Innholdsfortegnelse for 31-Jan-2023 i Woman's Weekly

Why do it? Walking is one of the easiest and most effective ways to keep well. ‘The health and wellbeing benefits of exercise are beyond dispute,’ says physiotherapist Sammy Margo.‘It reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, dementia and many cancers, plus osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and other musculoskeletal problems. We also know it improves the immune system and reduces inflammation.’ But it’s great for your mood too. ‘An hour-long walk every day reduces your risk of depression by 26%,’ she says. But even a 10-minute stroll has health benefits. NEED MOTIVATION? ‘Focus on the health benefits,’ advises physiotherapist Clara Kervyn. ‘Some 32% of people who took part in a recent study* said they motivated themselves to exercise by how much better it makes them feel.’ STEP IT UP An hour’s walking…

Becoming a grandparent is a real joy. But there are danger zones into which it’s best not to stray, times when you see lips tighten, eyebrows lift, and the warning sound when you hear, ‘Mu-um.’ Here’s how to avoid some of the most common pitfalls. Embrace the new Times have completely changed since we became parents, and so have routines and attitudes – not to mention the amount of clobber that’s deemed necessary. You may be stunned by the price of an all-singing, all-dancing, all-terrain buggy, and wonder what on earth is wrong with a basic pushchair. But this is a new world, and your opinion is unlikely to be welcome. It’s a hard lesson to learn, but an important one. Keep mum The most difficult part of being a…

Travel Cape Town’s home province bursts into bloom in springtime. Its botanical reserves and national parks glow with wild flowers and fresh growth, making this a fabulous season to go plant-spotting. The mild weather lasts until December, when the warm, dry days of midsummer begin. Late spring and early summer are perfect times of year to go walking, horse riding, e-biking or whale watching – perhaps in the Cederberg Mountains, the town of Hermanus or Walker Bay. They’re all within driving distance of Cape Town’s dynamic city centre and alluring suburbs. Garden delights Gorgeous all year round and always a peaceful place to wander, Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden is at its most colourful between September and November. Draped against the southeastern slopes of Table Mountain, seven miles south of Cape…

Tara slipped and stumbled along the gravel drive as the sky grew darker and the rain fell heavier. Despite being drenched by the icy shower, she could feel perspiration trickle down the back of her neck. ‘I’m late!’ she worried, pushing her mane of chestnut curls out of her eyes. Arriving at the imposing entrance to Ambrose House, she dashed up the stone steps and almost lost her balance as she made a grab for the wrought-iron door handle. ‘If I hurry, I should still be changed and ready in time for the start of the tour…’ She closed the heavy door as quietly as she could behind her, then broke into a sprint across the black-and-white chequered marble of the entrance hall. Racing along, she glanced down to see…

Romantics in the Atlantic A stunning new book gives an intimate look into the lives of Britain’s Atlantic puffins. Wildlife photographer Kevin Morgans spent years on windswept clifftops documenting these charismatic birds. Known for their displays of love and affection, the favourite courtship ritual of puffins is billing, where a couple rub their beaks together. Puffins: Life on the Atlantic Edge by Kevin Morgans (£29.99, Sandstone Press) is out now; kevinmorgans.com INTO THE WOODS Wander round award-winning 10-acre landscape at Nant y Bedd, nestled in the Brecon Beacons National Park. Last year, this magical nature-friendly garden won the RHS Partner Garden of the Year Competition, thanks to its edible forest gardens, trees and charming river walkway. Find out more at rhs.org.uk DID YOU KNOW? A staggering 73% of British parents…

For a dozen years now, Brenda, 76, has been stomping around Northumberland as redoubtable sleuth DCI Vera Stanhope. ‘Each time Vera is recommissioned, it’s a thrill,’ the actor says. ‘It’s like having a family away from home. A lot of the crew are local and they’re very loyal to Vera.’ Making the commitment more onerous, however, is that filming four episodes of the ITV1 crime show a year (this year’s run has included two episodes left over from last year) keeps Brenda away from home, her husband, former National Theatre art director Michael Mayhew, and their beloved cockapoo, Jack, for six months at a stretch. ‘It’s really, really hard work,’ says Brenda of Vera. ‘I can understand the fans asking why we don’t do more, but I’d be away from…

I was extremely close to my paternal grandma, so it’s a coincidence that we were both born on 17 December. She entered the world in 1917 and weighed just 3lb, so doctors didn’t expect her to survive. Yet she proved everyone wrong and lived to the grand age of 95. She was originally from Caernarfon, so she could speak some Welsh, but not fluently as she left during the war, and eventually settled in Liverpool with my grandad. He was in the Army, and their paths crossed in the Middle East during World War Two, where she was working as a nurse, having trained during the Blitz in London. They married in Cairo, Egypt, and later returned to the UK to start a family. However, their love for travel didn’t…

Watching her 11-year-old daughter Molly playing in the park with her support dog Chess, Emma knew that it was the start of something special. Seeing the huge smile on Molly’s face and Chess’ tail wagging, it was as if they had always been together. ‘They had an instant connection – it was a real tear-jerking moment,’ says Emma, 49. Molly was born in 2008 with cerebral palsy, following complications at birth, and for the first 24 hours, her parents Emma and Kevin didn’t know whether she would survive. Doctors tried desperately to bring her seizures under control and, after five worrying days, admitted that there was no more they could do. ‘We were just clinging on and hoping,’ says Emma. ‘It was a very challenging time.’ Amazingly, Molly pulled through…

