I was quite sad to read on Wednesday that Sugar, one of my favourite magazines as a teenager, is to close after 17 years.
I remember when Sugar looked like this, back when I was still in primary school. Its weird the things that you remember – I remember the first issue that I had. Issue 5 had a special “sealed” section in it about periods and all that. My dad went to Mrs Rites to buy the Saturday paper, and bought me this. My mum came into my room and explained why it was a good thing for me to read.
Sugar was the magazine to read back in Year 6, Mum would happily stop at the post office on the way to school so I could get the latest issue as soon as it came out. I think I kept reading Sugar until at least Year 9, then I probably just nicked my sisters copies after that!
Sugar is closing because of the severe decrease in circulation in the past decade – the increasing amount of online content and things like blogging has made the things that we bought these magazines for more freely available, and more easily doable yourself. Admit it, you tried to make a magazine yourself when you were younger. (Or was that just me? Hm.)
It got me thinking though about the magazines that I used to read, like Bunty and J17 (Twinkle was my sisters magazine, but I still read it – I would read anything I could get my hands on when I was younger – not much has changed really!). The magazines we used to read as teenagers were funny, quirky and full of awesome advice pages that we’d read in school and then give our own solutions. We’d read the magazines in the cloakroom at school, at least 4 girls crowded around one page. You just can’t do that on an iPhone.
What magazines did you love as a teen, and do you think they influenced you at all?
Excuse me while I wipe my tears away.
Aaah I miss Sugar. I miss Bunty. I miss Mizz. I remember when J-17 was plain old Just 17. They were my life blood. They were the staple of all sleepovers. They provided the content for the radio shows we would record on cassette.
And now I will drift away on a wave of nostalgia….
Oh yes, I remember “Just Seventeen” as well, I seem to recall it being aimed at slightly older readers before the name change too, same as Mizz back when it used a serif font in the name.
I wasn’t much of a magazine reader, but I bought several just to get the posters to cover my wall with! I mainly remember Sugar and Just 17, I even had the Just 17 quiz book, a neurohypochondriac’s fevered dream. What about FAST FOWARD? Fast, fast, forward forward forward forward!
Aw, boo, I used to love Sugar,
I used to like J17 too, I was deemed too young for it when it was really popular but my neighbour used to save her copies for me!
xx
I was never allowed mags when I was young :( so I read all my mates’ issues when I went round theirs. Amazing what you could learn from a mag. Sugar, ah, quality. So sad that its come to an end.
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Aww, I’m sad about Sugar. It, Girl Talk and Smash Hits were the ones I read religiously as a pre-teen/teen, it’s a shame they’re all going going and gone. I guess teenagers aren’t like they used to be *sniff sniff*
I was such a magazine addict when I was younger- I still am really but am trying to wean myself off! I started with Smash Hits and TOTP Magazine and then moved onto the teen magazines like Sugar, Mizz and Bliss. It was probably where I learnt a lot of important ‘teen’ stuff really so its a real shame that Sugar is going!x
Aww this is so sad! I loved Sugar as a child!
Oh I used to love my magazines when I was wee – couldn’t wait for the next issue to come out! Yep, I read Sugar, Bliss, Bunty and Twinkle yay!!! And yes, my friend & I made our own magazine and sold it to our Guide group and the money went to the local animal shelter. Think we only kept it up for 2 or 3 “issues” tho haha
Oh wow, there’s some memories there! I read J17, Sugar, Bliss, More, Mizz, Smash Hits (for the lyrics!) and I used to pick up old annuals from jumble sales of things like Bunty, Jackie; anything for reading material! I learned so much from those mags. But mainly it was that sense of not being alone, of the problem pages being full of questions I wanted to ask, so I can see how the internet has replaced that.
I graduated from Bunty to Just 17 when it first came out. I was at boarding school and my mum sent it to me; no-one else had it and I became very popular and cool overnight. I loved it -Melanie McFadyen was a brilliant agony aunt -especially compared to Jackie’s Cathy & Claire who very obviously fake and always assumed every problem was ‘just a phase’!
Ahhh I used to remember buying Sugar in secret because my Mum wouldn’t let me. I actually went to a different newsagent as I was afraid the man would mention it to my Mum. Slightly sad to see it’s closing down but I guess online is the answer. I used to reserve Bunty every week and look forward to it so much, now it’s weird how we can access everything instantly instead of waiting a week (or even two)!
I love your blog – especially posts like this – and have just spent quite the enjoyable morning reading it! :) love, elle x
elle & the fashion folk
It’s really sad, isn’t it? Magazines keep disappearing before our very eyes! I really loved reading ELLEgirl too, but sadly, that one went the same way. Sob!