Innholdsfortegnelse for 29-mar-16 i Woman's Weekly

One of the Peek At My Week pictures last week was of two wonderful children’s books identifying garden and woodland birds and their birdsong (they gave us adults on the WW team as much pleasure as the children I eventually, and a bit reluctantly to be honest, passed them on to). So imagine my delight when my attention was caught by the distinctive tap-tapping noise of a woodpecker hammering at a tree in my garden over the weekend. What a handsome bird. And what a thrill to see it up close. It made me reflect what a treasure trove of wildlife we’re fortunate to have here in the UK, and how, as a city dweller, it’s easy to forget the diversity and richness of the natural world around us. As…

Sheep Key Holder From white felt: Cut two 7cm-diameter circles for the body and two 2cm-diameter circles for the eyes. From black felt: Cut a triangular piece for the face, 4cm long and 3cm across at the widest point, and curve the corners. Cut two 3 x 1cm oval pieces for the ears and two 3cm narrow strips for the legs. Hand-sew the face, ears and the outer eyes to the front body piece at the top, and sew the legs to the back at the lower edge. Sew a few stitches in white thread for the nose. Glue two toy’s eyes in position. Blanket-stitch the front and back body pieces together with white embroidery thread, leaving a gap at the top, then push in some toy filling. Fold a…

We love letters Woman’s Weekly, 110 Southwark St, London SE1 0SU. PS. It really helps when you put your details in capitals We do not return photos (apart from ‘You Look Great!’) so please do not send originals Email us Womansweeklypostbag @timeinc.com  Tell us your full name, address and daytime phone number, please Fancy a chat? Log on to facebook.com/  womansweekly We can’t wait to hear from you! Important! All contributions to Woman’s Weekly must be original and NOT duplicated to other publications. £25 will be paid to the writer of the ‘Letter Of The Week’, and the ‘Good To Meet You’ contributor will receive a gift or similar as stated at time of publication of contribution, for all rights in each letter printed. The Editor reserves…

Somewhat unusually, my face is in fashion at the moment. Well, not so much my face, as the beard that covers it up. As you have probably noticed, beards are springing up here, there and everywhere these days – on young hipsters and old hippies alike. And even on older men coping with hip replacements, as well as adorning sportsmen in the prime of life. The late Jimmy Hill, in his playing days, was virtually the only footballer to sport a beard. However, now there are almost as many beards in the Premier League as David Beckham has tattoos on his left arm. I have never much been a dedicated follower of fashion but something in the air must have inspired me to get growing last summer. And I think…

Roasted Chicken Breasts With Romesco Sauce FOR THE SAUCE: 1 To make the sauce, heat a frying pan and dry-fry the whole almonds for 3 mins, until beginning to colour. Add the paprika and cook for 2 more mins, then the garlic and 2tbsp oil. Cook for 2 mins more, until nuts are coated and fragrant. 2 Tip the nut mixture into a food processor with the roasted peppers, sherry vinegar, freshly ground black pepper and salt. Whizz until it forms a slightly coarse paste and set aside. 3 Heat the oven to 180°C or Gas Mark 4. Add 1tbsp oil to the frying pan and cook the chicken breasts skin-side down for 4 mins, until the skin is…

‘I’d like more privacy’ There are lots of options available if you're not a fan of net curtains or fancy a change. Choices include opaque window film, shutters or venetian blinds, which enable you to filter light as well as maintain your privacy. Self-adhesive window film resembles etched or sandblasted glass, but costs a fraction of the price and can be fitted in minutes. Cut to order, it comes in plain frosted effect, a spectrum of colours and dozens of patterns and motifs, including new botanical prints, from £30, The Window Film Company. If you’ve just moved home or are awaiting delivery of curtains, blinds or shutters and can’t bear leaving the windows bare, temporary paper pleated blinds are the answer. Simply measure, trim, peel and stick, from £6.99, Redi…

