Innholdsfortegnelse for 10-may-16 i Woman's Weekly

You would think that in all the time I’ve been Editor of this wonderful magazine, I might have managed to improve my shamefully rudimentary knitting and crocheting skills. Any of you who witnessed my attempts at knitting at some of the shows we’ve attended will know that my enthusiasm is no match for my consistent ineptitude. While I’m fairly good at most other crafts, knitting and crochet continue to be just beyond the reach of my abilities. I suspect if I was a little more patient, and devoted a bit more concentration, I might make some headway. But until then, I have to settle for replacing my low levels of expertise with high levels of admiration for all of you who are experts. I LOVE seeing all the fabulous things…

Woman’s Weekly Website Editor Beverley Watts says, ‘I love novels set in Italy, and Virginia Baily clearly knows Rome well. Her unmarried heroine, Chiara Ravello, saves the life of a young Jewish Italian boy during the Second World War after the Nazis take his parents away. Being torn from his family traumatises Daniele, but Chiara is devoted to his care and smuggles him to her grandparents’ farm for safety. ‘He grows into a handsome but troubled young man who Chiara always forgives for his distressing behaviour. Despite this, she is left living alone with just memories of her beloved ‘son’. Then, in 1973, a young girl called Maria calls and reveals that she believes she is Daniele’s daughter…’ • Early One Morning by Virginia Baily (£7.99, Fleet)…

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…

Christine Peck 59, Bury St Edmunds Tell us about your look… I like to be elegant and buy fairly classic things that I can wear over and over. I try to be modern but I don’t want to dress too young. Today I’m wearing Whistles culottes and a Laura Ashley jumper with Jigsaw trainers. I love both of those stores as the clothes suit my figure and the quality is good – I don’t like throwaway clothes. And the best bit of your body? I’m happy with all of it. Marion Peckett 49, Crystal Palace Tell us about your look… I like relaxed clothes and I wear jeans a lot, as they’re so easy to dress up and down. My shirt dress which I’ve teamed with wide-legged trousers are from…

Oman has some of the most enlightened attitudes towards women in the Middle East. This has much to do with the Sultan Qaboos, who deposed his father in 1970 and then established the cavalry unit four years later. Qaboos is a dominant but benign figure, and he is currently the longest-serving ruler in the Middle East. A thoroughbred Anglophile, Qaboos studied at Sandhurst and served with the now-defunct Cameronian Regiment. Oman was never part of the Commonwealth but still has ‘special ties’ dating back to a treaty signed in 1800.…

I prefer carrying a cross-body bag and want one with lots of pockets There are many bags like this, in fabulous colours, which also have useful extras, such as a key chain. I have a long body – what tops can I wear without bearing my midriff? Tunic tops are your greatest friend. Team them with a pair of classic jeans or trousers for an easy daytime look. I’m looking for a versatile cover-up We suggest going for a jacket or cardigan that’s reversible, and there are more of them than you’d think! Styles often come with a patterned side to jazz up a plain outfit, and a plain side that can be paired with any print. I usually wear flat shoes but want to try heels. What are the…

• Easy-peasy • A Bit More Tricky • Hard–ish • Quite A Challenge YOU WILL NEED • 40cm square piece of cotton or linen – we used a linen-mix fabric in turquoise • One piece of matching felt • Strong craft glue • One chain-link necklace • Small cutting pliers • Matching thread • Needle • Scissors 1 Cut a 4cm-diameter circular template from a piece of cardboard. Use it to cut five circles from felt and 50 circles from fabric. 2 Fold one of the fabric circles in half and repeat twice more, then scrunch in your hand to create a frilled effect. 3 Open up the fabric circle. Pass a needle and thread through the centre back of one felt circle then through the centre of a fabric…

The shampoo… Aveda Blue Malva Shampoo, £31, aveda.co.uk ‘I used to use this years ago when I was very blonde and had forgotten how nice it was. It has a gorgeous, slightly almond-like fragrance and it lathered up brilliantly. After each use it cooled the warmer tones in my hair. A very good product.’ The conditioner… Osmo Silverising Conditioner, £7.99, sallyexpress.com ‘A nice product with a pleasant fragrance, it left my hair very well conditioned and easy to comb through after I’d washed it – especially as being curly it can get very knotty.’ The styler… White Hot Shooshing Crème, £13 ‘I didn’t like this styling product and it didn’t suit my hair at all. My hair is very fine and this…

