Innholdsfortegnelse for 18-Mar-2025 i Woman's Weekly

Collecting problems My wife and I both love objects – pictures, cushions, candlesticks, rickety furniture etc – and as a result, our home is full to bursting like an old-school antiques shop. The walls sag under the weight of endless prints and paintings, getting from one side of any room to the other is a daily assault course, and even the garden is generously populated by battered outdoor tables and seats, old benches and even, implausibly, a creaky rocking chair. Add in dogs and visiting offspring (who seem to have inherited the same enthusiasms) and even we have to admit it’s getting out of hand. So I turned to page 25 for a few tips! EDITOR geoffrey.palmer@futurenet.com…

They describe themselves as being ‘like brothers’ but unlike many siblings, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe have not had a cross word in the entire 10 years they have worked together. Their latest joint album, Together at Home, is their sixth. Now they’re about to embark on tour, but while Michael admits that they have different personalities, he says those differences have never once resulted in a quarrel. ‘There’s a lot of banter and mickey-taking, but we never fall out,’ he says. ‘I know people would love to think that we’re at each other’s throats, but we’re just not. Life is too short. ‘We might disagree about work ideas – it would be weird if we didn’t, really – but we have never argued or lost our tempers. That would…

Travelling on the Northern Belle – one of the world’s most luxurious trains – was (honestly) essential book research. It leaves from many destinations around Britain but we chose a round trip from nearby Wakefield station, which might not sound ‘opulent’ but once you step from the red carpet on the platform on to this beautiful train, you are transported into a genteel world of 1930s yesteryear and could easily be traversing Europe with Poirot. People who travel on it are often doing it for a celebratory reason, and their excitement colours the atmosphere. Everywhere there is exquisite wooden marquetry, polished brass, heavy tapestries, velvet cushions. The linen is blindingly white, the crystal glasses shine like diamonds, the name of the train is emblazoned everywhere, from plates to carpets. Even…

‘It’s the greatest privilege of my life’ Rachel Connor, 42, a healthcare worker, lives in Buckinghamshire with her husband Lewis, 43, and their daughter Winnie, three. I’ll never forget the first time we saw our daughter Winnie. Lewis and I were waiting in her foster parents’ sitting room, and I was trying to make small talk and failing due to nerves. The moment she walked into the room, she looked at us and smiled. It was love at first sight. Lewis and I married in 2019. Already in our late 30s, we began trying for a baby as soon as we could. After six months, we were advised to have tests before being told our best course of action would be IVF. As we weren’t eligible for NHS treatment, we…

3 APPS TO... Boost your wellbeing 1 MEDISAFE PILL REMINDER Never forget your medication again with this free pill tracker and planner app. It is simple and free to use for basic functions. Advanced features require a subscription. 2 SLEEPIO Trouble sleeping? Try this app’s six 20-minute sessions of cognitive behavioural therapy to boost the duration and quality of your sleep. Approved by NICE, it’s available free on the NHS in some areas. Visit sleepio.com. 3 NHS Access NHS services any time, any place. This app lets you view your GP health record and get important messages from your surgery, order repeat prescriptions, use 111 online and find nearby NHS services. You may also be able to book GP appointments. NEWSFLASH High street eye test can predict stroke risk Routine retina…

Spring is on the horizon, we hope! And as the weather starts to brighten, we begin to sense a spring in our step too. But if you’re still feeling a little sluggish and uninspired, we have just the antidote - our Health Special issue, packed with an extra 32 pages of wellbeing advice without mammoth effort. It’s the little tweaks to your life that can make the biggest difference and we have it all – including how to have a healthier heart, gut and teeth, and what to eat to keep well, including a tasty, good-for-you eating plan full of delicious recipes exclusively from Slimming World. Plus there are top tips on managing pain, keeping fit and enjoying better sex. We hope you’ll find lots to inspire you. WOMAN’S WEEKLY…

1 SKIMMED MILK Yes, it’s lower in fat than semi-skimmed, but it’s also lower in nutrients. Vitamins A, D, E and K are fat-soluble, explains nutritional therapist Claudia le Feuvre, ‘so skimming the fat also skims off these vitamins, which are vital for brain health and our immune systems.’ 2 Kidney beans The fibre in kidney beans is, unfortunately, a recipe for painful flatulence, stomach pressure and cramping for some, especially if the beans are combined with other sources of fibre and protein. 3 White toast A slice of toast is a go-to snack – but white bread is made from refined flour, which has been stripped of most of its fibre and nutrients during processing. This leaves it with a high glycemic index, causing a rapid spike in blood…

