Seeing as its Sunday it must be the Sunday Times... (The Sunday Times)

Member Name: berrydelight

Product:	The Sunday Times
Date:	09/08/09 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The true meaning of value for money

Disadvantages: We get the Scottish one....

For me the Sunday Times is an institution and as per their marketing line the Sunday Times is The Sunday Paper. I remember being perched on my dads knee as a little girl trying to make sense of the endless columns of text and pictures and now as 'grown up' they have become a much loved stable of my life also. It always brings a smile to my face if we are staying at my boyfriends family home that on a Sunday morning we all dive for the papers, reach for our preferred supplement and then discuss for hours the global happenings.

The Sunday Times currently costs £2 and judging by the fact that on some weeks even by lunchtime I cant get a copy must be as popular with others as it is with me. In these credit-crunch-purse tightening times I would urge any magazine hussy's to ditch your pricey weekly glossy mags and instead invest in this illuminating tome, I can guarantee it will keep you occupied for longer and deliver on entertainment and educational value.

In Scotland the format differs slightly as I will explain below

For your £2 you get the following sections:
**News** - a round up of the weekend and some in depth analysis of ongoing issues. For me The 'Focus' section is particularly useful as for example it will examine more in depth the uproar over the lack of army kit and consider all sides of the argument - perfect for making me sound more knowledgeable over morning coffee in the office! The comment section hands over to the resident journalists and I find India Knights column to be amusing, witty and a well rounded read.

**Sport** - instantly passed to the other half, upsets him slightly that all the sport is Scottish....we are in Scotland but both being English and supporting English clubs feel a little hard done too.

**Business** - errr, it covers business I guess, maybe I should pay more attention but it's a Sunday who wants to read about work??

**Money** - a small supplement that has come into its own over the last few months by looking at ways to save money and examining issues like capital gains tax. I wont pretend this is one of my favourites but the items are generally of some interest.

**Ecosse (Review in England)** - disappointment as I love the News Review supplement in the English version so much, as you may expect this focuses more on Scottish issues, Scottish celebrities and examines Scotland's focus. A little too narrow for me.....

**Style** - a wonderfully indulgent supplement that should not be taken too seriously. It is pretentious, ludicrous but fabulous at the same time! No I am never going to be able to, or want to, buy a £2000 dress but its great to look at. It usually features some inspiring health article and some of the features can be eye opening (this weeks is about mother/daughter relationships) and the interviews with celebrities cover much more and go far deeper than you would expect. Aunt Sally deals with one readers issue and has a tough no nonsense approach that is refreshing when you have been reading 'I feel so jealous' problem pages in the past..... AA Gill reviews a restaurant and no magazine would be complete horoscopes. A full days read in itself!

**Culture** - not really my bag but it does have movie, tv, theatre and radio reviews. Apparently the movie reviews can be a little harsh but I guess when you watch movies for a living Harry Potter is hardly going to float your boat. The TV guide lasts a week as well so more money saved by not buying that Radio Times.

**The Sunday Magazine** - another enjoyable read. The items featured are so varied I cannot really cover them all but generally speaking it will look at a period of history or a news story and where the people are now (Beslan this week). It will normally feature a social article, and the stable favourites are 'Relative values' and 'A life in the Day'. The photography in the magazine is something wonderous and generally features a photographic artists work (my preferred art medium so clearly I am biased!). A thought provoking read.

**Travel** - possibly my favourite, nothing better than sitting down in the sun, or rain and being whisked away to foreign climates with this supplement. It is only short but the photography and writing is vivid and at times incredibly useful indicating places to visit on a budget, hidden gems and offering some great travel advice. This supplement is stuffed full of adverts to exotic locations and resorts that I could never afford in a million years but as its Sunday I have time to daydream!

**Home** - covers home matters and features properties not even a millionaire could buy!

**Drive** - another passed to my other half, all about cars! A weekly article by Jeremy Clarkson normally ties in with his Top Gear show and has my partner giggling so it must be good!

All the sections come apart so you can take the easier ones like Style to bed or bath with you, and as I explained above it can become a community read with all the sections being passed amongst you and devoured at your own pace. You could lose a Sunday in the Times and be renewed by having so much relaxation time or you can keep it going all week as lets face it the articles in Travel are hardly about to expire!

A highly recommended read if you haven't discovered it already....

Summary: A great paper that goes beyond what it needs too