What we all read into women's - and men's magazines

But when they place them on the coffee table, the women are eager to read them for a giggle.

"A lot of our lady customers tend to read the men's magazines like GQ and FHM because they find them amusing," said Nicola Davis, of Partners for Hair in King Street.

"They are full of fashion and health which they probably don't think men are too bothered about."

Every month Partners buys FHM for their customers to read.

The upmarket glossy is one of the many new titles aimed at the male magazine market which has exploded in the last 10 years.

Men's magazines ranging from lifestyle and cars to sport and health are increasingly appearing on newsagents' shelves.

And they are jostling for space with women's magazines such as Cosmopolitan, She and Marie Claire.

But who really reads them?

Dr Rob Stephenson welcomes the increased availability of magazines concentrating on men's health.

"Any magazine that gives out sensible, basic health information to men or women is a good idea," he said.

But he urged caution about such titles misrepresenting and exaggerating health issues.

Dr Stephenson wouldn't chose to read a health magazine himself.

"It wouldn't be particularly interesting to me," he said.

And there aren't any copies in his Toft Road waiting room either.

Some male patients have even complained there is nothing for them to read as they wait.

"We don't purchase magazines but we have asked around and do get some handed in," said practice manager Margaret Thornborrow.

"But they tend to be sailing, fishing and sport."

Margaret said more men than women arrived at the surgery with a newspaper.

But if they hadn't come prepared with reading matter, they would flick through other titles.

"They glance at Cheshire Life and Hello, but there is a degree of embarrassment," said Margaret.

"I have never seen too many reading Family Circle."

Margaret reads Women Today in the Knutsford Guardian every week, especially if it is features a local person.

But as for men needing their own page. "They have the sport's pages," she said. "So I rest my case."

If the sport pages don't provide satisfaction, men and women can browse through the 300 magazine titles on offer at Tiffany's in King Street.

Owner Richard Cussons said most of the men's magazines were aimed at 16-35 year olds.

"They always tend to repeat themselves with the same old articles recycled," he said.

"I can imagine men's magazines are quite attractive to people with disposable income, but most of my income goes on my children."

He believes this repetition also plagues women's magazines.

"My wife used to get Woman And Home on a regular basis," he said.

"But every September she could predict there would be an article on travelling to Scotland. They were always there as regular as clockwork."

So Mr Cussons sticks to National Geographic and other travel titles, occasionally reading the Guardian's Women Today if he knows who is featured in it.

Tatton MP Martin Bell, though, says he reads the women's feature every week.

"It is important to find out how the other half thinks, because it helps us to communicate and understand each other," he said.

But one thing the editors of men's and women's magazines do seem to have in common is sex.

"I can more or less guarantee that all magazines have the word sex on the front cover," said Mr Cussons.

"Publishers obviously believe it is still the biggest seller."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.