Surely it was, by 1947, an affectionate nickname. In August 1967, the Herald 's then editor, John Douglas Pringle, seeking to appeal to younger readers, decided the Granny image was too much, and sought both to remove Granny from the column, and the column from page one. The Fairfax management said yes, send Granny into retirement, but leave the column on page one. Like Jim, we rely heavily on readers - their phone calls, faxes and letters. The ideas in them have to be checked and developed, and we provide our own ideas, too.
Many callers seek information.
Some just want to talk. Very, very few are abusive. The power of the column to get results is phenomenal. An appeal for old Christmas cards by Ronald McDonald Houses at the two major children's hospitals saw them arrive in mountains. A request for outdated computers, for an organisation that refurbishes them and lends them to the handicapped, saw an avalanche.