Innholdsfortegnelse for 09-Feb-2021 i Woman's Weekly

To a brighter future My father spent the last couple of years of his life in a wheelchair, which in classic grumpy-old-man style he found rather irritating, although he still managed to have a very jolly time. Mind you, he never took a holiday as a wheelchair user because ‘It would be too much of a faff.’ He was wrong about that – see page 38. If he’s up there looking down now, though, he’ll be giving thanks he didn’t have to live through COVID – for a sociable person he would have found isolating very tough – but there are many like him who’ve had to. So for everyone in that position, isn’t our vaccination scheme wonderful!…

KATE RUTTER, 44 Tell us about your look I like things that are a little bit different. This animal-print Puffa jacket is very me. I spotted it in Gap last year and couldn’t resist. My skinny jeans are by Lee and are at least 10 years old. And I’ve had my Veja trainers for nearly three years. And the best bit of your body? My slim ankles. CHRIS HUGHES, 70 Tell us about your look My leather biker jacket is from Pure Collection. It adds a touch of modern chic to any outfit. My cream roll neck is Massimo Dutti and trousers by Jigsaw. My leather trainers are Russell & Bromley and the crossbody bag is by Hedgren. My must-have accessory is Look Fabulous Forever make-up. I never used to…

EASY STEAK AND MUSHROOM STEW Crispy pastry lids sit on top of individual servings of this rich, flavour-packed pot. SERVES 4 ✣ Few squirts Frylight sunflower spray (or ½tsp sunflower oil) ✣ 450g (1lb) cubed braising steak, trimmed of all fat ✣ 1 large onion, chopped ✣ 1 carrot, chopped ✣ 1 celery stick, sliced ✣ 2tbsp Worcestershire sauce ✣ 1tbsp tomato puree ✣ 2tsp thyme, chopped ✣ 450ml (¾pt) hot beef stock ✣ 1tsp gravy granules ✣ 125g (4oz) ready-to-roll light puff pastry ✣ 200g (7oz) baby chestnut mushrooms, halved ✣ 1 egg, beaten, to glaze You will need: ✣ A large flameproof casserole dish ✣ 4 x 200ml (7fl oz) ovenproof dishes, greased 1 Heat the oven to 160C/ Gas 3. Spray the casserole dish with Frylight oil…

Affecting women of any age, the occurrence of endometriumtype tissue outside the womb is poorly understood. Most commonly on the ovaries and fallopian tubes, and elsewhere in the abdomen, rarely, it’s found elsewhere in the body, such as in the lungs, bladder, bowel or even skin. How it develops there isn’t clear, but problems occur as, during your period, it bleeds just as the endometrium lining the womb bleeds. Symptoms and severity vary greatly – some women are badly affected, while others may have no noticeable symptoms. Lower abdominal, back or pelvis pain are common, usually at the time of your period; severe period pains; very heavy periods with flooding; pain when peeing or pooing during your period, and pain during or after sex. Some have nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, or…

I don’t like how she treats my son Q I’ve spent a lot of time with my son and daughter-in-law over the past few months. I was very grateful at first as I live alone and, during the first lockdown, I was really lonely. I’ve now seen how they relate to each other. My daughter-in-law constantly puts down her husband and the two children. She says things like, ‘I know you don’t want to make me happy’ to my grandchildren, who are six and eight. I can see them trying their best but nothing seems to satisfy her. I don’t know if I can do anything but it makes me sad. Name and address withheld A I think the first thing to understand is that your daughter-in-law is not doing…

“ You might be forgiven for thinking that this page is written in a tearing hurry, cobbled together at 4.55pm on a Friday afternoon from spare parts, but that would be unfair on my crack team of researchers. Here is a full account of our latest meeting, at 4.45pm on a recent Friday afternoon: Me: So, crack team of researchers, what have you got for me? Crack team: Did you know that the oldest surviving biscuit dates back to 1784, and is at the National Maritime Museum? Me: We’ve done biscuits. We’re always doing biscuits. Crack team: All right, did you know that afternoon tea was invented by the Duchess of Bedford, who was lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria? Me: Very interesting, but don’t you have anything that isn’t tea and…

Christiane Gibb, née Ranft, 1940s, sent in by her daughter Helga Gibb In this photo my mother wore a cotton jacket with a silk skirt that she made herself. This was sometime before she came to the UK as a refugee. She is now 98. ✣ 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.…

