Innholdsfortegnelse for 21-May-2024 i Woman's Weekly

Join our campaign! “Both my parents were lucky enough not to have dementia, but it was one of their greatest worries as they grew older. Because we live longer these days, and pneumonia and other ills, which would have carried us off earlier in the past are now often survived, the percentage of people who develop dementia at the end of their lives is increasing. It is frequently a distressing condition for those living with dementia (and for their relatives) but one small thing that has been shown to help is a twiddle arm muff or mat, which they often find engaging and calming. So we’ve launched a new reader charity campaign to make some. See pages 27 and 49.”…

Actor Anita Dobson rocketed to soap fame thanks to her unforgettable role as Angie Watts in EastEnders, which she played from 1985 to 1998. She’s been a regular face on our screens ever since, most recently popping up as the mysterious Mrs Flood in last year’s Doctor Who Christmas special. The 75-year-old Londoner has worked consistently throughout her career, and not only is she a brilliant actor but we imagine she’s a dream to work with. Softly spoken, kind and funny, she’s someone you could chat to all day. As well as having recently shot a new movie, This Time Next Year, alongside John Hannah, she’s currently filming the upcoming series of Doctor Who. ‘It’s a bit exciting, isn’t it?’ she smiles. ‘I didn’t think about the reaction to my first…

“My 60th birthday is next January, but a celebration will probably be in the summer. There are no possessions missing from my life to go on a birthday wish list, but it is a family tradition on big birthdays to have a lot of people stay, spill out into the farm, camp, jump in the pond, dance – even if we now slightly embarrass the children! – and cook up a feast on big barbecues. Although these days, there are more plants than beasts on our barbecue. Every meal I eat now includes a bunch of plants, with a bit of meat and fish getting a look-in maybe two or three times a week. Your body loves diversity, and if we can manage to eat 30 plants every week, then…

Mary McGlory was just 16 years old when she first went to The Cavern Club in 1962 and saw The Beatles on stage. ‘I was with three of my cousins, and we all turned to each other and said, “That’s what we want to do!”’ says Mary, now 78, originally from Liverpool. ‘There was just one problem: none of us knew how to play an instrument.’ Full of enthusiasm, the girls went to Hessys, the music shop where The Beatles had got their instruments, bought guitars on hire purchase and even told Mersey Beat, Liverpool’s music newspaper, that they were England’s first all-female band. They had pictures taken; a big article was published. ‘A couple of weeks later we practised, but it was far harder than we thought,’ Mary smiles.…

3 WAYS TO... Move more 1 START TO HABIT STACK ‘Leveraging existing habits makes it easier to establish new ones,’ says fitness expert Annie-Celeste Taylor*. ‘Integrating simple exercises, like standing on one foot while brushing your teeth or doing lunges on the way to the kitchen, turns mundane moments into opportunities for activity.’ 2 GET OFF THE STOP BEFORE Incorporating a short walk into a bus or train journey by alighting earlier makes it easy to fit in a bit more exercise. Going by car instead of public transport? Park in a space that’s further away instead of the closest one, to fit in some extra steps. 3 TRY GARDENING ‘It can enhance flexibility, strengthen muscles and support better mobility,’ says Annie. NEWSFLASH Eat an avocado a day to lose weight…

1 HIDDEN FROM VIEW If a main living room overlooks the street and you want to introduce an element of privacy during the day without blocking the entire window, cafe-style shutters are a smart option. Covering just the lower half of the window, they still allow plenty of natural light in through the top. ✱ For similar cafe-style shutters, try Shutterly Fabulous; other items available from Dunelm 2 LAYERED LOOK In a very sunny spot, try layering roller blinds to give you maximum control. A sheer voile can be used to block out strong sunlight during the day, while a blackout blind hung in front is perfect for privacy in the evenings. On a dull day, you can keep the blinds staggered to add interest to your windows. ✱ Alia…

YOU WILL NEED ✱ Patterned cotton scraps✱ 10in square of plain cotton fabric✱ Stuffing✱ ¾in hexagonal patchwork template✱ Compass✱ Embroidery thread and needle 1 Use the template to cut out 19 paper hexagons. Pin the paper templates to your fabric pieces and cut around the edges with a ¼in seam allowance. 2 Take each template and fold the excess fabric around the edges, tacking in place. With right sides together, oversew the centre hexagon and another hexagon together along their adjoining edge. Repeat, joining all edges until a large circular piece has been formed. Remove tacking stitches and paper templates, then press. 3 Enlarge templates (right) by 130%. From the plain cotton fabric, cut four pairs of leg pieces, one pair of tail pieces (following the dashed line), and one…

