The People's Friend Magazine

29 September 2021

The People's Friend - Issue 7897 - Fantastic fiction with seven short stories, including Joanne Duncan’s music-themed mystery, 'Rough Music', and 'A Blossoming Romance', a sparkling romantic comedy set in a florist’s by Eirin Thompson. Neil McAllister visits Tewkesbury in a special year for the town, Bill Gibb chats to the incredible Dame Evelyn Glennie about her mission to spread the joy of music to children through her role as ambassador for Sistema Scotland, Lorna Cowan takes a look back at 60 years of 'West Side Story', and Alexandra Campbell gets inspired by the planting styles at this year’s gardening shows... Plus more stories, serials, health, gardening, knitting, recipes, travel, and much more inside. --- Back in 1869, when the recently widowed Victoria was on the throne and Gladstone was Prime Minister, when Alexander Graham Bell was yet to make the first telephone call and Darwin's "Origin Of Species" had been published just ten years earlier, a brand-new magazine - "The People's Friend" - hit the shelves for the very first time. Right from the start, the "Friend's" mission statement was clear: "We intend that fully one half of the 'Friend' shall be devoted to fiction... the 'Friend' being intended for fireside reading, nothing will be admitted into its columns having the slightest tendency to corrupt the morals either of old or young." As the years passed, the "Friend" grew and thrived. Through massive social upheaval, wars, strikes, financial crashes and natural disasters, the magazine continued, dispensing entertainment, instruction, comfort and good cheer to its readers. It became a constant in readers' lives; a true friend to turn to in times of trouble.