The Guardian was a delightful discovery when my husband and I arrived to work in London from Melbourne, Australia, in 1974. I would identify my people on the tube by the newspaper they were reading.
When we went to teach in Kenya in 1977, we took out a subscription to the Guardian Weekly so we could keep in contact with the rest of the world. The occasional unexpected crackly version of Radio Australia made us homesick for the Australian accent but did not provide enough news. We relied on the Guardian Weekly for that.
Its arrival was eagerly anticipated by about 15 people waiting to read the paper from cover to cover. Knowing we were reading material from the Washington Post and Le Monde helped us feel less isolated. We couldn’t get the books that were reviewed or see the shows, but we were glad to know they were happening. The quick crossword and the puzzles kept us busy and Nature watch had us rather perversely yearning for the English countryside, so different from the beautiful African countryside around us. Notes & Queries kept us on our toes.
We have returned to Melbourne and still relish the arrival of our Guardian Weekly. It is a great comfort to know people all over the world value the Guardian Weekly as highly as we do.
Thanks for producing a significant contribution to our lives.
If you would like to appear in this space, send a brief note to guardian.weekly@theguardian.com
