Innholdsfortegnelse for 29-Dec-2020 i Woman's Weekly

Cover price Although we’re all now well used to the costs of what we purchase periodically rising, I always feel uncomfortable when we have to put up the price of Woman’s Weekly, so I can only apologise that we have been forced to do so. As you can probably imagine, the pandemic has had a bad impact on the news trade in 2020, so we’ve had to raise our cover price in order to continue providing the quality of magazine you’ve come to expect. I will do my level best, however, to make sure you feel it remains good value for money through 2021. I’d like to wish all our readers a happy and healthy New Year!…

1 Protect climbers Tender climbers and shrubs can be damaged by the cold when temperatures plummet, so pile bracken, twigs and straw around their base for protection. 2 Welcome scent Plant fragrant winter shrubs where you’ll enjoy them. Try Sarcococca, which has creamy-white flowers, or Chimonanthus, with scented yellow blooms. 3 Earthy boost Make the most of any mild days to spread compost and manure on your flower beds. This will improve soil quality and give next year’s plants a nutritious head start.…

Julie Marsden, 1961 This is me aged eight in my ‘Whitsuntide’ best clothes. I was keen for a ‘Beatles hat’ – mine was black faux leather, as were the collar, buttons and pocket flaps of my black-and-white tweed coat. ✣ 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.…

Get gardening The average green-fingered adult can burn more than 51,000 calories a year by gardening. Just 35 minutes a week burns 632 calories every month. Want an all-over tone-up? Try leaf raking. ‘It’s the perfect exercise,’ says Nicola Addison of Eqvvs Personal Training. ‘Raking requires a whole range of movements – twisting, bending, lifting and reaching – and these use several different muscle groups.’ In 30 minutes, you can expect to burn around 171 calories mowing the lawn, 152 digging and 135 weeding. GET PEDALLING Not been on a bike for years? It might be time to get back on the saddle. It’s a great way to get your heart pumping to help cut your risk of developing diabetes, cancer, heart attacks, strokes and other serious conditions. Recent research…

A Evidence shows that fruit juice – particularly 100% orange juice – has a variety of health benefits and few downsides. The high vitamin C content of orange juice is key for immune functionality. One 150ml glass of 100% orange juice provides 84% of the vitamin C Nutrient Reference Value (NRV – the minimum targets set by the EU). As well as vitamin C, the folate, vitamin D, vitamin P (polyphenols) and omega-3 fatty acids in orange juice support our immune system. In addition, healthy and fruitful gut microbiota are beneficial. Probiotics are often discussed, but prebiotics – compounds that feed beneficial gut micro-organisms – are important too. Plant-based foods, especially fruit, veg and their juices, have prebiotic activity due to their plant polyphenols. Hesperidin, a compound found in citrus…

WINTER BLUES A Mediterranean native, the Algerian iris (Iris unguicularis) puts on a welcome show in the depths of a UK winter, producing astonishing blue-purple flowers, with white and egg-yolk yellow markings, from December until March. Grow in a sheltered, sunny spot – such as the base of a south- or west-facing wall – and check regularly for snails, as they tend to eat the flower buds. SPUDS YOU LIKE If growing your own potatoes appeals, you can order seed potatoes now for dispatch at the end of January. Try a patio planter kit that combines a growing bag with three or more varieties of spud. Or use a Vegebag (£19.99, H65cm, Dia 45cm), RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2020 garden product of the year. Both available from garden centres. GARDEN…

MEASUREMENTS To fit an average adult head and an average adult hand. MATERIALS For beret: 4 x 50g (140m) balls of King Cole Luxury Merino DK (100% merino wool) in Snowy Sky (2626)*. For wrist-warmers: 3 x 50g (140m) balls of King Cole Luxury Merino DK (100% merino wool) in Snowy Sky (2626). For both: Pair each of 3.25mm (No. 10) and 4mm (No. 8) knitting needles. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk. TENSION 22 stitches and 36 rows, to 10 x 10cm, over pattern, using 4mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS K, knit; p, purl; st(s), stitch(es); tog, together; inc, increase (by working twice into same st); dec, decrease (by taking 2 sts tog); ss, stocking st (k on right side, p on wrong side); rss, reverse ss (p on right side, k…

To Kill a Stranger by Simon Kernick (£14.99, HB, Headline) Would you kill a stranger to save the person you love? Matt soon finds out when he comes home to find his fiancée is missing. On discovering she’s been taken and the kidnappers are threatening to kill her, he’s told there is only one way to save her. He must kill a stranger. This perfectly paced plot twists and turns in a cat-and-mouse storyline. Strong characters, secrets and lies, and a story that’ll keep you on your toes – it’s brilliant. A Bookshop in Paris by Ellen Feldman (£8.99, PB, Simon & Schuster) This moving read is set in Paris in 1944 and New York in the 1950s. Charlotte Foret is working in a tiny bookstore in Nazi-occupied Paris, struggling…

