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Original poster

Would you expect to see a People’s Friend annual 1998 in an expensive holiday home?

219 replies

ThePieceHall · 10/07/2026 22:48

As per the title, DD2 and I are staying in an expensive holiday home on the coast in North Yorkshire. The bookshelf is the tiredest and saddest I have ever seen. There is actually a People’s Friend annual from 1998. The weather has been glorious and we have been on the Blue Flag beach for hours every day so we have not had to open the really tired and dated jigsaws. Thankfully. Would I be unreasonable to point out to the hosting company that a little bit of investment and a little bit of respect for paying holidaymakers would not go amiss?

OP posts:
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Original poster
ThePieceHall · 11/07/2026 01:09

adragoncalledaudrey · 11/07/2026 01:07

“So kind. I can’t actually believe that it’s still going. Every day is a school day. Personally, I would rather have a subscription to a daily enema. But, you know, horses for courses.”

I’m certain I would rather be curled up in a corner reading the People’s Friend on a weekly basis than shitting myself inside out daily.

Edited

I’m so sorry but I don’t know what you mean by this? As a person, I don’t shit myself inside out ever?

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DeftGoldHedgehog · 11/07/2026 01:08

I remember being given a big pile of Judy and Debbie comic books when I was getting probably a bit old for such things technically at around 13, passed on from someone who was five years older or so, but I absolutely devoured them. Looking back I think some must have belonged to her mother as well. They were very old-fashioned but I couldn't put them down.

adragoncalledaudrey · 11/07/2026 01:07

“So kind. I can’t actually believe that it’s still going. Every day is a school day. Personally, I would rather have a subscription to a daily enema. But, you know, horses for courses.”

I’m certain I would rather be curled up in a corner reading the People’s Friend on a weekly basis than shitting myself inside out daily.

SqueakyFromme · 11/07/2026 01:06

ThePieceHall · 11/07/2026 01:04

And non-accepting of society’s changing demographics?

Show quote history

Oooh I don’t know …..sorry I just thought it looked nice, I like the dog especially, nice touch

Original poster
ThePieceHall · 11/07/2026 01:04

SqueakyFromme · 11/07/2026 00:56

I really think it’s so wholesome and homely

And non-accepting of society’s changing demographics?

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DeftGoldHedgehog · 11/07/2026 01:00

I'm 50 so I don't subscribe to The People's Friend. But my mum liked it when she retired.

Original poster
ThePieceHall · 11/07/2026 00:58

DeftGoldHedgehog · 11/07/2026 00:55

Oh god, I hate The Simple Things. I subscribed for a while but it was so twee and curiously depressing.

Well, horses for courses. Clearly very many here love The People’s Friend. Because I am a self-flagellating idiot, shall I post the books I have brought on holiday with me so everyone can critique?

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SqueakyFromme · 11/07/2026 00:56

I really think it’s so wholesome and homely

Would you expect to see a People’s Friend annual 1998 in an expensive holiday home?
Original poster
ThePieceHall · 11/07/2026 00:55

A bedtime story, The People’s Friend-style.

Would you expect to see a People’s Friend annual 1998 in an expensive holiday home?
Would you expect to see a People’s Friend annual 1998 in an expensive holiday home?
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DeftGoldHedgehog · 11/07/2026 00:55

Oh god, I hate The Simple Things. I subscribed for a while but it was so twee and curiously depressing.

DeftGoldHedgehog · 11/07/2026 00:52

We stayed in a big house on the Isle of Wight last year that had a wonderful collection of books - literary, popular, travel writing, biography...but from 25 to 50 years earlier when I guess the owners were growing up there.

Frillysweetpea · 11/07/2026 00:52

Circa 10+ years ago I stayed at an upmarket period property and was apalled to find a Dickens novel on the bookshelf. I was so disappointed as had been hoping to find '50 Shades of Grey'.

Original poster
ThePieceHall · 11/07/2026 00:49

DeftGoldHedgehog · 11/07/2026 00:48

I'd be fascinated by it as a time capsule, and the rest of the 'tired' bookshelf, more than if it looked like a modern bookshop or a typical holiday reading bookshelf. Because I could get that anywhere.

I’ll post a photo for historical reasons.

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DeftGoldHedgehog · 11/07/2026 00:48

I'd be fascinated by it as a time capsule, and the rest of the 'tired' bookshelf, more than if it looked like a modern bookshop or a typical holiday reading bookshelf. Because I could get that anywhere.

Okiedokie123 · 11/07/2026 00:47

Spend a fiver in a charity shop and put a couple of books/jigsaws that you do approve of. Thats how shelves like that tend to work anyway - via swaps and donations.

Peoples friend must still be popular with older women because its still published.

GaIadriel · 11/07/2026 00:44

TheCrenchinglyMcQuaffenBrothers · 10/07/2026 22:52

Jesus, if you’re judging your holiday experience on the available jigsaws you need to up your vacationing game.

😂

Original poster
ThePieceHall · 11/07/2026 00:44

Tribecka · 11/07/2026 00:39

Expect it? No.

Insist on it? Yes.

’98 is one of the all time greats.

A review, please?

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Original poster
ThePieceHall · 11/07/2026 00:44

Needmorelego · 10/07/2026 23:56

@ThePieceHall maybe the owners start off the year with a really good supply of new books, games and jigsaws but at this point in the year they've all been pinched by the holiday makers or swapped for old stuff holiday makers have bought from home/a local charity shop.
🤔

Just to confirm that because I am a try hard/too-cool/pompous asshole (as described by previous posters), I will be leaving a stack of The Simple Things magazines. I have a subscription but I save up months at a time so I can enjoy on my holidays. We love where we are staying and we will definitely rebook. I imagine that I will still be coming here in my dotage. No doubt the magazines I leave behind will outlive me.

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Pyew · 11/07/2026 00:42

I always thought Reader's Digest was strange. Like, what was the point of only being able to read bits and bobs of things, and not even able to choose which bits and bobs they were, never knowing about the rest, much less seeing it, before it was chopped to bitesize by persons unknown.

And then along came the internet.

MyCrushWithEyeliner · 11/07/2026 00:42

20 short stories? I’d probably read it.

‘Baubles, Bangles and ?’ sounds a bit racy.

Tribecka · 11/07/2026 00:39

Expect it? No.

Insist on it? Yes.

’98 is one of the all time greats.

Original poster
ThePieceHall · 11/07/2026 00:37

HeddaGarbled · 10/07/2026 23:55

Whenever I stay in a holiday cottage, I ‘rationalise’ the box file of tourist information leaflets. I throw away all the duplicate take-away menus and attraction leaflets and out of date bus timetables etc.

I have never told anyone this in real life.

Thank you for your important service.

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Original poster
ThePieceHall · 11/07/2026 00:35

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 11/07/2026 00:25

Of course not, that should be in a Doctor's waiting room (remember them?) with the Reader's Digests.

The Reader’s Digest! Another blast from the past. I imagine that this is still going also but I am too scared to check as I do not want my ‘cool’ algorithms to be freaked out. Reading was really very boring back in the day.

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SqueakyFromme · 11/07/2026 00:33

potterspot · 10/07/2026 23:11

I’ve never heard of People’s friend though!

It was the kind of publication that went well with Werthers Originals, very quaint.

Original poster
ThePieceHall · 11/07/2026 00:32

Madmother63 · 11/07/2026 00:22

We own a holiday let. We started off with a few newish books and left a note "Take a book, leave a book", I can't wait to see what's been left when we next visit!

Caveat emptor. You maybe find that you end up with a charity shop’s supply of The People’s Friend.

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