Innholdsfortegnelse for 31 October 2016 i New Zealand Woman's Weekly

‘No matter how much fame and fortune Hilda brought me, I’ve never lived the high life’ As the screechy-voiced, hair-curler wearing, interfering gossip Hilda Ogden, Jean Alexander became one of Britain’s most beloved actresses. But Jean, who died last week after being taken ill just three days after celebrating her 90th birthday, once revealed she had serious doubts about playing Coronation Street’s resident busybody because she feared the part “might be a blight on my career”. And she also admitted that while Hilda might have endeared herself to fans of the long-running soap, she wouldn’t have been able to stand her in real life. Jean said she admired Hilda’s fighting spirit and likened her to “one of those lead-bottomed dolls that returns upright when it is knocked down.” But…

A super-brainy, combat-trained young mum-of-two with a sassy ‘60s sense of style, Princess Tessy of Luxembourg is not your average royal. Her tales of a five-month stint on a NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo – driving Hummers and trucks at all times of day and night – make her sound more like the heroine in an action movie. But at just 30 years old, Belgium-born Tessy, who joined the Luxembourg Army at the tender age of 18, along with her twin brother Ronny, reckons that the role was one of her “proudest achievements” – and one that she only recently opened up about. The role of a UN peacekeeper involves observing and monitoring peace processes in post-conflict areas. Help includes confidence-building, electoral support, and economic and social development. UN peacekeepers…

Whangarei grandmother Eileen Redfern credits a fridge magnet for saving her life. Eileen (79), a keen golfer, and husband Philip were on their way to do their weekly grocery shop at the local supermarket when she “felt funny”. “I told Philip I wasn’t feeling that well and stayed in the car while he went in to get the groceries. By the time he got back to the car, I couldn’t speak.” It didn’t take the former nurse long to realise something was seriously wrong. And that’s where the fridge magnet – featuring the Stroke Foundation’s FAST message – comes in. It sits unobtrusively among various magnets the couple have picked up on their travels around the world. “It’s been up there for ages. I can’t even remember how it got…

An old favourite gets a makeover – first published in 1908, the Edmonds Cookery Book has undergone its 69th revision! Between Mum and I, we own six copies of this classic cookbook, all different iterations but every one of them well-thumbed, well-loved and splattered with food – a sure sign of a useful cookbook. Sure to rise! Send your foodie thoughts and questions to Nici: nwickes@bauermedia.co.nz Mussel fritters SERVES 4 (makes about 8-10) On page 138 of the updated Edmonds Cookery Book is a recipe for “mussel or whitebait fritters”. Finding mussels more accessible than whitebait, I whipped up a batch of these and found them to be delicious and super-easy to make! 12 fresh mussels 1 egg 1 tbsp flour ¼ tsp baking soda Salt and pepper (I used…

Add some stripes to your summer wardrobe – they are a timeless staple that never go out of style. Narrow or wide, vertical or horizontal, it’s time to get striped up. Earn your stripes! TOP-TO-TOE MONOCHROME • This elastic-waisted Decjuba skirt is perfect for work and play. • Keep it simple with a classic tee, then turn the volume up with this stunning kimono from Storm and a statement necklace to bring the entire look together. KIMONO $229 from STORM. TEE $39.90 and BAG $149.90 both from ESPRIT. SKIRT $109.90 and NECKLACE $45 both from DECJUBA. NEXT EARRINGS $19.99 from EZIBUY. SHOES $199.90 from MERCHANT 1948. EUROPEAN STYLE • This gorgeous ensemble wouldn’t look out of place in the Mediterranean. • The elegant combination of the Jeanswest wide-legged trouser and…

Give your nails some pampering, whip up an easy scrub for gardener’s hands and try my simple remedy for swollen ankles. Also, give my natural weedkiller a whirl. Oil the wheels! I’m not sure if it’s the cold weather or too much time in the garden, but my hands are looking a little worse for wear these days. Luckily, a super-simple hand and nail treatment is always easy to whip up. • If you’re suffering from dry, brittle nails, give them an oil treatment. Warm up ½ cup olive oil and soak your hands for 15-30 minutes. Do this once a week as a treat for your nails. • In the old days, women would mix together 1 egg yolk with 1 tbsp milk and rub that on their nails…