Manchester tart tray bake First published by Mrs Beeton, you may recall this coconut-topped custard tart from your schooldays. SERVES 12 PREP 30 mins, plus chilling COOK 30 mins FOR THE BASE ✱ 100g desiccated coconut, toasted✱ 200g plain flour✱ 100g cold salted butter, diced✱ 1tbsp golden caster sugar✱ 1 medium free-range egg, beaten✱ 150g seedless raspberry jam FOR THE FILLING ✱ 100g caster sugar✱ 40g Bird’s custard powder✱ 6 medium free-range egg yolks✱ 500ml whole milk✱ 1-2tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste✱ 75g cold unsalted butter, diced✱ 6 cocktail/maraschino cherries, halved, to decorate YOU WILL NEED ✱ 20x25cm baking tin, base and sides lined 1 For the base, whizz 75g of the coconut, the flour, butter, sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor to fine…

Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS Width 57cm/22½in Length 70cm/27½in Flower 6cm/2¼in MATERIALS 4 x 100g (210m) balls of Patons 100% Cotton DK (100% cotton) in Pink (Nougat 2715) and 1 ball in each of Yellow (Vanilla 2745) and White (2691)*. Size 4mm and 3.5mm crochet hooks; safety pins; sewing needle and thread. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk. TENSION 15 stitches and 15 rows to 7.5x6.5cm, over double crochet, using 4mm crochet hook. ABBREVIATIONS Ch, chain; dc, double crochet; htr, half treble crochet; slst, slip stitch; st(s), stitch(es); yrh, yarn round hook. NOTES The original yarn is no longer available so a suitable substitute has been chosen. Yarn amounts are based on average requirements and are approximate. Figures in square brackets are worked as stated after 2nd bracket. BLANKET With 4mm hook and…

Deep Cuts by Holly Brickley (£16.99, HB, Borough Press) Music obsessive Percy meets songwriter Joe at college in the year 2000. For her, it’s love at first sight but Joe mostly seems to value Percy for her inspired input into his songwriting. As his band becomes increasingly successful, their friendship waxes and wanes, and Percy struggles to find her feet in life. What would it take for both Joe and Percy to understand her worth? The ‘will they, won’t they?’ question powers this nostalgic debut tipped for Daisy Jones & the Six levels of success. Death in the Arctic by Tom Hindle (£16.99, HB, Cornerstone) The trip of a lifetime is about to turn deadly. Travel writer Chloé Campbell can’t believe her luck when she is invited on the maiden…

ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR It’s time to shine your light. No more procrastination or hiding yourself away. Take a firm step forward with practical action and watch the magic begin! TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY You’re planting seeds now. Be gentle with yourself and others, and new shoots will soon be visible, which could blossom. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN Socially this promises to be an exciting week. You’ll have the opportunity to go out and meet fascinating people. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Pursue your dream and don’t give up. You have a natural magnetism that draws people to you. There’s no stopping you! LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG This week is about balancing your physical, emotional and mental worlds. Make an effort…

MUSICAL MURDERS If movie maestro Alfred Hitchcock was to be believed, ‘everybody wants to murder somebody’. Known as the master of suspense, his TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents brought horror and mayhem into American homes – and was extremely successful. Eight of those chilling tales now feature in Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Musical, at the Theatre Royal Bath from 22 March to 12 April. ✱ theatreroyal.org.uk Our wild neighbours From foxes and squirrels to bats and badgers, many wild mammals live alongside us. They enrich our environment and all have a part to play in maintaining biodiversity, whether in towns, cities or the countryside. Wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species is conducting its comprehensive annual Living With Mammals survey, starting this month. It monitors the health and numbers of…

So many iconic movies and TV shows have been shot in wonderful locations around the UK. Here are just a few places where you can step into the world of your favourite screen characters. GLENCOE NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE, ARGYLL So many movies have been shot in this beautiful region of the Highlands, it has been called Scotland’s Hollywood. The combination of breathtaking scenery, silvery light and crystal-clear air is a heady mix for any filmmaker. Two of the three Highlander movies, starring Christopher Lambert, were filmed here, as well as Mel Gibson’s blockbuster Braveheart, which won five Academy Awards. In 2003, film crews from Warner Brothers arrived to build sets for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Now diehard Potter fans can head to Glencoe to see the site…

TIPS from our expert 1 CONSIDER LEOPARD A NEUTRAL The beauty of animal print lies in its versatility. Forever on trend, invest now and you’ll be wearing it for years to come. Leopard, in particular, is known for being the ‘new neutral’. ‘The idea that leopard is a “neutral” comes by considering it exactly as you would if it were just one of its component colours: the black, the camel or the brown,’ says Erica Davies in her book Leopard is a Neutral*. These classic colours go with everything, meaning that leopard goes with everything too, whether you keep it tonal in matching creams and caramels, dress it down with denim or add a pop of red for an instant uplift. 2 START WITH AN ACCESSORY This is the easiest…

