Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 20, 2024 i New Zealand Woman's Weekly

The stars came out in force for the BAFTA TV Awards in London. Sarah Lancashire, 59, scooped the Leading Actress Award for her iconic role as Sergeant Catherine Cawood in Happy Valley. The former Coronation Street star fought back tears as she made her acceptance speech. The Sixth Commandment actor Timothy Spall, 67, obviously didn’t expect to take out the award for Best Leading Actor, charming viewers with an ad-libbed speech in which he described acting as a “sick old thing, standing up pretending to be somebody”. Meanwhile, Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham, 49, hilariously swigged from a hip flask when she missed out on the gong for her variety special Hannah Waddingham Home for Christmas. The final season of The Crown also missed out on an award, despite being nominated…

Deborah Challinor is a prolific writer of popular historical-based novels, with 21 books published and just as many in her head waiting to be explored. A Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her contribution to literature, she completed a Master of Arts in history with first-class honours before going on to do her PhD on how New Zealand veterans remember Vietnam. She sent it to three publishers, received offers from two and the rest is history. The Weekly sat down with Deborah, 65, at her Hamilton home to chat about her latest book, Black Silk and Sympathy. How much time goes into your historical research? A huge amount. I’m a historian, but I’m here to entertain, not educate. It has been over 20 years, so it’s not…

It was supposed to be a relaxing first day of retirement for John Murphy, enjoying a leisurely lunch out. Until out of nowhere the longtime lawyer collapsed at the café table and was rushed to hospital unconscious, leaving his wife Di and daughter Kristin Sutherland terrified he wasn’t going to make it. While ICU doctors couldn’t pinpoint the cause of his condition, a nurse told the family John was one of a number of recent retirees admitted to hospital that week with unexplained health complications. “They did a raft of tests and couldn’t find anything wrong with him,” recalls Kristin, 47, who never forgot the nurse’s startling comments. “She said, ‘You’re the fifth one this week who has come in here just retired. Two, including you, have walked out and…

Crispy duck pancake lasagne PREP & COOK TIME 60 MINUTES SERVES 6 2 crispy aromatic half ducks (see note) 300g hoisin sauce 150g pickled red cabbage, drained 2 carrots, peeled, grated 6 spring onions, finely sliced, plus extra curls to serve 12-15 Chinese-style pancakes 10g toasted sesame seeds 1 Preheat oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan. 2 Cook duck halves following the packet instructions. Once cooked, remove the skin and shred meat by pulling it apart with two forks. Place shredded meat in a bowl. Add 100g hoisin sauce and stir to coat all the meat. 3 To make the slaw, place pickled red cabbage, grated carrots and sliced spring onions in a large bowl. Add 100g hoisin sauce and stir until fully combined. 4 Cover the base of a 25…

I’m sometimes asked whether I intend making any more TV shows or videos. My answer’s no, I’m getting too old for that sort of caper. But this week, a video came to mind I could’ve starred in. It would’ve been produced by WorkSafe and illustrate the stupidity of elderly codgers who think they’re still Spider-Man. I’m a fan of big, thick, industrial glass and have had 13 glass disc insulators lying on my lawn for years. You’ll have seen such items hanging from the huge pylons that carry electricity around the country. They prevent us all from getting shocks from the massive power loads carried by these pylons. I admire glass disc insulators for another reason. They’re pretty, especially when the sun shines through their thick, blue glass. I bought…

Letters to the Editor SPOTLIGHT ON LONG COVID ● Winning letter I was fascinated when I read Joy Reid’s story (NZWW, May 13). In the 1980s, I had glandular fever (a viral illness) and subsequently, like Joy, suffered day-long headaches. I was later diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, like Joy’s husband Geoffrey. Eighteen months ago, I had Covid and ever since have had daily headaches. More recently, like Joy, I’ve had a racing heartbeat, fatigue, dizziness and gut problems. There are an awful lot of Kiwis who have had Covid, and unknown numbers with long Covid. Isn’t it time there was a government-funded treatment programme for those with long Covid? My GP has never mentioned the possibility that my symptoms could have been caused by Covid. It was only when…