Technical Knitting Editor, Tina This gorgeous cardigan with matching hat and socks (overleaf) is designed especially for earlier arrivals. The cardigan is worked in one until the armholes. The whole set is knitted in stocking stitch with single rib or picot rib edgings. Easy-peasy A Bit More Tricky Hard–ish Quite A Challenge MEASUREMENTS CARDIGAN: To fit sizes 26 (31) (36) (41) cm/10¼ (12¼) (14¼) (16¼) in. Actual measurements 30 (36) (40) (46) cm/11¾ (14) (15¾) (18) in. Side seam 6 (8) (10) (13) cm/ 2½ (3¼) (4) (5) in. Length to back neck 11.5 (15.5) (18) (22) cm/4½ (6) (7) (8½) in. Sleeve seam 6 (8) (12) (15) cm/2½ (3¼) (4¾) (6) in. HAT: Width around widest part 25 (28) (31) (33) cm/9¾ (11) (12¼) (13) in. MATERIALS For the…

Fill your beds and borders with colour for years to come with this fantastic summer bulbs collection. A great selection adding height, scent and texture to your garden displays. Supplied as bulbs, the collection contains: 10 ACIDANTHERA 55 ALLIUM MOLY 57 ANEMONE BLANDA 40 BRODIAEA 3 CROCOSMIA 10 FREESIA 25 LIATRIS £1.95 postage. Bulbs dispatched from April 2016. Contract of goods is with Thompson & Morgan, a company wholly independent of Time Inc. (UK) Ltd. Visit www.thompson-morgan.com/wwk2077A to order or call 0844 573 6057 and quote WWK2077A.…

We stumble through the meal, with me the centre of attention She’s the first thing I see in the living room, sitting on the mantelpiece, surrounded by a gilt frame. It’s her wedding day. Their wedding day. The usual pose: happy, smiling faces, bodies entwined. Even from the doorway, I can see she’s ravishing. Blonde, with a complexion that glows; slim, but strong. This was before, of course. At her death, Glenn told me, she weighed nothing. She’d lost her hair and would wear a turban, a different one in a different colour for every day, till she got too ill to care. But, of course, there are no photographs on display of her looking thin and frail and older than her years. Only this. Perfect. “I’m so pleased to…

Communication Needs The Accessible Information Standard (AIS), part of the Health and Social Care Act, requires NHS and adult social care services to improve communication with patients, carers and parents who have specific hearing or visual needs, or learning disabilities. So by 1 April 2016 your GP (and other care providers) must have asked about and recorded your individual needs – for example, if you need letters or prescriptions written in large print, or an interpreter if you use British Sign Language. This must be clearly flagged on your records and used routinely by 31 July 2016. True Or False? Couch potatoes suffer worse menopausal symptoms. True, according to Latin American researchers who say menopausal women who sit down for most of the day, report more depression, anxiety and sleep…

Try to consider your options before speaking Q I’m not very good at saying no. I take on too much and I’m always exhausted. I say to myself, next time someone asks me to do something or help them, I’ll say no. I’m then asked and I hear myself saying ‘Yes, I can help’ or ‘I’ll be delighted to come’. As soon as I’ve said it I regret it and feel cross. I then end up not enjoying the events, or helping people without goodwill as I feel resentful. I don’t know how to stop this ongoing spiral. Susie, Tunbridge Wells A I dentifying there’s a problem is the first step. When you’re asked by someone, what do you say to yourself? Is saying yes automatic or do you have…

Where I went This beautiful, laid-back city with its network of canals is the capital of Holland and a wonderful place to visit because you can walk or bike everywhere – or take a tram. What I did We were lucky to get into the Anne Frank museum without queuing – on a Friday evening at about 6pm. We also visited the Rijksmuseum for plenty of Dutch art and cultural artefacts (dolls’ houses, gold, silver, and jewellery). Where I stayed We stayed with friends but there are plenty of hotels to choose from and lots of reasonably priced Airbnb accommodation. What I ate Delicious Indonesian cuisine, as well as plainer Dutch food. Don’t miss the old-fashioned bars and cafes around the canals such as Café Chris (Bloemstraat 42), which dates…

