- Publisher: Roqueta Magazine
- Editor: Angie Wade-Smith
- Edition: 344
- Published: 1st August 2020
Where do I start? One minute we seem to be making progress with the virus, there is an air of hope and excitement. And the next minute disaster strikes. Who knows what the position will be when you get to read this message?
We have heard some sad stories of families who have planned re-unions with best laid plans now in tatters. Weddings that were going to take place with Menorca as the backdrop that have now been cancelled, or rather postponed. Families who visit every year may have to abandon plans for 2020.
For those of us who are here on the island, most of us have a feeling that everything possible is being done to maintain a safe environment, but regardless of this who knows what lies ahead.
We battle on at ROQUETA, resolutely producing a magazine every month. Still no printed edition, only available in a digital format. We had been mulling over the prospect of printing in August or September, but this now looks increasingly unlikely. With limited visitors from the UK, the core advertisers have little appetite to spend any money promoting their businesses. They are keeping hold of the money they have.
But we hope that for all of you who subscribe to the digital edition are enjoying it. It seems that more and more people are getting used to not having a magazine to thumb through. We also have had some genuinely welcome feedback thanking us for providing some distraction, but also for keeping many you in touch with what is happening on the island.
Thanks then to all our contributors who have been scribbling furiously to file articles. Many do this every month, but we have had some fresh contributors who are adding some freshness to the magazine. Gardening, fashion, photography are just three of the areas. And add the usual suspects like Island News, What’s On and food and wine.
We have a couple of August appropriate articles. A six-beach challenge, an introduction to some of the Chiringuitos restaurants and an article on Menorca’s drinking water. The local gatherings of social groups are beginning to become more frequent too which is great to see.
This year is one that we all want to move on from, so don’t get too disheartened. Things will improve and move towards the ‘new normal’. A blueprint to follow if something like this ever happens again. Learnings from the good and the bad for future decision makers and policy makers. 2021 isn’t far off, and hopefully will bring a vaccine.
We look forward to getting back to a printed magazine to run alongside the digital version and having it available to buy from all the normal outlets.
Any comments, please contact us.