Innholdsfortegnelse for 22-May-2018 i Woman's Weekly

Last spring, I went to Epping Forest with a friend to hunt for a rumoured glade of bluebells. Having no notion of where it was, I’m embarrassed to admit we thought we might be able to type ‘bluebell wood’ into Google Maps and find our way using our smartphones. We were slightly at a loss when it became clear that this was not realistic! Eventually, we managed to find it, thanks to poetic verbal directions from a solitary walker (who, in hindsight, we thought might have been a wood nymph). Our adventure had such a sweet reward when we wandered into the most magical scene I have ever beheld. It’s so sad to hear that such beautiful sights are under threat, but read about how we can all do our…

• It's well known that roses and lavender are used in perfume, but did you know they make a delicious teatime delicacy? Try rose petal jelly on homemade scones, or crystallize the petals to decorate iced buns. Make meringues with lavender-flavoured sugar, or make lavender oil to baste barbecued chicken. • Just as sweet peppers have different flavours (orange cultivars are sweeter than red ones, and green ones have a level of bitterness) so too do chillies. Suttons.co.uk offer both mild and fiery plants that can be grown in pots. Remove blanket from your pond by twirling a garden cane in the centre of it and dragging it out of the water. Leave it on the side, so that young frogs and other creatures can climb out.…

We love letters Woman’s Weekly, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP PS. It really helps when you put your details in capitals We do not return photos (apart from ‘You Wore It Well) 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! If you’d like updates on wonderful project ideas, video tutorials and all the latest about our upcoming craft workshops, it’s simple to subscribe to the Woman’s Weekly newsletter. • The sign-up box is easy to find on the home page of our website. Just pop in your email address. womansweekly.com Important! All contributions to Woman’s Weekly must be original and NOT duplicated…

Aries 21 Mar – 20 Apr The stars promise a busy week full of opportunities. You may find yourself spoiled for choice! Taurus 21 Apr – 21 May This is an excellent time to start a new health regime. You might go on a diet or start going to the gym. Gemini 22 May – 21 Jun You’re trying to accomplish too much per day. Pace yourself, take breaks and you’ll achieve more. Cancer 22 Jun – 23 Jul This is a wonderful time for exploring new work possibilities, perhaps even self-employment. Leo 24 Jul – 23 Aug Need to have a difficult conversation or send an important email? Your argument will be well received now. Virgo 24 Aug – 23 Sep Give yourself plenty of ‘me time’ so you…

Recently, I read about a Scottish island with a population of 15, which is desperate for people to move there. Of course, once you’d answered the call, you could forget about popping to Waitrose, the upside being that you’d never have to queue again, except possibly for the three-times-a-week ferry to the mainland. Ever since Billy-no-mates Wordsworth wandered lonely as a cloud among the daffs, there’s been a tendency to hanker after pastoral P&Q, communing with nature, the local wildlife and your own deeply interesting thoughts. I took this to the next level recently when I visited a friend on a farm, agreeing to ‘muck in’ when requested. A cinch , I thought. I lived on a farm until I was 7, making mud pies and running about barefoot…well, for…

• Broadway Arts Festival Broadway, Cotswolds Arts, workshops and theatre. 8-17 June broadwayartsfestival.com • Cropredy Festival Cropredy, Oxfordshire Folk and rock. 9-11 August fairportconvention.com • Cornbury Music Festival Great Tew Park, Oxfordshire Music, as well as food from the Hairy Bikers! 13-15 July cornburyfestival.com • Proms at St Jude's Hampstead, London Music and literary festival. 23 June-1 July promsatstjudes.org.uk • Twinwood Bedford, Bedfordshire Music and dance. 24-27 August twinwoodevents.com • WOMAD Charlton Park, Wiltshire World music, food and arts. 26-29 July womad.co.uk • Cambridge Folk Festival Cherry Hinton Hall Folk artists, blues and more. 2-5 August cambridgelivetrust.co.uk/folk-festival • Underneath The Stars Cawthorne, South Yorkshire Music and arts. 20-22 July underthestarsfest.co.uk…

