Work is well underway putting together “The People’s Friend” special Bookazine, which is to commemorate 150 years since the magazine was first launched.
The “Friend” team has been making trips to the Archives and delving back in time to uncover some fabulous articles from bound copies, the best of which we aim to highlight in the special Bookazine.
Our latest trip took us all the way back to the Victorian era, where we found lots of information including articles on inventions and wacky contraptions. Some of the ideas would not pass today’s Health & Safety regulations – the rocking bath being one as I’m sure I’d drown just trying to get out of it!
Lifestyle Of The Era
You do get a sense of pushing for progress in the Victorian era, indeed some ideas were terrific – the telephone – for one, through to very practical ideas for the lifestyle of the time. None more so than this Moustache Cup, which I came upon on a trip to Fowey Museum, Cornwall.
With a special “lip” built into the cup, it ensured the Victorian gentleman could enjoy his afternoon tea without melting the wax off his whiskers. In fact, with the revival in men growing facial hair, there may very well be a market for it today.
There is also so much written about the etiquette of the day, my how things have changed! There certainly wouldn’t be any dunking of biscuits in respectable Victorian homes, that’s for sure.
Anyway, our Bookazine will be printed later in the year and I’m sure you’ll all enjoy settling down with a cuppa and reading all about how the magazine evolved over all those decades.
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Yvonne McKenzie I work on the Features team and admit to being nosy, so I love looking after the Between Friends letters and finding out all about our lovely readers. I also look after our health copy and enjoy writing about inspiring people that help make the articles in the magazine so interesting.
