see graph 2). According to www.alexa.com, however, WINOL's Global Rank has increased to *773,133 and *30,063 in the UK* From my point of view, "Here & Now" has played a specialised role in maintaining this. 

(1) Number of page views 9th-16th October (Google Analytics).

(2) Number of page views 25th November - 1st December (Google Analytics).

WINOL’s relaunched “Here & Now” magazine* has worked hard to improve the organisation of Features as a whole, with the installation of a modernised, user friendly ‘Gabfire Theme’ for WordPress (which I will have to be familiar with for my fast approaching Final Year Project). Each market now has its own subcategory, with the main slider situated at the top of the page. Being its most redeeming feature, this aims to promote some of the websites top highlights. Like with News, there is constant competition between magazines to get their pieces mentioned in the ‘barkers’ as they act as the highest form of promotion. You can see in the image below, both the Paintball package and the World Travel Market overview have appeared under the slider subcategory of “Events” and if you scroll over the “Travel” tab further above, invested in the world of adventure are a number of written articles, as well as a couple of video packages managed, produced and edited by myself*

Indoor Skydiving Feature.

Images taken with Canon 650D Digital SLR.

Watching Wind Tunnel.

The Adventure Team.

James In Flight.

Filming On Location.

Find below the final video package feature for WINOL Travel and Adventure Magazine. 

Also, some of the most recent Adventure triumphs have been mentioned in the "Best of" SUPERWINOL Features package, with Travel and Adventure in the Top 3 (17 mins 20 secs approx.)

Find more content here.

Adventure Podcast (26.11.13)

Check out the podcast below for an insight into some of Europe's most beautiful Christmas destinations and much more. I'm leading the podcast, along with special guests Andrew McHarg and Hannah Hayesmore.

See the original script below. This had to be tweaked to fit the less scripted and more spontaneous conventions of a radio features bulletin.

World Travel Market 2013.

[SLIDER IMAGE]

Caption:

WORLD TRAVELMARKET: 

A BRIEF LOOK INTO ONE OF LONDON’S MOST EXCLUSIVE GLOBAL TRAVEL EVENTS.

This year saw a variety of international tour operators and travel professionals gather in the confines of the Excel Exhibition Centre for World Travel Market; one of London's most exclusive global travel events. As my first time visiting, it was overwhelming to see its increasing popularity as a place to network with other like-minded experts within the field of leisure and tourism. The open area hosted uniquely stunning exhibits that had been divided up into different continents of the world and a mixture of sit in cafes and restaurants meant universal cuisine was readily available.

A range of educational seminars were held upstairs in a number of different conference rooms; including a lecture regarding the Youth Travel Industry. David Chapman, Director General at the WYSE Travel Confederation, outlined the company's most recent 'New Horizons' survey, that measures the travel profile of young people around the world, comparing the desires of an average "backpacker" to that of the more upmarket "flashpacker." He revealed "what we've seen is a very significant growth in the over 30 age group" whilst continuing to add "this reflects that the youth travel market is getting progressively older." Their findings showed that there was a decline in the original "backpacker" tradition, making way for the rise of the contemporary "flashpacker" as people look to find more value for money when it comes to planning their journey. "We're often asked, what is the difference between a hotel and hostel? And the answer is the 's' which stands for social" said Chapman. The report further states that youth travellers now make up 20% of international tourism*.

WINOL Radio.

Check out the podcast below to hear an update on current content concerning the WINOL Travel and Adventure Magazine. I was interviewed alongside Editor Hannah Hayesmore.



Structure; HAS TO BE TIMELESS.

1. Paintball as upcoming feature (in studio discussion). 

Who? WINOL Team/Group. 
What? Ambush Paintball. 
Where? Travelled to Southampton.
How? Go Pro's and Sports Cam.

   2. WTM Excel London (include soundbites).

World Travel Market is an annual exhibition held at the Excel London. I went and spoke with Mary Rance, the Chief Executive of UKinbound, about what this global event means for her company. 

  3. Coming Up.

Indoor Skydiving Video Package Feature.

