Innholdsfortegnelse for 29-Aug-2023 i Woman's Weekly

Words on the Street When I was little, my brother and I loved going to stay with my grandmother. We slept together in what seemed like a huge bed, although it was no doubt just a normal double, and our days were divided between helping my grandma around the house and fun outings. But the one thing I didn’t love was Gran’s favourite, Coronation Street - I particularly disliked Ena Sharples, who to my six-year-old mind seemed quite horrible! But it’s incredible to think the show was only about three years old then, and yet it’s still going strong today. See page 8 for our interview with Sally Ann Matthews, one of its current stars.…

Recently, I did an event with Rory Bremner about my book Scatter Brain and having ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). He said something so true: the biggest misconception is the Ds. The deficit and disorder aren’t correct. People with ADHD can focus, but not always on what we’re meant to be focusing on. It’s not a disorder, it’s a difference – a different way of being able to cope with life. Not knowing I had ADHD until my mid-40s meant my self-esteem was battered. For decades, I found it hard to do things others find easy. Teachers would think I was lazy. I was never lazy. There was nothing I didn’t know about gorillas or dogs; I’d be in the library looking up everything. I could concentrate on things I…

‘I want to help future generations’ Janet Marshall, 69, is a wildlife artist, illustrator, calligrapher and web designer, and founder and chair of Clean Coast Outer Hebrides on the Isle of Lewis. Janet also conducts whale and dolphin observation and research for ORCA, Orca Watch and Whale and Dolphin Conservation. She lives in the Outer Hebrides with her husband Dave, 69. Simply looking at the sea recharges my batteries, and I don’t think I could move away from the coast, despite having lived inland until my 30s. I became deeply concerned about the growing issue of plastic waste, and its effect on the coasts of the Outer Hebrides – marine litter poses many risks to wildlife through entanglement and ingestion – so I established Clean Coast Outer Hebrides (CCOH) in…

3 PLANTS TO... Improve your mood 1 LAVENDER FOR YOUR BEDROOM A scent that will relax you and help you sleep, the lavender plant likes a sunny spot, so pop one on your bedroom windowsill to help supercharge your shut-eye. 2 JASMINE FOR YOUR LOUNGE Its heady scent helps ease anxiety and promote restfulness, so place it where you relax. The plant needs warmth and partial sunlight. 3 ROSEMARY FOR YOUR KITCHEN The perfect scent for keeping alert, pop this by the kitchen window, where it will get the sunlight it needs. Use some in your cooking to enhance the health benefits. WHAT’S THAT? Dealing with yellowing or stained teeth Check out Colgate’s new at-home Max White Ultimate LED Whitening Kit, £76.20, Amazon, which uses the latest technology to…

3 OF THE BEST... STYLE TIPS 1 COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS For mood-boosting hues, try using a pale yellow and layer with soft teals, blues and the odd pop of orange. 2 DECORATE SHELVES Treat your storage spaces as places to display your favourite objects. Tidy away unsightly items and arrange the rest in groups of three 3 STICK TO A SCHEME Pick a pattern that makes you feel good, like florals in ditsy prints or bold blooms. 4 BACK TO NATURE Ground the colourful palette with lots of natural textures – think wood, wicker and cane for the furniture, and cotton and linen for the soft furnishings.…

Books The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri (£16.99, HB, Bonnier) The best-selling author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo’s latest novel explores the aftermath of Greece’s forest fires with her trademark delicate and illuminating style. Irini, Tasso and their daughter Chara live simply, but when their life goes up in flames everything changes. In the wake of the fire, the physical and emotional trauma is clear. It may be one man who started the fire, but Lefteri prompts us to look at the wider picture. An important and beautiful story of redemption and renewal. Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney (£16.99, HB, Pan Macmillan) Having been forced to live in Windsor Care Home by her daughter Clio – who isn’t speaking to her – pensioner Edith will do anything to…

Mine the gap Great Orme Mines in Llandudno is one of the largest prehistoric copper mines in Europe. It was discovered by accident in 1987, during work to landscape the area. Initial excavations revealed dozens of intricate passages and thousands of early tools, including stone hammers and animal bone, which helped date the copper mine to the Bronze Age, 4,000 years ago. Since then, mining engineers have uncovered more passageways and the mine now has five miles of explored tunnels, opened to the public in 1991. ✱ greatormemines.info A TREEMENDOUS LEGACY In the churchyard of a tiny Perthshire village is one of the world’s oldest living things: the Fortingall yew. Though this majestic tree’s exact age is hotly contested, a common estimate is that it’s between 2,000 and 3,000 years…

