Innholdsfortegnelse for 10-Jan-2017 i Woman's Weekly

Welcome to 2017! I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping that this year will be less turbulent than the last one. A little bit of calm and stability wouldn’t go amiss, would it? Along with a healthy helping of good news, thank you very much. To start off in that vein, we’re excited to announce that our back catalogue of much-loved Woman’s Weekly knitting patterns has a new home – theknittingnetwork.co.uk is where you’ll find not just all our most popular patterns, but the yarn, needles and hooks to make them, too. See page 46 and don’t forget to send us pictures of whatever you make. It’s also exciting for me to have a special reason to be looking forward to this new year. My wonderful elder daughter is getting…

Aries 21 Mar - 20 Apr This week it’s important to take time out. Give yourself permission just to do nothing. Taurus 21 Apr - 21 May You may receive some good news about a job or a project, especially if it’s something you have been working towards for some time. Gemini 22 May - 21 Jun Your finances are in the spotlight this week. What do you need to change? Ask yourself and then take action. Cancer 22 Jun - 23 Jul The full moon in your sign will shine a light on everything that is and isn’t working for you. Relationships that are not working may come to a head. Leo 24 Jul - 23 Aug Something or someone from your past may come to light. This is…

This week’s columnist: Radio and TV broadcaster Chris Tarrant Winter and everybody’s thoughts usually turn to snowmen, frost and roaring log fires, but, for me, winter always means nudity. Perhaps I’d better explain. Several years ago on a not particularly mild winter day, I was sent as a rather lightweight investigative reporter to find out what it was like to be in a nudist camp in cold weather. Apparently there was a headline claiming that nudist camps were busier over the winter holidays than at any other time of the year. We found this rather extraordinary. I had always assumed that scampering about in the nude was very much a pastime for the English summer months, but apparently, the really devoted naturists find nothing more pleasurable than scampering about in…

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On an unrelated matter, Jim,” Kerry says, twinkling, “I think that Rose likes you.” She’s unclipping her microphone, looking as though Jim’s interview segment is over and this is just side-talk, small talk. She’s catching him off guard. “Unrelated,” she continues, “except, hey, you’re all writing love songs, right? Have I noticed Rose looking at you? D’you think there’s something there?” Kerry is sitting off-camera asking the questions. She watches Jim’s cheeks turn mottled pink. He’s a redhead, and it’s not a great colour combo for telly – the hair and the skin – but his blush is enough for week two, and the camera guy nods to say he’s got it. Kerry’s pretty sure that Jim isn’t going to say anything about fancying Rose, at least not today. “No…

Drop The Drops? A contact lens containing medication has been developed by US researchers. They say it could deliver a more reliable, continuous drug supply and be more effective than eye drops for conditions such as glaucoma, where raised eyeball pressure can cause blindness. If you currently struggle with eye drops, ask your pharmacist about technique, drop-dispensing aids, and keeping them in the fridge – the cold sensation can tell you when you’ve put them in correctly. True Or False? Tea parties can make us feel better. True, according to the charity Contact the Elderly, who say one in four socially-isolated older people who attends their parties makes fewer visits to their GPs. To be a guest or volunteer, visit contact-the-elderly.org.uk or call for free on 0800 716 543. Home…

It’s best to clear the air Q I’m living abroad at the moment and came back to the UK for a visit. A friend kindly invited us to stay for a couple of nights. The week before, they asked us to go to a concert with them. I said it was unlikely we’d make it in time as we had to travel down from the other side of the country. They said not to worry as we could all just go to the main act. I contacted them a couple of days before to confirm our time of arrival and they said they’d decided to go to the supporting act at the concert so they couldn’t have us to stay that night after all. I was furious as we hadn’t…

‘We love working together. We’re like real sisters’ Back in the 90s, when the Battersby family first appeared on Coronation Street, they didn’t receive the warmest of welcomes. Leanne and Toyah, played by Jane Danson, 38, and Georgia Taylor, 36, turned out to be light-fingered, loud-mouthed Spice Girl wannabes and the Battersbys rapidly became the most-hated household on TV – widely dubbed ‘the neighbours from hell’. Yet we soon took to dysfunctional parents Janice (Vicky Entwistle) and Les (Bruce Jones) and developed a soft spot for their disruptive daughters. Since then, of course, Jane and Georgia’s careers have flourished. Jane’s appeared in The Bill and Always And Everyone, while Georgia’s starred in Life On Mars and Casualty. And now, after 16 years, the pair have been reunited on the cobbles…

