Innholdsfortegnelse for 23-Apr-2024 i Woman's Weekly

An amazing legacy “Very few people remember John Dower now. As a longtime campaigner for National Parks, he was asked to compile a report during World War Two, after he’d been invalided out of the army with tuberculosis, on how they would look. Still convalescing, his amazing wife Pauline drove him all around the country so he could gather evidence and make notes. His report was finally published in 1945 and proved central to their coming into being, but tragically he succumbed to his illness before the Act of Parliament creating them received royal assent. I live next to one, so owe him a debt of gratitude, and I’m sure many readers agree. See page 10.”…

“It’s been three years since my wife Liz and I left Oldham, Greater Manchester, with our kids [Marnie, seven, Milo, five, plus 23-month-old twins Mateusz and Maximus], and bought a 120-acre farm in the Peak District. Moving to the countryside and stepping into the absolute unknown was scary, then capturing it all for our TV show Fletchers’ Family Farm made Liz and I feel even more vulnerable, especially because we had no farming experience and were learning every day. ‘The farm is a life we now can’t live without’ There are definitely tough days! Like yesterday, when my pigs escaped and the boys got in with the girls, which is a big no-no. The pigs are related, so if they do some funny business, it can change the taste of…

‘It’s my chance to give back to a very special place’ Yasmine El Ghamrawy, 47, is an aromatherapist and founder of aromatherapy brand Yatlina. She lives in west London with her husband David, 45. I worked in the film industry for many years but always liked natural and scented products. I decided to study aromatherapy, and part of my course involved exploring botanical trees, plants and oils. I’m lucky that Brompton Cemetery – one of London’s Magnificent Seven Victorian cemeteries – is right on my doorstep. For many years I’ve enjoyed daily walks within this green haven in the middle of a busy area of the city. During the COVID-19 lockdown it was one of the few places that remained open. I was able to continue my walks, learning about…

3 WAYS TO... Stop travel sickness 1 Shut your eyes ‘It stops positional signals from your eyes and reduces confusion in the brain,’ says GP Dr Bhavini Shah*. ‘Avoid reading or watching movies. Instead, close your eyes and listen to music or an audiobook.’ 2 Try ginger ‘Commonly used as a home remedy for travel sickness, ginger can help reduce nausea,’ advises Dr Shah. ‘Purchase ginger tablets for your trip, or just enjoy ginger biscuits or ginger tea.’ 3 Avoid alcohol ‘It will exacerbate any dizzy or nauseous feelings,’ says Dr Shah. ‘Instead, take small sips of cold water to calm your stomach.’ QUICK TRICKS TO BETTER BODY CONFIDENCE Marisa Peer is a therapist. The secret to increasing body confidence is about loving, accepting and appreciating the only body you’ll…

1 THREE-STEP RULE Follow the chair-table-lamp rule: wherever you have a seat, you must have a table nearby on which to place a drink; near that, you need a light source. It’s a simple and practical idea that will lead to a comfortable arrangement of furniture and lighting. ✱ Heidi table lamp, £20, eucalyptus in ribbed vase, £12, tassel cushion, £10, candle, £3, all B&M; other items, stylist’s own 2 CREATE A GLOW Overhead lighting can be intense unless you use soft bulbs. For those moments when you need gentler lighting – watching TV or chilling in the evening – table, floor or wall lamps dotted about the room will help create a warm, welcoming space with a cocoon-like feel. ✱ Laura Ashley pussy willow ceramic table lamp, £120, John…

Difficulty level YOU WILL NEED ✱ 45x105cm yellow fabric✱ Paper-backed fusible web✱ 20x30cm green fabric✱ 20cm square pink and patterned fabric✱ 42cm square cushion pad✱ Matching thread✱ 2.5cm (small), 4.5cm (medium), and 6.5cm (large)-diameter circular objects to draw around ( jam jars or bottle tops work well) 1 From the yellow fabric, cut out a 44cm square for the cushion front and two 30x44cm rectangles for the back. Turn one long edge on each rectangle under by 1cm, then another 1cm and topstitch to create a hem. 2 Fuse the paper-backed fusible web to the reverse of the green, pink and patterned fabrics. Draw and cut out three large, three medium and two small circles from the pink fabric, and five large, one medium, and four small from the patterned…

Knitting Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS Width 36cm/14in.Length 42cm/16½in. MATERIALS 3 x 50g (85m) balls of Rico Design Creative Cotton Aran (100% cotton) in Grey (Pearl Grey 52) and 1 ball in each of Peach (Powder 61), Blue (Smokey Blue 31) and Pink (Rose 00)*. Pair each of 4mm (No. 8) knitting needles. TENSION 21 stitches and 29 rows to 10x10cm, over stocking stitch, using 4mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS K, knit; k2togb, k2tog through back of sts; p, purl; ss, stocking stitch (k on right side and p on wrong side); st(s), stitch(es); tog, together (decrease by working as many sts together as stated); y2rn, yarn twice round needle to make 2 sts. NOTES Yarn amounts are based on average requirements and are approximate. BACK AND FRONT (ALIKE) Base: With 4mm needles and…

