Today’s media visit was a four hour long experience with Hearst UK. It is amazing how generous they were with their time. We were welcomed with snacks and then toured their new facilities in small groups.
One of the spots I found most fascinating was their library/archive section. There were editions of magazines bound there that were from the early 1900s. It’s amazing the staying power that some of these titles have had.
The extremely small studio that the videographer used for shoots was crazy. It’s amazing how well she has adapted and how much she fit into such a tiny space.
The entire company’s work environment was very different from anything I have seen before. Nobody had a permanent desk and teams moved around as needed and as space was available.
Several of the employees presented to us including the fashion editors of Cosmopolitan and Elle. Hearst UK had also put together a panel that discussed varying issues and they were really responsive to the students’ questions.
Our final stop on our tour at Hearst UK was a 10 minute walk to see the UK Good Housekeeping test area. Now THAT was amazing.
I was impressed by how rigorous the testing is for recipes is the magazines and how detailed the process is for their product testing.
It was interesting to learn that when products perform poorly or don’t meet stated claims, the staff often go back to the manufacturer and the manufacturer makes changes. The Good Housekeeping seal has such clout that companies are willing to change their products to work towards the possibility of earning that seal.
I had lunch with some of the students at Nandos chicken, apparently quite a famous place. They actually mentioned it at our Battenhall visit. I then made the trek to the National Gallery sitting outside of Trafalgar Square.
Had less than two hours to spend in the museum, but with my 5£ audio tour I learned some interesting points about the paintings that caught my eye.
I especially enjoyed several of the Monet paintings.
I believe I actually have seen some of the Raphael paintings when I was at the Galleria Borghese with mom, dad and Lisa back in 2006.
It was our last night so I wrapped up my night with some truly exciting packing.