1 I won’t pay over the odds on my mortgage Mortgage rates are at an all-time low, with the average two-year fixed deal now hitting less than 2.5%, and some homeowners paying as little as 1% – yet thousands more are still paying 4-5%. If you’re at a stage of life where your mortgage payments feel affordable, it’s easy not to notice that you’re paying far more than you need to, but with this type of borrowing, a few per cent makes a big difference: on a £250,000 loan, interest of 4.74% means monthly payments of £1,424, but cut the interest rate to 1%, and payments drop to £941, saving £5,796 a year. And you can save even more if you stick with the same payment and so pay the…

Pin-up. In her mid-fifties. That's Nicola Griffin. She's doing for older women what Sophie Dahl did for curvy girls in the 1990s: fighting the archetypal model look – the twenty-something waif – and successfully (and stylishly, we might add) representing women of all ages, shapes and sizes. So what does it take to be a fifty-something plus-size model? Tell us about how you came to be a mature model… I was standing in the queue at my local bank. A hairdresser approached me from the company White Hot Hair and invited me to be a part of their shampoo campaign. After that, a model agency contacted me – that was when things really started to take off for me and it was beyond my wildest dreams what was to come.…

Cheesy Broccoli & Pea Three-Grain Risotto 1 Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan and fry the onion for a few mins. 2 Add the garlic and grains. Pour in half the stock and simmer for 10 mins, stirring from time to time. 3 Add the rest of the stock, ricotta, broccoli, peas and pesto. Simmer for 10 more mins, stirring from time to time, until the grains are tender and the liquid has absorbed. Scatter over some basil leaves to serve. Why Is It Healthy? We've used Riso Gallo 3 Grains – containing Italian rice, spelt and pearl barley – because it's a brilliant source of fibre. This helps to ensure a healthy digestive system. Lentil & Roasted…

Knitting Editor Teresa Our vintage-inspired cardigan has been reworked in a merino yarn with traditional cable panels and a deep rib edge to give it a retro style. The vivid modern shade shows off the detail perfectly. Easy-peasy A Bit More Tricky Hard–ish Quite A Challenge MEASUREMENTS To fit bust sizes 81-86 (91-97) (102-107) (112-117) (122-127) cm/32-34 (36-38) (40-42) (44-46) (48-50) in. Actual measurements 98 (108) (118) (128) (138) cm/38½ (42½) (46½) (50½) (54½) in. Side seam All sizes 39cm/15½in. Length to shoulder 57 (58) (59) (60) (62) cm/22½ (23) (23¼) (23½) (24½) in. Sleeve seam All sizes 43cm/17in. MATERIALS 14 (15) (16) (18) (19) 50g (116m) balls of Sublime Extra Fine Merino Wool DK (100% wool) in Sunday (349)*. Pair of 3¼mm (No.10) and 4mm (No.8) knitting needles; a…

FOODS THAT ARE WORTH BUYING ORGANIC Wholemeal Bread Many people have bread as part of their daily diet and may be shocked to learn a report found almost two-thirds of loaves tested contained glyphosate, a pesticide used in crop farming. And, while many choose wholemeal as a healthy option, this type of bread may be most affected because it contains more of the wheat grain. Nutritionist Kim Pearson (kim-pearson.com) says we should all be very concerned. ‘A 2015 report by the World Health Organisation concluded that glyphosate is ‘probably carcinogenic’, meaning it has the potential to cause cancer,’ she says. ‘Research published since suggests there is no safe level of glyphosate in food, but if you’re eating non-organic wholemeal bread, the chances are you’re consuming it.’ Coffee According to the…