1 OPULENT OIL Combining honey extract, sweet almond oil and argan oil, this tames frizz while locking in natural moisture for a high-shine finish. Offering multiple benefits, this must-have can be used as a pre-styling tool or for a finishing touch, as well as an overnight treatment. Lacura Honey Infused Hair Oil, £4.99, Aldi 2 STRENGTHENING TREATMENT Packed with provitamin B5 and nourishing plant proteins, this pre-wash treatment is worth adding to your regime. The vegan formula strengthens strands, promotes shine and reduces frizz. Revolution Haircare Bond Restore Treatment, £10, lookfantastic.com 3 SCALP SOAK An intense scalp soak will remove dead skin cells, product and any chlorine or saltwater residue left from your holiday. Drizzle this exfoliating tonic through your scalp and wash out after 10 minutes. You’ll…

Egg and greens on toast A thrifty light dinner that adds a dose of your five a day. SERVES 2 READY IN 15 mins ✱ 2tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle✱ 2 garlic cloves, 1 finely sliced and 1 halved✱ 1 mild red chilli, finely sliced✱ 600g mixed green leaves and shoots, such as large spinach leaves, chard, asparagus and watercress✱ 2 medium free-range eggs✱ 2 large, thick slices of sourdough bread✱ Chilli jam or chilli sauce, to serve 1 Heat 1½tbsp of the oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the sliced garlic and chilli, and cook over a medium heat for 1 min. Add the greens and stir-fry for 3-4 mins over a medium-high heat, tossing the pan often until the greens are wilted but…

ADVICE FROM OUR WOMAN’S WEEKLY DOCTOR Occasional twitches are common, affecting most people from time to time, and are very rarely a sign of anything serious. Often, they go away on their own, but see a GP if a twitch lasts for more than two weeks. Twitches are usually linked to stress and anxiety, tiredness and exhaustion, extreme exercise or high intakes of caffeine or alcohol. They can be linked to certain medications, including diuretics, corticosteroids or oestrogens (check the packet/leaflet), and dietary deficiencies. Twitches can affect any part of the body, especially the eyes or legs, and tingling or cramps (spasms) may occur in the same area. Symptoms come and go, but will normally stop in a few days or weeks without treatment. Get plenty of rest, try to…

Spotted dick with pineapple and coconut custard Give this traditional pud a tropical makeover that can be microwaved to perfection. SERVES 8 READY IN 35 mins ✱ 250g self-raising flour✱ 125g vegetable suet✱ 80g caster sugar✱ 150g mixed dried tropical fruit, chopped✱ Zest 2 limes✱ 200ml whole milk✱ 1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into wedges✱ Handful toasted flaked coconut, to serve FOR THE COCONUT CUSTARD ✱ 600ml coconut cream✱ 1tsp vanilla extract✱ 4 medium egg yolks✱ 30g caster sugar✱ 2tsp cornflour YOU WILL NEED ✱ 1ltr ceramic pudding basin, greased 1 Put the flour, suet, sugar, dried fruit and most of the lime zest into a bowl and mix well. Pour in the milk, stirring to make a dough. Press into the basin, smoothing the top. Cover with cling…

Difficulty level YOU WILL NEED ✱ 20x24cm patterned cotton fabric✱ 12x20cm medium fusible interlining✱ 15x18cm matching felt✱ 8cm of elastic cord✱ Matching button✱ Contrasting ricrac✱ Matching thread✱ Hand-sewing needle 1 From the patterned fabric, cut two 12x20cm rectangles. Take one of the pieces and fuse the interlining to the reverse. On the front, pin the ricrac all the way around, 1cm from the edge, and use a tacking stitch on your machine to sew it in place. 2 Pin the other patterned fabric piece on top with right sides together and sandwich the loop of elastic cord in the centre of one short edge. Sew all the edges with a 1cm seam allowance, leaving a small gap for turning. 3 Turn right sides out and press. Turn the gap edge…

Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS To fit foot circumference18-20 (23-25½)cm/7-8 (9-10)in. Actual circumference18 (20)cm/7 (9)in. MATERIALS 1 x 100g (400m) ball of West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4ply (75% wool, 25% nylon) in Tumeric (358)*. Set of 5 x 2.5mm (Nos. 12 or 13) double-pointed needles (or your preferred needles for knitting socks in the round); cable needle; stitch markers. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk TENSION 36 stitches and 46 rows, to 10x10cm, over stocking stitch, using 2.5mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS Cn, cable needle; DPN(s), double-pointed needle(s); k, knit; p, purl; skpo, slip 1 st, k 1 st, pass slipped st over knitted st; sl 1 wyif, slip 1 st with yarn in front; sl 1 wyib, slip 1 st with yarn at back; st(s), stitch(es); st st, stocking stitch; tog, together (work as…

