Innholdsfortegnelse for 15-Oct-2019 i Woman's Weekly

The hen was probably not much smaller than I was, but I was immediately smitten. My first encounter with real, live poultry was at the age of four or five, on a visit with my mum to her old friend living a semi self-sufficient existence in the country, long before author John Seymour and then TV’s The Good Life made it fashionable. But it was her Buff Orpingtons whom I fell in love with – elegant, constantly curious and happy to eat out of my hand. Ever since then I’ve wanted to keep chickens, but sadly living in the city makes that difficult – so I read Jane’s story on page 28 with interest, admiration… and not a little envy. Dancing with pavlova One of our Christmas treats is a…

Phyllis Statham, 65 Tell us about your look… I’m into wide trousers at the moment. These are M&S. My jacket and shirt are both Uniqlo, one of my favourite stores, together with White Stuff and Hobbs. My bag is Accessorize and my shoes are by Softline, bought at a local shop. They’re comfortable and great value. I’ve recently lost a lot of weight, so my style is in transition. And the best bit of your body? My hair colour and curls get lots of compliments! Tracey Lea Sayer, 48 Tell us about your look… I work in fashion, so I’m constantly rifling through my wardrobe, pulling new looks together. I love to re-invent my old clothes with high-street buys. My jacket is Next, layered over a white shirt from Hobbs…

… Support The Oxford Half Marathon On Sunday 13 October, 10,000 runners will tackle the fast and flat 13.1 mile route past famous museums, universities, parks and more. Cheer on the runners, and enjoy the day in historic Oxford. ✿ Visit virginsport.com/ oxford for information … Explore Watford vegan festival There’s everything to tickle your taste buds – from the latest gourmet vegan cheeses and indulgent creamy chocolates to some vegan kebabs, and everything in between (12 October). You can also bathe vegan, too – with a range of deliciously scented soaps and handmade bath bombs from brands like Iuvo Skincare. ✿ Visit veganeventsuk.co.uk … Enjoy Howl-o-ween at Chessington Head to the theme park and zoo this Halloween for the new attraction – Spyders! Work with the Secret Arachnid Service to…

‘Adding movement to controlled breathing can improve co-ordination, strength and balance,’ says yoga teacher Sue Fuller (yoga2hear.co.uk). Try these simple moves: ✿ KNEE SQUEEZES Lie on your back with arms and legs extended, draw your right knee in to your chest and hold for 10 breaths, then repeat on the other side. Relax with each out breath. ✿ CAT STRETCH Begin on all fours, with hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Inhale and lift your chest and hips and curve your spine towards the ground; as you exhale, reverse the movement and round your spine towards the ceiling while drawing your tummy button towards the spine. Repeat for 10 or more breaths. Make sure that you keep the lower back long and your neck in line with your spine.…

✿ A licence is required to search for anything along the Thames foreshore, even if it’s just by eye. A standard permit allows digging to a depth of 7.5cm. ✿ You can apply to the Port of London Authority for a licence, and the staff there can give clear guidance on what you will be allowed to do and where. ✿ The Thames rises and falls by over 7m, twice a day, so safety is of the utmost importance. ✿ Visit the Thames Discovery Programme for more information, at thamesdiscovery.org…

Highland game pie Full of flavour and perfect for feeding a crowd on that special occasion. You can easily buy game casserole meat from supermarkets; it comes diced and is ideal for this recipe. SERVES 10 ✿ 2tbsp olive oil ✿ 1.4kg (3lb 2oz) game meat, such as pheasant, guinea fowl, partridge or venison, cut into 4cm (1½in) cubes ✿ 3 large onions, chopped ✿ 60g (2oz) plain flour ✿ 300ml (10fl oz) red wine ✿ 1.2 litres (2 pints) chicken or game stock ✿ 2tbsp Worcestershire sauce ✿ A little gravy browning (optional) ✿ 10 pickled walnuts from a jar, quartered For the suet pastry: ✿ 200g (7oz) self-raising flour ✿ 100g (3½oz) shredded suet ✿ 1 egg, beaten You will need: ✿ 1.7-litre (3-pint) ovenproof pie dish with…