Test 1: Split ends Take a chunk of hair and tightly twist it down to the ends in a corkscrew. Check out your split ends, which will be sticking out of the sides and see what type of fray you have from our handy guide. THE PROBLEM There are many causes of split ends, from using the wrong brush, to heat styling and a lack of essential fatty acids from nuts and seeds, which help to stick the ends of your hair together. Longer hair tends to be more prone to splitting simply because it has been weathered for longer. THE FIx The only proper cure for split ends is to cut them off, especially if you tick off the triple ( B) – see above – or tree (…

1 Cleanse Proper cleansing is the secret to healthy, gorgeous skin, so make sure you give your face a thorough wash morning and evening. Skip face wipes, no matter how much of a hurry you’re in, and opt for a lightweight cleanser that is suitable for removing eye make-up, like micellar water. HOW MUCH DO I NEED? A few splashes on a cotton-wool pad. WE LOVE Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, £4.99 2 Cleanse, again! Trust us, a double cleanse will make a huge difference to your skin. While the first cleanse will clear surface dirt and impurities, the second cleanse goes deeper to really clear out your pores. Spend a minute massaging in a rich cleansing balm or cream in circular motions, focusing on the chin, nose and forehead, which…

The mani- in-a-can A spray nail polish sounds like a recipe for disaster (for your carpet at least!) but actually Nails Inc Paint Can, £10, nailsinc.com, aims to help the less steady-handed among us. Here’s how it works. Apply a base coat and wait for it to dry. Cover the surface you’re working on and spray the can on to the nail area. Wait for it to dry and apply top coat. Once this is dry, wash your hands with warm soapy water to get rid of any excess on your skin and you should be left with perfectly polished nails. THE VERDICT  ‘This was a little difficult to control – you need to spray fast and have nicely manicured nails. After you have applied the top coat and washed…

With Gardening Editor Adrienne • You can buy soft fruit bushes and strawberry plants from garden centres now that will soon be bulging with ripening fruits. You don’t have to dedicate an area to grow them – in a small garden, simply dot them through your flower beds and make use of boundary walls. • Sweet peas are well worth growing. They look very effective when grown on canes or sticks arranged as an obelisk, either in pots or garden borders. The cut blooms also last well in a vase. • The scent of marigolds is disliked by most pests and so will nurse ailing plants. It also enhances the growth and flavour of most crops grown with it, plus the roots produce a chemical which repels nematodes, making it…

One You If you struggle to achieve a healthy lifestyle, a new online quiz could tell you how you’re doing, and provide practical tips for change. Public Health England says living healthily in midlife can double our chances of being healthy at 70 and beyond, but around 40% of deaths are linked to habits such as eating too much unhealthy food, drinking more alcohol than recommended, smoking and not being active. Take the ‘How are you?’ quiz at nhs.uk/oneyou. True Or False? Going grey is written in our genes. True, according to international researchers who have identified a gene that affects hair follicle behaviour. But although some families seem to go grey early, greying is probably triggered by a mixture of several genes and environmental factors, such as smoking and…

George has the world’s least knobbly knees Who’d have thought it? No trips to the pictures since, well, pretty much The Sound Of Music and then suddenly two come along at once. Mr Dear has suddenly developed a late enthusiasm for the cinema, especially on Monday afternoons, when nobody else seems to go. You might remember, a few weeks ago, that he took me to see Dad’s Army as a wedding anniversary ‘treat’. Well, here we are again and this is much more like it. I don’t know whether Mr Dear is enjoying himself, but I’m in cinematic clover: it’s not often that a woman of my age gets to stare at George Clooney’s knees. If you ask me, not enough has been written about George’s knees. People have swooned…

