EDITOR’S LETTER:
from the desk of The Weekly’s Nicole Byers
Reflecting on my first year in this job, I realised something many of you probably figured out long ago. The Weekly is much more than just a magazine. This month our pages have sparked a new lead in murder cold case, led a reader to diagnose a long-running health issue, helped two husbands romance their wives and resurrected a family tradition dormant for 22 years.
Imagine our surprise when journalist Genevieve Gannon was contacted by the Federal Police, alerting her to a press release about to be issued. It read:
An unexplained note in a copy of a magazine has sparked fresh calls for information about missing Canberra teenager Megan Mulquiney.
Police are trying to locate the person who wrote the name ‘Inge Quitt’ under a photo of Megan which appeared in the September 2018 edition of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
Watch this space.
Then came the grateful call from a reader who had long suffered with a number of undiagnosed ailments. Reading Doctor Kerryn Phelps’ thyroid story (January, AWW), she found herself ticking all the symptom boxes. Cue a trip to her GP, magazine in hand, to confirm the diagnosis.
We also helped Cupid’s arrow aim true. I received a letter from a husband who had run out of ideas when it came to gifts for his wife of 40 years. Until he saw an advertisement for a subscription to her favourite magazine, The Weekly. Imagine his delight when the subscription came with a free Swarovski necklace, making him twice as popular.
TV chef Colin Fassnidge called on The Weekly to help him track down the dress his wife Jane wore, and loved, in our photo shoot (right) so he could surprise her. Secret’s out, he’s a sweetheart.
And finally, the story of a daughter who has been trying to find a recipe that was lost when her beloved mum passed 22 years ago. The Weekly’s Strawberry Mallow Mousse had been a tradition at her family celebrations since the late 70s, and Dad was desperate to taste it again. After spotting a photo of the retro dessert in last year’s birthday issue, she reached out to us. A little digging and we reunited her family with the recipe, along with many happy memories.