“Isn’t That For Old Ladies?”


We’re all guilty of making assumptions, aren’t we? No matter how much we think that we don’t jump to conclusions about people or things, we do.

A case in point is my daughter, Megan. She’s a tomboy and proud. She plays football and isn’t afraid to get stuck in. She’s sporty, always needs her hair brushed and would never be seen in public in a skirt or anything “girly”. Maybe it’s because she’s got two brothers (who spend much more time fixing their hair than she does!)

A girl of many talents

One thing that surprises people about Megan is her love of baking! She’s rough and tumble in every other aspect of her life except in the kitchen. Her pinny goes on, her hair gets tied back and everything else is done in a delicate and measured way. When I tell people that she’s busy rustling up delicious wee fancies they can hardly believe it! You can have many strings to your bow.

Do we need to stop assuming things?

Which brings me on to other forms of assumption…If I had a pound for every time someone says to me, “I didn’t think The People’s Friend was still going,” or “My gran used to read that,” or “Isn’t that a magazine for old ladies?” I would be a millionaire (almost!)

The fact is, yes, we are still going and no, we’re not just for older ladies, we’re for anyone who likes good strong fiction. Stop making assumptions! We carry a brilliant range of stories and serials and we put so much time and effort into finding just the right mix of fiction every week for our readers.

Good strong fiction

Some of our stories can be quite emotional and we’re willing to consider most fiction genres. We’re always looking to the future and we’re proud of what we do! So please, keep an open mind!

Tracey Steel

Having worked on a number of magazines over the years, Tracey has found her perfect place on The Friend as she’s obsessed with reading and never goes anywhere without a book! She reads all the PF stories with a mug of tea close by and usually a bit of strong cheese too!