✿ Swelling Be as active as possible, walking daily and doing foot exercises when sitting. Keep your leg elevated above hip level when not moving, when resting or in bed. ✿ Itching Dry scaly skin of ‘varicose eczema’ may cause itching, as can allergies to the dressings. Use an emollient cr eam frequently but discus s with your nurse. ✿ Lifestyle Healthy diet, weight loss, stopping smoking and reducing alcohol intake all help ulcers heal faster. Wear comfy footwear and be careful not to injure or knock your leg. ✿ Prevention Once they have healed, prevent further ulcers by wearing daytime compression stockings, keeping active, losing weight and asking your GP about managing any varicose veins.…

She’s always alone Q My 30-year-old daughter is a homebody. She goes to work, comes home and does the chores, but then spends time alone. Her job involves her interacting with people quite intensely. She rarely goes out and meets people. She has a couple of close girlfriends whom she sees occasionally, but most of the time she’s by herself. I worry about her. Elaine, Sheffield A Is your daughter an extrovert or introvert? My hunch is it’s the latter. If so, and she has a busy work life where she spends most of her time with people, she’ll need downtime on her own to re-energise. You need to ask: Is she a ‘homebody’ because she likes it, or is she depressed or suffering from social anxiety? If it’s either…

✿ Primroses, polyanthus, bedding daisies (Bellis perennis), pansies and violas will ramp up the colour. ✿ Team them with evergreens – skimmia, box or bay work well, as does the red-berried wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens). ✿ Jazz things up with ornamental foliage plants such as heuchera, in gorgeous shades of purple, amber and burgundy, or the ruffle-leaved ornamental cabbage. ✿ Winter-flowering heathers (Erica carnea and Erica x darleyensis) are a beautiful choice. Butterflies and bees love the little bell-shaped flowers of pink, white or purple. Group with ivies and cyclamen, or spring-flowering bulbs such as narcissi and crocuses. Excellent varieties include the white-flowered ‘Springwood White’ and ‘December Red’, whose flowers start pink and age to a deep red.…

MEASUREMENTS To fit ages: 3-6 (6-9) (9-12) (12-18) months. Actual measurements: 55.5 (59) (62) (66) cm/21¾ (23¼) (24½) (26) in. Side seam: 15.5 (17) (19) (21) cm/6 (6¾) (7½) (8¼) in. Length to back neck: 27 (29.5) (32) (35) cm/10½ (11½) (12½) (13¾) in. Sleeve seam: 17 (19) (21) (23) cm/6¾ (7½) (8¼) (9) in. MATERIALS 3 (3) (4) (4) 100g (289m) balls of Go-to DK (100% acrylic) in Spearmint (009)*. Size 4mm crochet hook. Optional row counter. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk. TENSION 19 stitches and 23 rows, to 10 x 10cm, over double crochet pattern, using 4mm hook. ABBREVIATIONS Ch, chain; st(s), stitch(es); dc, double crochet; slst, slip st; nil, meaning nothing is worked here for this size; dec, decrease; dc2tog, [insert hook in next st, yarn over…

She Lies in the Vines by Benjamin Stevenson (£8.99, PB, Hodder)  An original thriller, She Lies in the Vines focuses on society’s fascination with true crime. Jack Quick’s documentary delves into the murder of Eliza Dacey and the evidence that placed Curtis Wade behind bars. When a detail threatens his ratings, Jack suppresses the truth and Curtis is released. Chilling and clever, the novel effortlessly builds suspense. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes (£20, HB, Michael Joseph) When Englishwoman Alice Wright marries American Bennett Van Cleve and moves to the small town of Baileyville, her dream of adventure soon falls apart. She joins a group of packhorse librarians, led by feisty Margery, riding through Depression-era Kentucky to deliver books to mountain families. This tribute to female friendship and the…

