 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2017) |
 First edition (1869) | |
| Editor | Stuart Johnstone |
|---|---|
| Former editors | Angela Gilchrist |
| Frequency | weekly |
| Total circulation (June 2013) | 297,344[1] |
| Founded | 1869 |
| First issue | 13 January 1869 |
| Company | D. C. Thomson & Co. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Website | www |
The People's Friend is a British weekly magazine founded by John Leng on 13 January 1869[2] as an offshoot of The People's Journal[3] and currently published by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. Its tagline is "The famous story magazine".[4] It was originally a monthly magazine but became a weekly magazine in 1870, and had its first illustrated cover on 11 May 1946.[2]
Annie S. Swan wrote for the magazine.[5] The current editor is Stuart Johnstone.[2]
The magazine is principally aimed at older women.[6] Each issue contains at least seven self-contained short stories and two serials (frequently more), a craft project (usually knitting or sewing) and various factual articles, one of which is a piece on a particular town. Pets, family and traditions are also common themes. During World War 1, the focus of the magazine shifted to women.[3]
The magazine holds an annual craft competition called "The Love Darg" (a Scots term for a day's work done without asking payment) in which readers are asked to make toys and garments. After judging, the entries are distributed to charities.[7]
The magazine's geographical location in Dundee is reflected in a general bias toward Scottish subjects. The main front cover image is invariably a painting of a picturesque location somewhere in Britain or Ireland, and readers can also buy prints of these pictures. The paintings are made by a variety of artists but are credited to the collective pseudonym J. Campbell Kerr, which is also used for the "Round Britain" feature within the magazine.[6][8]
- ^ "Mag ABCs: Full circulation round-up for the first half of 2013". Press Gazette. 15 August 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
- ^ a b c Lindsay, Caroline (12 January 2019). "The People's Friend at 150: from humble beginnings in Dundee's Bank Street". The Courier. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ a b Brocklehurst, Steven (13 January 2019). "The People's Friend: 150 years without upsetting or offending". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ "Watching the Wheels: Sometimes, I love the internet". nolongerridingonthemerrygoround.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
- ^ Brocklehurst, Steven (2 January 2018). "The People's Friend looks for stories from its friends". BBC News. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- ^ a b "Celebrations planned to mark 150th anniversary of The People's Friend". ITV News. 10 January 1019. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
- ^ McDonald, Iain (19 September 2019). "Revisiting The Love Darg 2018". The People's Friend. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ Gibb, Bill (13 January 2019). "Editor explains the enduring appeal of The People's Friend as it celebrates 150th birthday". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 10 March 2019.