When I was on holiday in the Hokianga, an old friend messaged me out of the blue. I hadn’t spoken to her for about a year and I hadn’t seen her for five. I’d tried to visit a couple of years ago – she was living in another country, and I thought I’d love to see her new home and get to know her partner properly − but she put me off. Christmas was a busy time as she and her partner had a tourism enterprise, and although I offered to help because, with instruction, I can be useful, she said I should come in the middle of the year. I wasn’t at all offended. I know how busy life can get, so I made loose plans to go in…

Keyes to success Make no mistake, this is Marian at her best! Even as a diehard fan, I’d have to admit that the last couple of novels from Marian Keyes haven’t been standouts. But with My Favourite Mistake, the bestselling author is back on the sparkliest of sparkling form. This is a book to retreat with when your world is feeling gloomy and you need a break from everything. It’s a heartwarming and completely addictive mid-life love story. We’re back with the Walsh clan, the family of sisters that have featured in several of the author’s books. This one is about Anna Walsh who, as we begin, is living in New York with what seems to be a dream job and a perfectly nice “feathery stroker” boyfriend. What changes things…

If there’s a theme to this week’s issue, it’s how life can change on a dime. Take our cover star Duncan Garner, who while fishing, ended up with a small cut on his leg. Something that’s usually not serious, things soon escalated and became “touch and go”. He could have lost his leg, or worse, his life. From page six, he shares how he’s overcome myriad life changes and his exciting new venture. And in our Weekly People section, we meet Portia Swan and her family. At a family dinner in 2022, she appeared to freeze before she fell, “like a bird perched on top of a fence that just dropped”. Later she was diagnosed with a type of tumour that is very rare in children. She subsequently became the…

The King has returned to work with an energy that seems to belie the fact he’s undergoing treatment for cancer. But in a poignant conversation with another cancer patient, His Majesty revealed one of the ways the disease has taken a toll on him. During a visit to the Army Flying Museum, the Monarch talked to army veteran Aaron Mapplebeck, who said he’d lost his sense of taste after having chemotherapy for testicular cancer. The King, who has not disclosed the type of cancer he has, said he’d also lost his ability to taste food. Buckingham Palace has not said what type of treatment His Majesty is having, only that it’s ongoing. Despite his health issues, the King has been on fine form while attending events like the first Buckingham…

Thirty years ago, on May 11, 1994, Hugh Grant made an emergency call to the Versace store in London. He was taking his then-girlfriend, an unknown actor called Elizabeth Hurley, to the premiere of his new movie Four Weddings and a Funeral that evening and she needed a dress to wear. “In those days, we didn’t just lend out dresses like that and she was a nobody, but Hugh asked us to send something over to them,” recalls celebrity stylist Dean Aslett, who was head of womenswear for the luxury brand at the time. “I said it wasn’t possible because of the time constraints and there was a limit to what we could lend.” He did, however, allow her into the shop, steering her through all the dresses she couldn’t…

Snoop Dogg & Martha Stewart Meet the new odd couple! Homemaking icon Martha, 82, and rapper Snoop, 52, might appear to have little in common, but they’ve been friends since Snoop joined Martha on her cooking show back in 2008 to make mashed potatoes. Martha calls Snoop “My sidekick” and “My freedom”, while Snoop says Martha is his “homegirl”. They have teamed up on many projects – including a series of Skechers commercials – one of which involved Martha getting a tattoo of Snoop’s face on her shoulder and the words “My Dogg” written underneath. Martha reveals, “When I go to a party, all people p wanna know is, how is Snoop Dogg?” Emily Blunt & Dwayne Johnson How much can a classically trained actress and a former wrestler have…