The knitting NETWORK  Get 10% off your next order at theknittingnetwork.co.uk To claim your discount, enter code WWSPORT at the checkout. Terms and conditions One use per customer. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion. Offer ends 10 July 2018. Knitting Editor Teresa A great project to make in time for Father’s Day, this sporty sweater is light and airy with an openwork stitch that is ideal for the summer months. The sleeves are raglan and the polo-style ribbed collar and front bands are attached to the neckline. A Bit More Tricky Instructions overleaf MEASUREMENTS To fit chest 91 (97) (102) (107) (112) (117) cm/36 (38) (40) (42) (44) (46) in. Actual measurements 98 (104) (109.5) (115) (121) (126.5) cm/38½ (41) (43) (45¼) (47½) (49¾) in. Side seam…

When we’re worried about our health, we naturally want the best help, as quickly as possible. We visit the doctor for many reasons – uncomfortable or alarming symptoms, knowledge or fears, pressure from others, or because our health is affecting our relationships or work. Waits for appointments, complaints about engaged phone lines and visits to emergency departments are often in the news. But we don’t always need a doctor, and the way we use the NHS can help it to provide a better service when resources are limited. Why are we so short of GP appointments? Better treatments, screening programmes, health scares and the internet are driving us to seek medical care more often. And our ageing population means that more of us are living longer with multiple long-term conditions…

‘Homeopathy helped my hay fever’ My symptoms reached a peak in summer 2016, when I had to cancel our family holiday to Scotland. I’d become virtually housebound. As soon as I stepped outside, I was struggling to breathe, on the verge of an asthma attack, my nose was dripping and my respiratory system was in overdrive. It was frightening. My GP recommended cancelling our trip because we were going somewhere rural, which would have made my symptoms dangerously worse. It was the right decision, but I felt I’d spoilt the summer. I’d been diagnosed in 2009 with tree pollen-triggered hay fever, which caused asthma symptoms. I was given a steroid inhaler, and that kept things under control for a few years. But the UK had lots of floods in 2015,…

Worrying: manage your fears 0904 470 0716 Concerned about memory loss? 0904 470 0717 When your children leave home 0904 470 0831 How to cope with ageing parents 0904 470 0719 Coming to terms with loss and grief 0904 470 0804 How to banish your empty feelings 0904 470 0802 Users must be over 18. You must have the bill payer’s permission. BT calls cost 65p per minute at all times. Calls from other networks may be higher. Each line lasts approx. seven minutes. Service provider: Spoke Ltd, 0333 202 3390…

Our Experts • Appliances • Internet • Digital • Animals • Finance/ consumer • Legal This Week SARAH BEE is a social media professional who’s here to answer your questions on how tech can help QI’m starting my own business – any tips? First of all, have a look at the government site gov.uk. Go to the ‘Business and self-employed’ section (gov. uk/browse/business) and read up thoroughly. The site has won awards for its clarity and usability, so it’ll reassure you that yes, this is something you can do. Q When I sell at markets, can I take card payments? Certainly. In my other life as a bartender at a small brewery, I used an iZettle (izettle.com/gb) mobile card payment machine. This is linked to an iPad running its free…

II read It’s a Funny Old World (27 March), all about willpower, and it really struck a chord. We all do seem to have a mini-me that sometimes sits on our shoulders and tells us it’s OK to behave badly. I can be the most decisive person in the world, and the worst procrastinator. I have dabbled with being a writer for a long time and have always found a reason not to take it seriously. Now that my children are grown I can really offer no excuses, so I have taken Caroline Buchanan’s advice and made a settled decision. My father was a brilliantly creative man and wrote so many stories and poems that peppered my childhood. He never shared any of it with the world, and it’s too…

‘I walk on my own three or four times a week’ • Julia Bradbury, 47, is a TV presenter best-known for co-presenting Countryfile with Matt Baker, and also BBC’s Watchdog , before setting up her own website The Outdoor Guide. Here, she takes some time out of her busy schedule to chat about her outdoor pursuits… How do you take your tea? I drink Rooibos with no milk and a drop of honey. I’ve got an attachment to South Africa and started drinking redbush tea with my South African mates about 20 years ago. It’s caffeine-free too, so good when you’re pregnant. What is the best biscuit to dunk? Yep, I’m a dunker. Any biscuit with milk chocolate on it, especially those Leibniz chocolate-covered butter biscuits. When the chocolate…

