The People's Friend ?

It was not ^its were!^

The average age of readers has come down to 59. I was speaking to the lady who edits my stories and she said that they were keen to be up to date while still maintaining an overall 'feelgood' factor. I think they'll manage this well. I know some of my stories have pushed their boundaries a bit but have been accepted. The fiction editor said she liked my stuff as its were a wee bit different. I can't help myself from being subversive!

I wonder if in these troubled times the magazines sales will increase (as with lipstick sales ) a comforting 'fireside read' as the magazine itself proclaimed?

For me the People's Friend is a trip down memory lane.

The magazine now seems to be aimed at the over 60s.
Jane with your insider knowledge do think that this will always be so?

I don't buy the People's Friend (I read magazines online) but prior to my Mil suffering dementia, I would sometimes read her copy.

I do not see my daughter every reading the 'Friend' when she 'becomes of age' (60+).

I'm sure both my Grans and Mum all avid knitters would have put the free gifts to good use.
Sadly I am not good at either knitting or sewing so the PF patterns do not entice me (or my daughter).

What I remember as a child was the little cartoon story on the last page and the numerous adverts for corsets and later 'Cross your heart' bras.

Re the knitting pattern checker lady. I took to her at once. She looked so like a person in a soap that I watch that I felt I knew her on sight.

I bought one last week for the knitting pattern - guaranteed to be correct. I have the free gifts in my granny’s button box, needle threader, stitch counter and cable pin!

It's all go at the People's Friend these days. Time to give it another go?

I remember doing competitions on the children's page and winning a knitting set when I was about 7.

marydoll I'd love to think I put it in your magazine! Forgot about the needle threader in my last post!

My hairdresser always has a couple of copies in her pile of magazines for clients to read

mcem, my mother (and I), loved those free gifts! I still have a needle threader in my sewing basket.

My own grandma bought The People's Friend in the early 1950's and I remember her reading me the little Willie Wagtail stories. ?

Very nice summer job mcem.

My gran was the only one in our family to be a fan of People's Friend and she was very pleased to hear that I was to be working for the magazine (in my own little way).
In the summers of 67 and 68 I spent the uni vacations assembling free gifts and inserting them into the mag's.
We were based in Dundee's city centre and many students made up the team.

Sometimes the gifts were for the Beano or Dandy!

A great favourite was the sewing kit with a card of threads, a couple of needles and buttons plus several safety pins - all tucked into a tiny plastic pocket. They were packed into trays until needed and then brought out for us to work out way through piles of magazines popping in the gifts.

I wonder just how exciting it was for the readers who received the 'bonus' ones as we couldn't resist, just once in a while, putting in 2 or even 3!

It was a happy, chatty and undemanding job paying precisely £10 per week!

But Bradfordlass72 they printed it!
It was a comic piece about a little boy's perception of a wedding. There was more to object to than that I'd thought.

I used to love that wee paper when I was a girl. Mum got People's Friend and Home Chat.

Jane I'm actually quite pleased they pointed out how such a phrase could be upsetting.
Fat people are so often the butt of jokes; the "baddies" in books, insulted in the street, supermarket and restaurants - and as for the bullying of fat children - don't get me started.
So it's rather nice to know someone cares.

Yes. She PM'd me about it. Hope she sees this thread and explains.

I think one of our fellow GN'ers has close family links with The Peoples Friend but I wont say anything else.
She may post about it herself.

In answer to various questions, I've been writing stories for them for about three years now. Obviously the sex and violence and swearing are cut out by the editing lady!
Actually the most recently published story was in question due to its being potentially 'fattist'! This was because I wrote that a bride's dress was a 'triumph of upholstery'. The fiction editor didn't want to offend readers. However, her concern was dismissed although a 'for God's sake' was cut out. I never mind them cutting or changing words. They pay on acceptance of a story so I feel its their property then. I'm usually informed a couple of weeks before a story is published but that can be ages after they've bought it.

I`ve liked People`s Friend for several years. I only buy it occasionally, but always enjoy the read, also the scenic pictures on the front cover.

My Mum read it too. After my Dd1s christening our family had a photo in the letters page. I think it was because she had 4 GPs and 5 GGPs.

As a child I used to “help” in my granny’s paper shop and I remember all the ladies who came in every week for their People’s Friend”
My father started his writing career with DC Thomson in the Sunday Post and the Courier (Plus The Bulletin, but that was in Glasgow and not DC Thomson)

I hope that Jane10 didn't think I was being serious!

Jane I was hoping you would post
And how nice that you were invited to the birthday event.
Now there's a job A knitting pattern checker .
I'm sure that there are no dodgy bits in your stories.
Am I allowed to ask how long you have been writing for The People's Friend?

Nice to know there is a family atmosphere, as there can't be many things in life that connects the generations.
I wonder if my great-grans were also readers.
When times were hard I expect one copy would be passed between friends and neighbours.
My paternal grandmother would send copies to my aunt in the U.S..

My mother was reading the People's Friend when she was in labour with me. Apparently that is why she endowed me with two very couthy Scottish Names

cuts the dodgy bits out of my stories!
would those be the dodgy bits which could corrupt the morals of either young or old Jane10?

My MIL always took The People's Friend and I used to read it whenever I went to her house.