Q I have boxes of old photos, tapes and home movies. How can I save them on to my computer? Making digital copies is a great way of preserving memorabilia for future generations, as well as enabling you to share them with friends or family via the internet. The easy way is to send the lot to a professional digitising service. They have the right equipment and expertise to take faded photos, delicate rolls of film or hissy tapes and create sparkling new copies in forms that can be displayed on any screen, from your phone to a TV. They cost money, of course, but services such as Mr Scan (mr-scan.co.uk) will take all your stuff, scan it on to DVD and return it by courier at a charge of…

The words ‘burglar’ and ‘rhubarb crumble’ have much the same effect on Mr Dear It is about two o’clock in the morning and I’m still very awake. To make matters worse, I checked the time on my phone a moment ago and now its little light can’t seem to sleep either. Part of the problem is Detective Sergeant Bobby Owen, hero of the book I was reading not two hours ago. In Murder Abroad , he is hunting the killer of an elderly lady artist who was shoved down a well in a French village, still clutching her paintbrush. We know Sergeant Owen knows the name of the killer. He has pretty well hinted as much. But who can it be? The obvious suspect has a cast-iron alibi, and we’re…

Raise A... Jar Loved the fun glassware these smoothies were served in to me and my daughter. That’s The Spirit! A cheery reminder to stay positive, which I passed in the street. Copper Tops Art Director Caroline, Lifestyle Ed Jayne and I tried out these new copper utensils from the Soft Touch kitchen collection from Stellar and all of us gave them the thumbs up. Go to www.stellarcookware.co.uk  and enter your postcode in the ‘Where To Buy’ section to find your nearest stockist. Pizza cutter, £5.38, peeler, £4.50, and ice-cream scoop, £5. Cat Heaven You’ll need to be a cat lover to enjoy the Kitty Cafe in Nottingham, where I was for the day. But if you are, you’ll really enjoy it! The rescue…

Toddlers Little ones will have the run of The Big Sheep amusement park in Abbotsham, Devon, on Thursday 24 March as part of its Toddler Takeover, which will feature egg hunts and bottle-feeding sessions with the newborn lambs. For more details, visit thebigsheep.co.uk or call 01237 472 366. Talkers Let the kids burn off their extra Easter energy this weekend at one of 300 Cadbury Easter Egg Hunts being organised at National Trust sites around the UK. There will be maps, clues and a choc treat waiting for everyone at the end. For more information, visit cadbury.co.uk/easter Teens Discover what death by chocolate once meant, quite literally, at The London Dungeon this Easter, where the chilling story of Miss Christiana Edmunds will be unwrapped. The 19th-century poisoner fed strychnine-laced sweets…

I grew up in Kenya and my mother made our clothes. Remnants went into the ragbag, and when my Danish grandmother came for visits she would sort, cut and sew to pass the time. The quilt she made from those scraps is more than 50 years old and as good as new. My 92-year-old mother can probably describe the garment that each patch represents. Marianne White, Trigg, Western Australia What a beautiful – and useful – memory of your grandmother, Marianne! We love to hear from you, so please do get in touch if you have something to say…

According to Anxiety UK, almost one in five people feel anxious all or part of the time. A quarter of cases of Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) occur in people over 55. While anxiety is a healthy response to some situations, when those feelings of worry or fear take over your life, simply telling yourself to ‘snap out of it' won't help. As a patron of Anxiety UK, Rebecca says talking is the key. ‘Talk to friends, talk to experts. Most importantly, talk to people who will understand what you are going through. It is something you can get help with.' • For more info, call 0844 477 5774 or visit anxietyuk.org.uk…

Where I’ve been… Florence. A fabulous city and so much better visited in the cool of the year rather than in the summer months when it’s full of hot crowds. What I’ve seen… One of Florence’s masterpieces, Michelangelo’s David. Overpowering to see in the flesh – or rather, in the marble. What I’ve bought… A couple of wild pear trees, which I have not attempted to grow before. Who I’ve met… Kurt Jackson, the eminent environmental artist.…

