Innholdsfortegnelse for 26-Oct-2021 i Woman's Weekly

It takes a lot to knock actress Anita Dobson. Naturally buoyant with a ready smile, she’s someone who lives life to the full, determined to squeeze every last bit of pleasure from every day. So it comes as some surprise to hear that like millions of others throughout Britain, Anita found lockdown terribly tough. She struggled with being confined to her London home, and then disaster struck when her husband, Queen guitarist Brian May, suffered a heart attack, an agonising compressed sciatic nerve and a stomach haemorrhage. Anita, who stars in the new ITV crime drama The Long Call, says, ‘I love life. I love people, social gatherings, theatre and showbiz – I love living. That’s not to say when life throws me a curveball, it doesn’t knock me over.…

1 Go dancing Enjoying a twirl on the dance floor gives you physical exercise and the opportunity to be sociable, both of which are listed in the World Health Organization’s recommendations for reducing dementia risk. A dance workout boosts circulation to your brain and helps to lay down neural circuits, plus it involves swift thinking to remember steps. ‘Research shows that dance changes how you think and problem-solve,’ says dance psychologist Dr Peter Lovatt. 2 Play strategy games You often hear people say ‘use it or lose it’, and studies suggest that games that challenge you strategically – such as bridge or chess – can help to stave off dementia. Regularly challenging yourself mentally builds up your brain’s ability to cope with disease – elderly people who play mentally challenging…

I’ve caught my husband cheating QI had my suspicions about my husband. I looked at his phone and emails when he was out, and I’m right – he’s cheating on me. I’m not sure what to do, as I did break a fundamental agreement not to spy on each other, but I believe my offence is less than his. I can’t stay with him knowing he’s cheating on me, so I think I do need to say something to him. Name and address withheld A You’re right – your behaviour was not particularly special and asking your husband outright would have been a better course of action, rather than going behind his back. That said, you had picked up that something wasn’t right and you now have further proof that…

The phone rang, startling me into wakefulness. I glanced at the clock – 3.33 in the morning. ‘Hello?’ It was my son Mark. ‘Mum, don’t worry, but Jack’s in hospital. He has a high temperature, but you have to be careful with kids, don’t you?’ Jack, my beautiful grandson, was only eight months old, but he already had my heart firmly in his chubby little grasp. ‘I’ll be right there, Mark.’ Thankfully, there was little traffic and I was with them in just 20 minutes. ‘Mum, I’m glad you’re here.’ Mark gave me a quick hug and his wife Chrissie hurled herself into my arms. They quickly filled me in on the details. Meningitis had been diagnosed since Mark phoned me. ‘He’s so tiny,’ Chrissie wept. ‘They’re much tougher than…

Berry treasure Through the mellow, misty autumn days, tiny explosions of bright colour shine through from berry trees, shrubs and plants. As well as being highly decorative, autumn fruits are a banquet for birds and small mammals, and help them survive the scarce winter months. From fruiting native trees, like hawthorn and mountain ash, to rambling roses with cascades of rubied hips, or potted winter cherries, there are plenty of options to choose from. Hawthorn harvest Prickly and hardy, the hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is a native tree that offers a bountiful autumn harvest. Laden with clusters of small red fruits (haws) that were traditionally used to make jelly, it’s beloved by birds and makes a delightful tree for a natural style garden. Here are two to try: ✣ The spreading…

ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr You’ve had many successes, but sometimes you hardly notice. Time to start a progress journal to see just how far you’ve come. TAURUS 21 Apr – 21 May This is a great time for a new relationship. It could be a friendship or a romance, or a business partnership. GEMINI 22 May – 21 Jun It’s time to extend your social circles, online or in person. You need some more mental stimulation and inspiration. CANCER 22 Jun – 23 Jul New people are eager to connect now. If you want a new circle of friends, it can happen easily and quickly. LEO 24 Jul – 23 Aug Creatively you are under extremely favourable aspects. This is a great time to launch a new product…

Sowing the seas Thousands of volunteers are planting seeds to save the UK’s underwater seagrass meadows. This aquatic wonder plant captures carbon 35 times faster than tropical rainforests – so it could play a part in efforts to limit global warming – it also provides shelter to many precious marine species, including seahorses. Over the last century, the UK has lost 92% of its seagrass habitats, so charities including WWF are working together with the public to reverse the decline. So far, project supporters have sown more than a million seeds – find out how you can help at wwf.org.uk WHAT’S NEW, PUSSYCAT? Despite being a nation of cat lovers, 93% of Brits are mystified by their moggie’s behaviour*. Direct eye contact and a twitching tail is a warning to…

Many of those dressing up as witches and ghouls for Halloween know little of the real history of witches. We see modern incarnations in culture as harmless, like Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch children’s books, and the trainee witches from the Harry Potter series, bungling broomstick classes, with cute familiars. We are much like the medieval Christian church, which believed witchcraft didn’t exist, and was just pagan superstition and nonsense. However, at around the time of the Reformation, elements within the church suddenly began obsessing about people being in league with the Devil, and mass trials of supposed witches began in Europe. Women in particular – sometimes intuitive and wise women such as midwives and herbalists, but mostly those who were old, single and perhaps a bit grumpy – were…