Further promotion included a short paintball package mentioned in this week's Access Winchester bulletin (approx. 4 minutes in.)



All exciting things to look forward to on @AdventureWINOL.

English Heritage Photojournalism.

[SLIDER IMAGE]

A THREE PART PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT:

AMY MOORE TAKES US THROUGH SOME OF ENGLISH HERITAGE’S MOST BEAUTIFUL AND HISTORICAL SITES IN AND AROUND WINCHESTER.

NETLEY ABBEY

Images taken with Canon 450D Digital SLR.

Experimentation with focus points/close up.

(TEXT FROM BOTTOM)

“Today much of the abbey is in ruins but it still remains one of the best preserved and most romantic Cistercian abbeys in the country.” (40 seconds)

(FROM TOP)

“Cloister became a courtyard with the fountain at its centre. The narrow slit windows of the old monastery were enlarged to create windows more suited to a Tudor long gallery.” (3:35 minutes)

WINOL Adventure; A Work In Progress.

For the second semester running, my role as Editor of WINOL's Travel and Adventure Magazine means that over the past few weeks I have been working closely with the Web Editor to make the website more user/navigator friendly (outlined in my Critical Reflection) and making it one of WINOL's most viewed magazines to date (see post). 

As the magazine is very much "picture led", the decision to keep the main slider (above) aims to advertise all the best features in a way that is very valuable in grabbing the audiences attention. When it comes to improvements, we have added less subtle side tabs that lead to the main WINOL news site and to all the latest Adventure features content.

From the main slider, you'll be transported to the written website (we're working on adding video - baby steps) which has undergone a major overhaul. The live Twitter feed has been added and as you can see at the top of the page, there are tabs aimed to make the website more specialised and structured.

Adventure Statistics #1

Circulation figures date from 21.10.2013 via alexa.com.

In the table below are estimates of websites’ UK and global popularity over a number of months; the lower the number, the better the rank. 

I aim to track the WINOL.CO.UK rank towards the end of each month.

WEBSITE NAME	GLOBAL RANK	UK RANK
WINOL.CO.UK	1,294,102	36,672
ALUXURYTRAVELBLOG.COM	32,798	37,836 (US)
THEBRITISHTRAVELER.COM	2,361,295	-
ENGLISH-HERITAGE.ORG.UK	47,596	2,562
GROUPTRAVELWORLD.COM	3,778,495	-
NEWMOTORING.COM	446,849	11,512
VISITWINCHESTER.CO.UK	915,178	61,432

The table shows that competitor ALUXURYTRAVELBLOG.COM receives more hits globally, most likely due to its round-the-world content, which I hope to include more of in the ADVENTURE MAGAZINE over the coming months. 

In the UK however, ENGLISH-HERITAGE.ORG.UK thrashes the league table with a whopping 2,562 popularity ranking. This could be due to the fact they manage many tourist sites around the Hampshire area, with the website containing information regarding their opening times, their location, etc. 

An upcoming feature mentioning some of their most historical locations will be available in the ADVENTURE MAGAZINE over the coming weeks and I hope by making the most of social media (through twitter interaction and tagging, for example), it will invite more traffic to the site.  

Similarly, if we compare the ADVENTURE MAGAZINE to some of its sister publications (below), we can quite clearly see that it has outranked them in page views. It also appears to take the lead from the main news site WINOL.CO.UK, overtaking it by approximately 500 views.

I think this has been down to the competition launched a couple weeks back through the @AdventureWINOL Twitter page, which I believe has succeeded in drawing a lot of traffic to the site. I would like to include one of these at least once a month.

Circulations figures date from 1^st September 2013 to 21^st October 2013 via Fasthosts/Matrixstats.

WEBSITE NAME	NO. OF PAGEVIEWS
WINOL.CO.UK	7015
WINOL TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE	7650
ABSOLUTE:LY (FASHION)	6219
NEW WINCHESTER REVIEW	5066
THE VOLT (MUSIC)	4448

I hope to maintain this level of popularity throughout the semester. 

