The Joint Parish Magazine-Thorncombe, Winsham and Cricket St. Thomas.

Winsham is fortunate in having a good ‘internal communications’ network. It all started with the Thorncombe Parish Magazine in the 1960s, developing over a period of about forty years into the Joint Parish Magazine which we know and enjoy today, serving the parishes of Thorncombe, Winsham and Cricket St. Thomas.

It is complementary to, but not in competition with the Winsham Parish Website, The Winsham Parish Council Web Site, Winsham Web Museum, Winsham Community Facebook page and of course, social media in general.

Despite this, the Joint Parish Magazine has been successful in maintaining its circulation over its lifetime, despite changes in many residents, especially in recent years.

There are good reasons for being able to do this. Four hundred copies of this A4 28-page printed magazine are hand delivered at the beginning of each month, by a team of volunteers. It represents good value at only sixty pence a month(£7.00pa). It is also available from Thorncombe and Winsham Village Shops, and ‘The Bell’. It sometimes prints in colour, pictures taken at major Parish events. However, the cost of colour printing does limit this to certain editions each year

However, it is the affection that readers have for the printed word, delivered as an easily read package, and the nature of its contents-a remarkable and successful mixture of secular and church information which enables the publication to maintain this success. And not a screen in sight!

Its contents are also further varied in other ways, giving reports on village events, school matters, reminiscences, and very importantly twelve pages of advertisements placed by local trade and service providers. Apart from placing a valuable service before readers, this contributes to the substantial cost of printing.

All other services given by volunteers, including a heavy workload placed on the small editorial team each month. Joint Parish Magazine also publishes details of forthcoming events throughout the three parishes, as well as bus timetable, and lists of key contacts for various organisations, and a list of local churches and places of worship for many denominations, with Service times.