Paint Job B&Q came into our press centre to showcase their new paint collections and lots of clever ways to use the fab colours. Look at our feature on page 30 for inspiring paint ideas for your home. Footwear Pile-up Funnily enough, this shoe-shop window in Shoreditch caught my eye. I wonder why! Doggie Double-take Last week, we introduced you to needle-felting. This week, I visited my lovely cousin and what do you know? She had found this amazing needle-felted doppelganger for her lovable Tibetan Terrier, Buddy. Buddy looks unimpressed, but I thought it was brilliant! To make sure you never miss your monthly copy of Woman’s Weekly Fiction Special , packed full of stories by all your favourite authors, subscribe from just £9.99*and save up to…

Get involved Macmillan Cancer Support’s Outrun If you need extra motivation to get fit this May, sign up to Macmillan’s Outrun fundraiser. The month-long event lets participants set their own fitness challenge to raise money for people affected by cancer. Whether you want to run five miles or 50, on the treadmill or in the park, the terms are up to you. Simply sign up, and make sure you complete your challenge within the month of May. To get involved for free, call 0300 100 0200 or visit out-run.org.uk Reminisce Steam On The Dock It’s been a long since Victorian jostled for space Liverpool’s But from 6-8 May Albert Dock will alive with the puff of old steamboats as part of a steam rally to celebrate the area’s industrial heritage.…

The Look What I Made , featuring Leo the Lion [8 March], reminded me of my mum, Margaret, who used to read your magazine. Every week, she’d tackle the craft make inside; tea cosies, jumpers, blankets, she made them all. But my favourite creation, Leo the Lion, used to stand guard outside the door to her lounge. He looked more like a bear than a lion, but I adored him – just like my sons after me. Here he is, pictured with Mickey the Monkey (another WW pattern, I assume). Many years later, he still takes pride of place in my own living room. I’ll never give him away. He’s a part of the family now. Sue Matthews, Birchencliffe, Huddersfield • Thank you for sharing your memories, Sue. We love…

I may have mentioned before that my job, on paper, is pretty strange. Most of the time I don’t think about this, but when I find myself pondering, for example, the subtleties of the language of tickling (the heavy, laughter-inducing kind, is called ‘gargalesis’, and the itchy kind ‘knismesis’, should you ever need to know), I do realise how quirky a lexicographer’s life can be. Last week’s line of research was drinking, which had me marvelling at just how lush the drunken lexicon really is (over 2,000 synonyms for being blootered, it turns out). This week, it was underwear. It all started innocently enough. A Countdown viewer asked why the idea of a man in suspenders – common enough in the US – can inspire such hilarity over here. Suspenders,…

I don’t know why Linda has suddenly popped into my head, out of the blue Two little girls look up at me. I smile at their skinny legs and lumpy ties, and at the half-excited, half-scared look on their faces on what I think must have been their first day at secondary school. It’s hard to believe that’s us, my twin sister Barbara and me, but it is. The hems on our second-hand uniforms are all thick and wonky where Mum has tried to turn them up. She never was much good at sewing, but she liked to buy everything a size or two too big, so the hems had to be shortened, like it or not. It was so we could grow into things, she always used to say.…

If you’re dark-haired… ‘Ideally, you really need to start growing out the colour and have a good amount of regrowth. Then we would apply lowlights (darker pieces) at the roots to break it up so the colour looks more ‘blended’, thus enabling the grey to grow through.’ If you’re fair-haired… ‘You’re one of the lucky ones! It’s very easy as you can carry on having highlights and start adding ‘ashy’ tones, which in theory are flattering on most skin tones.’ How much regrowth do I need before going to the salon? ‘Two to three inches is a good starting point. If you’re very grey and colouring your hair dark, go for a very decent haircut to get rid of existing colour and get to your target shade, naturally grey, quicker.…

My mum went grey in her thirties and has coloured her hair ever since. Of the many wonderful (obviously!) characteristics of hers that I’ve inherited, greying hair is among them. My brunette barnet has been steadily greying since my early forties. But unlike my mum, I intend to embrace my grey and look forward to the day when I can look as stylish as friends and colleagues, Lifestyle Ed Jayne included, who have fantastic fully grey hair. However, that day has not yet come and, as my hair changes from dark to white, it looks neither stylish or fantastic. It looks scrubby and dull. So, for the past 10 years or so, I’ve been working with my lovely hairdresser to move my colour (mostly) gradually from dark, through to blonde…