Wordwise You have 15 minutes to find as many words as possible using the letters in the grid. Each word must contain four or more letters, one of which must be the central square. No proper nouns, plurals or foreign words are allowed. There is one nine-letter word in the grid, for which the clue is: Declared holy. Average = 15 More than 35 = well done 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: Sharpness of taste. Crossword Try the easy or cryptic clues, then rearrange the letters in the shaded squares for the answer.…

Horoscopes ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR This may be a time of endings. Remember, when one door closes another one opens that is often better than before. TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY Go on, stretch yourself and do something new. Going outside of your comfort zone will be valuable for your growth. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN Your finances may need more of your attention. Focus on your needs, rather than your wants, and everything should work out favourably. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL You have many creative ideas Now is the perfect time to follow up and to share your inspiration with the world. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG Exciting opportunities are coming your way. Stay open and be willing to explore unusual propositions.…

It was a poet called William Henry Davies, perhaps best known for spending part of his life as a tramp, who wrote, What is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare. He went on to detail the sort of things which might be stared at, if time permitted. They were, in no particular order: squirrels hiding their nuts in grass, and streams, stars, skies and Beauty. My mother quoted this often, mainly to annoy me. For many years I thought it was written to justify a life spent lazing about and writing poetry. But I’m beginning to feel that William Henry might have had a point. You join me as the summer sun beats down upon the garden at Dear Towers. Mr Dear’s…

Letter of the week Keeping fit I am a 73-year-old great-granny and have just got back from yet another enjoyable bike ride with my hubby. I’ve enjoyed cycling for years and done beautiful high mountain passes in the Alps and Pyrenees. I have finally succumbed and got an e-bike, due to my rather stiff old knees, and I love it! I used to think it was ‘cheating’ using an e-bike, but now I would recommend one to anyone who just needs that little bit of extra help by pressing the ‘magic button’. You still get a good workout by pedalling up those hills and enjoying the fresh air and views. Roll on our next trip to the Dolomites! Maz Bradley, Halifax FURRY FAN Here is a photo of…

BE BOLD AND PLAY WITH VIBRANT PATTERNS A statement print offers an uplifting and confidence-boosting outfit option. Black trim on the sleeves and hems makes this set as flattering as it is stylish, as it draws the eye to the slimmest part of your arms and legs. COMPARE AND CONTRAST WITH CRAFTY PRINTS Complementary patterns add interest to a coordinating outfit. You could even mix and match with existing wardrobe staples, such as a classic Breton top. KEEP YOUR COOL IN LINEN Linen-rich materials are brilliant on hot days, and this top and trouser duo can be smartened up by adding a linen blazer. Push up the sleeves for a stylish, statement look. PICK PAISLEY Midi skirts in a light fabric are both comfortable and attractive to wear, especially coupled…

My colleagues make me feel so old Q I work in an office where most of the staff are more than 20 years younger than me. I’m in my early 60s and I both like my job and need to work. Although they’re very polite and nice to me, I know the general sense is that I’m old enough to retire and I should. But, with the retirement age going up to 68, that’s still some way off. I struggle with their covert ageism, which I’m not sure they’re even aware of. Marcia, London A You’re not alone in feeling like this. Some 30% of the workforce are over 50, and 36% of the older workforce experience a disadvantage applying for jobs and being offered training opportunities because of their age.…

Container revival Containers planted in spring or early summer may be looking lacklustre by now, especially after weeks of baking, bone-dry weather. But it’s easy to get the sparkle back – just replace tired bedding with perennials that pack late-summer flower-power. Use refreshed containers to zhuzh up a patio or balcony, or to fill gaps in beds and borders. Solo stars Hardy chrysanthemums are flamboyant beauties that flower well into November. Their vibrant hues and petal-packed blooms deserve a starring role in a pot by themselves. Grow in a generous container (30cm or more wide), filled with peat-free, multipurpose compost enriched with fertiliser. Place in a sunny, sheltered spot, and water and deadhead like a demon: ✱ ‘Bronze Elegance’ Fluffy, amber-apricot pom-poms set off by deep-green leaves (H. 50cm). ✱…