The Pleated Skirt This below-the-knee A-line skirt is made from breathable crêpe fabric with CoolFresh technology and is machine washable. £65, sizes 6-22, HotSquash Wear It Smart Wear It Casual Take The Jacket And Wear It Like This, Too STOCKISTS Cath Kidston 0845 262 440; cathkidston.com Clarks 01458 899 904; clarks.co.uk Dune 0333 240 7306; dunelondon.com H&M 0344 736 9000; hm.com HotSquash hotsquash.com La Redoute 0844 842 2222; laredoute.co.uk M&S 0333 014 8000; marksandspencer.com Oasis 0845 899 0009; oasis-stores.co.uk Oliver Bonas 020 8974 0110; oliverbonas.com Primark 0118 960 6300; primark.co.uk Topshop 0344 984 0264; topshop.com Tu Clothing at Sainsbury's 0800 636 262; sainsburys.co.uk White Stuff 020 3752 5360; whitestuff.com Zara 0800 030 4238; zara.com…

Felting experts Judy Balchin and Roz Dace will be running our inspiring needle-felting workshops. These full-day workshops are fabulous for complete beginners or for anyone keen on needle-felting, which is a really easy technique to pick up. Youjust need a needle and a pile of fluff and, once you’ve learnt the basic method, you can make almost anything. Judy is a designer who’s written numerous craft books and articles. She attended Cardiff and then Maidstone College of Art, where she studied graphic design, before starting work as a designer at the BBC. Roz has always loved creative writing, drawing, painting and all crafts. For many years, she was Search Press’s editorial director, commissioning practical art and crafts books for international markets. Wee Woolly Mouse Monday 6 June You will be…

Each pattern will be printed on A4 card and delivered to your door To order, call 0800 024 1212* or complete the coupon HOW TO ORDER Order By Phone Call 0800 024 1212* MasterCard, Visa or Maestro cardholders can order direct on this number quoting WW13. Lines open Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm, but closed bank holidays. Fill In The Coupon Payment must be made by cheque sent with the coupon to the address provided. TERMS AND CONDITIONS Subject to availability to readers in the UK, offers cannot be used in conjunction with other promotions, prices are correct at time of printing. All correspondence concerning this offer should be sent to: WW13 Spring Makes Offer, WW Shop Customer Service, Blue Fin Building, Room 06-N2-02, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU. Items…

Welcome the better weather with the cheerful faces of pansies. I like to set a row of pots on the window sill for a brighter outlook and choose colours to harmonise with displays in the garden. Revamp a boring boundary by adding a decorative trellis top to the fence. It will give extra privacy without losing valuable light. Brighten a shady corner of the patio instantly with a potted camellia. Use ericaceous compost and, ideally, water from a rain butt.…

‘Loved the feedback, practical tips and friendly atmosphere!’ Join us and enjoy a day learning how to write fiction. With an even wider selection of our popular fiction-writing workshops you really won’t want to miss out. Learn how to write stories, your memoir or poetry in a fun, friendly and supportive atmosphere. There are lots of dates to choose from, so book a place now. About Our Writing Tutors From left to right: Gaynor Davies is our Fiction Editor and Fiction Special Editor Della Galton is a novelist, short-story writer and journalist Suzanne Ahern writes serials for us under her own name and pseudonyms Simon Brett has written 90-plus books and is an award-winning author Alison Chisholm is a poet and tutor who has had more than 800 poems published…