White vinegar Around the house CLEANING WINDOWS AND MIRRORS Mix equal parts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle, then use it to clean windows and mirrors. REMOVING ODOURS Place a bowl of vinegar in a room to help remove bad smells. CLEANING KITCHEN SURFACES Use vinegar to clean kitchen benchtops, stove tops and sinks. CLEANING APPLIANCES Use vinegar to clean the inside of your coffee machine, dishwasher and washing machine. REMOVING RUST Soak rusted objects like garden tools in vinegar overnight to help remove the rust, then sprinkle with coarse salt and rub with a cork. REMOVING GREASE Use vinegar to remove grease from kitchen appliances, grill grates, and pots and pans. CLEANING CARPETS Mix vinegar with water, then use it to clean carpets and remove pet stains.…

Not many things scare me. I ride rollercoasters, have no fear of needles, and I regularly walk out on stage in front of hundreds of strangers and try to make them laugh. Some of this apparent fearlessness goes back to being a kid who grew up in a neighbourhood full of boys where “being a girl” meant lack of courage and therefore not belonging. I didn’t want to be a boy, but I wanted to redefine what “being a girl” meant. This included, but was not limited to, going very fast down our steepest street in a homemade go-kart with dodgy steering and no brakes. I’ll show you my knees sometime. Nevertheless, a couple of weeks ago, I sent my husband this text: “We’ve got a rat in the bedroom.…

EDITOR Marilynn McLachlan LIFESTYLE & BEAUTY EDITOR Anna Lee SENIOR WRITER Catherine Milford CHIEF SUB-EDITOR Denise Bowden ART DIRECTOR Mirella Monteiro DESIGNERS Anna Pétursdóttir, Béla Trussell-Cullen, Debby Wei, Hayley Pearce PHOTO & EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Kellie Blizard CONTRIBUTORS Debbie Harrison, Donna Fleming, Fleur Guthrie, Hayley McLarin, India Lopez, Kasia De Vydt-Jillings, Leigh Matheson, Megan McChesney, Nicky Pellegrino, Sheryn Church, Wendyl Nissen ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR Claire Chisholm claire.chisholm@aremedia.co.nz SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Jacquie Fraser jacquie.fraser@aremedia.co.nz COMMERCIAL BRAND MANAGER Bridget Hewitt 021 1591265 bridget.hewitt@aremedia.co.nz SALES MANAGER Chloe Jordan chloe.jordan@aremedia.co.nz SENIOR CAMPAIGN MANAGER Angela Wei angela.wei@aremedia.co.nz DIRECTORY SALES MANAGER Kim Chapman 021 673133 classifieds@xtra.co.nz ARE MEDIA GROUP MANAGEMENT CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jane Huxley GENERAL MANAGER Stuart Dick EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Sarah Henry PRIVACY NOTICE New Zealand Woman’s Weekly is published by Are Media Limited (Are…

She lives in the seaside suburb of Dún Laoghaire in Dublin, Ireland. Before turning to writing, she studied law and accountancy. Her first novel Watermelon was published in 1995 and was a runaway success. She’s now one of the most successful Irish novelists of all time and is published in 39 different languages. On what inspired this novel... I wanted to write a rom-com for people in midlife. I’m not even midlife any more, I’m 60 now. But I still feel very alive. My emotions are still very close to the surface. I can handle things better, but I’m still hurtable. I wanted to write about women like me, living a sort of confused and messy life. On turning 60… I felt fine at the time because I’ve never minded…

At Christmas last year, Duncan Garner headed up north to do what he always does when things become tough... go fishing. The past five years have been difficult for the journalist after leaving two high-profile jobs, getting divorced, then having to sell his home and move in with his mum Sue. “I was also getting close to turning 50 in March, so I had a lot to think about,” says Duncan, who was looking forward to some time in the Hokianga and hauling in some fish. What he couldn’t have known was that he was about to have a near-death experience. “I put my boat in the water down by where the wastewater comes out, which is supposed to be treated, and I had a little cut on my leg,…

