Innholdsfortegnelse for 25-Feb-2020 i Woman's Weekly

Getting out and about I’ve decided the easiest way to combat the winter blues is to spend as much time outside as possible. While I’m aimlessly wandering, I try to look for any signs of spring. So a few days ago I was delighted to see that the magnolia tree at the end of my road is now in bud. When it starts to bloom in a couple of weeks, it will signify to me that longer days are ahead. And while we’re on the subject of the great outdoors, some of you pointed out we’d featured a plastic net bird feeder on our Garden Notes page (4 February). You’re right, these nets are bad for wildlife, so I’ve rounded up some more bird-friendly alternatives below.…

Margaret Robinson (née Holt), 1956. Sent in by her daughter, Julie Gallagher Here is my mum in a photo taken in Southport, when she was 21. She was engaged to my dad Eric, and he was away in Ceylon on National Service. They married the following year. ✣ We’d love to see how great you looked in any era up to and including the 1980s. Please send a good-quality photo with your name, address and daytime phone number clearly written on the back, to: Fashion Dept, Woman’s Weekly, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP. Photos will be returned.…

High cholesterol A white ring around the iris is a common sign of ageing but can also indicate high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, increasing your risk of heart attack or stroke. Get it checked by an optician. Stress or fatigue A twitch on the lid above or below the eye, called myokymia, is usually a sign of stress or fatigue. A lack of sleep will also often leave eyes looking puffy and red. There’s a simple solution – get more rest! Jaundice A yellowing of the whites of your eyes is a warning sign that should not be ignored. The most common cause is jaundice, a build-up of bilirubin, the yellow substance formed when red blood cells are broken down. If your liver can’t filter the cells properly, the bilirubin…

IDENTIFY THE CAUSE Fine hair is different to thin hair, with the former referring to the density of the hair strand itself, and the latter to how many hairs you have on your head. Although you might have spent most of your life blessed with plenty of hair, factors like stress, poor diet and the menopause can lead to excessive hair shedding. ‘Your body has many tasks to attend to on a daily basis to keep you healthy and alive – your hair being the last thing it cares about,’ explains trichologist Anabel Kingsley. ‘As your body views hair as non-essential to survival, it’s the first thing to suffer when your general health, lifestyle and/ or diet is not up to scratch.’ It’s normal to lose around 100 hairs a…

✣ It’s important to lead a healthy lifestyle to improve how you feel and cope – eat a varied diet, exercise regularly, cut alcohol and smoking. ✣ See your doctor regularly to discuss symptoms and have regular blood checks, as well as reviewing relief from medication or other therapies. ✣ Don’t be afraid to ask questions of your GP or specialist. Take someone with you or make a list – liver cancer treatment options are complex. ✣ Ask your doctor about local services and check online at Macmillan Cancer Support for excellent guides to understanding all types of liver cancer.…

My husband is becoming so selfish Q My husband is becoming more and more self-centred as he gets older. He will only look after the grandchildren if he’s in the mood, won’t go out with people he doesn’t like that much and wants to watch what he likes on the TV. His view is that we’re old enough to do what we want as there isn’t that much time left. I think it’s selfish. Marilyn, Eastbourne A I’m wondering what selfish means in your terms. It sounds from what you’ve said that, if he isn’t doing what you want when you want him to, he’s the one who’s selfish! I wonder how often you ask him whether he’s happy to do something or if you just make the arrangements and…

Crochet pot holder Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS About 20 x 20cm/8 x 8in. MATERIALS 2 x 50g (75m) balls of Drops Paris Cotton Uni Colour (100% cotton) in Apricot (01)*. 3.5mm crochet hook. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk. TENSION 20 stitches and 23 rows, to 10 x 10cm, over double crochet, using 3.5mm hook. ABBREVIATIONS Ch(s), chain(s); st(s), stitch(es); dc, double crochet; slst, slip stitch. NOTE Yarn amounts are based on average requirements and are therefore approximate. Instructions in square brackets are worked as stated after 2nd bracket. TO MAKE With 3.5mm hook and Apricot, make 41ch. Foundation row (right side): 1dc in second ch from hook, [1dc in next ch] to end, turn – 40 dc. Pattern row: 1ch (does not count as a st throughout), 1dc in first st,…