CLEVER CUTS Give fine hair a helping hand with a haircut that adds movement and depth to your style. Adam Reed, ambassador for the ghd brand, recommends asking your stylist for ‘invisible layers’ created with a texturising cutting technique ‘just through the ends of the hair’. Spritz in ghd Root Lift Spray, £14.50 , before blow-drying. Finish with Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Perfect Finish Hairspray, £6.99 . Regular trims will also help remove dry, wispy ends, which can make hair appear flat and lifeless. COLOUR TRICKS While a single all-over shade can appear flat and one-dimensional, adding different tones to the hair creates an optical illusion, making it appear thicker. Highlights or lowlights are ideal for enhancing depth, while balayage involves colour painted on by hand, and is perfect…

Most of us Brits – 93% – recognise the Fairtrade mark that appears on lots of everyday items. It’s black, green and blue, and looks a bit like the yin and yang symbol. But how many of us really know what Fairtrade is about? What is Fairtrade? The name Fairtrade sums up what the scheme is all about – to try to make trade fairer for farmers and workers in the developing world. It tells you that growers should have received a fair price for their produce and work in decent conditions (although there have been claims that the farmers don’t properly benefit from the higher prices charged for Fairtrade products in richer countries). They also receive what’s called the Fairtrade Premium, money that they can invest in their communities…

✢ The cause of endometriosis is unknown – theories include genetic or immunity links; retrograde menstruation, where the menstrual blood flows backwards, or spreads through blood or lymph systems. ✢ Everyone varies so your symptoms may not be typical. Consider symptoms affecting your abdomen, periods, bowel or bladder, especially if following your menstrual cycle. ✢ It may help to write down symptoms before speaking to a doctor. Endometriosis UK has a symptom diary you can use to make things clearer ✢ Endometriosis is a difficult condition, both physically and emotionally. Go online to endometriosis-uk.org for information and support. Or call their helpline on 0808 808 2227.…

LEMON DRIZZLE LAYER CAKE This lemon cake is moist, zingy and totally delicious. SERVES 8 ✣ 150g (5oz) softened butter ✣ 200g (7oz) caster sugar ✣ 4 eggs ✣ 142ml pot of soured cream ✣ 275g (9½oz) self-raising flour ✣ Zest of 2 large lemons ✣ 3tbsp limoncello For the filling: ✣ 300g (10oz) full-fat cream cheese ✣ 150g (5oz) lemon curd For the topping: ✣ Zest of 1 large lemon, plus 2tbsp lemon juice ✣ 125g (4oz) icing sugar, sifted ✣ Lemon jelly slices (optional) You will need: ✣ 2 x 20cm (8in) sandwich tins, greased and the bases lined with baking parchment 1 Heat the oven to 180C/ Gas 4. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy.…

RAYS OF DELIGHT Winter-flowering jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) is a ray of sunshine from December to March, its arching green stems studded with pretty, canary-yellow, star-shaped flowers. Train against a dull fence or let it spill over a low wall. Frost-hardy and trouble-free, it flowers best in sun and prefers well-drained soil. Cut a few sprigs for a vase and bring the sunshine indoors too. HEAPS OF MAGIC Making compost is a great way to turn kitchen scraps and garden waste into a nutritious soil improver and mulch. Make a wooden container or buy a plastic ‘Dalek’ compost bin. Layer green ‘soft’ waste (veg peelings, teabags and grass clippings) and brown, woody stuff (twigs, shredded paper and card, chopped plant stems). Mix up the contents every six weeks and within 6-12…

ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr Reach out to others now. Is there something you can share? Who might need a kind word or deed? TAURUS 21 Apr – 21 May Financially, you may be experiencing some twists and turns on your journey right now. This is a time to minimise your risks. GEMINI 22 May – 21 Jun You may be making changes to your career direction. Focus on what brings you the most pleasure and you shouldn’t go wrong. CANCER 22 Jun – 23 Jul This is a great time for deepening a relationship. It could be an intimate connection or a friendship that needs more attention. LEO 24 Jul – 23 Aug You may be going through a self-transformation. Anything that takes you deeper internally will be…