Friends say Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey have already picked out a name for their first baby. The Sorry singer, 30, and model Hailey, 27, revealed the pregnancy at the same time as they renewed their wedding vows in Hawaii. Images show a six months’ pregnant Hailey in a designer white lace dress that hugs the curves of her burgeoning bump. The pair, who tied the knot in 2018, both wore Tiffany Forever platinum rings encircled with diamonds for the occasion. “Everyone is excited for them,” says a source close to the couple. “They will be great parents and Justin will be super-involved. They have a name that they think is perfect. They’re also starting to decorate a nursery. They can’t wait to meet the baby.” Back in…

As an actor, Mark Hadlow is a big fan of drama. However, The Hobbit star could have done without the real-life drama he’s been going through in the last couple of years, after his home suffered $300,000 of damage in a mudslide. Mark’s house was one of the casualties of the torrential rain that caused terrible flooding and landslides in Nelson and the surrounding Tasman area in August 2022. It’s only in the last couple of months that it has finally been fixed. “The retaining wall at the back of the property failed and 500 cubic metres of mud came down on the back of the house,” reveals Mark. “I’ll never forget the sound of the wall snapping – it sounded like bullets going off. It was just heartbreaking. “Thankfully,…

The Swan family made headlines last year when 15-year-old Portia became the youngest New Zealander ever to undergo an awake craniotomy – a complex brain surgery in which the patient stays conscious and talking for part of the time. Now, Auckland parents Matt and Penny have opened up about their nightmarish journey, how they stay strong and their love for their remarkable daughter. It began in September 2022, on what seemed like a normal night. Matt, 54, Penny, 49, and their daughters – Sophie, 34, Lourdes, 24, Della, 22, Samantha, 19, and Portia – were sitting down to dinner. Then it happened. “Portia’s face went bright red and she froze,” Penny recalls. “At first, I thought she was playing statue or something,” Matt says. “Then the next moment, it was…

Cheesy cornbread PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES SERVES 8 1 ¼ cups (210g) fine instant polenta ¾ cup (110g) self-raising flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 ½ cups (375ml) buttermilk 100g butter, melted 2 eggs 1 cup (160g) corn kernels (see tip) 1 ½ cups (180g) grated cheddar cheese 2 spring onions, sliced thinly, plus 1 extra 2 long red chillies, seeded, sliced thinly Salt and ground black pepper 1 Preheat oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan. Butter a 13cm x 23.5cm loaf pan. Dust with a little polenta. 2 Combine the remaining polenta, flour and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, butter and eggs in a jug. Whisk buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients. Stir in corn, cheese, chopped spring onion and chilli. Season with salt…

First, we must be clear. There’s zip, zero, zilch wrong with wrinkles, and your worth is not tied to your youth. Fine lines and creases that practically appear overnight, dark spots that don’t seem to budge and everything in between are, of course, a natural part of the ageing process thanks to factors such as sun exposure, genetics and the fact that once we hit 30, our body’s ability to produce collagen and elastin, which keep skin firm and plump, begins to decline. However, there’s a bevy of handy helpers on the market designed to diminish these signs of ageing, and nourish and nurture skin. You don’t need them to age fabulously, but if you’re that way inclined, the key wrinkle-fighting ingredients to look out for include retinol, vitamin C,…

Just as a bird cannot fly with one wing, a happy, healthy and purposeful retirement would be impossible without adequate financial and emotional planning. We’ve worked hard and long for the past five to six decades. We must save enough to last us the rest of our lives, but the real question is: How do we do that? Whatever your situation, one of the first steps to take when considering a financial plan that will cover everything you want to do in retirement is to start talking to an advisor. Retirement planning can be complex and overwhelming, especially when managing your money, and this is where specialist advisors come in. Financial advisors offer expert advice on such matters as investment, budgeting, insurance and retirement planning. Tip There’s no harm in…

