I’m sitting here with my feet on the desk…. Well, there’s no sneak peek to do today, because last week’s was our bumper Christmas issue. So instead I thought I’d look at the features.
I always focus on the fiction content, me being fiction ed and all (it’s all about me!) but I think our features desk have produced a terrific selection for this issue.
My top three?
It’s features about people helping others that most touch my heart, and nothing beats the update from Lisa Ashton about our Hand of Friendship campaign and the funds being donated by our wonderful readers to the Winnie Mabaso Foundation. Lisa’s emailed us regularly over the last few months with the running total, and every time the capital letters got bigger, the exclamation marks just more amazed. Just think of the difference those funds make to the community of Meriting Village. Humbling is a word that’s too often used incorrectly, but this honestly is.
Another “helping others” feature is by Polly Pullar, paying a visit to the Scottish SPCA’s Wildlife Rescue Centre. We can easily take nature for granted, but thanks to the dedication of people like Lorraine Gow, their Head of Birds (what a title to have!) many precious varieties that might not have made it to adulthood are given a second chance.
For my third choice I’ll have to flip a coin, because I just can’t pick. It’s between Wendy Glass’s visit to the fabulous ice museum in Edinburgh, which is on my festive break must-see list, and another Wendy feature, this time chatting with three stalwarts of the Scottish panto season.
On balance, I think I’ll plump for this one. After all, it just isn’t Christmas without the panto. Oh no it isn’t!
Shirley Blair Fiction Ed Shirley’s been with the “Friend” since 2007 and calls it her dream job because she gets to read fiction all day every day. Hobbies? Well, that would be reading! She also enjoys writing fiction when she has time, long walks, travel, and watching Scandi thrillers on TV.