Fresh Meat.

three counties

one week

peterborough 

the east coast 

it's my first day

in the office

hardly the life

of a traveller

yet I'm still

determined 

to make you

proud of me 

breaking down 

as I lose myself

in the hustle

and bustle 

of the working city  

pushing past

all the insecurity 

in a leap of faith

that's turned more

into a dive

except I land

in jetwashed portaloos 

and sodden toilet tissue 

with no seat to rest

feeling trapped 

in the middle

of nowhere with

only a smeared mirror 

and a run down sink for company

Do I battle through or just walk away?

Revelation.

*Possible documentary idea.

A little something that has inspired me to look deeper into my ancestry.

First family funeral, 

But I don't feel sad, 

Because honestly, 

I hardly knew you, 

My biological grandmother.

I can't imagine what it must have been like for you. Growing up with the knowledge that you were given away at birth.

I imagine it must feel like the highest form of rejection. You're the puzzle piece that has never quite fit, even after a lifetime of trying to finish it.

Perhaps that's why I've had such a sheltered upbringing. You wrap me up in cotton wool so nothing like that can ever hurt me the way it hurt you.

I understand now and I'm glad I came to support you that day. And I'm happy that after all these years you're finally finding who you are. 

Yes I was sad, but not because of her but because of you.

From death brings a new life and I say embrace it.

Majorca Travel Blog #8

Wednesday 7th August 2013.


Day 7: A Final Day Abroad.

We've pretty much done what everyone else does on their last day abroad, plan to pack everything we haven't had the chance to do into one 12 hour slot. When in reality we just lazed around by the pool (as the seas were too choppy to pedal boat) and had yet another mid afternoon siesta.

You know, the thing I hate most about sand is that it gets everywhere. And after a collection of minuscule bugs choose to crawl up the inside of your leg, drawn to you like a scarab beetle to warm flesh, you just can't shake that subconscious niggling feeling inside your eardrum that sparks whenever you decide to remotely enjoy it.

To make matters worse, there was a topless woman laying in the shade round the corner from us (bit pointless) next to a bird that decided to bury itself in the already bug infested sand. Regardless, I continued to watch a straw hat with a black band bob its way towards the shore as I complained about the everyday problems of living in a house share.

Sweating like a pig from the heat, I decided to take my mind off of the current situation by weaning myself back into working university life and catching up on some law reading. This time last year consisted of a riveting read by Karl Marx and "The Communist Manifesto" (still haven't got around to blogging) which I remember being situated amid the copulas amounts of "50 Shades of Grey."

Majorca Travel Blog #7

Tuesday 6th August 2013.

A day in a doodle.

Majorca Travel Blog #6

Monday 5th August 2013. 


Day 5: Aqualand. 


Now I wouldn't say Aqualand was one of those spontaneous trips you'd take as a family for some quality bonding time, especially at 41 euros a ticket (plus all the additional fees they don't warn you about). It is however, a water park that's certainly suitable for the summer season.

Leaflet Provided at Hotel (With Additional Notes).

Like every year before it, this would be the "big trip" of the holiday (i.e. the most expensive) and for us, it was a toss up between a western themed adventure (which I was keen to do last year but had a bad experience with a ranch), aquatic Marineland (which included a dolphin show) or Aqualand - the bog standard ride orientated theme park. 

As you can probably already tell, I am by no means a regular at theme parks (afraid of heights) and I swore before arriving that I wouldn't go on anything that was even remotely detached from the ground.



2 hours on a perfectly air conditioned coach (no travel sickness) and we were sat like passive zombies recovering from the 7am wake up call requested from reception. 

Entry was pretty speedy despite having to fight our way through the rowdy crowd for a souvenir photo with a scarlet macaw, which we mistakenly took for a parrot after being told about their distinguishing green feathered head's (my brother is studying the rainforest at school). 

We passed a Mr. Bean lookalike dressed in one of those Arabian money suits (think Aladdin's Abu) and despite being a fan, my brother still refused to have a picture taken with him. 