It’s almost Halloween, when small folk in weird clothes carrying pumpkins with candles in them will visit demanding lollies. Next there’s Guy Fawkes, and we will have to incarcerate our pets who dislike the loud banging and fizzing noises. The upside? At least our appalling garden lighting will not be so obvious on those nights. Shine on! It occurred to me a while ago, having finally noticed that most visitors would reverse into our driveway so they could drive out frontwards when it got dark, that our garden lighting falls short. We have one nice copper downlight that lights up about as much as the aforementioned candle in the pumpkin, and a row of utterly dreadful, cheap and nasty solar lights pushed into the garden alongside the railway sleeper barrier…

When you’re in your car and see somebody driving like a lunatic, it’s only natural to assume the police would want to know about it. But did you know there are three different ways to inform them? Crash course! What is the difference between making a police *555 call and a police 111 call? Police *555 calls can be made from mobiles to report road incidents that are urgent but not life-threatening. This would include non-injury crashes, suspected drunk driving, erratic driving, traffic congestion and accidental obstructions to the highway such as a slip. You’ll go through to the Police Communications Centre but aren’t given the same priority as a 111 call. Nonetheless, calls to *555 should have a degree of urgency. If, for example, you want to report a…

WHAT A GIFT! My nine-year-old granddaughter lives nearby and visits frequently. Since she was a baby, we have spent many happy hours talking, enjoying books and playing games together. Discussing what grandparents and grandchildren gain from each other, she commented, “Basically, I keep you young!” Trish, Whangarei BUBBLE TO BURST I knew housing had become a problem, but perhaps a recent advertisement in a North Island newspaper shows how desperate it really is: “WANTED TO RENT. 1 PAIR HOCKEY BOOTS, SIZE 6.” I wonder who wants them... the old woman who lives in a shoe? ACT, Masterton, June 3, 1974 EYES RIGHT I sallied forth to the shops feeling very smart, my eyelids liberally coated with eyeshadow. I was taken aback when asked, Did I know I had bruises around…

‘The sequins! The lurex and the extraordinary eye make-up. And that was just the men’ It’s not often I find myself completely out-sequined, but it happened a few weeks ago. I have a magnificent black gown with huge bell sleeves that are covered in thousands of silver sequins and it was the perfect dress to wear to MC the Variety Club awards – the Variety Club being the organisation that represents all the performers and entertainers in New Zealand. But as I sat going over my notes before the show began, the attendees filing into the room couldn’t help but catch my eye. The jewels! The sequins! The lurex and the extraordinary eye make-up! And that was just the men. This was a big night for the boys and girls…

This novel is the latest in a series from champion crime writer Val McDermid that follows a Scottish cold case investigator called DCI Karen Pirie. I hadn’t read the previous three books but instantly warmed to the character of Karen who is feisty, determined and likes a good gin and tonic. When this story begins, she is at a low ebb, mourning her partner Phil who has been killed in the line of duty, and suffering from insomnia, spending many of her nights walking alone through Edinburgh. The plot has two main strands. In one, a young joyrider crashes a car and kills his friends. The police take a DNA sample from him, as is routine, and an interesting match comes up with the unsolved murder of a young woman…

She has been massively successful and prolific, selling more than 11 million copies of her 30 novels, as well as writing short stories and non-fiction. She is 61 and lives in Edinburgh and Manchester with her partner and teenage son. The reason I’m attracted to writing about crime is… The best stories are rooted in characters we care about – love them or hate them, we have to mind about their fate. There’s no more direct route to understanding someone’s character than putting them under pressure. And nothing produces pressure like a dead body! My inspiration for Out of Bounds came… When I was researching my non-fiction book about forensics, I went to a conference where two cops revealed how they’d developed the use of familial DNA to resolve cold…