1 Bed in hedging February is the perfect time to plant your bare root hedges. They won’t spend too much time in the cold, wet soil before springtime encourages growth. 2 Blooming bulbs Early bulbs emerging this month, including netted iris or iris histrioides, need covering with a cloche to protect delicate flowers from heavy rain or snow. 3 Cut canes Show bamboo plants some love by pruning away old or dying stems. Cut from the base, saving the thicker canes to use as plant supports.…

With live television, there is always the risk that things can go wrong, and it’s always in the back of your mind that you might lose total control of what you’re doing live on air. It has only happened to me twice, when I’ve laughed so much that we could hardly keep going. ‘The tears were rolling down my face’ The first time was back in the 1980s when I was hosting TV-am with Michael Parkinson. He was sitting with his legs crossed opposite me and I saw he had a hole in the sole of his shoe, and I thought that was so unlikely that someone like him would be walking around with holes in his shoes, so I remarked on it. Then he went into this rather long,…

‘I’m just getting started’ Helen Higgins, 65, from West Sussex, but now living in Sydney, Australia, works as an ‘online grandmother’. When my children, Mark, 49, Lauren, 36, and Ian, 34, were little, I ran a home day-care centre before getting a job as an accountant. I was good with numbers, but I didn’t wake up eager to work on someone’s balance sheet. So when my firm’s accounts department moved cities in February 2020, I saw a golden opportunity. At 65, I could have retired, but I still had so much to give. ‘I love reading. I could read children’s books out loud, online,’ I thought. I felt privileged to be a grandma to Scarlett, nine, Natalie, eight, Wyatt, seven and Jett, four, and wanted to take the essence of…

Take care of your eyes to DRIVE SAFELY Sun dazzle and glare is a problem during all seasons, but can be particularly dangerous in winter because the sun sits so low in the sky. Also, the sun reflects off snow, ice and water on the road, which intensifies the light. But there are steps you can take with eye health to help you drive safer. Cold weather can dry out eyes, and air blowing into a driver’s face from a heating vent can cause tear evaporation, which worsens dry eyes and creates more glare from the sun and headlights. Cataracts – which cause ‘halos’ around headlights – can be equally dangerous. Eye drops can help relieve dry eyes. Cataracts can often be resolved with simple surgery. Have you had…

CITRUS FRUIT Rich in antioxidants, helping protect against cell damage. A daily glass of orange juice is rich with polyphenols, vital for immune-cell function. VITAMIN D The ‘sunshine’ vitamin is essential for immune function and can help manage some auto-immune conditions. Take a supplement and go outdoors when you can. OILY FISH Eat this or take a fish oil or algae supplement for anti-inflammatory fats that calm the immune system. Add some turmeric for anti-inflammatory effects. FERMENTED FOODS These help prevent gut dysbiosis (low levels of ‘friendly’ bacteria). Eat foods like kombucha, kimchi, kefir and probiotic dairy drinks.…

YOU WILL NEED: ✣ Small ceramic vases (height 10-15cm) ✣ Soft white air-dry clay ✣ Acrylic paints (white and assorted colours) ✣ Clay tools (either a toolset if you have one, or collect some alternatives from things you already have, like wire, toothpicks or pins for mark-making) ✣ Water in a small pot ✣ Small plate ✣ Cling film and plastic bag ✣ Tissues ✣ Paintbrushes ✣ Clear varnish spray ✣ Strong glue PREPARING THE VASES 1 Paint your vases white, even if they’re already white. The paint will act as an undercoat before you apply colour. Aim for two coats, leaving them to dry in-between. 2 Apply colour. Acrylic paints can leave brush marks, so ensure all your strokes are in the same direction. Long vertical lines will give…

The Downstairs Neighbour by Helen Cooper (£17.99, HB, Hodder & Stoughton) How well do you really know your neighbours? That’s the question Steph has to ask when her 17-year-old daughter, Freya, goes missing. And what makes matters worse is that the last person to see the teen is her downstairs neighbour and driving instructor, Chris. With the community joining forces to help find Freya, it’s soon clear not everyone is telling the truth. Space Hopper by Helen Fisher (£14.99, HB, Simon & Schuster) If you could go back and visit the mother who died when you were just a little girl, would you? Wife and mother to two daughters, Faye has never really got over her mother’s death, so when a chance encounter with a Space Hopper box transports her…