Hardy perennial pinks perfectly proportioned for the front of sunny borders where their mounds of silvery-green foliage remain evergreen throughout the year. These varieties are Award of Garden Merit winners, you’ll receive three of each. Height 30cm. Plus get a pair of snips, handy for cutting fresh flowers for indoor arrangements. Collection includes 1. Gran’s Favourite 2. Doris 3. Cosmic Swirl 4. Cranmere Pool 5. Letitia Wyatt Dwarf Lavatera ‘Barnsley Baby’ Lavatera ‘Barnsley Baby’ is perfect for patio containers and small gardens. Once established, this tough little mallow needs little maintenance and will even tolerate short periods of drought. Height: 75cm (30in). Spread: 60cm (24in). Supplied as a 7cm potted plant. Buy 1 + GET 1 FREE for £9.98 (TCB62010) Buy 2 + GET 2 FREE for £15.98 (TCB62011) Begonia…

1 Primer Once your SPF has soaked in, primer is the next step. Look for one with extra skin-loving benefits. Generally speaking, green formulas help to counteract redness, while lilac shades lift sallow skin. HOW TO APPLY Dot a raisin-sized drop on to your fingertip and gently rub in across the whole face. Too much and it flakes under foundation. WE LOVE Collection Primed & Ready Reviving & Anti-Fatigue Illuminating Primer, £4.99 2 Concealer Look for a creamy, opaque concealer one shade lighter than your natural skin tone to brighten dark circles and even out your complexion. Apply where you see most darkness, eg, under-eye circles, age spots or redness around the nose. HOW TO APPLY Pat in concealer with EcoTools Bamboo Deluxe Concealer Brush, £5.49, as close to the…

Knitting Editor, Teresa These cute colour-block sweaters are worked mainly in stocking stitch with a contrast double rib hem and cuff and a single rib neck. Easy-peasy A Bit MoreTricky Hard–ishQuite AChallenge MEASUREMENTS To fit ages 3-4 (5-6) (7-8) (9-10) years. Actual measurements 70 (76) (82) (88) cm/27½ (30) (32¼) (34½) in. Side seam 23.5 (27) (31.5) (34) cm/9¼ (10½) (12½) (13¼) in. Length to shoulder 37.5 (42) (47.5) (52) cm/14¾ (16½) (18¾) (20½) in. Sleeve seam 27 (31) (35) (39) cm/ 10½ (12¼) (13¾) (15½) in. MATERIALS 5 (6) (7) (8) 50g (125m) balls of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino (55% wool, 33% acrylic, 12% cashmere) in Duck Egg (26) or Acid Yellow (91) and 3 (3) (4) (4) balls in Lipstick Pink (78) or Duck Egg (26)*. Pair of…

ABOUT OUR TUTORS Clockwise, from right to left: Gaynor Davies is our Fiction Editor and Fiction Special Editor. Della Galton is a novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Simon Brett has written over 90 books and is an award-winning author. Alison Chisholm is a tutor who has had hundreds of poems published. Come along to one or our fiction-writing workshops in London. You can learn how to write fiction or poetry in a friendly and supportive atmosphere. For an enjoyable day out, book your place now by phone or by coupon! Writing A Short Story With A Twist • Friday 8 July and Friday 28 October With Gaynor and Della 10am MEET AND GREET, with tea and coffee 10.30am TALK Writing for the Woman’s Weekly audience 11am TALK Dos and don’ts…

Up to a third of women ‘leak’ occasionally , and over three million regularly experience urinary incontinence (UI), especially as we get older. But we tend not to talk about it, even to our doctors, which is a shame as it can often be cured, or made easier to cope with. The bladder Our bladders gradually fill until our nervous systems tell us they need emptying and control the process, ideally, when it’s convenient. When we pass urine, our bladder wall (detrusor) muscle contracts, while the outlet sphincter (valve), supported by our pelvic-floor muscles, relaxes and urine flows down our urethral pipes. Types of incontinence An overactive bladder (OAB) makes us feel like we need to urinate long before it’s full. The signals become stronger and harder to resist so…

