Innholdsfortegnelse for 27-Feb-2024 i Woman's Weekly

Recollections of long ago It’s funny how some childhood memories stay with us forever. The first holiday I can really remember was to Dorset, staying in a caravan near Bridport, with the sea just across the fields. I thought it was amazing. One day, Mum bought sprats from the harbour for tea and cooked them outside on an open fire. As a six-year-old boy from a town it seemed like heaven. On another day we visited the ruins of Corfe Castle. Being kids, we assumed the only way to reach it was to clamber up its vertiginous northern slopes, only later finding the proper, easier approach on the other side. And all those long-ago memories came flooding back when I read our travel feature on page 38.…

Prue Leith still can’t believe her luck at the twist her career has taken. After grafting for decades as a respected restaurateur, TV presenter, novelist and cookery writer, Prue achieved global fame when she joined The Great British Bake Off in 2017. And she loves it. With a disarming lack of false modesty, Prue is happy to admit she adores the spotlight. ‘I honestly think I’m the only person I’ve ever met who likes having their photograph taken,’ she says with a hoot of laughter. ‘I don’t always like the result – I’m vain but not that vain. But what I do love is the attention!’ Fame, says Prue, ‘feels lovely. Let’s face it: we all want to be loved. I did a photo shoot the other day for a…

My parents are still alive, very much in love and phenomenal. My mother’s 87, my dad’s 82 and they’re going off travelling to South Africa soon, where they’ll sleep under the stars. Theirs is an inspiring relationship and when I look at them, I think, ‘That is how to live a good life together,’ but I’m very different because independence is very important. Although my husband Paul is quite romantic, I’m not particularly. I love flowers but it would drive me mad if Paul kept coming home with bunches! I appreciate thoughtful gestures, like when I did Strictly and Paul learned how to dance. That was a lovely thing to do. I definitely go out for dinner more with my fellow Dragons’ Den investors than with my husband. When we’re…

ADVICE FROM OUR WOMAN’S WEEKLY DOCTOR It can be hard to get urgent face-to-face appointments. With barriers such as being at the back of the early-morning phone queue only to be told there are no more available slots, or being asked to submit a request online, many give up and seek alternatives, such as visiting their local emergency department (ED) or booking with a private GP. Routine appointments can also be hard to come by, often with a wait of several weeks. A major problem is demand: GPs aren’t being intentionally elusive but overwhelmed by an ever-increasing workload. Pre-COVID, GP surgeries in England completed around 25 million appointments monthly. That figure rose to over 31 million by September 2023. However, 70% of appointments are still face to face. GPs deal…

Rhubarb mess With sharp rhubarb, sweet meringue and indulgent double cream, this is a perfect marriage of flavours and oh-so pretty! SERVES 4PREP 35 minsCOOK 2 hrs, plus cooling FOR THE MERINGUE ✱ 60g (about 2) egg whites✱ ¼tsp cream of tartar✱ 120g caster sugar✱ 45g pistachios, roughly chopped✱ 2tsp rose petals FOR THE FILLING ✱ Juice and zest 1 orange✱ 100g caster sugar✱ 1tsp rose water✱ 400g rhubarb stalks, cut into 10cm batons✱ 150ml double cream YOU WILL NEED ✱ 2 baking trays lined with baking paper 1 Heat the oven to 110C Fan/Gas ¼. For the meringue, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue whisking. Add the sugar, 1tbsp at a time, and whisk until stiff peaks form and the sugar has…

Craft YOU WILL NEED ✱ Dark and light purple card✱ Black felt-tip pen✱ Patterned paper✱ Glue stick✱ Blue 6in square card blank and envelope✱ Sticky pads✱ Small ribbon bows 1 From the dark purple card, cut a bird body shape, using our photo as a guide. With the black felt-tip pen, draw on an eye and a beak. 2 Cut out two large leaf shapes for the wings from the light purple card and one from the patterned paper. Glue the patterned cut-out on top of one of the wings, offset slightly. From the leftover patterned paper and the card, cut out some twigs and leaf shapes. 3 Cut out the ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ message from this page and glue it to the centre of the card blank. Use sticky…

MEASUREMENTS Height 70cm/27½in seated. MATERIALS 6 x 100g (65m) balls of Wool Couture Cheeky Chunky (100% wool) in Yellow (Lemon) and 1 x 100g ball in Orange (Cinnamon), oddment of Black for eyes*. Size 8mm crochet hook; stitch marker; toy stuffing. TENSION Not important for this project. ABBREVIATIONS Ch, chain; dc, double crochet; dc2tog, double crochet 2 sts together (to decrease 1 st) thus: [insert hook into next st, yrh and pull loop through] twice, yrh and pull through all 3 loops; loop st, insert hook into next st, wrap yarn front to back over index finger, pick up yarn from behind index finger, pull through, yrh, pull through 2 loops on hook; magic ring, wind yarn around index finger of left hand to form slip ring, insert hook in…