FEEDING BIRDS March might be a long way off but let’s celebrate the good things of winter, like feeding hungry birds (turn to page 25). WARM WOOLLENS Is there anything more cosy than wrapping up warm on a winter’s day? (Make our knits to keep you snug – see page 47.) SNOW Not for everyone, I know, but children love the way snow turns the world into a wonderland, and a lot of adults do too!…

CHILDHOOD FRIENDS I was interested to read in Woman’s Weekly that two-fifths of adults are still pals with a childhood friend. This is true for me and my friend Lesley. We met at primary school, aged 10. We sat next to each other all throughout school, during the heady 60s pop music era. We have a lifetime of memories together; leaving school, starting work, dating and weddings. We were each other’s bridesmaids! We’re now 71 years old and to have a friend you have known for over 50 years is something quite special. Elaine Wadhams, Kent…

‘You don’t realise how much you miss something until you get it back’ The coronavirus pandemic has been a scary time for all of us. But it was particularly worrying for Michael Ball when he developed Covid earlier this year. Michael, 58, tells us, ‘It was pretty nasty. I had all the classic symptoms, I didn’t have to go to hospital or anything like that, but it wasn’t nice. I’m fine now, though, thankfully.’ But Michael says that falling ill with coronavirus ‘spurred him on’ to write more music during lockdown, and was part of the reason for him getting together with Alfie Boe again to release a much-needed Christmas album, Together at Christmas. ‘We thought that the nation needed a bit of Christmas cheer and an element of happiness,’…

This week’s columnist: Craig Revel Horwood “This year was the first time I really got to spend any time at home – apart from the two weeks I had off for my second hip replacement. Being ‘locked up’ in the country was good to begin with. The first month was like a holiday, the second, I was twiddling my thumbs, the third – this is a proper crisis now – and by the fourth month onwards, it was just too much! All my work moved to 2021, so I thought I might as well enjoy it. I learnt about gardening, spent time with my fiancé, Jonathan, and wrote my book. ‘Sharing a house was a blast’ The inspiration came from the 90s, when I moved to a shared house in…

How to get great sleep DURING MENOPAUSE The average age for the menopause is 51 – and around three-quarters of women have symptoms associated with it. Sleep problems are common, along with night sweats and anxiety. Good-quality sleep is vital for physical and mental health, so try these tips to help: ROUTINE Try to go to bed and get up at a similar time every day. The body responds well to a regular pattern. EXERCISE Daytime exercise helps promote a healthy sleep pattern but, late at night, it can delay your ability to fall asleep. LIGHT Use dim lighting in the evening to prepare the brain for sleep. Don’t take tech into the bedroom – the blue light interferes with the production of sleep hormones and the buzz of…

Children with gastrointestinal symptoms usually have a self-limiting infection or a functional gut disorder, but for a minority, the symptoms are caused by inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease. New research among 48 English general practices shows that stool testing for ‘faecal calprotectin’ helps distinguish between the two. Faecal calprotectin was more reliable than ‘red flag symptoms’ of weight loss and rectal bleeding, contributing to a reduction in hospital referrals.…

1 RELAX BEFORE BED Follow a regular bedtime ritual, taking time to unwind. Have a hot bath, massage your legs, and avoid alcohol, caffeine or tobacco at night. 2 MANAGE CONDITIONS Treat chronic health conditions, including diabetes, kidney disease, Parkinson’s and thyroid issues – if uncontrolled, they can make restless legs worse. 3 GET MOVING Regular gentle exercise, earlier in the day, will help – but avoid it near bedtime. Walking and stretching is good, or relaxation with yoga or tai chi. 4 TALK TO YOUR GP Your GP may change possible trigger medications including blood pressure treatments, antihistamines, antidepressants and lithium.…

ON THE CASE Using bold and bright prints will give an exotic update to a plain old bookcase – and it doesn’t cost much. YOU WILL NEED: ✣ White bookcase or cabinet ✣ Wallpaper samples ✣ Wallpaper paste or PVA glue ✣ Small roller 1 Remove the shelves from the bookcase. Lay the shell of the bookcase down on the floor. 2 Arrange the wallpaper samples on the back of the bookcase, making sure they overlap, to create a patchwork design. 3 Apply some paste or PVA glue on the back of the wallpaper samples then, using a small roller or paintbrush, stick them firmly in place. Smooth out any air bubbles as you go, then leave to dry, before replacing the shelves. COPPER-COLOUR CLIPBOARDS Bring your home office up…

A Most English Princess by Clare McHugh (£10.99, PB, William Morrow) Lovers of historical fiction will enjoy this fly-on-the-wall novel about Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Victoria, Princess Royal. Taking us through her life as a daughter, bride, wife and mother, we get fascinating personal and political insights into the royal households. Following her marriage to Prince Frederick of Prussia, Victoria – the outsider – mothered eight children and witnessed the political turmoil that set the course for World War One. Meticulously researched, it’s an entertaining book.…

