The People's Friend Magazine

15 December 2021

The People's Friend - Issue 7907 - Merry Christmas to all our readers with this bumper 144-page festive issue! We've a huge helping of fiction with 17 short stories, 4 serial instalments, and the latest from our weekly soap, 'Riverside'. Neil McAllister visits Castle Howard to enjoy a magnificent festive display, Su Pollard chats about the fun of taking part in panto, Dianne Boardman celebrates David Lean’s film adaptation of “Great Expectations”, Lisa Crow tells the story behind Christmas classic “It’s A Wonderful Life”, five inspiring people share their festive memories with Ali Henderson, and discover the story behind Christmas stockings with Alex Corlett... 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.