Pork chop tray bake An all-in-one mouth-watering roast that would be great for a speedy Sunday lunch. SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 35 mins ✱ 2tsp flaky salt ✱ 2tbsp Middle Eastern-style spice mix (such as dukkah) ✱ Zest 1 lemon ✱ 4 pork loin chops (each approximately 200g), fat removed ✱ 400g young carrots, halved lengthways ✱ 1 large red onion, cut into 8 wedges ✱ 2 parsnips, peeled, cut into 2cm rounds ✱ 1 large beetroot, peeled, cut into 8 wedges ✱ 6 garlic cloves, skins intact ✱ 3tbsp olive oil ✱ 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed ✱ 1 small bunch dill, chopped ✱ 1 small bunch mint, chopped ✱ 50g light feta, crumbled 1 Heat the oven to 200C Fan/Gas 7. Rub the salt, spice…

Covid-19 jab update Infection with SARS-CoV-2 roughly doubles the risk of major cardiac events, latest data from more than 40,000 UK Biobank participants shows. Increased risk was present at all levels of Covid-19 severity, from being asymptomatic (but PCR testing positive) to needing hospitalisation, although the increased risk is greater after more severe infection and persists for at least three years. Curiously, both myocardial infarction and stroke in hospitalised Covid-19 cases were more pronounced in people with non-O blood types. TRAVEL RISK FROM MOSQUITOES The UK Health Security Agency is advising travellers to take greater precautions against mosquito-borne infections, citing a rise in travel-related cases of dengue and malaria, particularly dengue, reflecting the substantial rise in cases globally in 2024. There is a dengue vaccination for certain travellers but prevent infection by minimising…

EAT UP! Serving children too much and then telling them to clear their plates could raise their chances of obesity, says the British Nutrition Foundation. It has published rule-of-thumb guidance, including: baked potatoes shouldn’t be bigger than the size of the fist of the child eating it; cooked red meat should be the size of their palm; and pasta shouldn’t be more than two of the child’s handfuls of the dried pasta. What’s that? It’s a bowel cancer screening test – and it’s due to be sent to all over-50s in the post. The NHS has warned that cases of bowel cancer are becoming more common among the middle-aged, and is sending kits to help spot blood in your poo and therefore potentially catch the disease earlier. The kits are…

Q The heating has dried out my skin – how can I repair it? A When the humidity drops, fine lines and wrinkles become more noticeable, and dry, itchy skin flakes and cracks. Baths and showers remove natural oils, so keep them brief and close the bathroom door. Use warm water with a small amount of gentle, fragrance-free cleanser. Blot skin dry with a towel then slather on moisturisers to trap moisture. Ointments and creams are more effective than lotions, especially those with natural oil ingredients such as jojoba or shea, glycerine, hyaluronic acid or petroleum jelly. Avoid products containing alcohol, fragrance or retinoids. Wear gloves if outdoors and household gloves if doing chores that involve getting hands wet or using chemicals. Use hypoallergenic laundry detergent. Wear cotton or…

Too tired, got a headache, just can’t be bothered… whatever our excuses for avoiding sex, lots of us do it. ‘It’s totally natural to lose spark in a long-term relationship,’ says Dr Katherine Hertlein, sex therapist at Blueheart*. ‘Relationships ebb and flow. There will be times when a relationship is more sexually active and times where it is less.’ And there’s nothing wrong with that – it’s perhaps unrealistic to expect to feel the same passion and desire for each other years – maybe decades – after you met. But a healthy sex life can help maintain intimacy and connection. And it can be great for your health, helping to release stress and boost confidence. It can be a lot of fun too, so if you’d like to ensure it…

Louise stared at the note she’d just picked up off the doormat. It must have been pushed through the letter box after she’d left for work early that morning. She unfolded the sheet of thick cream paper and sat down at the kitchen table to read the looping handwriting inside. ‘Dear neighbour(s) at number 3, I’m having a house-warming party on Saturday at 7pm, so hope the noise doesn’t disturb you too much. I’d love it if you’d like to come – it would be great to meet you. Otherwise, hopefully bump into you soon. Best wishes, Megan (at number 5).’ Louise had seen the removals van unloading but hadn’t wanted to rush round straightaway. She thought she’d let her new neighbour get settled first. It felt different now there…