‘Some ladies manage to carry off the blotchy look. Deb is not one of them’ Sometimes I think my life is turning into a Jane Austen novel. It’s rather a low-budget affair with no carriages, no stately piles in the country and – worst of all – no Mr Darcy emerging from the garden pond in his smalls. But we seem to have more than our fair share of heaving bosoms and fluttering eyelids. Is this entirely decent, I wonder, for people of our age? Just look at the events of the past year. For a start, my friend Wendy married what I suppose in the age of Jane Austen would have been the squire. There is definitely something going on, although I wouldn’t like to say quite what, between…

‘It’s taken me a long time to accept that I can’t see. I felt hopeless at first’ Penny Buykx arrives for our interview after a morning in the kitchen, rustling up trays of apple crumble, cherry crumble and a large batch of brownies (recipe below). In the next year or two, if all goes to plan, this blonde, brown-eyed woman with a beaming smile will be running her own small business in Sheffield, where she lives, called Penny’s Bakery, its shelves piled high with her cakes and bakes. An adventure that would be an achievement for anyone, but even more so for Penny. As the youngest of four sisters growing up in Norfolk, it’s hard to imagine a lovelier childhood, infused, as it was, with ‘unconditional love’ and the comforting…

‘I now draw every day. It has become as natural a part of my daily routine as cleaning my teeth’ It occurred to me recently that something was lacking in my life – fun. Life had become clogged up with work and domestic concerns, and I needed to start doing something just for me. What did that mean, exactly? I thought about the things I yearned to do, and how I might fit them into my life. As soon as I made space for the fun stuff, my mood lifted and I felt more dynamic, far happier… and even younger. The activities I'd started to enjoy were all reminiscent of my childhood. From drawing pictures to hula-hooping, I was rediscovering these joyful pursuits. Almost by accident, I'd learned to play…

Look Fabulous Forever Fabulous Conceal, £18.50, ( lookfabulousforever.com) I love this concealer because it is incredibly creamy and blends my age spots very well. They disappear instantly and it doesn’t feel too thick on my face. Nars Light-Reflecting Loose Setting Powder, £27 This lets my skin shine through my make-up. It enhances the dewy look of my foundation and my skin glows. Look Fabulous Forever Fabulous Base, £24.50 This gives me a fresh look throughout the day. I love the way it evens out my skin to look flawless. It feels very light and delicate on my face. Look Fabulous Forever Fabulous Blush in Rosy Glow, £18.50 The blush is extremely easy to apply. The rose colour brings my face alive. Again, this dewy fresh-faced look is something I love.…

The new Choosing Wisely UK campaign, recently launched by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, aims to support patients and doctors in making better decisions about care, based on the best available evidence. In one recent survey, 82% of doctors said they had prescribed, or carried out a treatment which they knew to be unnecessary, mainly because of patient pressure or expectations. But this may expose us to useless, harmful, or wasteful treatments, so the campaign wants us to have fully-informed conversations with our doctors (see tips box for questions to ask). How could this affect you? Many of the campaign’s recommendations (see choosingwisely.co.uk for the full list) cover common medical conditions – for example, it says tap water is as good as sterile saline solution for cleaning cuts and…

‘I use hypnosis purely as a physical treatment’ IBS is the most challenging of all intestinal disorders – and the one that medics are least interested in. Unlike conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, there are no clear, effective treatments. It’s a matter of trial and error – because everyone is different – and this puts many doctors off. While symptoms aren’t life-threatening they can be life-damaging (more than a third of those affected admit they have contemplated suicide). Yet patients are told there’s nothing wrong with them or, ‘It’s just irritable bowel’. I find looking after IBS patients very rewarding because usually no one else has taken them seriously. Many GPs simply refuse to refer patients to specialists so, sadly, I tend to only see the most persistent.…

This Week EMMA WARNER-REED is a qualified lawyer, legal academic and author. She’s our expert on law. Our Experts • Appliances • Internet • Digital • Animals • Finance/ consumer • Legal Q I’m being made redundant. What are my rights? Your employer may decide that you are no longer needed at work for many reasons. It could be because their business is failing, or because of a company relocation or reorganisation; your employer may be moving into a new line of business, or introducing new technology that means your job is no longer necessary. Whatever the reason, if you are being made redundant, you have certain rights: • You should be consulted, either individually or through a union or workplace representative. • The company should have considered alternatives to…