Elvis’ Memphis, New Orleans & Nashville Join us for an unforgettable journey through America's historic musical heartland, including Nashville, the undisputed capital of country music. Highlights include Louisiana, Tennessee, Montgomery, New Orleans, Alabama and the Chattanooga Choo Choo Station Hotel. Selected departures March 2016 to December 2017. Price includes: Seven nights’ touring hotel accommodation, return flights and transfers Fully escorted by an experienced tour manager Lake Garda BEST-SELLER Stay on the sun-kissed shores of Italy's largest and most spectacular lake. Lake Garda's clear blue waters are backed by the wooded slopes of craggy mountains and fringed by stylish, elegant resorts which have been drawing visitors for over 100 years. Departing May to October 2016. The price includes: Return flights and airport transfers Seven nights’ three-star accommodation with breakfast in Malcesine*…

‘I love to lay in a deep bubble bath’ How do you take your tea? I have a curious mixture of a Yorkshire Gold teabag with a tiny sprinkle of loose-leaf lapsang souchong and milk. My brother calls it lapsang poo pong because he hates the smell, but I can’t tell you how many people I’ve converted. Who would you most like to have a cuppa with? My mum, actress Marjie Lawrence, who died six years ago from ovarian cancer. When I was at school and she was doing theatre, I’d make her tea every morning before I left to get the bus. I’d sit on my parents’ bed and we’d have a chat, just the two of us. Why are you supporting Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month? Awareness will save…

Explore Your Brilliant Brain Explore what makes you ‘you’ at Newcastle upon Tyne’s Life science centre (from 25 March), with activities and exhibits showing how your brain controls body functions. For more details, call 0191 243 8210 or visit life.org.uk/whats-on/brain-zone Watch The Boat Race The traditional rowing competition between Oxford and Cambridge Universities is being sponsored by Cancer Research UK this year. If you can’t get down to shout your support along the banks of the Thames in London, join millions of viewers around the world yelling at the television (BBC) or willing them on online (BBC Sport) on 27 March, at 3.10pm (Women’s) and 4.10pm (Men’s). For more information, visit theboatraces.org Enjoy Easter Sculpture Festival Musical fountains and stunning stonework are on display at University of Bristol Botanic Garden…

Emma Dobson, 41 Saffron Walden Tell us about your look… I love wearing colour – it makes me feel sunny and happy. I wear a lot of dresses with skinny jeans as it’s comfortable and practical. I bought this cardi and dress from H&M, my bag from The Cambridge Satchel Company and I got my clogs at Lotta From Stockholm. The scarf is from Accessorize. I love H&M as they have great basics alongside quirky and unusual things. And the best bit of your body? My hands. Tricia Williamson, 65 Chislehurst Tell us about your look… I love tailored clothes and trouser suits and prefer quite neutral colours like browns and creams. I bought my outfit from M&S, my shoes are from Moda In Pelle and…

‘They wouldn’t have sent you away if they had wanted you’ As the big ship steamed slowly down the Thames and out into the open sea, one of the boys on deck grabbed the arm of the lad next to him. ‘Look! There’s Southend!’ Tony Chambers, aged just nine, had never even seen the sea before, let alone heard of Southend. ‘I didn’t realise it,’ he says, ‘but that was my last glimpse of England for almost 14 years.’ Haunted for years On that December night in 1951, Tony’s life changed forever. But how and why is still a mystery. He was one of the 100,000 or so child migrants to be caught up in a scheme launched in Victorian times, in 1869, and which continued, astonishingly, until 1970. British…

You’re another one who’ll be here forever. Nine months, isn’t it, now?” Luckily, Lisa, 18, with more attitude than a Rottweiler guarding a scrapyard, didn’t have to worry too much about her words getting a bad reception. She stood with a broom inside kennel number eight as Annie hosed the concrete down. In the pen next door, the dog she was talking to looked like a mobile dishrag. “Don’t listen to her, Frankie,” Annie told him, though he definitely wasn’t bilingual. ‘Here come some likely adopters now,’ she thought. “And then Marina Collinsworth told me her bag came from Harrods…” A little girl, who looked to be about seven, rattled on to her mum as they came closer. “She’s really posh. I don’t know why everybody in my class wants…