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: Athletic contest. Average = 25 More than 45 = well done Crossword Try the easy or cryptic clues, then rearrange the letters in the shaded squares for the answer. CLUE: Enthusiasm for 50% of eagles and a seabird found on ship (9). EASY CLUES Across 1 A conjurer’s exclamation (3,6)5 Italian isle (5)8 Roman god (4)9 Surgical procedures (10)11 Futile competition (3,4)13 Eat away from home (4,3)15 Sledge (9)17 Unsettled (9)19 Pungent (7)21 Recites…

It is the morning of the Cricket Club Fun Day, and nobody seems to be having any fun. The doors haven’t opened yet, which is just as well because the secretary and the treasurer are having a brisk exchange of views. ‘I told you the best time to have a spring open day was in the spring,’ said Brian, the treasurer, ‘but nobody listened to me, oh no.’ ‘Getting in early seemed a good idea when we discussed it,’ said secretary Steve. ‘We couldn’t have predicted the weather.’ ‘If only,’ said Brian, ‘there were some sort of organisation in the country that provided a weather forecasting service.’ ‘Don’t be clever,’ said Steve. ‘It doesn’t suit you.’ My first instinct was to gather a crowd around the two combatants, and chant,…

FINDING FALSTAFF Catch previews of the great Sir Ian McKellen as Falstaff in Player Kings, an adaptation from Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Parts One and Two. Amazingly, McKellen has never played Prince Hal’s wily, drunken sidekick before, but says he couldn’t resist this adaptation. ✱ At the New Wimbledon Theatre 1-9 March and Manchester Opera House, 14-23 March before a run at London’s Noel Coward Theatre, 1 April to 22 June; more details at playerkingstheplay.co.uk Baby Love At Woman’s Weekly we’ve been following the fortunes of the bison herd at Blean Woods since three females were introduced by Kent Wildlife Trust and Wildwood Trust in July 2022, to be nature’s own eco-engineers. A surprise baby was great news only two months later. Then a bull arrived last Christmas, and now the…

What better way to travel the UK than by opening a book? From Charles Dickens’ London to Jane Austen’s Bath and Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon, we are familiar with the destinations that play such a big part in their novels. But what about more contemporary authors? Here, we discover the writers who are highlighting new literary locations – and they’re all must-visit places for book lovers. Liz Fenwick Cornwall From Daphne du Maurier’s celebrated novels to Poldark and, more recently, Liz Fenwick’s sweeping romances, Cornwall has long been a haven for writers, poets and artists. Dubbed the ‘Queen of the contemporary Cornish novel’, Liz’s books are mostly set in and around the scenic Helford River – an estuary between the western edge of Falmouth Bay and eastern side of The Lizard Peninsula.…

1 BANISH BROWN SPOTS Those pesky brown marks on the backs of your hands can be treated with an AHA exfoliant to speed up cell turnover and move pigmentation up and out of the skin. It’s not a miracle cure but sweep Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads, £16.95, nipandfab.com, across the back of hands every evening to help lighten them over time. The pads boost luminosity too. 2 FILING SYSTEM Regular filing will keep nails neat and protected from breaks. Swap scratchy emery boards for a glass or crystal file – they are kinder to your nails. We love Bare Hands Glass Nail File, £9, barefeet andhands.co.uk. Apply minimal pressure and file in any direction. 3 JUST PEACHY Peach has been named the shade of the year…

Spring is when many of us focus on deep-cleaning our homes, whisking away what winter has left behind: muddy floors, cobwebs in dimly lit corners and a surprising amount of dust. No wonder that it can feel overwhelming, which is why a few gadgets are a win for lightening the load. Not only can they save time, they’re great additions to your routine, so your next big clean should be a breeze. Windows, glass and mirrors Few of us realise how much dirt is on our windows until we give them a good clean. Make them sparkle faster with a window vac. Once washed, it will suck up the remaining water to leave a streak-free finish. Plus, you can use a window vac on mirrors and shower screens, as well…

I’m finding I’m always worried Q I’m very anxious at the moment. My life has the normal ups and downs but nothing out of the ordinary. A couple of my close friends are going through hard times, so I feel bad I’m feeling like this with no real reason.Julie, Scarborough A I wonder if you’re picking up their stress and taking it on? When we pick up others’ emotions, we can make them our own. Everything merges and we don’t maintain boundaries. When we’re supporting someone else, it’s important to empathise yet stay separate. Reflect on your conversation with the other person. If you’re feeling something you weren’t at the start of the chat, these feelings belong to them, not to you. See yourself letting go of their feelings – you can’t change them. Acknowledge your own…

