My earliest memory of the Guardian Weekly was as a child in Arkansas, US in the late 1950s. The rustle of the onionskin frightened our German shepherd puppy into “minding” and my mother became a lifelong devote of the cryptic crossword, teaching herself all the ins and outs, week after week.
Fast forward to my 22 years living in the UK, all spent in lovely Edinburgh, where I was first a student and then worked in galleries and museums, becoming a weekly reader of the daily Guardian (cutting out the Cryptic crosswords and mailing them to my mother).
Now living in New York City, I do read the NY Times and check up on Edinburgh through The Scotsman online, but my great pleasure is to receive my GW, which – sorry NY Times – gives a much wider as well as pithier account of the world and also keeps me in touch with what goes on in the UK. I first look through the whole issue swiftly and then I go back and savour it, reading most of it carefully (except for the sport – sorry sport), particularly the arts coverage – exhibitions and book reviews. I love the little woodcuts used to illustrate the countryside ruminations. I’ve never achieved my mother’s prowess with the Cryptic crossword, but I do take a shot at Sudoku regularly and have become pretty good.
I also enjoy Good to meet you. As a result of my Edinburgh days I have friends I rarely see but think of often, in New Zealand, Germany, Italy, the UK, Ireland and Canada. I know many of them read the GW too and hope they see this and offer to get to know your other many readers!
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