With a proud history of 155 years, “The People’s Friend” has been a trusted friend to many generations of readers. Over the years the magazine has evolved, with the most recent changes in February 2024 bringing readers a fresh new look and a slightly different style of cover.
To celebrate the first six months of new-look covers, we’ve collated every one here. See if you can work out the location of these beautiful scenes before reading the captions!
If you’ve ever wondered just what it takes to produce the artwork for a cover, we talk to artist David Young, who is responsible for these new covers, and he explains the fascinating process. Each cover is inspired by the travel feature inside the issue.
You can buy individual copies of “The People’s Friend” at Mags Direct or take advantage of a money-saving subscription deal and have each issue delivered to your door!
“The People’s Friend” new-look covers
August 31, 2024
The distinctive landscape of Dorset’s epic Jurassic Coast is caught in this week’s issue. We head there with Pat Coulter to explore the magnificent Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door and you can read all about it inside the issue.
August 24, 2024
We’re heading to the lovely location of Luss on the shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland with this week’s cover. Inside the magazine, Willie Shand visits this picture-perfect village that was the location for the filming of “Take The High Road” in the 80s and 90s to see what the area has to offer.
August 17, 2024
On the cover this week is the picturesque Worth Valley. Neil McAllister explores these charming parts of West Yorkshire and Lancashire, looking at popular attractions including the The Keighley and Worth Valley steam railway, a heritage line run by volunteers. Find out more about the area inside the issue.
August 10, 2024
Neil McAllister makes an overdue journey back to the charming Irish riverside town of Carrick on Shannon in County Leitrim, captured here on our cover. Carrick’s name means “weir of the marshy ridge” and visitors can enjoy it’s waterside location for views and river trips. Find out more in our feature inside the issue.
August 3, 2024
Willie Shand heads to Argyll for a peaceful walk near the Clachan Bridge, as pictured on this cover. The Clachan Bridge (also known as the Bridge over the Atlantic) spans the Clachan Sound, southwest of Oban in Argyll and Bute, and our travel feature reveals there’s plenty of walking and sightseeing opportunities in the area.
July 27, 2024
We take a wander around the delightful medieval town of Winchelsea in East Sussex, taking in Henry VIII’s Camber Castle, that graces the cover of our issue. Read all about this coastal destination inside the magazine.
July 20, 2024
Dunblane, birth town of tennis legend Andy Murray, is this week’s cover destination. One of the oldest settlements in Scotland, this cathedral town is explored inside this issue by our travel writer Willie Shand.
July 13, 2024
Our beautiful cover captures a narrowboat on the Thames with Wallingford Bridge in the background. The charming market town of Wallingford, South Oxfordshire has a lot to offer, you can even investigate the Agatha Christie Trail.
July 6, 2024
The rugged landscape of Torridon in the Scottish Highlands is this week’s travel destination, and it’s been captured beautifully on our cover by artist David Young. Inside the magazine, Willie Shand takes us on a journey to the timeless beauty of the area.
June 8, 2024
This week’s travel feature and cover shot focus on The Golden Valley, Herefordshire. Simon Whaley takes in the area from a vantage point on Merbach Hill before heading to the idyllic village of Dorstone, where its quaint cottages huddle around the village green.
June 1, 2024
This cover image takes us to the heart of Halifax, a once bustling industrial town in Yorkshire, but now a rich source of culture. Inside the magazine, Neil McAllister explores some of the highlights of this historic town.
May 25, 2024
Our cover captures a pretty harbour scene, just one of the stopping off points on one of Scotland’s finest road trips. Willie Shand jumps in the car to experience the North East 250 route. Narrow, twisting side roads take him down to hidden harbour villages like Portsoy, Gardenstown, Crovie and Pennan.
May 18, 2024
This time our cover destination is Shrewsbury and a rocky lookout point that takes in the beautiful surroundings of Shropshire. Neil McAllister spends a day in this charming town, with its castle, ancient walls and quaint alleyways to explore.
May 11, 2024
Our cover image captures the beauty of a bluebell wood in the Forest of Dean. Inside the issue, Neil McAllister discovers the stories within this historic Gloucestershire woodland and the surrounding area.
May 4 , 2024
The beautiful “new” town of Telford is our cover destination, and we discover the park and nature reserve at the heart of the area. This issue also includes Leonie Gregson’s short story, Fossils, the wonderful winning entry in our recent £10,000 New Writers’ Competition.
April 27, 2024
This cover takes us to Skye, and inside the magazine Willie Shand looks back at his years of visits to this unforgettable Scottish island – and lets us know what he really thinks about the Skye bridge.
April 20, 2024
Neil McAllister explores the Norfolk Broads famous waterways, a popular visitor destination and National Park. The Broads are characterised by windpumps which inspired our cover illustration.
April 13, 2024
We’ve captured the beauty of picturesque Portmeirion in North Wales in this vivid cover, and inside the issue Simon Whaley guides us through this colourful Italianate-style village.
April 6, 2024
Scotney Castle, close to the pretty little village of Lamberhurst in Kent, is the star of this cover. In this issue’s travel feature, Pat Coulter enjoys a day out in the beautiful Kentish countryside as he takes in the castle and its surroundings.
March 30, 2024
A colourful harbour scene whisks us off to John O’Groats as Willie Shand takes us on a tour at the northern tip of Scotland.
March 23, 2024
Weymouth in Dorset has many sights to offer including the delightful waterfront captured here. Pat Coulter visits this seaside town that’s full of personality and history.
March 16, 2024
Pontefract may be famous for its liquorice, but there’s a lot more on offer in this historic West Yorkshire town. Our cover shot captures the compact town centre, perfect for visitors to stroll around.
March 9, 2024
We’re off to tranquil Easdale in the Inner Hebrides as Willie Shand shows us round this peaceful Slate Island, captured beautifully in our cover image.
March 2, 2024
Castell Coch, or the “Red Castle” nestles into the hillside and it’s an ideal destination to start a tour of the southern hills and valleys of Wales. Neil McAllister explores the historic communities around the area.
February 24, 2024
The first edition of our new-look covers was published in February 2024, with a glorious backdrop of Looe in Cornwall. Neil McAllister take us on a tour around this idyllic location, exploring its museum, nature reserve and port.
Allison Hay I joined the "My Weekly" team thirteen years ago and, more recently, "The People's Friend". I love the variety of topics we cover both online and in the magazines. I manage the digital content for the brands, sharing features and information on the website, social media and in our digital newsletters.