WHERE I’VE BEEN I’ve just got back from Spain with my partner after a week’s holiday. WHAT I’VE BOUGHT A copy of A Month in the Countr by JL Carr, one of my favourite books of all time about a damaged survivor of the First World War. WHO I’VE MET My Spanish publishers. Thursday Murder Club has now been published in over 50 countries around the world. What’s amazing to me is that all the British brand names are left untouched. WHAT I’VE SEEN A documentary called The Truffle Hunters in which a handful of men search for rare white Alba truffles deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy. A fascinating slice of life and a real treat, of course, to be back in a cinema.…

‘I couldn’t turn down a challenge’ Jane Malyon, 64, owns englishcreamtea.com and lives with her husband, Roger, 65, in Essex. ‘We wondered if you wanted to set a world record,’ said the man on the phone. The call, in July 2011, had come out the blue, and I was stunned to say the least. Yet Guinness World Records [GWR] wanted to know if I’d be willing to host the biggest-ever traditional cream tea. It was only a few months since I’d set up my online gift service, The English Cream Tea Company, and we were just a tiny start-up. Then again, I loved a challenge, so I phoned back and agreed. ‘It was such a fulfilling experience’ ‘Can I just confirm what I’ve signed up for?’ I asked. What exactly did…

Losing weight CHANGED MY LIFE I’ve struggled with my weight since I was about eight years old. I went on my first diet at 14 and my weight went up and down over the years – mostly up! I tried every quack remedy – diet pills, acupuncture, meditation, bulking agents, special teas – you name it. By 2009 I weighed 21st 9lb, and was massively obese, unhealthy and very unhappy. After a hurtful comment from someone, I decided to go under the knife and I had a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, and managed to get to 12 stone by June 2012. But the weight crept back on, even though I stuck to a low-fat way of eating. I was 13st 7lb by the time I watched Dr Michael Mosley’s TV…

Nestled in the heart of serene Suffolk countryside, the picturesque market town of Lavenham is a step back in time. With over 300 listed buildings, this charming rural idyll is one of Britain’s best-preserved medieval villages. Walk along its narrow, winding streets, and find a fascinating past waiting to be discovered. Explore Lavenham’s history Strolling Lavenham’s sleepy streets today, it’s hard to believe that in Tudor times it was a hectic trading hotspot, and England’s 14th richest town. Despite its diminutive size, Lavenham was the centre of the medieval wool trade, and traders flocked to its bustling marketplace for local wares including the famous Lavenham Blue cloth. Start out by exploring the town’s intriguing past at Lavenham Guildhall, a magnificent medieval building in the Market Square. Dating back to 1530,…

1 Bring in tropicals Potted tropical plants will need to be brought indoors as the cold weather sets in. These include popular choices such as banana plants, brugmansias and eucomis. 2 Greenhouse clean-out Hygiene halts the spread of overwintering pests and diseases in your greenhouse. Remove any debris and clean glazing to allow more sunlight in. 3 Salad days To enjoy large crops of salad for longer, cover the plants with cloches. Now is also a good time for you to sow quick-growing greens like mustard and kale.…

Back pain Almost a quarter of us (21%) have a bad back by our late 40s, according to a study from University College London. And problems only get worse as we age. But they needn’t. While the research found that many health issues start early, there are steps that we can take to prevent problems – whatever our age. ✣ Keep moving It’s the key to both avoiding and easing a bad back, says leading NHS pain consultant Dr Deepak Ravindran. ‘Exercise reduces pain and builds supportive muscles to help prevention.’ Aim for 30 minutes’ moderate exercise, such as walking, swimming or Pilates, five times a week. If you suffer with back pain, consult a physiotherapist for specific exercises. ✣ Watch your posture ‘Back pain is often a lifestyle problem,’…

Nasal polyps affect the lining of the nose, often originating from the ethmoid sinuses, which drain into the side wall of the nasal cavity. These painless soft growths aren’t usually serious, but they can keep growing and block your nose if not treated. They contain inflammatory fluid and, while often associated with allergy and infection, the exact cause is not known. They commonly occur with more general diseases such as late onset asthma in an adult (rather than childhood asthma), aspirin intolerance or cystic fibrosis. Nasal polyps are up to four times more common in men, affecting between one and 20 in every 1,000 people, though after the age of 60, the risk declines. Nasal polyps are rare in children between the ages of two and 10 and, if found,…

Some people (most likely witches) might not mind being called a witch – but I do. For a start, I know nothing of spells and potions. And I certainly don’t think I look like a witch. Well, not the ones I’ve seen in books – all warts and missing teeth. That’s not what I see in the mirror. I see a young woman of 19. Someone who tries to keep up with the latest fashions. I haven’t got a black cape or a pointy hat. It’s 1905, for goodness sake, not the Middle Ages! I like to think I’m pretty. My mother calls me her ‘beautiful Autumn’. When I was a little girl, she would often tell me the story of the day I was born and how she came…

Falling asleep should have been easy. The train carriage was comfortably warm and not overly crowded, which was just how she liked it. The chatter of her fellow travellers blended unobtrusively with the rhythmic clatter of motion, and the late afternoon reassuringly enveloped the windows in a cocoon of November darkness. Ordinarily, Ingrid thought, she would have dozed off an hour or more ago. But not today. Today was different. Today it was impossible to quell her racing mind. Today she felt ready to cry at the drop of a hat. Lately, in the past six months or so, this had become her norm, and Ingrid hated it. The door beside her slid open and the front of the refreshment trolley appeared, its wheels catching momentarily on the ridge of…