The London Weekly does exist apparently!

The new London free paper The London Weekly was launched last Friday to a barrage of damning criticism and ridicule!

All of last week I kept reading various rumours on the internet suggesting that perhaps the launch wasn't going to go ahead at all. It was looking increasingly likely that the paper itself might be one big hoax. But no! To everyone's surprise it did make an appearance!
My plan was to pick up a copy for myself on Friday, particularly after I'd been reading various first impressions comments all afternoon on Roy Greenslade's Guardian blog.

To say it received some scathing comments would be an understatement! Truly awful,poorly designed, with spelling errors on the front page! Just some of the critical observations that I read.

On my way home from work I passed through Liverpool Street station expecting to find a copy, but I saw no sign of one at all!

This is what makes it all so baffling to me. Why launch a new free paper which you can't even pick up at one of the biggest train stations in London?

After moving on from Roy Greenslade's blog I also read Gordon MacMillian's blog on the advertising website Brand Republic. He actually had copies in front of him and described the paper as 'shocking'

Today I had a look at the papers website which you can find at www.thelondonweekly.co.uk . Under the headline 'London Weekly Finally Launched Today' the Sports Writer & Co-Founder of Global Publishing Group and the London Weekly, Tony Woodcock commented:

"Anyone who expects perfection for a brand new launch is practically living in a dreamworld. We are very content with the thousands of support we have had from readers who have picked up a copy this morning and this is our main focus to cater for the audience who want to grow with us as we keep improving issue after issue".

I don't think anyone is expecting perfection, but being able to spell peoples names correctly on the front page of your first edition isn't asking too much is it?

When I look at the launch of The London Weekly it makes me think 'either do something properly or don't do it at all!' Admittedly the paper has time to improve but surely they don't have that much time to produce a quality product. But for me it still goes back to the original point I made a few weeks ago. Does London really need another free sheet? If it does, The London Weekly isn't it.