This could be both a physical and a mental problem Q I’ve suffered from backache for years. I am generally able to manage it, but there are times when it’s laid me low for a while. My children asked me if I’d like to go on a cycling holiday with them and I said yes. I hadn’t cycled for a bit so thought I’d give it a try. I hadn’t realised that my hips were so bad, as I couldn’t get my leg over the bar in the middle. I’m so upset that I’m in this state. I don’t want to tell my family as they will see me as ‘an old croc’ and I don’t feel like one, even if I am physically compromised. Andrea, Edinburgh A Ageing isn’t…

Where I went Perched on the south-eastern coast of the island, this quiet fishing village is located about 33 miles east of Palma. What I did We took long, leisurely walks along the coast, through Mondragó Natural Park, discovering secret beaches and secluded pine forests. We also hired a car and drove to Felanitx – about five miles west – on market day, the stalls teem with local produce, jewellery, pottery and clothing. On another day, we visited Palma and the beautiful cathedral and old town, which is full of interesting medieval nooks and crannies. Where I stayed As we were visiting off-season, we were lucky to get reasonable rates at the four-star Blau Porto Petro, which has a wonderful spa offering treatments, and a steam room, sauna and fantastic…

Q How can I tempt my children to play with real toys rather than just computer games? Toymakers and computer companies have been trying to bridge the gap between the virtual and physical worlds with educational games and toys that interact with computers to create engaging ways of promoting both ‘real’ play and computer skills. Toy figures from popular comics and TV series are getting their own computer games, so kids can play with the figures both in reality and on screen. Disney’s Infinity has a huge collection of figurines from Star Wars , Marvel and many others, which can be placed in a base connected to a games console. The character then appears in a game based on their films, or can be pitted against any other character (Spider-man…

Rewire a plug 1 Use a screwdriver to loosen the large screw in the centre of the plug and remove the cover. Position the flex (appliance’s lead) on to the open plug then remove the right amount of the white plastic sheathing, so that the plastic cord clamp at the bottom of the plug grips the sheathing. 2 Cut the conductors to the right length. Blue = neutral, and always goes in the left-hand terminal. Yellow/green = earth, and goes central. Brown = live, and connects to the fuse using the right-hand terminal. Twist the bared wires of the conductors to form a wire and push them into the terminals by loosening the screw and pushing the wire under it, then retightening the screw. 3 Tighten the cord clamp to…

ANGELA FOSTER Les Misérables… It was fabulous! My husband surprised me with a trip to London for my 50th birthday. HILARY MORGAN The Book Of Mormon on Boxing Day. Brilliant! HELEN M SMITH Singin’ In The Rain by the Ripon Amateur Operatic Society – it was fantastic What a magical way to spend an evening. Wicked Wit ‘You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die, or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live now.’ Joan Baez, singer ELAINE PANNELL Gangsta Granny with my granddaughter on Friday evening. She adores the books, and I love David Walliams. What a funny man.…

Classic Lasagne Al Forno Serves 8 Calories 495 Fat 20g Saturated fat 10g Suitable for freezing FOR THE FILLING: • 1kg (2 1/4 lb) braising steak, diced • 1 medium onion • 1 celery stick • 1 medium carrot • 3 garlic cloves • 2tbsp light olive oil • 100ml (3 1/2 fl oz) dry white wine (optional) • 300ml ( 1/2 pt) beef stock • 400g (14oz) tomato passata • Sprig of thyme • Handful of fresh basil leaves FOR THE BECHAMEL  SAUCE: • 900ml (1 1/2 pt) skimmed milk • 2 whole cloves • 1 bay leaf •1/2 a small onion • 60g (2oz) unsalted butter • 60g (2oz) plain flour • 90g (3oz) Parmesan cheese, finely grated • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, plus extra to top…

Protect grey hair There’s nothing like the feeling of those warm golden rays beaming down on your (SPF-covered, of course!) skin. Sadly, grey hair doesn’t feel the same way. Because there is less melanin (the pigment that gives hair its colour) in grey hair, it can be more susceptible to sun damage and yellowing. Wear a hat when you can and use a product with built-in SPF. Sachajuan Hair In The Sun, £20, feelunique.com , contains a UV filter that protects grey (and coloured) hair, and stays in even after you’ve showered. Work it into wet hair after washing or use as a styling product on dry hair to keep your ’do in place. ‘I don’t always use a conditioner, but as…