So, have you got the sexy leathers?’ Stella had babbled when Rosie started going out with Gary. ‘Yes,’ Rosie had sighed. ‘But it’s not about being sexy. It’s about being safe.’ Although secretly, Rosie did feel sexy in her black biking leathers with the red detail around the zips and pockets. Her friend Stella nodded. ‘And do you do that thing where you take off your crash helmet and shake out your hair seductively?’ ‘Well, yes, Stella, I do. But I’m not sure how seductive it is at my age.’ Rosie hadn’t let on that she had practised this in front of the mirror, so she could do it perfectly in front of Gary. Now, here she was, all ready to go, head to foot in leathers – but no…

Horoscopes ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR Don’t get distracted from what’s truly important. A day away from electronic devices would be very valuable. TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY This is a wonderful time for decluttering and for simplifying your life in every area. You’ll feel much lighter when it’s over. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN You may find yourself going on an unexpected trip to somewhere you’ve never been to before. This is exciting! CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Remember to talk kindly and gently to yourself. You always offer empathy others – now the focus is on you. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG Acceptance of the things you cannot change will bring you great relief. Give yourself permission to surrender and allow events to…

So-called senior moments really annoy me. Forgetting the name of a colleague. Getting to the checkout and not being able to recall your PIN, even though you’ve used the card a hundred times. Putting your mobile down and having to ask someone to call you so you can find it. Such signs of the ‘greying’ of the grey matter may be irritating, but they’re not inevitable. We can all stay sharp longer, with a little effort. Part of that is about clean living: physical exercise and a healthy diet. But part of it is about something else – think of it as mental push-ups. Your brain is like any other muscle – to keep it trim, you’ve got to get to the gym. Such brain workouts can include time doing…

For cat lover Carole Jagger, watching Paul O’Grady presenting For the Love of Dogs was a life-changing moment. Although she had always adored the nature of cats, Paul had inspired her and she became determined to adopt a rescue dog. In 2014, Carole rehomed Dolly the bichon frise, but after she passed away in April 2020, Carole felt it was husband Richard’s turn to choose a breed. An ex-Army dog handler, Richard, 58, had a particular soft spot for German shepherds, and Carole just happened to see one on the website of the Blue Cross in Southampton. ‘I loved my little Dolly dearly, but it only seemed fair that Richard should have a say this time,’ explains Carole, 60, from Fareham. ‘That’s when I saw 11-year-old Alsatian Sheba come up.…

WHAT’S THAT? Has your taste or smell been affected by illness? From cancer treatment or long COVID, perhaps? You might like to try Holland & Barrett’s with Life Kitchen range, a unique new food collection designed to enhance the flavour of food. Covering the five basic tastes – sweet, sour, salt, bitter and umami – products include salt, honey and umami paste, and are available from £3. I USED FOOD TO MANAGE MY ALLERGIES Freya Broughton, 34, from Glastonbury I don’t remember a time when I didn’t have allergies. I was a toddler when I first started getting itchy. I had to wear sleepsuits at night to stop me scratching my inflamed skin. I had problems with my sinuses – a constantly runny nose and itchy eyes. Then aged seven…

Clothes, paperwork, books, and stuff… it gets everywhere, doesn’t it? It’s no wonder we struggle to find a place to store it all. That’s where a good clear-out comes in. By getting rid of items we don’t want and no longer use, we can make room for the new and make some extra cash. In fact, a recent study reveals that, on average, we can make £25 a month from selling our unwanted possessions*. 1 KEEP OR CLEAR? Whatever aspect of your home you’re tackling, the basic rules apply to each item: do you love it, wear it, need it or use it? Professional organiser Vicky Silverthorn says to ask yourself, ‘Can I live without this?’ throughout the clearing process. ‘You’ll be surprised how powerful that question is,’ she promises.…

Books Only If You’re Lucky by Stacy Willingham (£18.99, HB, HarperCollins) Shy, studious Margot is haunted by memories of her dead best friend. But beginning college in South Carolina means a fresh start. By the end of her sophomore year, she’s been invited to move into a shared house with her bold, daring new friend Lucy. Six months on, Lucy has disappeared and a boy from next door has been murdered. What is Margot hiding? A delicious thriller about envy and friendship. Everyone Who Can Forgive Me Is Dead by Jenny Hollander (£16.99, HB, Little, Brown Book Group) Charlie Colbert has built the perfect life. So when her dark past threatens to resurface, she’ll stop at nothing to prevent the truth getting out. Nine years ago, Charlie survived a massacre…