Difficulty level YOU WILL NEED ✱ Stranded cotton as listed in the key✱ Size 24 tapestry needle✱ 15x15cm 14-count antique white aida for each design✱ Embroidery hoop✱ Buttons and charms✱ Aperture card blank, box or hanger✱ Scissors✱ Double-sided tape Our designs have been stitched on 14-count aida Maximum stitch count 28 high x 27 wide. Design area 5x5cm 1 Using the charts, stitch your design on to the aida held within an embroidery hoop. Cut a 40cm embroidery thread length. Take two strands from the length and work cross-stitches from the centre of the chart and fabric. Each coloured square on the chart represents one cross-stitch worked over one block of fabric threads. 2 Once the cross-stitched areas are complete, add the backstitched outlines and French knots with the number…

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, for which the clue is: Tunnel beneath road. Average = 25 More than 45 = well done SUDOKU To solve this puzzle, fill in the grid so that each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column contains the numbers 1-9. YOU CAN WORK IT OUT... 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…

Do you think my ears are getting larger?’ said Mr Dear, as he peered into the bathroom mirror. ‘Be honest. Give it to me straight.’ And there, dear reader, you have marriage in a nutshell. One moment he’s telling you that you are his world, his love, and that he was a shallow vessel before he met you. The next thing you know, he’s asking you if he’s turning into Dumbo. ‘They look fine to me,’ I said. ‘It’s your haircut – ears always look a bit bigger when you’ve had a severe Number One cut.’ And then I took a closer look. It always pays to do these things thoroughly. ‘They’re a bit hairy,’ I said. ‘Hairy? All men have hairy ears.’ ‘No they don’t. I’ll bet Harrison Ford…

Letter of the week All about owls I’ve just been reading your article Our Wise Old Owls [28 January issue]. They are fascinating birds. In the early 1980s, my mother and I attended a talk by owl expert Tony Warburton – I doubt there was anything he didn’t know about owls! He brought some live ones with him, which was wonderful, although we had a near drama when the largest of them, an eagle owl, slipped its jesses and was on the point of taking off and flying round the room. Fortunately Tony realised in the nick of time. In 2020 I adopted a barn owl and a tawny owl in the care of Suffolk Owl Sanctuary near Stowmarket. I pay a sum each month by direct debit and in…

My husband makes working from home difficult Q I work from home. My retired husband is forever organising people to come round to do things or doing DIY jobs himself. He never asks if this suits me. If I say it doesn’t, he gets cross. It seems I have to accommodate him. He doesn’t understand that I’m not being difficult, I’m just trying to accommodate my clients. Georgia, Cambridge A It sounds like neither of you is thinking about the other person. You’re both focused on your own tasks, which are equally important to each of you. The only way to resolve this is to have a conversation about it at a time when you’re not working and he hasn’t got a task in hand. It’s also a good idea not to dismiss his…

Step into spring with this shape-up plan chock-full of delicious and filling real food, designed to make you feel great and look great. This healthy eating plan, reviewed by Slimming World’s team of Registered Nutritionists and Dietitians, is based around real, everyday foods, so it’s simple to achieve your weight-loss goals and have the extra energy to feel fabulous too. How it works ✱ Follow the five-day meal plan. If you want to keep going, mix and match the meals for the coming days. ✱ Slimming World’s eating plan, Food Optimising, is based on the science of energy density (the calories per gram in food), of satiety (how filling a food is), and how easy a food is to overeat. It’s a simple way to cut calories without counting them…

We rely on our feet to get us from A to B – and beyond – and they rarely get enough rest, so isn’t it time we gave these hard-working tools the respect they deserve? ‘The foot is one of the most complex structures in the body, made up of 26 bones, 30 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments, all of which work together to provide support and balance,’ explains podiatrist Tony Gavin. ‘Foot pain and symptoms of common conditions can have a major impact on mobility, so keeping your feet in a healthy condition is essential for function and quality of life.’ The good news is that it’s never too late for you to start caring for them. SPOT CHANGES Do your shoes fit? As we…

CYCLING Great for your heart and stamina, and easy on your joints, cycling is a fantastic way to keep fit. Get the right gear and you can go for miles. ✱ BE SEEN The Keada Sport Cycling Jersey, £46.80, sizes s-xl, Halfords, has a bold design with a reflective strip at the base of a three-section load-bearing pocket. The moisture-wicking, breathable material is also anti-UV and antibacterial. ✱ ROAR POWER Unleash your inner animal with these leopard print Adidas Originals cycling shorts, £30, Evans Cycles. ✱ BUM BAG Keep your essentials safe in the 1L Dakine Hot Laps Waist Pack, £45.95, tredz.co.uk. Includes pockets for your phone and water bottle. ✱ HOT HANDS Beat the unpredictable spring conditions with the water-repellant, fleece-lined Spring/Autumn Cycling Gloves 500, £14.99, Decathlon. Their thin…