Innholdsfortegnelse for 30-Jun-2020 i Woman's Weekly

Monopoly madness Since lockdown began, family life for many has changed dramatically – and not always for the worse. One of the upsides of spending more time at home means my husband and I have had the opportunity to teach our daughters how to play Monopoly. We started off with the junior version and now play the ‘grown-up’ one. It’s certainly been the most effective way to keep them off their iPads. Such is their enthusiasm for the game now, we fear we have created mini property tycoons! On page 10 we round up our favourite British board games to share with your friends and family when we can all be together again.…

A much-loved face rarely off our screens, Sir Kenneth Branagh has directed and starred in some great British films, including Henry V, Murder on the Orient Express and the Harry Potter series. Now the 59-year-old reveals it was his childhood in Belfast that spawned his love of storytelling. ‘There were a lot of us. My mother had 11 siblings, my father had five, so I had dozens of cousins. We would all meet in each other’s houses and, of course, this is in the pre-internet, pre-large-numbers-of-television-channels age, so when we did meet, the members of the family would start telling stories.’ He affectionately recalls that the tales would grow taller as the gatherings wore on, starting at ancient Belfast and ending at giants and trolls. He adds, ‘I grew up…

“My long-fostered fantasy to retire to Italy and grow tomatoes once the children leave home took a bit of a drubbing at the end of January, for reasons we don’t need to go into. On 1 February, in an attempt to rescue a small corner of the dream, I drove to my local garden centre and bought some tomato seeds. Growing tomatoes in south-west London would never have quite the same ring to it (not to mention flavour). Nevertheless… To be honest, even as I carried the seeds to the till, I didn’t believe I would get around to planting them. But I did, that same afternoon. A fortnight later, my trays of mud delivered their first hint of magic. When I saw those early green shoots, it felt like…

STIR-FRY KING PRAWNS This stir-fry is quick, easy and full of fresh flavours. SERVES 2 ✣ 2tbsp sunflower oil ✣ 1 red onion, sliced into half moons ✣ 1 red or yellow pepper, seeds removed and sliced into thin strips ✣ 2 garlic cloves, sliced ✣ 1tsp sesame oil ✣ 200g (7oz) raw and peeled king prawns ✣ 1½tbsp soy sauce ✣ 200g (7oz) spinach or 1 bok choy 1 Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Once hot, add the onion and pepper. Fry until slightly softened and starting to brown. Toss in the slices of garlic. 2 Add the sesame oil and prawns. Cook for 2 mins or until the prawns have started to turn pink. Stir in the soy sauce and spinach or bok…

1 TALK TO OTHERS It’s important to voice fears to family, friends, a health professional or a counsellor to help you understand your thoughts. Try the Samaritans on 116 123 for free support. 2 TRY CALMING BREATHS Breathing techniques help to calm you. Try breathing in through your nose to the count of five and out through your mouth for five seconds. 3 TRY LAVENDER It has been used for centuries for its soothing and antiseptic properties. Other great calming essential oils include rose, sweet majoram and ylang-ylang.…

A It’s a common request to GPs and there are ways to delay periods, although there may be a risk. If she is already on the combined oral contraceptive pill, she may be able to use two packs back-to-back, ie without having a week off, depending on which pill she is using, as some are more complex, with phasic changes in doses. This works because the bleed that occurs between packs is simply a withdrawal bleed, not a true period, although the following month her period may be heavier. The same advice does not apply to progesterone-only pills. If not already on the combined pill, she could have a course of progesterone tablets, although this holds a small risk of venous thromboembolism. The tablets need to be started three days…

BAKED ALASKA We’ve updated this traditional classic by adding a combination of chocolate and coffee. SERVES 6 ✣ 6 chocolate brownies ✣ 480ml tub of coffee ice cream ✣ 125g (4oz) caster sugar ✣ 2 large egg whites You will need: ✣ Sugar thermometer ✣ Cook’s blowtorch 1 Put the brownies on a board and top each one with a large scoop of coffee ice cream. Place in the freezer while you make the meringue. 2 Pour 75ml (3fl oz) water into a pan with the caster sugar and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer until the syrup reaches 118C on a thermometer (around 6 mins), and then take off the heat. 3 Immediately start whisking the egg whites on high until stiff. Turn…

