and thanks ... but it's half term so I'm off already

I told my boss this and he fired me.

So I'm off to the labour exchange on my afternoon off.

Thanks!

I'm off outside with some other middle-aged men to play on our Raleigh Choppers and talk about girls (please don't tell my boss. She thinks I'm in a budget planning meeting).

It takes me over two hours to get to work, so in order to fully enjoy my half day, I'm going to have to leave work at around 10 - I hope that's not bending the rules.

In that case, I'll leave the Word staff to deal with my emails whilst I stroll around old London town and maybe buy some music.

And again, congratulations - thoroughly well deserved.

... but as I'm the other side of the world its almost 5pm already, so bang goes my half day off.

I might stay in and listen to my Valentines Day present of 8 CDs of Gilbert & Sullivan. A snip for only £2 at Fopp. That's in total, not each.

Great news - well done everyone!

However, I have already booked today as a holiday because it's half-term here. Please advise on how I add your afternoon off to this ? Or can I carry it for when I can next get to Camden so I can profitably use the time going through yards of dank boxes of vinyl ?

In celebration I shall catch the first train to Wolverhampton and not start work until 6pm.

I'm also celebrating

Only the other day I was thinking about how The Word would fare in the current economic climate, without the fattened wallet of Mr Big Publisher to bankroll it. The fact that the magazine's circulation has increased is a testament to your hard work and the fact that The Word in all its guises builds a sense of community between its readers that no other music publication manages.

May you continue to go from strength to strength, because The Word is one of the more enjoyable things in my life and I want it to be around for as long as possible.

With regards subscribing, you can put me down for one from the end of March when I'm back in the UK.

Excellent news, I was wondering about circulation figures in these difficult times. I have the morning off all week (due to reduced post at the moment) but still have to go in at 12 unfortunatley. Who knows, if it carries on like this, in a few months time, I may not have to go in at all.

This afternoon I'll be cutting out bits of green felt to make Peter Pan carnival costumes with other PTA stalwarts at my kids' primary school.

Rock 'n' roll!

I will spend these extra hours with a book on The Beach Boys. Cheers!

Sadly I had already taken the morning off to discover Spotify (still can't link to your playlist), and my stupid Anglo-Saxon work ethic forbade me from continuing into the pm.

Really good news on the figures: I took out a 2-year sub last summer and needed reassurance that this was a Good Move.

Love it.

Congrats.

Is it a sign of success that London's Evening Standard is now nicking stories from you?

I am sure I read the article the Standard are running today on Gerry Rafferty's disappearance while perusing the Word yesterday? http://tinyurl.com/cnb2ry

I used to need to read the Standard for 'professional' reasons. Maybe now I can claim my Word subscription back against tax?

It is of course still the best magazine around, despite the occassional gripe from the Massive - but I'm sure you wouldn't have it any other way.

I am about to renew a lapsed subscription but I have the Macca CD already thanks to a positive Word review. Can I just have a lucky dip?

A Barclays then bed for me…

Love you too....despite my moans.

I'm going to spend my bonus afternoon finishing 'Right Ho, Jeeves' and drinking lots of tea.

I already have every Friday off until April/May, such is the parlous state of UK metal-bashing. Any more time off & work will start to feel like a hobby. Well done all the same. I'll have a snifter for you all later.

...can I have tomorrow morning off instead, please ?

Just read this after being at work since 6am. To add insult to injury, I actually did an extra hour of unpaid overtime too. I will ask tomorrow if I can take it as lieu time another day.
Incidentally, a thousand congratulations...well deserved etc.etc.

Typical management thinks posting on a website equals communication. Have just read it at 6.07 pm and I have at least another 45 minutes work to do.

Well done though - trend bucking at this economic time is to be admired.

Now I'm back to work.

... at Word Towers. Thanks for the offer of an afternoon off, but I'll be in the library working on a review I promised Fraser.

and while away the twilight hours supping Remy from an obscenely expensive bottle while having one's manicure and pedicure delicately delivered by delightfully attractive desmoiselles en deshabille.

As for tomorrow, one finds it difficult to decide whether to join ones chums sur la riviera for some yachting fun, or to take the horseless carriage over to Uncle Berties for a week or two of riding to hounds.

So much time, so much money to spend, so difficult to decide. Sigh.

... and have caught up with this.

So, what can I do if I leave at 1am?

Mmmmm, heading to the local park might be a bit dodgy!

Think I'll stay here and have a cream bun for my 1st break.

Anyway, warmest Congratulations. Keep up the good work and the readers will read.

that according to the ABC figures, Uncut has circulation figures of 87,000; Mojo 100,500 and Q 103,000 - all on the way down - I hope you continue to pick up their former readers.

Clearly I'm receiving this news a little late to take the afternoon off - had I done so, I might have found somewhere to enjoy a warming pint and had a celebratory listen to the 'Best of the HORA' (still cherished on my iPod as much as any greatest hits).

Not much to add to what others have already said here, so perhaps a repeat: I'm not surprised your readership is growing because you are, by some way, the best.

The quality of the writing is outstanding compared to your rivals - exactly the right balance of knowledge and wit. This issue's John Martyn special in particular underlined what a great bunch of journalists you all are.

And that's without the facility to be part of this Massive, or listen to the mighty Podcast.

Just keep going. (And yes, this month I am taking out a subscription.)

Since I live in New Zealand, it was nightime , still I suppose I wasn't at work so it all works out in the end.
I see more copies around the newstands down here, albeit hideously out of date!

I've spent the last few days in hospital - feeling better now, thanks for asking - and so spent yesterday afternoon waiting for the doctor to sign me out and prescribe the necessary follow-ups.

However, congratulations on the surge in your organ. Being stuck indoors did give me time to read the latest issue from cover-to-cover including articles about subjects I wouldn't normally be too bothered about. I still didn't get around to reading the one about comic book heroes though. Perhaps if I get ill again...

You lot might crow. I spent the afternoon trying to think of nice things to say about Sway, and half-heartedly planning a Pop Myths feature. Ooh, that might be one for the blog - can we plagiarise the blog?

Well done, The Word. I like to think I increased the circulation by one.

It's a triumph of quality over the pap we normally get fed. Gives me hope for humanity.

I didn't take my afternoon off. Can I have time off in lieu?

Seriously, well done! You deserve it, and all that jazz.

Maybe we can think about how to spread the word - if you'll forgive the pun. I recycle mine by taking them into my osteopath's waiting room. She just happened to mention yesterday (as I was adding more to the pile) that many people come into her treatment room and say how much they like 'that Word magazine' (I guess they assume they're hers).

Given the demographic, how about a word with Waitrose. I am sure there is room on their shelves for it. Much as economics mean that I am having to send my man round to inferior grocers, it would be so much easier if he could pick it up there. Or I could lend him by subscribers copy, I suppose........
P.S. I note that CDs and DVDs are all being flogged off "cheap" (John Lewis cheap, that is, therefore a little above the expected asking price*) and the section where they used to be now houses bogroll. Which is either a statment on the parlous state of music sales. Or the parlous state of the music.
*it's a joke, impressive socialist lawyers with big fees working for waitrose.......

do I get it in lieu?

Anyway this is what we did on our day off.