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: singer. Average = 15 More than 35 = well done Crossword Try the easy or cryptic clues, then rearrange the letters in the shaded squares for the answer. CLUE: Zealous supporter beginning to amuse and make you laugh in audition (9). EASY CLUES Across 1 TV captions (9)5 Bring upon oneself (5)8 __ Novello, actor and dramatist (4)9 Settlements (10)11 Powerful vessel (7)13 Portable light (7)15 One on a rink (3,6)17 Quadrilateral (9)19 Feed…

“Mr Dear is bent over the cistern of the downstairs lavatory. This is perhaps not the most promising start to a page of adventure and entertainment, but I like to give you an accurate account of life at Dear Towers: warts, cisterns and all. To be strictly accurate, he is peering into the space – about the size of a large letter box – that the builder kindly left for fiddling with the cistern. And he is wondering how to get to the bits inside. Very professional he looks, too. He has a head torch, which somehow makes him look like a member of the emergency services. You can imagine him giving reassuring interviews on the ITV News: ‘There is no cause for alarm. We have now established communication with…

WAR OF WORDS Beatrice and Benedick wrangle and snipe non-stop, yet can’t stay away from each other in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. While there’s plenty of riotous comedy in the play, a dark undercurrent of deceit and ruthless villainy leaves innocent Hero’s life apparently in ruins. ✱ Much Ado About Nothing is at Shakespeare’s Globe in London, 25 April to 24 August, shakespearesglobe.com Poolside view The glint of koi carp at Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens has a new home, thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The fish have moved from the tropical glasshouse to a glass-sided pond outside, giving visitors a much clearer view as they glide by majestically. That leaves the indoor pool clear for a replanting project that echoes the gardens’ earliest days in the 1850s, when…

Dotted around the country are areas of stunning natural beauty, teeming with wildlife and cultural heritage. Here we can immerse ourselves to our heart’s content, free of charge, safe in the knowledge that these unique landscapes’ National Park status ensures they’ll be protected for future generations. The UK has 15 National Parks – 10 in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland. Now, England is set to get another to help widen our access to nature and meet international biodiversity goals. Landscapes shortlisted include the Chilterns, the Cotswolds, and the combined Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Dorset and east Devon. While it may be several years before the location of the new park is decided, there’s plenty to enjoy out there already. 1951: YEAR ZERO That’s when the…

1 SLEEPING SOLES If you don’t like the feeling of cream on your feet when you slip on your shoes, use an overnight foot cream. It has time to sink in and takes advantage of the repair mode skin goes into while we snooze. This has a relaxing lavender scent. Foot Works Overnight Foot Treatment Cream, £3, avon.uk.com 2 POWERFUL PEEL Exfoliating foot peels can make a huge difference to neglected feet. They use skincare acids to melt away hard skin, leaving soles baby soft. Use a week or so before slipping on your sandals – the peeling process can take seven days to work its effects. BeautyPro Foot & Callus Peel Treatment, £6, Sainsbury’s 3 SCRUB UP Using a scrub is a handy quick fix when you don’t have…

Frankfurter sauerkraut stew Quick, easy and packed with flavour, this one is an addictive combination. SERVES 2 READY IN 20 mins ✱ Knob of butter✱ 1tbsp cooking oil✱ 1 onion, sliced✱ ¼tsp caraway seeds✱ 1 bay leaf✱ 2 garlic cloves, chopped✱ 100ml cider✱ ½ chicken stock cube✱ 200g sauerkraut, drained and rinsed✱ 400g tin of butter beans in water✱ 4 frankfurters, fresh or from a jar✱ Handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped✱ Crusty bread, to serve (optional) 1 Melt the butter and oil in a small heavy- based pan, add the onion and cook for 10 mins until softened. Add the caraway seeds, bay leaf and garlic, and season, cook for 2 mins then pour in the cider. Boil for 1 min then crumble in the stock cube. Stir in the…

Coping with… GLAUCOMA High pressure inside the eye damages the optic nerve, causing visual field loss Glaucoma is a complex group of eye diseases usually associated with high pressure within the eye, damaging the optic nerve that transfers visual information from the eye to the brain, resulting in visual loss. There are three main types of glaucoma: primary, secondary, and developmental (glaucoma in babies and children). Diagnosis is not always easy. Different tests will be needed to confirm how and why optic nerve damage has occurred. In a normal eye, there’s a healthy balance between the production and drainage of fluid. The pressure may vary slightly at different times of the day, but it normally stays at a range that allows the eye to function. A certain level of pressure…