I was 43 and pregnant with my son, Gabriel, when the first serious grey hairs appeared in my side fringe. I remember I quite liked it. My hair was dark brown and I found it an interesting change – and I didn’t even think about trying to cover it up. Over the next 18 months, my hair became grey all over. It was as if I’d blinked and I was silver-grey. Well, the top was grey. but underneath was still pretty dark. In fact, I had more grey than my mum and about the same amount of grey as my older brother. It was a family joke that we were greyer than our mum. I’ve always had thick hair with a natural wave of its own and that hasn’t changed…

The shampoo… Andrew Barton Protect My Colour Shampoo, £3.60, Asda ‘This shampoo was smooth and had a delicate smell. I found shampooing twice worked best and really got a great lather the second time around. After using this shampoo my hair felt very smooth and clean. In fact, it’s one of the best shampoos I’ve used.’ The hair dye… Clairol Nice’N Easy Permanent Hair Colour, £5.99 ‘This is my favourite hair colour (9G Light Golden Beach Blonde). It’s easy to use and covers all my grey really well. The conditioner enclosed keeps hair in great nick, too.’ The glosser… Colour Wow Pop & Lock Crystallite Shellac, £14, feelunique.com ‘I was very pleased with this product. It can be used on wet or dry hair but I…

The flawless fake tan… St Tropez Self Tan Classic Lotion, £20.43 ‘I couldn’t get through summer without St Tropez (the product, not the place). I never lie in the sun any more, but I hate looking pale and pasty. My top tip is to mix this with a moisturiser. It’s the perfect way to make sure a) you don’t end up overdoing it (bronzed good, orange bad!) and b) you avoid streaks.’ Editor , Diane The perfect summer scent… Escada Agua Del Sol Eau de Toilette, £26, theperfume  shop.com ‘Someone bought me this for my birthday and now it’s my go-to summer fragrance. It’s a lovely, exotic, fruity smell that really reminds me of sipping cocktails on the beach. It really is a holiday in a bottle!’ Senior…

Resembling a mini florist carnation, easy-care dianthus – which we call ‘pinks’ because the serrated edges to the petals look as though they have been cut with pinking shears – are tougher and will survive outside in all but the wettest of winters and heavy, sticky clay. They can be relied on to thrive when given a sunny spot, preferably with limy soil and lots of drainage. There are literally thousands of cultivars that have been sought after and grown by gardeners for many hundreds of years. It’s not surprising therefore, to find that pinks, also known as gillyflowers, have remained a stalwart of rockeries and traditional cottage borders, where regular deadheading keeps them blooming until the frosts. Today they are also a hot favourite for planting in pots around…

‘The key is to make exercise fun’ Having worked with young people as a PE teacher, I often wondered about doing something similar for the older generation. I knew that everyone could benefit from exercise but there wasn’t a lot that catered specifically for older people. Spotting a gap in the market, I knew I had the skills and knowledge to offer exercise classes for the increasing number of over-sixties. So two years ago I devised – and started teaching – classes in local community centres working with Age UK and St Giles Hospice. I needed to plan for varying abilities so the training programme is based around FABS – Flexibility, Aerobic, Balance and Strength. The routines are safe, effective and accessible to everyone. I also provide chair-based exercises for…

Aries 21 March - 20 April It feels wonderful to be rewarded for your hard work and expertise. Moving ahead with a health initiative will bring rapid results. It’s a good time to improve your diet, take more exercise and get more sleep. Taking care of your body gives you an attractive glow that’s hard to resist. For more, call 0901 609 2591* Taurus 21 April - 21 May Spending time with the people you love and doing the things you enjoy will bring you lots of pleasure. If you’re not in love, you soon will be. A charismatic newcomer will work hard to win your heart. Do you have a partner? Don’t be surprised if they have an unexpected suggestion. For more, call 0901 609 2592* Gemini 22 May…