The acting business is notoriously tricky for women of a certain age, with decent roles often few and far between. But Joanna Lumley is bucking the trend. Aged 73, she’s busier than ever. In the past few years, she’s starred in big-screen dramas and romantic comedies, reprised her career-making role as Patsy Stone for the Absolutely Fabulous movie and even played opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street. ‘I feel terribly lucky,’ she whispers to us, almost conspiratorially, in that familiar caramel-smooth voice. ‘I have an absolute mass of stuff on the go and now I just have to work out how I can do it all. ‘I feel terribly lucky. I have a mass of stuff on the go’ ‘You wait so long for projects to be…

“I get recognised a lot when I’m out and about, and people don’t always have good things to say! When my Cold Feet character, David, had an illicit encounter with a stranger back in the day, I got it in the neck from people in the street! It’s the only time he’s ever gone off-piste and I got, ‘How could you have done that?’ Even the vicar told me off, saying, ‘How could you possibly?’ It was the same when Anthony Strallan left Edith at the altar in Downton Abbey. ‘I’m never quite sure where celebrity starts and finishes’ However, I get a lot of lovely things said to me too! People come up to me and say, ‘I really liked you in…’ and they give a whole list of…

After suffering two bereavements and a dyslexia diagnosis while completing a degree as a mature student, Beth Wickes, 51, thought she would take a well-earned break after her graduation. ‘People ask how my feet are, but the mental load is more taxing’ But rather than jetting off to a beach for a couple of weeks, Beth felt the time was right for an adventure. Inspired by a story she’d read online about a man litter-picking his way around the British coastline, Beth decided to follow in his footsteps and walk the coastal paths of England, Wales and part of Scotland – alone, with no support crew. As well as coming to terms with her dad’s death while studying, Beth had also lost her mum in 2011 to asbestos-related lung cancer…

A busy social life is crucial to my wellbeing. I love going out and about. Monday I do tai chi. It’s WeightWatchers Tuesdays, and Wednesdays I’ve started singing classes. Friday, I’m out for a meal with my neighbours. I live alone, but I’m never lonely because so much is going on in my life. But I started struggling about 20 years ago when my hearing started to go. My daughter is an audiologist and spotted it first. ‘You need to book a hearing test, Mum,’ she told me. So I did and that’s when they first suggested a hearing aid. I was nervous at first – I kept checking it was still in my ear and worried that people might spot it. Now I’m proud to say I wear hearing…

Get prepped Summer-flowering bulbs such as begonias and lilies will be available around now, ready to plant out in early spring. If the weather remains cold, pot them up and keep on a bright windowsill until it’s time to plant them out, ideally in a sunny position in well-drained soil. Dig a hole or trench and plant the bulbs around three times their depth, with the pointed ends upwards. Luscious lilies Tall, fragrant and exotic-looking, lilies bring drama to any space. Preferring sun or light shade, they will flower from June onwards. Good drainage is key, so add grit or spent compost to the base of the planting hole. If your soil is heavy, grow them in pots. Classic, sophisticated ‘Casa Blanca’ (above) has pure white trumpet-shaped flowers on tall…

The Guest List by Lucy Foley (£12.99, HB, HarperCollins) As guests arrive on a remote island for a wedding, it’s soon clear that past grudges and hidden jealousies abound. The groom, a rising television star, and his bride, an ambitious magazine publisher, have planned the wedding of the year to perfection – except for the part when one of the guests is found dead. Told from the viewpoint of various members of the party, the Agatha Christie-style whodunit is packed with twists and turns amid an atmospheric setting. Another sure-fire hit from the author of the bestselling The Hunting Party. Rules of the Road by Ciara Geraghty (£7.99, PB, HarperCollins) In this uplifting novel, we meet an unusual trio on their way to a clinic in Zurich, where one of…

