Innholdsfortegnelse for 17-Aug-2021 i Woman's Weekly

The happiest summer fate What is good luck, do you think? I was lucky enough to have two parents who loved me and that’s the best sort of luck – I feel, sadly, too many people miss out on that. I was also lucky enough to meet someone I fell in love with, and we created a family together – two more things I might never have experienced. So, while I’ve barely ever won anything, no lottery, no sweepstake, not even a raffle, I’m very happy with my allocation of fortune. But when life’s not going so smoothly, it’s lovely to hear instances of good luck intervening, just when things are at their bleakest – like the happy tales in our feature on page 20.…

Working apart I totally agree with Corrie star Sally Carman [18 May] when she says she dreads being written into the same scenes as her real-life fiancé, Joe Duttine, as working together is a nightmare. I know many couples who have worked together, but working and living together would be too much for me. I love my husband dearly, but seeing him at work and home would be a big no-no. In fact, years ago he asked me about a job with my employer. I soon put him off that idea! I wonder what other readers think? Natasha Russell-Carr, Wakefield A lovely thing to do Earlier this week, I opened the door and there was a beautiful bunch of flowers with this note attached: ‘I’m a lonely bouquet placed here…

‘I was somewhere I didn’t really want to be’ Harjit Sohotey-Khan, 49, lives in London with husband Asad, 46. I had a good job at a bank, but was bored and unfulfilled. Life was a stressful cycle of to-do lists, meetings and commuting, with the occasional holiday so Asad and I had something to look forward to. Really, I needed to reflect on the life I wanted, which would take much more time than a fortnight away. I wanted to travel and soak up other cultures, and worried I was never going to follow my dreams. However, I kept making excuses about job security and mortgage payments, anchored by an ingrained expectation that I was supposed to be sensible. Those things were just keeping me somewhere I didn’t want to…

Life-saving steps to becoming a BETTER LISTENER Ever had the experience of talking to someone about what’s going on for you, only to have them interrupt and make it all about them? You’re not alone. Conversation should be evenly split between talking and listening – but for many  of us, being listened to is a rare experience. We live in an era of self-expression, but very few people are taught how to listen. So how can you make sure you are listening well? Firstly, you need to decide if you’re available to listen! If you want to be able to pay full attention, turn your phone over, shut your computer or stop whatever task you’re doing to help you focus on the other person. If now isn’t the right…

COCONUT MILK PANNA COTTA With one bite of these perfectly wobbling beauties, you’ll be transported to sunnier shores. PER SERVING 133 cals, 10g fat, 7.5g sat fat, 8g carbs MAKES 5 ✣4 sheets of gelatin ✣1 vanilla pod ✣100ml (3½fl oz) single cream ✣400ml (14fl oz) reduced-fat coconut milk ✣20g (¾oz) sweetener ✣Zest of ½ lime For the topping: ✣1 ripe mango, diced ✣1 passion fruit ✣Juice of ½ lime ✣ ½tsp sweetener 1 Place the gelatin in some cold water and leave to soften for 5 mins. Split the vanilla pod in half lengthways and remove the seeds. Reserve the seeds and discard the pod. 2 Meanwhile, gently warm the cream, coconut milk, sweetener, vanilla seeds and lime zest, ensuring it doesn’t get too hot. 3 Mix the gelatin…

For the second time this month, Rose sat opposite a psychologist. Wondering where to begin to unravel the mess her life was. And wondering if there was even any point being here after her previous experience. Psychologist number one, Cynthia, had been a disappointment. Robust in physique and robust in personality. Bursting out of her clothes and filling the room with her presence. She’d lost Rose as a client the moment she offered her a raisin, saying, ‘Chew it slowly and mindfully, fully focused in the moment.’ Did Rose look as though she had nothing better to do? Or had it been a mistake to say she wanted her life to slow down? Slow down, not grind to a halt. And if she wanted to slow down to a snail’s…

ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr This promises to be an exciting week filled with opportunities. Be prepared to leave your comfort zone. TAURUS 21 Apr – 21 May New people and new connections are the flavour of this week. Reach out to groups and communities. GEMINI 22 May – 21 Jun This is a wonderful time for learning something new or developing creative gifts. Time to come out of hiding! CANCER 22 Jun – 23 Jul Someone may have a profound impact on you this week. Make sure you have alone time to get yourself back into balance. LEO 24 Jul – 23 Aug This is a great time for launching a new product or service that you feel passionate about. You can create spectacular results. VIRGO 24 Aug…

Plants for posterity The RHS has just launched its largest-ever collecting exercise. It’s thought there are 400,000 garden plants in the UK, including many that have never been recorded. Over the next year, volunteers will be recruited to help the herbarium team collect garden flora to create a permanent record. It’s expected to quadruple the number of plants in the RHS herbarium, home to specimens such as a wild potato collected by Charles Darwin. MAGICAL MEMORIES We all know that exercise and meditation do wonders for our wellbeing, but looking back at photos may be an even more effective mood booster. Research carried out by photography experts CEWE found that the instant lift we feel from revisiting our happiest memories positively impacts our mental wellbeing. Maybe it’s time to make…

Britain’s long history of seafaring – combined with frequent gales – means that our coastal waters probably have the highest density of shipwrecks in the world. According to Historic England, there are more than 40,000 recorded shipwrecks of f our coasts, with 62 sites protected by law*. These vessels – incredible historical resources, but also symbols of tragedy and loss – have offered up ar tefacts that give archaeologists important infor mation about the past and, in some cases, fabulous treasures. Here are five fascinating UK shipwrecks, one of which still refuses to surrender its secrets from the deep. Loch Shiel Thorne Island, Pembrokeshire The ‘treasure’ on the ill-fated sailing ship Loch Shiel was of a slightly different kind. Heading for Australia in January 1894, the ship was carrying 7,000…

WHERE I’VE BEEN At my home in Windsor, with my five Norfolk terriers. WHO I MET My gorgeous little grandson, August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, who was born in February 2021 and finds me hysterical! I love sitting back and watching my daughter, Eugenie, and son-in-law, Jack, doing such a great job of being parents. WHAT I BOUGHT A new fountain pen to write my next novel in longhand. WHAT I’VE SEEN A row of mushrooms popping up on our lawn. In my imagination, it’s fairies putting up their umbrellas.…

Look, girls!’ cried Judith, gazing out of the window. ‘Paul’s here!’ ‘Are we going out?’ Sophie asked. ‘No,’ said Judith. ‘Remember, Mummy’s going out, and Paul’s going to look after you.’ ‘Oh,’ said Jenny, frowning at her sister as Judith went to let him in. ‘I’m not sure this is going to work,’ said Paul, nervously stepping inside. ‘Of course it is!’ Judith said. ‘The girls will enjoy it. They’ve only spent time with you while I’ve been here too. If you’re with them on your own, they’ll start to see you more as part of the family.’ Paul sighed. Sophie and Jenny seemed to be having difficulty accepting him as their mum’s new partner. How on earth would a whole afternoon go, with just him? ‘They need to get…

Smart planting Gardens can look a little tired around now, with early flowering plants past their best or gone to seed. But don’t worry, there are lots of star performers waiting in the wings, ready to take centre stage from August onwards. With a combination of perennials, shrubs and annuals, you’ll get an exciting variety of shapes, sizes and colours, keeping the garden fresh and fabulous until the frosts arrive. Perennial performers Late summer brings many perennials to the fore, from salvia to crocosmia. For a more unusual choice, try milk parsley (Selinum wallichianum AGM), a Himalayan native with airy, white flower heads held above ferny, delicate leaves. Flowering from July to autumn, this metre-high umbellifer catches the eye at the back of the border and will also pull in…

1 Sow seeds Get started on your spring garden by sowing hardy annuals, such as calendula, larkspur, California poppies, cornflowers, forget-me-nots and poppies. 2 Harvest sweetcorn Harvest sweetcorn in late summer. To check which are ready to pick, pierce a kernel with your nail – if a milky sap comes out, it’s ripe. 3 Prune raspberries The fruited canes of summer-fruiting berries should now be cut back to ground level. Keep young canes to grow next year, tying them to wire supports.…