TERI HATCHER There’s one way to describe Teri’s look at the LA Children’s Hospital Gala last week – red hot! The mum-of-one showed off her toned arms and kept her bold look elegant with tousled hair and flawless make-up. SIGOURNEY WEAVER Wearing a golden suit on the red carpet would certainly count as a risk taken by the 67-year-old actress, but one that paid off! Her tie belt and book-shaped clutch added even more interest. PENNY LANCASTER A snakeskin print shirt and a metallic skirt? No thanks, Lady Stewart. The combination of these two bold textiles resulted in a look that’s just – dare we say it – a little tacky. DIANE LANE The sheer panel at the top of this gorgeous frock gave the illusion of it being strapless…

Riding high on his hilarious, unflattering Saturday Night Live impersonations of US president hopeful Donald Trump, actor Alec Baldwin (58) hit the streets of New York for a bit of family time. Clips of Alec’s impersonations have been viewed more than two million times on YouTube, but Donald (70) has labelled them “a hit job”, insulting the actor’s performance and calling for the “boring and unfunny” SNL sketch show – which he hosted himself last year – to be canned. Alec stepped out for the first time since the Trump storm with his wife Hilaria (32), who pushed their daughter Carmen (3), in a buggy while youngest son Leonardo, who was born last month, was swaddled in a carrier. Their 18-month-old son Raphael is understood to have stayed at home…

I often find myself being drawn towar ds refrigerators. Granted, most of the time it’ s to stare into my own one, trying to work out what I c ould possibly bring together to make something r esembling a meal – but I’ve noticed I also have an odd habit of eyeing up what other people do with the doors of theirs. There are often photos of people who mean the most to them, invitations, s hopping lists, bills, childr en’s drawings, appointments – they end up becoming the unof ficial noticeboar ds of our houses. My own used to be home to several magnets that groaned under the weight of all of the above, until it all became too much and one day I came home to find everything…

Hilda to Stanley when he complains about being served pilchards: “Quite right, Stanley, I wouldn’t give them to a working man, but seeing as you don’t fall into that category, there’s no problem, is there? Now get them ate.” Hilda to Betty Turpin: “Just because you’ve got a lot of weight, it doesn’t mean you can chuck it about, you know.” Hilda to Stanley: “Drop dead Stan. And then get up and do it again.” Hilda to Stanley (after he kisses her and asks what her lipstick tastes of): “Woman, Stanley, woman.” Best line about Hilda Ogden, from her daughter Irma: “You’ve heard of the face that launched a thousand ships, it was my mother’s voice that sunk ‘em.”…

The royal family has long made it a precedent to never comment on gossip or rumours. But Prince Harry broke the unofficial royal decree last week to deny a report he is “furious” at the treatment of hundreds of British soldiers who are being investigated for alleged abuse in Iraq. The allegation was made in Britain’s The Sun newspaper, with “well-placed sources” saying the former army captain, who served in two tours to Afghanistan, is deeply concerned about soldiers who are facing historic war crimes probes, adding the prince has now come to view the two committees set up to investigate the allegations as “a joke”. “Prince Harry is furious at the treatment of some British troops,” The Sun reported. “He thinks the whole thing is a joke and is…

Quick fire: My idea of perfect happiness is... Being in a creative space, that time when you are just focused on what you’re doing in the moment. My favourite artist is... Frida Kahlo because of her strength. If I wasn’t an artist, I’d be… A teacher. The ones I’ve worked with all have this amazing ability to find that spark in each of their pupils. "The sea has always been very present in my life. When I was in my 20s, I worked as an observer for the Ministry of Fisheries, as part of the scientific observer programme. As a mixed media artist, it was an opportunity to make the most of long periods of enforced money saving and focus on the creative practice I was working on at the…

SKULL & COBWEB COOKIES MAKES 20 125g butter, softened ½ cup caster sugar 1 egg yolk 2 cups plain flour 1 tsp baking soda ¼ cup honey, warmed 450g tub vanilla frosting 1 licorice strap Orange food colouring ½ cup dark chocolate melts, melted 1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and line 2 oven trays with baking paper. 2 In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Beat in the egg yolk. Sift the flour and soda together. Fold into the creamed mixture. Mix in the honey to form a soft dough. Halve; shape into discs. Wrap in cling film. Chill for 30 minutes. 3 On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough gently. Roll out between 2 sheets…