Majorca Travel Blog #5

Sunday 4th August 2013.


Day 4: Sunday Morning Siesta.


It's the renown day of rest back in England, but over in Majorca it's got to that point where I just can't stand the heat. 

So we decided to retreat and have a Sunday morning siesta, basking in the chilling comfort of a prepaid air conditioner. 

Not much happened after that. 

1. I woke up moody after (just about) recovering from the 2 large plates of bacon and pancakes I had eaten for breakfast that morning. Along with a developed bout of sunstroke.

2. Proceeded to check on the already scabbed over mosquito bites, with my leg now having swelled up to twice it's original size (it gets worse before it gets better, right?). 

Majorca Travel Blog #4

Saturday 3rd August 2013.


Day 3: Pirate Sea Adventure.

Only subtract the pirates and add boisterous boys dressed up in complementary skull and bone bandannas with marker pen on their faces, waving around inflatable swords.

Made worse by the fact I get incredibly sea sick, so when the time came to see the pirate caves, what I was actually faced with was a plastic bag full of that morning's breakfast. 

This was one trip that definitely didn't float my boat.

Leaflet for Glass Bottom Cat. From Cala Bona to Pirate Caves (See Blue Line).

A round trip from Cala Bona to Sa Coma to Porto Cristo ("Port of Christ") to the Pirate Caves - said to be one of the many havens for the smugglers back in the day. Despite the water being a little choppy, you can't knock the fact that in Majorca it's easier to just hop on a boat than it is to catch the bus.

Majorca Travel Blog #3

Friday 2nd August 2013.


Day 2: Balancing Bird Bobbing On Boat.

We were sitting by the bay at Cala Bona, watching the boats as they sounded their way through the most minuscule of spaces, whilst accompanied by a colossal strawberry sundae (despite the bog standard holiday tum kicking in).

It was here my mother and I were discussing alliteration (refer to title).

Coaster With Picture of Bay. Collected From Cafe in Cala Bona.

The sun was a scorcher, despite various attempts at cooling myself down (sweating buckets). I spent most of the time poolside, working my way through 3 sunbeds until I settled for a much sturdier chair (I blame the aubergine).

I floated around on an inflatable ring like a backed up ship, with the only possible danger being caught in the crossfire of a splash war. Little did I know as I struggled to get my already incredibly burn't legs free, a massive hole was opening up ready to envelope the water surrounding me.  

Majorca Travel Blog #2

Thursday 1st August 2013. 


Day 1: Deep Fried Aubergine.

Sitting outside the apartment and it smells suspiciously like rotten eggs (got to love the Spanish sewage system, especially in this heat).

It's a terraced area that opens out onto the lively street (if you ignore the coincidentally placed shrubbery), and remember those dodgy tribute acts I referenced in my last entry? Currently strumming their imaginary guitar to knock off country western music.

Still, you can't beat a bit of cheap entertainment.

Majorca Newspaper Picked up From Local Supermarket.

We started the day with a hearty McDonald's breakfast at Gatwick Airport around 5am, after being picked up by a taxi roughly an hour beforehand. Having already set off with a rather devastated and disorientated young boy with fresh cuts and grazes, I on the other hand, was functioning off 3 1/2 hours sleep and was so overtired I felt (and acted) like I'd been on the laughing gas for a week. 

Majorca Travel Blog #1

Wednesday 31st July 2013.

Day 0: The Holiday After The Night Before.

Map of Majorca Provided for Tourists at Hotel.

The Coast of Cala Bona/Cala Millor.

Off to Majorca (Mallorca) tomorrow. 

Cala Bona to be more precise, mere meters from its coastal twin Cala Millor and I already know what to expect.

It's familiar territory for our household as we've taken trips here every summer for the past few years. Same company, same travel agent, same hotel and same location. Always slap bang in the heart of the action.

Every year seems to top the last, only this time it's for real. That's right I've decided to take the plunge, this'll be my last family holiday. Perhaps even my penultimate holiday abroad in a long while considering the student budget doesn't allow for luxuries. 