Letter of the week Good for a laugh I picked up 24 October 2023 issue and was delighted to see Jenny Eclair pictured on the front of it. The interview inside was about her one-woman show. My best friend Claire and I went to see her show in Leicestershire in September and we thoroughly enjoyed it – we laughed until we cried! It was a great evening and Jenny didn’t let up, her jokes were hilarious. Thank you Jenny, you are amazing. Dawn Booton, Hinckley, Leicestershire GET IN TOUCH WE LOVE LETTERS Woman’s Weekly, Future plc, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London W2 6JR. P.S. It really helps when you put your details in capitals. ✱ We do not return photos (apart from You Wore It Well) so please do not send…

FOR PETITE FRAMES High-street brands such as Hobbs, Whistles, Phase Eight and Reiss, plus the newly launched petite collection from LK Bennett, all have glamorous occasionwear petite options. Search for keywords like ‘Tall’ and ‘Petite’ when clothes shopping online THE PERFECT BRA For small breasts Little Women specialises in bra sizes for small cups, with a size range starting from an AAA cup. Bra, £32, sizes 32AAA-48A, Little Women For larger breasts Elomi is famed for its plus-size bras, with a cup size range from D-JJ cup. Bra, £44, sizes 32D-48JJ, Elomi Sports bras Panache Lingerie has created supportive, shock-absorbing wired and non-wired sports bras for fuller breasts. Bra, £45, sizes 28-40, Panache Lingerie Postsurgery bras M&S has created a range of mastectomy-appropriate, non-wired bras for a comfortable and supportive…

You may not have heard about it, but Earth Day is a big event around the world, with as many as a billion people involved each year. It takes place on 22 April annually. But what is it? Earth Day’s origins Earth Day started in the USA back in 1970. American politician Gaylord Nelson took inspiration from the era’s student anti-war protests to create a special day dedicated to supporting the environment. More than 50 years later, this mission has spread around the world. This year’s focus The theme for this year’s event is Planet vs Plastics, and the aim is to secure a 60% reduction in all plastic production by 2040. ‘The Planet vs Plastics campaign is a call to arms, a demand that we act now to end…

Health I can’t afford anything Q I’m really struggling with the cost of living. Everything is so much more expensive than it was. I put off shopping until there’s virtually nothing in the house and my children are complaining. I then go to the supermarket and the bill is astronomical, so I get stressed. I don’t know what to do. Bridie, Huddersfield A It has been very hard for some people recently, although at least inflation is now lower again. But worrying won’t change anything. If you were feeling calm, how would you manage your shopping? I think it would help if you made a list before you go. Start by deciding the meals you’ll have that week. I suggest you then look in your cupboard and write a realistic…

You shouldn’t be encouraging her,’ Mum said, wringing her hands. ‘She’s 78 years old. She should be staying put, not gallivanting around the country on her own.’ I smiled as I packed for my trip. ‘Mum, you know as well as I do that telling Auntie Kate what to do will only result in her doing the exact opposite, just to prove a point.’ Mum snorted. ‘You’re right. She’s been like this since she was young. It’s how she ended up with a job in the pub, a nose piercing and a pixie haircut. Our mum went mad. Kate did look fabulous, though. She’s got the bone structure for short hair, lucky thing.’ She giggled, smiling at the memory. Raising an eyebrow, she added, ‘Do you think if I told…

Books One Girl Began by Kate Murray-Browne (£18.99, HB, Orion) Combining past and present, here is an immersive and beautifully told story of three women connected to the same building. In 1909, we meet Ellen, working at a box factory; in 1984, Frances joins a group of squatters; and in 2020, Amanda is living in a small flat with a baby. Invited into the inner lives of these women, we learn of their struggles, their hopes and who they really want to be. Inspired by the true events and site of the 1888 Match Girl’s Strike, which saw 1,400 workers walk out, it’s a fascinating insight into women’s lives over time and how much has, and hasn’t, changed. Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin (£8.99, PB, HarperCollins) Can…

Horoscopes ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR What are you waiting for? No more procrastinating, it’s time for action! Do something proactive and you’ll feel better. TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY You can be persuasive when necessary. If there is something you truly want, follow all leads until you find success. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN It’s a great time to focus on your finances and to make any adjustments or improvements that may be needed. Extra funds are within reach. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Whatever you truly believe, you can achieve. Think carefully about your desires, concentrate your mind and have faith in yourself. You can do it! LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG You may be experiencing a mix of endings and beginnings. If…