‘We’re working every hour God sends, six days a week… I don’t think the younger ones can keep up, actually!’ Michael Ball has been performing lead roles in the West End since 1985, when he starred as Marius in the original London production of Les Misérables . Now, over 30 years later, starring in Chess six nights a week and with two number one albums under his belt with Alfie Boe, the 55-year-old legend of musical theatre has no plans to retire. ‘No-one in this business retires – the phone just rings less. Or it doesn’t. It could all just kick off again. The thing about this business is you never know what’s around the corner. You never know what the next project is going to be, and you never…

1 Use Smaller Plates Sounds simple, but it works by tricking your brain into believing you’re eating larger helpings. Portion size has played a huge part in the rise of obesity, with ready meals and restaurant portions increasing in size, and therefore calories. Same goes for your wine glass – keep it small and watch the refills. 2 Drop The ‘D’ Word  Label yourself as ‘on a diet' and you're more likely to obsess over the foods you ‘mustn't' eat. Forget ‘diet' and make your goal a sustainable healthy-eating plan. Successful weight loss depends on allowing yourself to eat everything you enjoy (in moderation, of course), without feeling bad. 3 Get A Grip On Emotions Easier said than done, but it’s possible to reprogramme…

NEXT WEEK Wear A Jacket, Smart & Casual…

Fruity Layered Sponge Cake SERVES 20 FOR THE CAKE: FOR THE FILLING… 1 Heat oven to 170C/Gas 3. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Gradually add the eggs, beating continuously. Using a metal spoon, fold in the flour and ground almonds, then gradually add enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency. Stir through the almond extract. 2 Divide the mixture between the tins, levelling the surfaces with a palette knife, and bake for 40-45 min, until well risen and springy to the touch, or a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 min before turning out on to a wire rack…

1 Ask if you can book a double appointment if you have several problems you'd like to discuss; what seems simple ma y require an in-depth assessment. 2 Think about your symptoms in advance – when did they start, are they there all the time, do the y come and go or are they linked to or helped by eating, going to the toilet, time of day, menstrual cycle, medicines, stress or other factors? 3 Write this down, together with what's worrying you and why, and what you hope the doctor might do – mak e sure it's relevant and concise. 4 Wear clothes that ar e easy to take off or roll up for blood pressure and other similar examinations. 5 Take someone with y ou if you have…

It’s important that they treat you sometimes Q Our children all have good jobs and earn a lot. I’m very pleased for them, but find it belittling at times. If I ever suggest I pay for anything, they pipe up with, ‘No, Mum, let us get it – we can afford it.’ I don’t need to be told all the time that I earn less than they do. Lynne, London AI can see how that would be annoying! But I’m sure that’s not their intention. I expect they’re trying to look after you rather than pointing out that they earn more than you. You say you’re pleased for them, which is only natural. You should also congratulate yourselves on having done such a good job. Isn’t that what all parents…

I am none too clear what my ‘tracking’ might be… Regular readers of this column might well have the impression that it offers nothing but a diet of tea breaks, middle-aged men getting the wrong end of the stick about middle-aged women (and vice versa) and conspiratorial meetings over coffee and walnut cake. However, we do occasionally discuss issues of a philosophical nature. This week, for example, we are going to consider the nature of Hell. What’s Hell like, anyway, when it’s at home? Well, for a start you can forget all about fire and brimstone and the Devil and all his works. I thinks it’s more likely that, after a life of wanton wickedness (see coffee and cake, above) we will be ushered by a grim, hooded figure into…

ALIZON PAVELEY Dinner time. It used to be time for the family, now it’s just myself and my husband, and we still love catching up with each other’s day. MELONIE PICKERING Friday afternoon, 3.30ish, when hubby gets home from work and has the weekend off. DEBORAH MAY Early morning, walking my dog. It’s so peaceful. HELEN WILLIAMS Early morning – just me, the birds and a cup of tea. SHIRLEY ASHWORTH Evening – everything done, curled up on the sofa in comfy PJs. I usually fall asleep!…