YOU WILL NEED ✣ Wooden utensils ✣ Sanding paper ✣ Masking tape ✣ Small paintbrush ✣ Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Emperor’s Silk, Antoinette, Greek Blue, Svenska Blue and Provence, £5.95 for 120ml, anniesloan.com ✣ Annie Sloan Chalk Paint matt lacquer, £21.95 for 750ml, anniesloan.com 1 Prepare your wooden utensils by giving the handles a light sanding. Remove any dust from the spoons and spatulas with a slightly damp cloth. 2 Use masking tape to protect the top of the utensils and define the section you want to colour. 3 With a small paintbrush, apply the paint to the lower section of each utensil. Once dry, sand off any rough parts and apply a second coat. Balance upside down in a cup and allow to dry completely. 4 Remove the…

Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS Approximately 94 x 94cm/37 x 37in. MATERIALS 8 x 50g (226m) balls of Sirdar Snuggly 4 ply (55% nylon, 45% acrylic) in Cream (303)*. Pair each of 3.75mm (No. 10) and 4mm (No. 8) circular knitting needles. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk TENSION 22 stitches and 33 rows, to 10 x 10cm, over 8-row pattern, using 3.75mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS St(s), stitch(es); k, knit; p, purl; sl, slip; yon, yarn over needle (to increase 1 st); k2tog, k 2 sts together (to decrease 1 st); yrn, yarn round needle (to increase 1 st); psso, (pass sl st over); skpo, (sl1, k1 st, psso); yf, yarn forward (to make 1 st). NOTE The shawl is worked in rows on circular knitting needles, due to the large number of stitches…

ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr Mars is in your sign, giving you a boost of energy. It’s a great week for taking action and starting a new project. TAURUS 21 Apr – 21 May Giving thanks for what you have will improve your mood and confidence. Don’t let small things pull you down. GEMINI 22 May – 21 Jun This is the perfect time for learning, studying and sharing information. You may connect with some very interesting people online. CANCER 22 Jun – 23 Jul You have an inventive side that perhaps you’ve yet to explore. Start pursuing some of your ideas. They could be very lucrative. LEO 24 Jul – 23 Aug This week, put focus on your health and wellbeing. What does your body need? Give it…

What Lies Between Us by John Marrs (£8.99, PB, Thomas & Mercer) A delightfully dark tale of control and lies sees Maggie and Nina living a truly disturbing existence. Every other evening they eat together, but why is Maggie led back to her room, bound by a heavy chain? This is her punishment for what she did to Nina. Though Maggie knows more about their past, she also knows better than to tell Nina, understanding how dangerous the consequences could beÉ The Silent Wife by Karin Slaughter (£20, HB, HarperCollins) It’s the latest addition to the Will Trent series – and if you haven’t read any before, you’ll want to go back and read them all! On a chance assignment to a state penitentiary, GBI investigator Trent meets a prisoner…

“Well, I wasn’t expecting that. If you could get hold of the feather that was last year’s WW’s Best Dieter (Feather Category), you’d still be able to knock me down with it. This could even be the sort of crisis that requires two trips to the fourth emergency service, otherwise known as the biscuit tin. A very kind reader once said how much she enjoyed visiting this page for cheer and comfort. ‘What I particularly like,’ she explained, ‘is the way that nothing ever happens.’ Well, nothing ever happens for years and then… well, just you wait. The shocking news came in a phone call. ‘This is just to let you know,’ said my chum, Wendy, ‘that I’m moving back to my place.’ ‘Wha..?’ I said. ‘I can’t talk now.…

REACTIVE ✣ Who? Skin that’s normally problem-free but flares up with rashes or prickly heat as a result of extended sun exposure. ✣ What should I be using? According to Charlotte Vøhtz, founder of natural and organic beauty brand Green People, ‘Prickly heat typically develops when our sweat ducts are blocked by waterproof sun creams. The chemicals that are often used effectively wrap the skin in “cling film”, preventing it from breathing or successfully omitting toxins.’ Using Piz Buin Allergy Sun Sensitive Skin Spray SPF 30, £7.99, or Green People Scent Free Sun Cream SPF 30, £24, will reduce the chance of a reaction – as of course will sitting in the shade where possible. SENSITIVE ✣ Who? Skin that is prone to rosacea, eczema or easily irritated. ✣ What…