LEEK, POTATO AND WALNUT SOUP The addition of a crunchy cheesy topping elevates this filling soup from humble to impressive. SERVES 4-6 PREP 10 MINS COOK 20 MINS ✣ 1tbsp oil, plus 1tsp ✣ 3 leeks, sliced ✣ 500g potatoes, diced ✣ 1ltr vegetable stock ✣ 1tsp dried mixed herbs ✣ 125g walnut pieces ✣ 15g Parmesan, finely grated 1 Heat the oven to 180C Fan/Gas 6. Line a small baking tray with baking paper. Heat 1tbsp oil in a large, high-sided frying pan, and fry the leeks and potatoes for 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the vegetable stock and herbs, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 10 mins until the potatoes are tender. 2 Meanwhile, place half the walnuts on the prepared tray, toss in 1tsp…

LINKWORDS Fit 10 words into the grid so that each links with the end of the word on its left and the beginning of the one on the right. Then unscramble the letters in the shaded squares to make a word. Clue: Acting with extreme attention to detail. Crossword Try the easy or cryptic clues and then rearrange the letters in the shaded squares for the answer. Clue: Litigant in outspoken quarrel (9). Easy clues ACROSS 7 Machinery expert (8) 9 Set of clothes (6) 10 Castle (4) 11 Vehicular front window (10) 12 Frozen spike (6) 14 Liberated (8) 15 Application (13) 17 Judicious (8) 19 Coarse cloth (6) 21 Familiar (10) 22 Emblem (4) 23 Ripen (6) 24 Tooth doctors (8) DOWN 1 Fearless (6) 2 Fired (4)…

Letter of the week HUMBLE PRAISE How pleased I was to read your feature about Kate Humble [27 September 2022 issue]. She is such a down-to-earth person. I was particularly interested in her experience of the menopause, which was similar to my own. It’s good that menopause symptoms are talked about openly, but it should also be remembered that not every woman suffers with bad side effects, otherwise everyone will come to expect a horrific experience. Perhaps more investigation into the cause and prevention of side effects would be a good idea, if it’s not already happening. Irene Bates, March Bear necessities As a memory from my 90-year-old mum to me, she kindly knitted these lovely clothes for my bear Thelma. How beautiful Thelma looks, and I will treasure her…

The Mildenhall Treasure Suffolk In the winter of 1942, Gordon Butcher, a hired hand, was working in a frozen field in Mildenhall, when his plough struck an object. A glint of silver peeked out. Gingerly, he unearthed a plate. Then a goblet. Then more. In total, Butcher uncovered more than 30 items of Roman tableware with the help of his boss, Sidney Ford, including a dish weighing over 8kg. Ford took the hoard and initially didn’t report it, although it’s still unclear whether he actually realised its value, as he used some of it for daily utensils. He declared it to the authorities in 1946 after a friend recognised its significance. The treasure was eventually acquired by the British Museum. Because of the delay, Ford and Butcher each only received…

Lexi was snuggled on her sofa, sipping milky morning coffee, when she heard the kerfuffle in the chimney. She’d hadn’t slept well, worried it had been a bad decision buying this old house at auction a month ago. At the time, having absorbed multiple episodes of Homes under the Hammer, Lexi was convinced she was up for the challenge of a renovation project – until discovering it needed more work than anticipated. Money was tight after her messy divorce, but she wasn’t one to give up – or ask for help. She’d hardly had a chance to wonder what the noise could be when something small and sooty emerged from the fireplace, and flew, screeching alarmingly, towards the ceiling. ‘What on earth?’ screamed Lexi, spilling coffee on the carpet as…

Lots of gardeners love to grow nectar-rich plants to keep bees happy in summer, but did you know that some bees, such as the buff-tailed bumblebee, are active all year round? And on mild, sunny days, honeybees will leave the warmth of the hive to go foraging for pollen. This is why it’s a great idea to add a selection of winter-flowering plants to your garden – both for the blooms and the buzz! Golden crown As their scent has to attract the few insects that are flying at this time of year, winter-flowering shrubs are powerfully fragrant. Mahonia is one of the best for bees, as its nectar-filled flowers bloom from autumn to spring. With a strong architectural shape, this evergreen shines at the back of a border, where…

Pamela Carrington-Jones studied her reflection in the drawing-room’s gilt-edged mirror. Fine, pale skin – porcelain even, if one was feeling poetic – hazel eyes which could, if one was moved, be described as sparkling, and shining, raven-black hair, braided perfectly as befitted a lady. All rather pleasing, she thought, without vanity, considering how very old she was. Just two weeks previously she had celebrated her 27th birthday which, by all the normal rules of polite society, suggested she might be too old to catch a husband. ‘Does that sadden me?’ she mused. ‘On the whole, I think not.’ And she laughed. ‘What self-respecting gentleman would let me live my life the way I want to? And what gentleman would consent to be my husband if he knew where I originally…