Knitting MEASUREMENTS Length 30-35cm/12-14in. Width Approx 16cm/6½in. MATERIALS Selection of DK yarns and/or chunky yarns in bright colours; oddments of novelty/faux-fur yarns (optional). Pair each of 6mm (No. 4) and 4mm (No. 8) knitting needles; assorted buttons and embellishments; assorted ribbons. TENSION Not critical for this project. ABBREVIATIONS K, knit; p, purl; sk2po, slip 1, k2tog, pass slipped stitch over (to decrease 2 sts); ss, stocking st (k on the right side and p on the wrong side); st(s), stitch(es); tog, together (decrease by working as many stitches together as stated); yf, yarn forward (to make 1 st). NOTES The instructions here are for general guidance only. Work with the yarns you have, changing colours and switching between different stitches as often as you like. Use two strands of DK…

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: disadvantage. 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: Four going into top gallery’s entrance (9). EASY CLUES Across 6 Cereal crop (5)7 Motionless (8)10 Submit (7)11 Nine-sided shape (7)12 Deft (7)13 Batting spell (7)14 Fried bread dish (6,5)19 Time-keeping device (7)21 Sign of dismissal, in sport (3,4)23 Give the right to (7)25 Curators…

Horoscopes ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR This is a good time to let go of the old. Don’t allow your fears to dominate. You are ready to take on something new, so be brave and forge ahead. TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY Do your best to have a positive attitude in all situations, no matter how challenging they appear. You’ll be glad you did. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN You’re coming into a period of immense change. Embrace it, as many new and wonderful opportunities can emerge. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Step out this week and attempt to do something you’ve never done before. Go for it! The excitement is palpable. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG Don’t settle for second best. Keep striving and…

“Mr Dear is seated at the piano. It is a Sunday morning, and he is trying to persuade the listening public ( just me, to be honest) that he is the very model of a modern major general. The listening public is not entirely convinced. ‘I’m very good at integral and differential calculus, I know the scientific names of… oh damn.’ This was not how WS Gilbert imagined the song. That was Mr D, in the words of the great music critic Eric Morecambe, playing the right notes but not necessarily in the right order. As regular readers might remember, my life partner and helpmeet goes through phases. There was the craze for building a cathedral out of matchsticks, possibly in the hope of getting his picture in the local…

There are more than 50 species of wild orchids growing in the temperate climate of the British Isles. These beguiling beauties are classified as terrestrial, meaning they grow in the ground and take their nourishment from the earth. They have a preference for growing on calcareous soils such as limestone and chalk, but can also be found in a wide range of other habitats. The optimum time of year to spot them is during late spring and early summer, although they generally flower earlier in the south and later in the north. Common spotted-orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) Aptly named, this orchid is both common and spotty. It grows in a wide range of habitats, from wetland marshes and fens to drier environments such as chalk grasslands and coastal sites. Stunning pink…

1 METALLIC FINISH A unique polish for those who like a touch of metallic. This new glazed formula gives nails a high-shine pearlescent finish, which looks just as good when worn on its own or over your favourite varnish as a top coat. Barry M Glazed Sheer Nail Paint in So Curious, £4.49, Superdrug 2 FUN FUCHSIA If you’re after a bargain buy that does it all, then look no further than this affordable varnish. At just 60p, this mini bottle of pink loveliness will keep your nails looking salon-quality from spring all the way through to winter. PS… Quick Dry Nail Polish in Dark Pink, 60p, Primark 3 TRUE BLUE Not only is this the perfect colour for warmer days, it’s also long-lasting, quick-drying, vegan, cruelty-free, and is a…

Veggie mushroom and pepper stroganoff Mushrooms add umami flavours to this dish, making it feel rich and indulgent without the need for meat. SERVES 3-4 READY IN 25 mins ✱ 15g dried porcini mushrooms✱ ½tbsp olive oil✱ ½tbsp butter✱ 1tbsp plain flour✱ 1 large onion, sliced✱ 1tbsp wholegrain mustard✱ 2tsp smoked sweet paprika✱ 500g chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped✱ 170g jar charred peppers in olive oil, drained and sliced✱ 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced✱ 50ml Madeira or red wine✱ 125g soured cream✱ Rice, to serve✱ Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, to serve 1 Put the porcini mushrooms in a heatproof bowl with 300ml just-boiled water, and leave to soak for 15 mins. 2 Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat the oil and butter in a high-sided frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once…

