Guardian supporters around the world tell us how they first discovered the paper and what it has meant to them sinceCelebrate 200 years of independent Guardian journalism, and help power our future – make a contribution, or become a subscriber. I recall in the mid-sixties campaigning for a more balanced newspaper “offer” in the library of my boarding school (hardly a bastion of left-of-centre thinking!), to counteract the predictability of the Times, Express, Mail and Telegraph. Having secured the provision of the Guardian, one of the first significant pieces of sustained, quality journalism I read was your coverage of the Aberfan disaster. Fifty-five years on, my daily fix of the Guardian remains an essential part of my routine.Phil Murray, 73, West Lothian, UK
I discovered the Guardian, in Auckland,
New Zealand when we went into our first strict lockdown last March/April. I had worked as a proofreader for a daily newspaper for decades. Also I had just retired and had booked a big holiday in the
UK for June-July which of course was cancelled due to the pandemic. So I jumped online and subscribed to the Guardian (and
New York Times and also the
Washington Post). I quickly realised my absolute favourite was the Guardian and I’ve been reading it every day for over a year now.