GEMINI May 22 – Jun 21 Most of your family and friends are independent, however you’ll be making sure they’re safe and secure because that’s in your nature. You’ll be thinking outside of the box and find people asking for advice. They may be a little surprised at what that advice is, but it works! That’s all that matters. CANCER Jun 22 – Jul 23 There needs to be communication with a friend, lover or family member in that you’ve been doing a lot for them. You haven’t minded in the least, but time is becoming an issue and you have other things to do. Now they’re in a much better position, you must be realistic. LEO Jul 24 – Aug 23 Someone is interested in you and it seems…

The world shrinks as you get older. We’ve all experienced it – that feeling of a favourite place from your childhood seeming so much smaller when you return to it as an adult. The school you attended as a 12-year-old not being the giant labyrinth you remembered, your old house not being a mansion and the hill at the local park not being nearly as steep as the dangerous incline you sent your test pilot brother down in so many poorly constructed go-karts. Apologies, Nigel. From a purely physical angle, I guess it makes sense. I’m twice the size I was back then, so it follows that the buildings, fences, shops and playgrounds have halved in comparison. But it’s more than that – it’s age and experience putting such things…

What song do you listen to when you need a pick-me-up? El Salvador by Frank Booker. Frank used to do the radio show after me when I first started at George FM and there’s nothing like house music if you need a bit of a mood boost. What’s your comfort food? Mince on toast with heaps of butter reminds me of being a kid eating at my nan’s house. And chocolate, always chocolate. Tell us your career highlight. Being able to help normalise te reo Māori in mainstream media will always be a highlight for me. It’s so important that our reo is valued as the treasure it is. Is there a shop you just can’t walk past? Any shop that sells sneakers... My toxic trait is having more sneakers…

Style queen Season three of And Just Like That is back, so naturally Sarah Jessica Parker is at her stylish best! The Sex and the City actor, 59, was spotted in New York on the first day of filming. Hat trick The Queen’s Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy, 28, protected her alabaster skin with a raffia hat while promoting Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, at the Cannes Film Festival in Nice, France. Legally mum Reese Witherspoon, 48, posed with her three kids (from left) Ava Phillippe, 24, Tennessee Toth, 11, and Deacon Phillippe, 20, calling them “the greatest gift of my life”. Shake it up! Taylor Swift’s Eras tour is as much a costume extravaganza as a musical one! The singer, 34, wore multiple showstopping outfits in Paris, including a sparkly…

Still the one The first night of her Come On Over residency in Las Vegas was a sell-out, and Shania Twain, 58, says she’s become comfortable with her body by standing naked in front of a mirror. “I want to be okay with it instead of thinking I have to cover it up,” she said. Girl power Rapper Nicki Minaj, 41, wowed the crowd at her Pink Friday 2 World Tour stop in Brooklyn by performing with Cyndi Lauper, 70. The duo sang Nicki’s hit Pink Friday Girls, which sample’s Cyndi’s mega-hit Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. SUKI’S SWAG Two months after giving birth to her daughter with her Twilight fiancé Robert Pattinson, 37, Suki Waterhouse, 32, is back at work, filming a commercial in Tribeca, New York. The star…

Charlie’s Angels fans know Lucy Liu is gold – and now she has the gong to prove it! The actress, 55, was recently honoured at the Gold Gala Awards in Los Angeles, which celebrates Asian and Pacific Islander excellence in entertainment, sports, fashion and more. Accepting her Gold Legend award from American Crime actress Regina King, 53, Ally McBeal alum Lucy said her early years as an Asian actress in Hollywood were “very lonely”, adding, “I wish so much that there was more encouragement from my family because just a little bit goes so long in where you’re going, in your journey.” Also at the event cheering on the Chinese American star – who welcomed son Rockwell Liu by surrogate in 2015 – were Everything Everywhere All at Once’s…