What The “Friend” Means To You

To help celebrate our 150th anniversary, readers share their thoughts and memories of what the “Friend” means to them.

Thanks For The Memories

I love ‘The Peoples Friend’, which I have been reading since I was small when the children’s page was used to help me learn to read.

I was first given it by a dear friend of my family who came to Wrexham from Canada in 1947 and was befriended by my parents. She was a Scottish lady by birth and very patriotic. I was born in 1948 and she gave me my love for all things Scottish, leading to holidays which all my family now enjoy.

Over the years I have collected nearly every “Friend” annual since 1948 and would not part from them. They are read and re-read and now my daughter reads the magazine too.

I love it dropping through my door every Saturday and I don’t have to worry when I am away as I know it will be there waiting for me on my return.

Thank you “Friend” for all the lovely memories I have made over the years. Long may it last.

Ms B.J., Wrexham.

Read It From Cover To Cover

For over 65 years I have been a reader of the ‘Friend’, even when I went to live in America I had a copy sent out to me. Then, in 2015, I emigrated at the age of eighty-five to join my son in Thailand, and really missed my magazine. I felt lost without you.

With now having to cope with a foreign language and different customs I really felt as though part of my family was missing. I sent off for a subscription and waited eagerly for the first copy.

The delivery was erratic for the first six months (not the fault of the ‘Friend’, I hasten to add!). However, after complaints to the Thai postal service, the magazines started arriving.

Now, three years later, I get the weekly magazine and the Special. I can always rely on the ‘Friend’ to keep my company. Everything in the magazine is so interesting and I read it from cover to cover.

I hope that I have many more years of your good company. Keep up the valuable work.

Ms M.E.G., Thailand.

Never Let Me Down

Twenty years ago, my husband and I were in Tasmania on holiday and he became ill and had to be hospitalised for a while.

I bought him a copy of ‘The People’s Friend’ to help while away the time. He enjoyed the articles, as did I, so when we returned home to Queensland we put in an order for it each week.

I hadn’t been in the habit of buying magazines prior to this as I found them all very similar with nothing in them to really interest me. However, ‘The People’s Friend’ has never let me down.

Mrs C.M., Australia.

Here’s To The Next 150 Years!

My late mum always bought ‘The People’s Friend’ and as a little girl read me the tales of ‘Will And Wag’.

As I got older, I read the magazine myself, enjoying the articles and the stories, the crafts and interesting information about the town that was on the cover. Now in my seventies I still read it every week.

I now think of the ‘Farmer And His Wife’ as friends and like to hear about their family. ‘Riverside’ is entertaining, too, and keeps you hanging on wondering what on earth is going to happen next.

‘On Reflection’ always gives me something positive to think about, especially during some ‘down times’. So God bless you, and here’s to the next 150 years!

Ms M.P., South Lanarkshire.

Good Work Is Appreciated

My mum Maureen hailed from Kirkcaldy, and as far as I can recollect there was always ‘The People’s Friend’ about the house.

I started reading it when I was ten years old – I was a prolific reader. However, when I left home and couldn’t commandeer my mum’s copy, I had to buy my own.

I enjoy your short stories and serials, as well as the recipes and have tried them out on my husband with varying degrees of success – trust me to have a faddy eater!

My mum died in 2013, and when I read the magazine I feel that she is near me. I have this picture in my head of her sitting in her favourite chair reading it.

Please continue with the good work as it is very much appreciated.

Ms V.P., UK.

For more from our readers, click the tag below.

On one or our Warner Leisure Hotels excursions last year, we took the time to interview some of our lovely readers. Visit our YouTube channel to hear from them.