Sylvester's story

Entrepreneurial Days

During the ‘60s Sylvester set up his publishing company, Stonehart Publications, along with his friend and colleague, Robert Troop. It was at this time he introduced the British public to newsletters and the idea of direct mailing, starting with The London Property Letter.

So how do you start small? ....... I had a big think-up. Instead of a big, fat, costly magazine, with big fat advertisers, and thus the need for tens of thousands of readers to buy their goods, why not a small, intensive, concentrated publication offering serious advice to people who might need it for their career, or for especial interests, or for happiness or even just to satisfy their aspirations of easy wealth and early retirement.

And thus was born the idea of a newsletter, no such thing existing in Britain at the time, though there are now not hundreds, but thousands.  From I Danced with Mrs Gandhi

There were other magazines that came and went such as Camera Owner (later sold on to become Creative Camera) and, most importantly, Running, which he launched in 1980 at the start of the marathon running boom

He turned to this subject naturally as he was a longtime runner himself, a World Masters' Champion and many times British Champion over 100m and 200m in his age category. Out of Running came the newsletter Peak Performance.

1987 As a lover of life and wanting every one to share in its joys he wrote The Running Guide to Keeping Fit and 99 Ways to reach 100 to show people the way to a long healthy happy life. 99 Ways was published by Century Hutchinson.
 
Way no 1: Above all, running!
Way no 92: Humour, laugh until it stops hurting.