Karen Costa, 56 Tell us about your look… Although I love fashion I confess I hate clothes shopping and so I buy mainly online. The first site I always visit is Kaleidoscope as they have such a great selection of brands. My jumper and my trousers are both from there. The poncho was a craft fair find last year. My leather bag was also purchased online and my boots are old, comfy favourites! And the best bit of your body? I’m lucky that I have long legs. Katie Belchamber, 40 Tell us about your look… I love spring and summer clothes and especially like the shade of my green Hobbs coat. Cream jeans or jeggings are a perennial favourite – these are from M&S – and my print tunic is…

Spangles These distinctive square boiled sweets were made by Mars from 1950 to the early 1980s. When Spangles were first introduced, sweets were still on ration. But Spangles boosted their popularity by requiring only one point per pack instead of the two needed for other sweets and chocolate. They were discontinued in 1984, but in 2008, Spangles topped a poll of discontinued brands British consumers would most like to see revived. We live in hope!…

As silence fell upon the auditorium, Jane Douglas couldn’t help but feel nervous for her daughter, Lily. It was August 2017, and although taking part in the World Street Dance Championships would be nail-biting for anyone, Lily, then nine, had fought harder than most to be there. Just a few months earlier, she’d been diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma – a bone cancer that most commonly occurs in the ribs, pelvis and spine. But even battling a deadly cancer wasn’t enough to stop Lily from taking to the stage. It’s this fighting spirit that inspires her proud mum, Jane, on a daily basis. ‘She’s an incredible little girl,’ Jane says. ‘Lily has been through so much but she doesn’t let it faze her.’ Lily first began to display symptoms of the…

If your make-up bag is filled with safe greys and browns and the only nod to colour is a red lipstick, then now’s the perfect time to think about embracing colour. The trick is to wear it the grown-up, modern way. Here’s how... Nails Nails are the easiest way to wear colour – and a slick of bright polish can make your hands look instantly younger, too. Mature skin can be thin, so veins can be more obvious and the colour of these veins can make hands look a bit washed out. So avoid blue-based shades, as they will make hands look paler. Instead, try spring’s warmer tones to brighten and flatter your skin. WE LIKE: • Jessica La Vie en Rose 2018 Nail Polish Collection in Posh, £8.95 •…

Easy-peasy TIME TO MAKE: 24 HOURS INCLUDING DRYING TIME YOU WILL NEED Woodenstool Chalk paint in your preferred colour/s Chalk paint in white Stencils Stencil brush Paintbrush Sandpaper Masking tape STOCKISTS: Frosta stool, £9, Ikea; birds and bees stencils, £6 for set of two, stencil brushes, £2 for set of three, all Hobbycraft; Rust-Oleum chalky finish furniture paint, £14.99 for 750ml, amazon.co.uk. INSTRUCTIONS 1 Prepare your stool by sanding the surfaces to be painted and brushing away any dust. 2 Using a paintbrush and the coloured chalk paint, apply a single coat. Repeat for even coverage and, following the manufacturer’s instructions, allow to dry. 3 Place the stencil on top of the stool and fix in position with masking tape. With a small amount of white paint on the…

Dieting Diabetes Away NHS England’s diabetes type 2 prevention programme has helped over half the 66,000 participants who attended at least eight sessions over nine months to lose an average ½st each. Obesity is strongly linked to type 2 diabetes which can lead to heart attacks, kidney damage, blindness and amputations, but can be improved or even reversed by losing weight. The programme included lifestyle recommendations, tailored physical activity and advice on healthier eating. True Or False? Dishwashers are germ-free zones. False, according to European researchers who detected potentially dangerous bacteria and fungi in dishwasher seals that could threaten people with poor immunity. Hot cycles, regular cleaning and leaving the door ajar may help to reduce contamination. Buyer Beware Unregulated herbal skin creams may contain undeclared steroids, antifungal products and…