SUE McCHRYSTAL, 61 Tell us about your look My coat is by Paul Smith – the colour always makes me feel good. My scarf is Mercy Delta and it’s a perfect match. I’ve had my Prada bag for years. My jeans are J Brand and my boots are Jimmy Choo. I only buy things I really love and that will stand the test of time. And the best bit of your body? I have quite nice feet. BONNIE CROSTA, 48 Tell us about your look Well, it’s very casual – I don’t even own a skirt! My jumper is an old one from Zara. My scarf is from Joules and belongs to my daughter, and my jeans and bag are from a market in Italy. My boots are very old…

WHERE I’VE BEEN Rehearsing and getting ready to open my new stage project, Love, Loss & Chianti, at London’s Riverside Studios. I’m very excited about it! WHAT I’VE BOUGHT Nothing big this week, but occasionally there are financial lulls, when I think, ‘Oh gosh, have I bought something I shouldn’t have?’ WHO I’VE MET I’ve been all over the place chatting about the most recent series of Cold Feet with my fellow castmates. WHAT I’VE SEEN I’ve not had much time to watch anything, due to the fact I’ve got my own play starting.…

The liver is the largest organ of the body, containing a variety of cells that perform over 500 jobs, many to clean the blood. The main tasks are: to metabolise fats, proteins and carbohydrates; to produce and excrete bile, aiding digestion; storing minerals, vitamins and energy as glycogen; synthesising blood proteins and clotting factors; and clearing and excreting drugs, hormones and cholesterol. Primary liver cancer is rarer but there are many cell types, all of which could produce cancers. The commonest primary is a hepatocellular carcinoma, which occurs more in people with long-term liver diseases such as hepatitis B or C, and in those who drink heavily or have cirrhosis. There is also a higher risk in people with fatty liver, diabetes and a family history. Secondary liver cancer occurs…

1 DO THE MATHS Energy consumed has to be less than energy burnt off, so you either have to eat fewer rich foods or be more active. 2 MAKE SMALL CHANGES They’re easier to sustain and less likely to fail: one less choccy biscuit a day could lose you 5lb over a year. 3 WAKE UP TO WATER Start your meal with a glass of water and lower-calorie foods such as vegetables, before enjoying smaller portions of higher-fat/higher-calorie foods. 4 GET ACTIVE Find activity you enjoy and do it with friends. Walking or cycling for just 30 minutes three times a week can make a difference.…

ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr Taking quiet time – to be in nature, to meditate, to read, to listen to music – will be soothing for you this week. TAURUS 21 Apr – 21 May Financially, the aspects are positive for you. This is an excellent time for starting a business or launching a new product or service. GEMINI 22 May – 21 Jun Setting priorities is vital, as you’re likely to be very busy. Allow extra time for getting to your appointments. CANCER 22 Jun – 23 Jul This is a wonderful time to plan a trip somewhere you haven’t been before. Short- or long-distance travel is under positive stars. LEO 24 Jul – 23 Aug You may be searching for more meaning in your life. Volunteering your…

“There are times when I wonder whether this page should contain a health warning for those of a delicate disposition. You might be flicking through Woman’s Weekly in the doctor’s waiting room, and a sudden onset of high blood pressure or a racing pulse is no laughing matter. Be warned, then. We left last week’s exciting episode on something of a cliffhanger, and I’m afraid it’ll be a while before the blue lamps and sirens of the mountain rescue people arrive at the cliff edge. The cliffhanger again concerned Graham, a man who once – in the barely remembered memory that is my youth – chatted me up as we sat on a hay cart, swinging our knees, outside a summer party. Having arrived in our district recently, he took…