The end of an era
This issue marks the end of Amateur Gardening magazine
SO, this is the last-ever issue of Amateur Gardening. Words cannot really express how I feel, as this magazine has been an integral part of my life for 47 years. I joined its staff in November 1976, when it was a mere 92 years old. The title had already survived two world wars, countless crises, financial crashes, changing monarchs and governments, and the rise of first radio, then TV. In the intervening years it has also had to contend with computerisation and the internet. AG was there through it all.
When the magazine was launched, back in 1884, Gladstone was our Prime Minister, Chester A. Arthur rise to £2.20? Well, needed expensive colour pictures, crisp white paper, expensive (quick) distribution around the country, free packets of seeds (which we had to buy from seed companies), and so on. None of these things were needed in 1884, so the money charged for the first issue (which had just 16 pages and no photographs), mainly just covered the costs of writing and printing.