PVD, also known as peripheral arterial disease or atherosclerosis, is caused by a build-up of fatty deposits made of cholesterol and other waste products in the artery walls, restricting blood supply to the tissues. Most common in the legs, the process is the same as that which causes heart disease from hardening or narrowing of the arteries around the heart. Initially, you may have no symptoms but gradually develop a painful ache on walking, as the muscles cannot receive enough oxygen-rich blood. This cramp-like sensation is called ‘Intermittent Claudication’ and usually settles after a few minutes’ rest. Gradually, it will worsen, making activity painful. Other symptoms occur as a result of having inadequate tissue blood and oxygen supply – weakness and numbness in the legs with muscle wasting, hair loss…

1 ONLINE CLASSES There are now many online exercise classes to follow, at your own pace, if you can’t make it to the gym. Look on YouTube. 2 TRY THE NHS WEBSITE ‘Live well, get fit for free’ offers lots of ideas for home exercise. Try sharing with a friend or family member. 3 TRY RESISTANCE BANDS Resistance band workouts are easy to do, the rubber bands are cheap and the exercises can be done by everyone, no matter how mobile. 4 TRY A DVD Learn how to do yoga, tai chi, isometrics, balance exercises or general toning without needing to do aerobic exercise.…

LOTTIE DARWIN, 53 Tell us about your look I do love a dress – preferably one fitted at the waist with a full skirt and a sleeve. I spotted this pretty style at Boden. I loved the print, and the jersey fabric makes it really comfy. I’ve had my bag for ages and my red sandals are John Lewis. I’ll often add a splash of colour with accessories. And the best bit of your body? My hair. LISA MITCHENER, 51 Tell us about your look I’m wearing all white as it was supposed to be my hen party! My silky top is Phase Eight and my jeans are Hollister. I‘m wearing a favourite blue bangle by Les Georgettes to go with my shoes, which you can’t see here. Pale blue…

Forget 10,000 steps It’s an arbitrary figure anyway, probably set by marketing men in Japan years ago to sell pedometers. Some health experts are concerned that the target is too unrealistic and puts many of us off even trying. Instead of aiming for a set amount of steps, simply try to increase the amount of walking you do each day. Build it into your daily routine. Get the right shoes Walking shoes are fine for warm, dry weather on flat ground. Boots offer vital ankle support and are the best for challenging terrain and changing weather conditions. Solid leather uppers are good if you might run into boggy ground, but they’re heavier. Good material boots will be waterproof, but won’t offer as much protection when it’s heavy going underfoot. You…

Lockdown has made me HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER Thanks to lockdown, I’m back into running and I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed it. I used to work with someone who got me into running. We ran regularly and did parkrun every Saturday morning. I kept it up for about four years. Then I changed jobs and started biking to work – 27 miles a week. ‘That can be my exercise, I can’t be bothered with running too,’ I thought. So I stopped. That was nearly three years ago and I hadn’t run since. When I was furloughed from my part-time job with the charity InDependent Diabetes Trust, I had time on my hands and wasn’t exercising, so I went for a jog around the block. I was hooked again.…

✢ Smoking is the most common cause, so stopping is the most effective way to prevent further damage. See your smoking cessation nurse for help. ✢ Exercise reduces the severity and frequency of PVD symptoms and cardiac risk. Aim to do some exercise daily for the rest of your life. ✢ A healthy diet leading to weight loss and reducing your alcohol intake are also vital if you want to stop your PVD deteriorating. ✢ See your nurse to have your blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol levels checked and managed tightly, as poor control increases the rate of deterioration.…

Who has the childcare rights? Q We’re going through a terrible family situation. My son’s wife was very sadly killed in a car accident. My daughter-in-law had a son from her previous marriage and she’d written in her will that she wanted my son to bring him up with the same access to his father as he’d had when she was alive. The boy’s father isn’t happy, and he and his parents are planning to take my son to court. My son is worried that when the child sees his father and grandparents, they’ll keep him, so he’s accompanying him on every access visit. Name and address withheld A This is a difficult situation, but what everyone should be thinking about is what is best for your step-grandson, who has…