1 Flat out Wearing a chic loafer or brogue-style shoe can be fun. Look out for patents, metallics and on-trend colours to make a difference to your ensemble. 2 Going to sleep in luxury Esalare means exhale in Italian and is a luxury sleep and loungewear online store launched this month by two very talented sisters from New Zealand. They have cultivated a varied collection of sleepwear from some select international companies. The brands include heritage nightwear from Derek Rose and the exquisite Hesper Fox from London, the ultra-sophisticated ARAKS from New York and the young, fun Papinelle from Sydney. Dealing in high-quality natural fibres, from cottons through to silks, and with some pieces that will cross over from the bedroom to outer wear, their website should be your one-stop…

‘If there is any pain with periods, it could be due to an associated condition’ Polycystic ovarian syndrome affects around 10% of premenopausal women and is a major cause of infertility, as well as resulting in unpleasant side effects. Here are five things you need to know about PCOS. Monthly misery 1 There is a link between polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and diabetes. Women with PCOS are three to five times more likely to develop diabetes, especially if they are overweight or obese, according to research. And around 27% of premenopausal women who have type 2 diabetes also have PCOS. It’s thought the common link is insulin resistance (when cells in the body are unable to use insulin effectively to break down sugars), which plays a role in both conditions.…

The kindest way to light up your outdoor area is with braziers and candles – unless, of course, the size of your space requires floodlights. The soft glow of candles on and around the table casts a more inviting light than electric fittings, and it’s less disruptive to your neighbours should they not want their garden illuminated by your dinner party. If you have enough of them, tea lights, which are as cheap as chips, can make a lot of light, and they’re also good marker points through the garden. Old-fashioned hurricane or kerosene lamps are good too. Braziers and bamboo torches are stylish and dramatic, and setting them up before a special occasion is half the fun.…

JUDE DOBSON TAKES A FUN RIDE THROUGH A JEWEL OF THE FAR EAST An insider’s guide to... Ho Chi Minh City BEST TOURS: See the city on the back of a Vespa with a good tour operator. It’s safe, fun and the quickest way from A to B. NOT TO BE MISSED: Cu Chi tunnels take a couple of hours to get there and you’ll need at least another two more to experience the reality of life below ground. Are you brave enough to go down under? BEST DRINK/COCKTAIL: The cocktail list at the Caravelle Hotel is fantastic as is the view over the Opera House. You can imagine it as the 1960s hang out for war correspondents of the day. DON’T FORGET: Reunification Palace for a step back in…

SCORPIO Oct 24 – Nov 22 When you budget, you tend to deprive yourself of almost everything that is not necessary. It is important to allow yourself one or two luxuries – you have worked hard, so get some of those things you love and make your life a little more comfortable. The weekend could be a bit hectic; a partner will have some kind of DIY job in mind and, of course, you will help. SAGITTARIUS Nov 23 – Dec 22 You will not have quite enough cash or resources to finish something you started, or to get an item you want. At first, you think it is going to take another couple of months or more. But there is a surprise in the form of some extra work…

‘At 16, she’d had a long life for a dog of her (mixed) breed’ Our house feels a bit haunted, though not by a presence so much as by an absence. The reason is, I’m sad to report, that after a long period of being on and off her last legs, our old dog has gone where all the good old dogs go at the end. It was no surprise. She’d been getting so low lately, at times it was hard to find her at all. I’d been promising to take her to the vet for a check, but kept putting it off because I didn’t want to hear any bad news. And George, our old dog, didn’t seem to be in pain, after all. Mostly, she slept, though she…

Lorna Subritzky presents breakfast traffic reports on Newstalk ZB and is the daytime host from 10am-3pm on Coast. My favourite book ever is… The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl. Dad read me this when I was a preschooler and I’ll never forget how it made me feel: part-mesmerised, part-terrified. All Dahl is great but it’s no exaggeration to say this one shaped my life, from my love of literature to my feelings about animal cruelty. My book of the moment is… The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. A complex thriller with dark themes of domestic violence and substance abuse, it pivots around a life-changing moment and is a master study in character development. Despite the fact that I disliked all the characters, I had to keep reading –…

