Can Any Mother Help Me?, edited Jenna Bailey

IN THE July 1935 issue of Nursery World, tucked between lemonade ads and tips on curing infant constipation, was a letter from "Ubique" (the Latin word for "everywhere"). "I live a very lonely life," she wrote. "I cannot afford to buy a wireless. I have had a rotten time, and been cruelly hurt - but I know it is bad to brood. Can any reader suggest an occupation that will intrigue me and cost nothing?" Sympathy from similarly stuck mums flooded in and the Cooperative Correspondence Club was born: two dozen women who poured out their souls in fortnightly round-robins.

Gruelling childbirth anecdotes jostle for space with war stories and tales of unrequited love for the GP. It's fascinating: Brief Encounter sprung to life, and a weird precursor to the internet chatroom.

Synopsis by Foyles.co.uk
In 1935, a young woman wrote a letter to "Nursery World" magazine, expressing her feelings of isolation and loneliness. Women from all over the country experiencing similar frustrations wrote back. To create an outlet for their abundant ideas and opinions they started a private magazine, "The Cooperative Correspondence Club". The deep friendships formed through its pages ensured the magazine continued until 1990, fifty-five years after the first issue was put together.