Where Is My Safe Haven?

Creative Writing.
Written 29/07/2013.

After reading the recent script to screen adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel a couple weeks back, it got me thinking... I don't really know.

Perhaps it bleeds into the diary written in Shorthand, with the cryptic messages updated whenever the heck I feel like it. Engulfed in the heavy workload and tasks that begin but always seem so far from completion. Headphones in. Music loud. This is what it feels like. Drawing inspiration from just about anything, seeking confirmation that I'm doing the right thing or following the right path. Ignoring that sucker of doubt that sticks with you like a limpet to a moss infested rock, never quite washed away by the infrequent seas of success.

The life that's been left behind. Immersed in the fictitious world of gaming whilst in the attic climbed after a hard days moping. Even technology can be unreliable. You let the darkness swallow you whole as you lay there, lost in thoughts of what could have been. Memories captured in a photograph that you can't bring yourself to look at. And spending time with family that barely recognise your face. Time invested in a Journalist who can't even bring themselves to write. And it's in our nature to help these people, but how can we when they're not even willing to help themselves?

"I thought you'd be more sympathetic." It's a selfless crime, not a selfish one. My life is a collection of lost puzzle pieces that my OCD can't bear. That constant nagging element of choice that people feel the need to complain about. I'm an optimist who has her bad days. Often wondering if she's running from something or someone. With the added responsibility of being forced to function in the real world. But unlike Alex and Katie, my life is far from a love story. My cobbled path could take me anywhere, it's all a matter of time.

My nanna always said I was the dreaming type.

The Devolution of Lara Croft; A Review of Tomb Raider (2013).

Since the birth of Tomb Raider in 1996, we have seen Lara attempt to battle new heights, as the infamous archaeologists daughter returns in the reboot of the much loved gaming franchise.

[All Screenshots From Personal Gameplay. Image Rights Owned By Crystal Dynamics]

Aptly named the same as it's predecessor, the game, developed by Crystal Dynamics, acts as a prequel to the previous original series, aiming to take us back to the core of Lara's journey of self discovery; from timid teen to hardcore heroine. With awards for Most Anticipated Game of the Year (*Digital Spy) and Best Action Game (*IGN, 2011) under it's belt, I expected something utterly mind blowing following the anticlimax of Tomb Raider: Underworld.

After the events of the shipwrecked Endurance, Lara is thrown in at the deep end throughout her mission to regroup with survivors and escape the cursed island of Yamatai, Japan. But first she must battle the dreaded cult of Himiko as she is captured by satanic worshippers of the so called "Sun Queen". A storyline which was shrouded in potential, yet slowly became generic and predictable (with the odd occasional false scare, of course). It somewhat dragged at times and I found myself more admiring the scenery than the actual game itself. 

CRITICAL REFLECTION #2

Though renowned for its hard news approach, WINOL Features has triumphed over the past year, with individual magazines being set up, as opposed to having a generalised Features section, to accommodate the needs of a less specific target audience and improving the navigation of the site as a whole. From News to Reviews, the start of the semester sparked statistics that overtook the likes of Daily Echo #54,081 in GB Rank and HampshireChronicle #27,772, with WINOL standing at a comfortable #15,260 [06.02.2013] , with the increase of #12,025 within the next couple of months.[27.03.2013][1].

"People come for the News and stay for the Features."

After I struggled last semester during my brief stint as part of the News Team, I was assigned to the Features Team as the Editor of WINOL Travel and Adventure, which, needless to say, was a daunting task. 

I knew I’d be somewhat better suited to Features as over Christmas I had compiled various contributions to a couple of the magazines, such as an interview with Fashion Designer Siv Stoldal for Absolute:ly and a philosophical review on the Freud Museum for NewWinchesterReview (NWR). But to actually lead a magazine meant I had to majorly improve on my organisational and timekeeping skills, which I believe were my downfall last semester. My subconscious just kept telling me; “How am I going to do this? I can barely organise myself, let alone a whole team.”