They’re the women who make things happen and often ess, criticism the ones who deal with the brunt of the stress, criticism and other crises that arise during live radio. And as Newstalk ZB’s pre-eminent hosts, Jack Tame, Leighton Smith and Larry Williams all agree, their dedicated, determined and incredibly intelligent producers – Helen McCarthy, Carolyn Leaney and Laura Smith – are the secrets to their success. The Weekly sat down to discover some studio secrets – who are the lovers, who are the fighters and who just loves a good Dolly Parton jam! “We gossip about work, we gossip about love... I’m always like, ‘We’re definitely not on air at the moment, right?’” Jack Tame & Helen McCarthy Helen McCarthy might just be the busiest, but loneliest, producer at…

He’s TV’s hardman – king of the four-letter word and famed for his scalding rants. But Gordon Ramsay has revealed his softer side, talking openly for the first time about the loss of his baby four months ago, which devastated his family. Gordon, who turns 50 in a few weeks, and his wife Tana (42) proudly announced earlier this year they were expecting their fifth child, a boy, but just weeks later, Tana miscarried five months into the pregnancy. “We were all there together at Portland Hospital [in London] and it was awful,” says Gordon, who is dad to Megan (18), twins Holly and Jack (16) and Tilly (14). “We were devastated. We’d been so excited and proud... and then there was this awful shock. “But it has brought us…

If they change their password or delete their history, they could be up to something. To snoop or not to snoop – that is the question. Should we be keeping a close eye on our teenagers, even if that means spying on them, or do they have the right to privacy? A generation ago, keeping a close eye on your kids usually meant carefully picking up the handset of the second phone in your house and listening in while they were chatting to a friend on the other one. Or, in what is quite possibly the ultimate invasion of privacy, reading their diary. These days, you can find out all sorts of details about what your teens have been getting up to – along with their interest in, and opinions…

Add a little pumpkin spice to your Halloween this year without the hassle of making a jack-o’-lantern. These simple paper versions are a great project for children to try too. Smashing pumpkins! What you will need • Cardboard in various colours, including green for the leaves • Ruler and pencil • Craft knife and safe cutting surface • Hole punch • Craft wire • Scissors 1 Cut out strips of card. I used 24 strips of 30cm x 2.5cm for my biggest pumpkins; 22 strips of 22cm x 2cm for the medium pumpkins; and 20 strips of 15cm x 1.5cm for the smallest. 2 Punch holes in both ends of each strip. 3 Cut a piece of wire and thread a strip of card onto one end. Fold the wire back on itself to secure the…

Cryptic challengers Thank you for the two boxes of wonderful Golden Sun products, which I won in the Weekly’s giveaway (12.09.16). It was such a lovely surprise (some of our Christmas presents have been taken care of), though it might be hard to give away the cookbook. I am 80 years old and my husband is 81. Every week, we have a competition to see who can complete Jim’s cryptic puzzle first. It keeps our minds alert. Daphne, Auckland $100 WINNING LETTER Incredible mothers Thank you for the story about Jenny-May Clarkson, her husband Dean and their beautiful twin boys (17.10.16). Congratulations to them on their one-year anniversary. I had been wondering how they were coping with their precious little bundles. Boy, oh boy! What beautiful twins – even though…

TV Wedding belles Bridal fashion designer Adam Dixon has seen it all in 23 years of creating dresses for Sydney’s elite, but the expert couldn’t fail to be thrilled while filming new series Say Yes to the Dress Australia. The show, which sees brides and their families shop for a dream gown on a set budget – although “most girls do push the limit a little bit”, he admits – features Olympian and future Mrs Richie McCaw, Gemma Flynn, among its enthusiastic clients. “I had a lot of fun with Gemma,” reveals Adam. “She was just a lovely girl who happened to be looking for a wedding dress.” While the designer says image-obsessed bridezillas are few and far between these days, there is a particular group that can pose the…