The People's Friend Magazine

3 November 2021

The People's Friend - Issue 7902 - The best fiction with seven joyful stories, including 'Darkest Before Dawn', a thrilling new wartime serial by Teresa Ashby, and Kate Blackadder’s sparkling romance set in a café, 'Baking Up A Storm'. Willie Shand enjoys panoramic views in the heart of the Grampians, Pets & Vets includes tips on coping with fireworks, while the fun of Guy Fawkes Night rekindles fond memories for Malcolm D. Welshman. Bill Gibb explores magical locations that set the scene for Harry Potter, and Liz Filleul explores the enduring appeal of childhood books... 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.