THE STORY SO FAR: With Joe Pendleton missing, his girlfriend Fliss is desperate for news, and upon receiving a phone call from him, she immediately calls PC Jess Stone to say he’s been in touch. He refuses to say why he vanished, as this knowledge might endanger her safety. After learning of a connection between her mentor, Andy Farmer, and local builder Bob Harding, and realising that Andy has been withholding exonerating evidence, Jess starts to wonder what else he is holding back. Later, Fliss tells Jess that she saw Andy at the bar where Joe worked, exchanging words with him, the night he disappeared. Knowing she’ll need more than Fliss’s word as evidence, Jess races back to the hospital to try to get another expert witness in the form…

Matching outfits I recently picked up my friend, Chris, to go to a proms concert together. We both smiled when she got into my car as we had similar outfits on – a navy dress and a pinkish cardigan. Then, when we arrived and got out of the car, we realised we were both wearing very similar black and sparkly sandals and carrying small grey handbags. We laughed so much. Here is the photo we just had to take. Miriam Atkinson, Cardiff A roaring success! The Lion Bag (16 J uly) had instant appeal and I wanted to try to make it. My crochet skills hadn’t moved much beyond chain stitch, but this bag was just basic stitches – so I thought I’d have a go. My craft group friends…

Fill a coffee filter with baking soda, add a few drops of essential oil and secure with an elastic band. Pop the bag in drawers, shoes or bags for instant freshness. To perk up plastic food containers, soak them in the sink overnight in warm water with a spoonful of baking soda added. Next day, after a rinse, they’ll look and smell new again. Clean your remote control with a little hand sanitiser and a paper towel. For extra effectiveness, use a cotton bud to get into those hard-to-reach bits.…

Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton have been married for 36 years and have a CBE and an OBE between them, having both appeared in countless films and TV shows. But despite both being successful actors in their own right, they’ve only ever starred in three films together; Shakespeare In Love, Bright Young Things and Alice In Wonderland. Now, with Downton Abbey back – this time on the big screen – Imelda, 63, has joined Jim, 71, and his cast-mates for their fourth film together. However, as the couple sit down to chat to Woman’s Weekly, it turns out there weren’t many words exchanged between the pair due to Jim playing butler Mr Carson downstairs, while Imelda’s Lady Bagshaw mingles in higher circles. ‘Unfortunately, we went to work together three days…

It’s been a hectic season in the Keane garden, and every time I open my store cupboard, I get a warm, strawberry-flavoured frisson of smug self-satisfaction. What a glorious array of bottles and jars! Myriad chutneys and jams, brandied fruit, gooseberry and elderflower cordial. Weeks of picking, shucking, boiling, stirring, sterilising, decanting… all those shimmering, summery flavours waiting to brighten up the duller days of autumn! The freezer is chockablock too. Containers neatly labelled, bursting with stewed fruits waiting to be baked into pies and crumbles as the darker evenings creep in. Never mind Delia, I’m Martha Stewart (without the jail sentence, I hope)! And what about my sun-dried tomatoes? No, we don’t live in a weirdly hot, sunny microclimate enabling me to sun-dry fruit in my corner of north…

Roman has teamed up with Woman’s Weekly to offer readers an exclusive 20% off in-store and online from 9 until 23 October 2019. Roman returns this season with an eclectic collection that offers versatile daywear, fashionable outerwear and beautiful evening wear, with a selection of stunning party-ready pieces. Designed and cut to fit the silhouette, the new collection offers great-quality basics as well as affordable, stylish pieces all with a fabulous fit in mind. Trends come into play on wearable pieces with animal print interpreted into an explosion of colours and scales, soft textures in autumnal hues, striking polka dots and dramatic florals. Party pieces are adorned with statement embellishment, ombré tones and exquisite detailing. Choose from fitting wrap styles, comfy casuals, sharp pleat detailing and scintillating evening wear. A…