ADVICE FROM OUR WOMAN’S WEEKLY DOCTOR As well as physical symptoms, there are the psychological effects of the menopause to deal with. These include anxiety, fatigue, anger, low mood and depression, insecurity, reduced confidence and increased irritability, as well as the emotional swings that worsen feelings of ‘not coping’ with the physical symptoms. Embarrassing flushes and night sweats may occur, interfering with sleep and relationships, coinciding with other significant life events, such as losing elderly parents or offspring leaving home. As a result, low mood, anger and irritability may highlight loss of life control. Brain fog causes forgetfulness, memory and attention issues, difficulty recalling words and being easily distracted, resulting in anxiety. Although HRT may help, talking with friends can make a significant difference. Sharing experiences increases self-esteem and confidence.…

Drop the count The start of hay-fever season is particularly tough for anyone who suffers from it and loves spending time in the garden. The culprit is pollen, particularly the airborne variety that’s easily blown around and ends up in our eyes and noses. While it’s impossible to completely avoid it, planting and design tweaks can reduce exposure and make gardening a more enjoyable experience all year round. Know your triggers Find out what sets off your sneezes by checking flowering times. Wind-pollinated tree pollen is an early trigger, with hazel and birch flowering from January to April. Next come grasses, which peak from May to July, followed by flowering perennials, including wild nettles and plantain. You can’t do much about what’s outside your garden gate, but you can create…

Letter of the week Keep on knitting I’m so impressed by my 85-year-old mum, who made this Jemima-Jane knitted rag doll for me. She suffers with osteoarthritic fingers, and has found that knitting helps keep her hands moving. I love the pastel colours she’s used, and J-J now sits proudly at the foot of my bed. Gill Fenn, Leigh-on-Sea 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 originals. EMAIL US womansweeklypostbag@futurenet.com Tell us your full name, address and daytime phone number, please. PAWS FOR THOUGHT My daughter works from home and was asked by…

As the weather gets warmer, we’re prompted to peel off the layers and get out there to enjoy it, but we do need to spare a thought for keeping our skin safe. ‘UV rays from sun exposure damage skin cells, causing premature ageing and skin cancer,’ says consultant dermatologist Dr Ramia Mokbel. ‘So it’s important to protect your skin from the sun.’ Shield yourself The best way to protect your skin is to stay out of the sun when it’s at its hottest and most damaging – from 11am-3pm during the summer, and in spring when the sun is lower in the sky and our skin has reduced protection after the winter months. In the UK, the sun can be strong enough to damage skin between mid-March and mid-October. ‘Stay…

Tap into the utility trend with a khaki skirt. The voluminous shape adds a feminine feel with a modest midi length Add extra coverage to your swimwear with a lightweight kimono that doubles up as a jacket – perfect for day and night…

Should I report my hairdresser? Q I understand that people are finding it hard to make ends meet with the increase in the cost of living. My hairdresser has asked me if I would pay in cash or transfer money into her personal account. I have said no, as I regard tax evasion as wrong. I think I should report her. My friends who go to the same hairdresser disagree with me. Name and address withheld A Tax evasion is against the law You’ve made your personal decision to not condone this by saying no to this request. You have therefore upheld the law yourself. In principle, reporting a crime is right, but only you can choose if it is right for you to report her. You need to decide…

Books When We Were Silent by Fiona McPhillips (£16.99, HB, Transworld) Lou Manson joins Highfield Manor with just one motive. She’s dead set on exposing the dark truths that lurk behind the gates of this elite private school. But Lou’s plan goes awry when she grows close to the brilliant and beautiful Shauna. Revealing the long-buried secrets of the school would mean letting her down. Before long, Lou discovers that the school will stop at nothing to protect their own interests. Decades later, when called to testify against Highfield, can Lou face her past? A powerful exploration of corruption, wealth and redemption. Moon Road by Sarah Leipciger (£16.99, HB, Transworld) A wonderfully imagined portrait of a couple who haven’t spoken for 19 years; not since what happened to their daughter.…