ANN BRADY, 67 Tell us about your look My look is comfy and casual with a modern, utilitarian edge. I love easy, practical pieces in what I call ‘sludgy’ colours! The trousers are from a charity shop, my top is H&M and my boots are Clarks. I should be wearing DMs, but it’s Clarks for comfort. And the best bit of your body? My cheekbones. LIZ GRIFFITHS, 58 Tell us about your look I like smart clothes with a modern edge and prefer to invest in more classic pieces. My Jaeger coat was a great find in TK Maxx! My check trousers are French Connection (last year) and my boots are Jigsaw. My navy scarf is LK Bennett and I bought my Coach bag from an online designer discount site.…

WHERE I’VE BEEN Rehearsing at The Point Theatre in Eastleigh, from 10am-6pm every day – just five of us, as it’s a one-man show. I revisited my tap-dancing, which was good. WHO I MET The director, Lisa Kent, and a stage manager. WHAT I BOUGHT My sister a 57-year-old almanac, as it’s her 57th birthday. WHAT I’VE SEEN Bizarrely, a hedgehog walking through my house. We left the conservatory door open and it made my home its home, which was very sweet.…

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & CORIANDER SOUP The perfect warming meat-free meal to enjoy after a lovely winter walk. PER SERVING 170 cals, 9g fat, 5g sat fat, 17g carbs SERVES 6 ✣ 1 butternut squash (approx. 1kg/2¼lb), peeled and cut into bite-size pieces, reserving the seeds ✣ 2tbsp olive oil ✣ 1tbsp maple syrup (or honey if not vegan) ✣ 1tsp ground cumin ✣ ½tsp ground cinnamon ✣ 1 onion, roughly chopped ✣ 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped ✣ 1tsp coriander seeds ✣ ½tsp cayenne pepper ✣ 500ml (16fl oz) vegetable stock ✣ 400ml can of reduced-fat coconut milk ✣ Large handful of roughly chopped fresh coriander 1 Heat the oven to 200C/ Gas 6. Place the squash pieces in a layer on a large baking tray. Drizzle with 1tbsp olive…

The symptoms shared by different types of EDS include joint hypermobility (increased range of joint movement) and stretchy, fragile skin that bruises or tears easily. Severity varies – some of the rare types can be life-threatening. The cause is a variety of faulty genes, making connective tissue weaker. Depending on the EDS type, the gene may be inherited from one or both parents. Occasionally it isn’t inherited but is a new mutation. There are 13 types of EDS, including the commonest, hypermobile EDS (hEDS), plus classical EDS (cEDS), vascular EDS (vEDS) and kyphoscoliotic EDS (kEDS). In hEDS, patients have joint hypermobility, extreme fatigue, skin that bruises easily, digestive problems (heartburn and constipation), dizziness and an increased heart rate on standing. And drooping internal organs, such as heart valve prolapses and…

✢ Advice depends on your EDS type and how it affects you. You may need to avoid some activities entirely, such as heavy lifting and contact sports. ✢ For some activities, your physio will advise about wearing appropriate joint protection and teach you how to reduce the strain on your joints. ✢ Lower-risk activities, such as Pilates or swimming, may be recommended. If fatigue is a feature, you’ll be taught ways to conserve energy, and pacing activities. ✢ Contact Ehlers-Danlos Support UK at ehlers-danlos.org or call the helpline on 0800 907 8518. Or Hypermobility Syndromes Association (HMSA) at hypermobility.org or call the helpline on 0333 011 6388.…

People aren’t following the rules Q I’m sick of this year and will be pleased to see it gone – not that next year has much to offer at the moment. My family and I have been good citizens and, both for ourselves and others, we’ve followed the rules. What makes me cross is that we’re missing out on a family Christmas this year and so many of the people we know are just carrying on as normal. It seems that those of us who behave well miss out. That can’t be fair. Marion, London A You’re right, it isn’t, but you know you’re doing the right thing that protects you, your family and others, and they aren’t. Ask yourself which scenario makes you feel better and able to sleep…

ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr See if you can volunteer and help in an organisation that resonates with you. It will make you feel good inside. TAURUS 21 Apr – 21 May Restlessness may pervade your thinking. Do your best to connect with your body and let it speak to you. GEMINI 22 May – 21 Jun Something you’ve been working towards can come to fruition now. A new opportunity may emerge. CANCER 22 Jun – 23 Jul Patience is likely to be your keyword this week. If things don’t move quickly enough for you, focus on something else to relieve the tension. LEO 24 Jul – 23 Aug You have great inner strength that you may not have tapped into yet. You’ll have a chance to take a…

“Looking back over the past year – an unpleasant duty that requires a mask, tin helmet and full protective clothing – I realise that Grace, my colleague at the charity shop, has taken the place on these pages that used to be occupied by Wendy, who is also a colleague at the shop. It is true that Wendy did feature quite heavily when she and Mr Wendy fell out because he grew a beard. (By the way, she won’t like that word ‘heavily’.) But if you consult your Rosemary scrapbook, you’ll see they had a romantic reconciliation, and that’s kept them pretty occupied since the summer. So it is Grace, a relatively new member of Team Charity Shop, who has become my new best friend. Grace, who always has a…