When I moved to Devon in 1995, I envisaged the good life – eggs for breakfast, laid by chickens roaming free in the garden, and homegrown veg. As soon as I’d settled into my new home, I trawled the countryside looking for hens to adopt, specifically ex-battery hens. ‘They turn from tatty and threadbare to happy, healthy and curious’ I stumbled across a farm, knocked on the door, and asked if I could please have some chickens. The farmer was most accommodating, explaining that his flock was due to go to slaughter in a few weeks and if I went along I could have some. I ended up taking 30 girls home with me and named one Vicky. She looked like a penguin, bolt upright and bald. She was bullied…

1 Wet combing Wash the hair and apply plenty of conditioner. Then use a fine-tooth comb, available from your pharmacy, to comb all the hair from roots to tip. 2 Treat everyone repeatedly Lice quickly spread to others, so ensure the whole family is wet-combed. Repeat every four days to catch newly hatched eggs (‘nits’). 3 Use medicated lotions If wet combing hasn’t worked, ask your pharmacist for recommended lotions and sprays to kill the lice. Then repeat after a week. 4 Inform the school The most common transmission is through children’s close contact at school. ‘Nit nurses’ no longer exist but families should do regular checks.…

YOU WILL NEED ✿ 40 x 50cm floral fabric ✿ 50 x 55cm blue fabric ✿ 20 x 80cm orange fabric ✿ 40 x 100cm lining fabric ✿ 50 x 100cm non-fusible foam ✿ 160cm of 6mm thick piping cord ✿ Binding tape maker ✿ Sewing machine ✿ Piping foot ✿ Matching thread ✿ Scissors ✿ Pins ✿ Hand-sewing needle (optional) ✿ Templates enlarged by 300% Time to make: 8 hours Stockists: Style-VIL 10 L15 non-fusible foam for bags, £11 per metre, ladysewandsew.co.uk. Voyage Kew Mandarin, Bomeo Mandarin and Kerela Delft fabric, £3.25 per fat quarter, fabrichq. co.uk. Timeless treasures sketch quilting fabric, £14.99 per metre, minervacrafts.com. Note: Use 1cm seams throughout, press open unless otherwise stated. CUTTING OUT ✿ For the bag: From the floral fabric and foam, cut…

✿ Crystal Ski Holidays offers one week half-board at four-star Hotel Österreichischer Hof in Bad Hofgastein, including return flights (Gatwick/Salzburg) and transfers, from £695 per person (two sharing) when booked online (crystalski. co.uk). The price is based on departure on 4 January 2020. Direct flights are available from major UK airports. ✿ In Grossarl, Marine stayed at four-star superior Grossarler Hof (grossarler hof.at), where a three-night ski-touring break is priced from €567pp, based on two sharing for three nights in a double room on three-quarter board (breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner). ✿ For more on the area, go to gastein.com, grossarltal.info and salzburgerland.com.…

Job list – this month check... RADIATORS Bleed them, so once your heating is on you’ll maximise the heat around your home. GUTTERING Loose leaves and debris can block your guttering. Clear it before leaks cause water damage. BOILER Spend a little now getting your boiler serviced, rather than face a hefty emergency bill if it breaks down in the coming colder months. Tried and tested In the bag! In 2014 over 7.6 billion single-use plastic bags were given to customers by the major supermarkets. Since the introduction of the 5p charge, major supermarket plastic bag usage has decreased by over 80%! SAVE UPCYCLED COTTON TOTE BAG, £4, M&S Made in collaboration with Unicef, all profits from the sale of this upcycled cotton tote go to helping make a difference…