Each pattern will be printed on A4 card and delivered to your door To order, call 0800 024 1212* or complete the coupon HOW TO ORDER Order By Phone Call 0800 024 1212* MasterCard, Visa or Maestro cardholders can order direct on this number quoting WW13. Lines open Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm, but closed bank holidays. Fill In The Coupon Payment must be made by cheque, sent with the coupon to the address provided. TERMS AND CONDITIONS Subject to availability to readers in the UK, offers cannot be used in conjunction with other promotions, prices are correct at time of printing. All correspondence concerning this offer should be sent to: WW13 Cushion Knits Offer, WW Shop Customer Care, Blue Fin Building, Room 06-C06, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU. Items…

Deputy Editor’s Gardening Tip ‘Plant geraniums in full sun, in any light, non-acidic, well-drained soil. Pinch out the growing tip of each stem to encourage branching and form a bushier plant, which will produce more flowers later on.’ Geoffrey Palmer This super-improved mix of ‘Jackpot’ geraniums is one of our best-sellers. Weather-tolerant F1 hybrid plants with stunning blooms are ideal for brightening your garden all summer long. The geranium ‘Jackpot Mixed’ produces masses of colourful single flowers on neat compact plants. Perfect for filling beds, borders and patio containers. Height: 40cm. Spread: 35cm. Supplied as Postiplug plants. Buy 12 for £6.99 Buy 36 for £9.99 (RRP £20.97) - saving £10.98 Buy 72 for £14.99 (RRP £41.94) - saving £26.95 To order, call 0844 573 6057 and quote WWK2077, or complete…

Ovarian cancer affects around one in 50 UK women – that’s 7,100 each year – but it can be hard to diagnose early, as symptoms are often vague to start with. It’s commonest after the menopause or over the age of 50, but can affect younger women too – although most ovarian swellings in premenopausal women tend to be benign. What causes it? The hormonal cycle egg release (ovulation) in our ovaries may play a part in both cancerous and benign tumours, but other factors influence our risk too. Around one in 10 cases is linked to a faulty inherited gene such as BRCA1 or 2 (see ‘Is screening available’), or the newly identified mutated BRIP1, estimated to affect one in a thousand women, tripling their risk. Women who have…

‘Acupuncture releases happy hormones’ I first had acupuncture when I was a teenager, after a month-long migraine hadn’t responded to any other treatment. A friend had mentioned that acupuncture was good for headaches and I decided I had nothing to lose. Interestingly enough, the NHS now actively recommends acupuncture for the treatment and prevention of tension headaches and migraines. As a needle-phobe, I was terrified about going but I was desperate! And it worked – it was the only thing that helped. I was so impressed I decided to train as an acupuncturist. Traditional acupuncture is a form of Chinese medicine that focuses on harmonising the mind, body and emotions. It aims to seek out the root cause of illness, and address that by balancing internal ‘vital energy’, called Qi…

Remove hair instantly from delicate areas such as the underarms, upper lip, cheeks and chin – it can even be used on the eyebrows and bikini line. This compact, cordless epilator removes hair from the root, stopping regrowth for several weeks and encouraging hair depletion. The epilator requires 2 x AAA batteries, which are included. To order, call 0871 911 7011 and quote 59936 or complete the coupon HOW TO ORDER Order By Phone Call 0871 911 7011 and quote 59936. Lines open Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 9am-6pm Fill In The Coupon Payment must be made by cheque (with your name, address and 59936 on the back of the cheque, please), crossed and made payable to BVG Airflo. Please DO NOT send cash. Order Online Visit…

Aries 21 March - 20 April Before taking on a responsibility, reflect on whether you can adjust to working with someone who wants everything done their way. Out of the blue, a wonderful opportunity to travel, write or study comes your way. Expanding your horizons opens up whole new approaches for you. For more, call 0901 609 2591* Taurus 21 April - 21 May If you’ve been asked to perform a new, regular task for the first time, it’s best to stay in the background, watch and learn. You will easily outperform any competition that you face once you get the hang of things. The secret of your success is your blend of charm and honesty. For more, call 0901 609 2592* Gemini 22 May - 21 June Someone is…