Garden blooms aren’t just beautiful and fragrant, they can add a finishing flourish to your plate, too, turning the ordinary into a showstopper. Just make sure you know exactly what you’re picking before eating, as some flowers are poisonous, and check that they haven’t been sprayed with any gardening chemicals. Here are some of our favourites. Cornflowers From electric blue, to pink and white, cornflowers look dazzling scattered on cakes, cupcakes and desserts, or sprinkled over fruit salads. The small petals have a mildly spicy, clove-like flavour, and can also be dried to use as a tisane during the colder months. Calendulas Also known as poor man’s saffron, calendula is easy to grow. The plant’s soothing oils have long been used in skincare, while the petals can be used to…

Fruit and insulin resistance A longitudinal study of middle-aged Australians showed that people who ate lots of fruit had lower fasting insulin levels and greater insulin sensitivity when tested at the start. Over five years’ follow-up, those who ate two or more servings of fruit per day had a 36% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who consumed half a serving or less. After 12 years, however, the protective effect of eating fruit had vanished. Indigestion, also called heartburn, acid reflux or dyspepsia, usually means pain or discomfort in the upper abdomen or behind the sternum. It’s not often a sign of anything significant, and is treatable with pharmacy products and lifestyle changes. However, persistent pain needs investigating as, rarely, it may be a sign of something…

I’m worried about my parents’ reaction Q I’m remarrying and my trans brother wants to come to the wedding dressed in a man’s suit. Although my siblings and some of my friends know the situation, my parents, who are in their 80s, don’t. I completely respect his wishes to live the way he wants but I’m concerned about my parents. Name and address withheld A It looks like your brother has chosen your wedding day to tell everyone, so that way, he won’t have to manage your parents’ reaction. Take a moment to think about it. Is this what you want on your wedding day? If not, then he has to tell them beforehand so they can all act naturally, decide to dress differently or not come. Make it clear…

BEST FOR Water sports Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall It’s no secret that Newquay is a surfers’ paradise, but it’s also popular for stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, jet-skiing and swimming. Fistral, one of the town’s 12 beaches, plays host to many of these activities, thanks to two headlands that create powerful waves, but sheltering sand dunes means it’s also an ideal spot to soak up the sun. Other draws include sterling seafood restaurants (one is owned by Rick Stein), the Lappa Valley steam railway, and the island of St Michael’s Mount, just off St Ives (a 90-minute drive from Fistral). STAY Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa is adults-only and overlooks the beach. Bag a spot at the Dune Restaurant, with its huge glass windows framing the ocean, for one of the best…

Shrubs can hog the late-summer limelight too. ✣ Hypericum is a semi-evergreen that is smothered in golden cup-shaped blooms from August. Unfussy about soil, it makes a dense mound, up to 1.5m high. Plant a variety like ‘Hidcote’ AGM in sun or partial shade, in well-drained soil, and watch it shine. ✣ Hebe is another late starter. From July, ‘Spender’s Seedling’ is adorned with tapering white flowers, set off by slender green leaves. It forms a neat, shapely dome, up to 1m high. ✣ August sees shade-loving hydrangeas burst into bloom. Try the compact paniculata variety ‘Little Lime’ (1.5m), which has fresh, green-white flowers that mature to pink, then burgundy.…

THE STORY SO FAR: When Rosa arrives on the Scottish island of Drumgoe, home to her mother’s estranged friend Lucia, she finds her being put into an ambulance. Rosa follows her to the hospital where Lucia tells her she’s giving Rosa her secret ice-cream recipe. Lucia also wants Rosa to reopen her ice-cream parlour, which has been closed since her husband’s death. Back at Lucia’s home, Rosa is surprised by Nico, Lucia’s son, home from travelling. Nico thinks it’s a great idea that Rosa runs his mother’s ice-cream business, but Rosa has her doubts – she doesn’t feel qualified. The following day, Paulo and Stella Esposito turn up, claiming to be Lucia’s oldest friends. They threaten Rosa with lawyers, saying they should now run the business, and accusing Rosa of…