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (£8.99, PB, Vintage Classics)  It’s hundreds of years into the future, and everyone in the World State city of London has been genetically bred and indoctrinated to occupy a specific role in life. Kept happy through consumerism, entertainment, sex and the use of recreational drug soma, few are able, or even wish, to question society’s values. Only one individual, Bernard Marx, is prepared to challenge the norm… Our verdict First published in 1932, this novel portrays what Aldous Huxley called a ‘negative utopia’. As the tragedy unfolds, its vision is both terrifying and believable. And its warning for our future still feels as relevant today as it did in prewar Europe.…

Aries 21 Mar – 20 Apr This is a great time for renewal and revival of your relationships. Someone from your past might come back into your life. Taurus 21 Apr – 21 May What new skill or talent would you like to develop? This is potentially a very creative week for you. Gemini 22 May – 21 June This is a great time for tidying, decluttering and generally cleaning up your environment, both at home and at work. Cancer 22 Jun – 23 Jul This is a week of service and giving to others. Think about ways in which you can enhance other people’s lives. It will uplift you. Leo 24 Jul – 23 Aug A relationship matter may come to a head. It’s time to be honest about…

Q My Michaelmas daises are struggling. What can I do? A These plants are prone to powdery mildew, which occurs when they get stressed and are dry at the roots. You can spray with fungicide, but if the infection is severe, cut them back, burn the shoots and, after watering, mulch around the plants. Q I’d like to surround my garden with a neatly clipped hedge. What’s a good choice? A Ideal plants are evergreen holly, laurel and conifers such as Thuja plicata or yew. Avoid leylandii, which, although fast-growing, is far too vigorous, and not only sucks the soil dry of moisture and nutrients, but blocks out all light. These plants can all be clipped once in August to maintain a neat hedge. Privet – also for a clipped,…

London in the early hours is gentle, stripped back and vulnerable. For a moment, just before dawn, the city is suspended, waiting on an invisible starting line for another day to begin. The night buses return to their shelters as the daytime drivers take their places, and the trains begin to deliver their cargo of commuters and visitors, pouring them into the streets to swarm over the city. Lara Maiklem is in central London as the dawn rises, but she’s not heading for a desk in the city. Lara is a mudlark, and she’s on her way to the River Thames. ‘Mudlarks are best described as archaeologically curious,’ says Lara. ‘I’m not an historian or a professional archaeologist, I’m not even a metal detectorist – I only take what I…

Around 90% of leg ulcers are caused by persistently high pressure in a vein in the leg, which damages the skin above, usually after a minor injury has made a break in the skin. About one in 500 people in the UK has leg ulcers. They’re more common with age and around one in 50 people over the age of 80 has one. Risk factors include previous Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) or varicose veins. Other factors include difficulty walking from osteoarthritis, obesity, paralysis such as after a stroke, or a leg injury or surgery such as knee or hip replacements. The pressure in the tissue means that the skin break just doesn’t heal, the fragile tissue breaks down and can become infected too. Most ulcers take up to three to…

My job evolved from personal experience. I was in corporate publishing but I got cancer and had to take time out. I started experimenting with art therapy and creative writing, and learnt the value of self-expression, which changed (and saved) my life, really. I volunteered with the Arts Council to teach creative writing and therapeutic painting in primary schools. And I saw the value of giving children the tools to express their feelings and learn resilience. So I retrained as a play therapist. I then spent four years working in primary schools and at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, setting up a craft station in the Outpatient Department. A lot of the children there are very anxious awaiting operations, so using creative mediums such as art, drawing and play to…

‘I’m not having you climbing up that tree with a chainsaw at your age. It’s an episode of Casualty waiting to happen’ It was the poet Keats, I think, who described autumn as the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness. Which pretty much proves that he knew absolutely nothing about gardening. Old Keats wouldn’t have felt quite so mellow if he had to spend his autumn days picking up rotten fruit from his lawn. We have an apple tree at the bottom of the garden at Dear Towers. For most of the year, this tree just idles about the place with its hands in its pockets. Then in summer it overhears the following conversation: ‘Tom, you’ll have to do something about that apple tree. It’s getting out of control. Don’t…