Features Sneak Peek: May 11, 2019 issue


The Yorkshire Dales are one of Britain’s scenic gems.

If you pick the right day, though, you can still find you have the roads and tea shops almost to yourself. Neil McAllister visits Wharfedale in this week’s issue, and finds a corner of the country that feels as if it belongs to another era.

Although May hasn’t quite delivered on the warm days so far, you can feel the warmth of the sun in Neil’s photos. The hay meadows are full and the limestone buildings glow in the light. Gorgeous.

Cakes And Bakes

Cookery Ed Marion has rounded up some gluten-free cakes and bakes for this week’s issue. It’s amazing what you can achieve without flour, and if you’re gluten-free or baking for someone who is, there’s absolutely no compromise in flavour with these recipes. From the Apricot Polenta Cake to the Hazelnut Meringue Layer Cake, they all look delicious.

Children’s Adventure Farm Trust

Dawn Geddes writes about their wonderful work this week – they’re visited by kids with a really wide range of needs, who benefit so much from spending time with animals. Helen, from the Trust, explains that the great thing about the animals is that “they are so accepting and trusting. As long as you’re feeding and playing with them, they don’t care who you are, where you’re from or what you look like.” Read all about it on page 59.

Bucket Trail

We’re so excited to announce that Sarah, our Illustrations Editor, will be painting one of the statues in this year’s Oor Wullie Bucket Trail. It’s a public art event – dozens of statues of this iconic Scottish cartoon character (painted by different artists) will be spread throughout several Scottish cities for people to go out and find them all! The statues then go to auction, and the money raised goes to children’s hospitals. Read all about the difference it makes this week.

As ever, this is just the tip of the iceberg! We’ve got this month’s book recommendations, Alexandra Campbell’s “Notes From My Gasrden” and Gillian Harvey talking about the importance of providing vegetation “corridors” so that bees can get about our countryside.

Our subscription offer still includes the lovely “Meadow Bloom” giftset from the Scottish Fine Soaps Company for free, so why not have the magazine delivered to your door for less than it costs in the shops?

Alex Corlett

Alex is the "Friend's" Features Editor, working with the talented Features Team to bring you everything from cryptic crosswords to financial advice, knitting patterns to international travel and inspirational real life stories. Always on the hunt for a new feature idea, Alex also enjoys cycling and loves a good tea room.