Features Sneak Peek: March 25, 2023


SYSTEM © An illustration of Aboyne.

Willie Shand explores the charming town of Aboyne, in the March 25, 2023 issue of “The People’s Friend”.

Aboyne, a charming town on the banks of the River Dee in Aberdeenshire, has a relaxed, airy feel to it. The village green used to be used as a nine-hole golf course, but today it is the ideal setting for the annual Aboyne Highland Games. The Aboyne Games began in 1867 and attract many of the finest athletes in the country.

However, the area has other attractions as well, as Willie will demonstrate in the magazine.

Positive Arts

This colourful artwork was created in Paris in 2017.

Photograph courtesy of Positive Arts.

If asked to imagine graffiti, many of us would picture the tags scrawled on bridges or the mess left on shop security shutters.

Not many would expect works of art stretching several storeys high, or carefully crafted pictures produced by a world-renowned artist.

We might also associate graffiti with anti-social behaviour. However, it can be something that unites communities and gives young people a sense of direction.

For Julian Phetham, producing graffiti has been life-changing. That’s because, with a small group of artists, he’s working to transform young futures as well as continue his successful art career.

Gillian Harvey meets Julian, who founded Positive Arts in order to make a colourful difference in the lives of young people.

Audio Book Narrator

Eilidh Beaton.

Photograph by Rosie Collins.

Before Eilidh Beaton starts work, she says a couple of tongue twisters! To prepare for the day ahead, Eilidh, who is an audio book narrator, warms up her voice and stretches her tongue.

Eilidh has recorded about two hundred audio books over almost two decades. Janey Swanson finds out more about her interesting career.

David Fox-Pitt

David prepared for the mission at his home in Pet

Photograph by Steve Brown.

Perthshire adventurer and author David Fox-Pitt has seen the devastating impact of war first hand. In the 12 months since he first set off from Loch Tay on his Make Pizza Not War mission to help Ukrainian refugees in Poland, he’s seen warfare up close.

He’s fed traumatised families left without food, power, water and money near the front lines, as rockets have rained down.

He’s slept on the floor of a friend’s apartment under heavy bombardment, where the only washing facilities were seawater.

Every day, his volunteers feed around 4,000 people, working from three outlets inside Ukraine.

Their mobile operation, serving pizza, tea, coffee, biscuits and other snacks, aims to boost morale and demonstrate support from Scotland and the wider international community.

Michael Alexander speaks to David Fox-Pitt, who is bringing hot food to Ukrainian refugees.

Elsewhere, we have a collection of tasty recipes made using just five ingredients, and a knitting pattern to make a sweater worked in one piece.

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