Innholdsfortegnelse for 27-May-2025 i Woman's Weekly

Past and future fun When I left college, in those sunny, far-off days when being online just meant hanging on the phone, I worked for a while doing 12-hour shifts at the old Colman’s factory in Norwich to earn some much-needed money. I used it to go travelling, through France, Italy and Greece, before finally ending up in Egypt. I saw some amazing sights and met some wonderful people, but what I should have done was buy an Interrail ticket, so I could have explored even more countries for just one price. However, reading our feature on page 38, I learn that oldies, like me, can buy Interrail tickets, too! So my wife and I are now thinking... roll on retirement!…

“As I gaze out across the rooftops of London from my office window it’s very easy to think that’s all there is. Even when we go to France it’s like, ‘Oh yes, I forgot this was here.’ So, to think of space and the inky blackness our planet is floating through is so weird – mysterious and full of who knows what. I’m fascinated by it, so it was a great opportunity to explore it, at least in my imagination, for the children’s book I’ve just written. You can do anything you want, really, as the rules don’t apply. I love the idea that life out there in space – if there is any, and I’m sure there is – is not all gleaming white, super-efficient hi-tech and vastly intelligent.…

3 WAYS TO... Boost wellbeing this spring 1 KEEP SAFE IN THE SUN Make sure you’re protected by sunscreen (at least SPF 30) and clothing. ‘Reapply sunscreen every two hours and after being in water,’ says GP Dr Karan Rajan. 2 STAY ACTIVE ‘A brisk walk of 20-30 minutes can be great for your health, and spending time in sunlight is a source of vitamin D,’ says Dr Rajan. ‘If you sit for long periods, getting up to change place or position can help.’ 3 USE NHS 111 Need medical care? Don’t forget 111.nhs.uk. It’s free and available at all times. ‘Call, go online or use the NHS App to get you the help you need, when you need it,’ says Dr Rajan. MY HEALTHY LIFE Susie Tate is an NHS GP turned bestselling author. My…

1 CHECK LIGHT LEVELS Blues can vary, depending on the light, so before you settle on a shade, work out which way the light falls in your room. Maximise the feeling of space in a bright room by choosing a softer tone, like chambray, or in rooms with little natural light, embrace the darkness with a moodier indigo blue. ✱ Wall and panelling in Valspar Premium Walls & Ceilings paint in Indigo Flame, £37 for 2.5ltr, B&Q 2 CALM WITH FRAGRANCE Try a room diffuser or spritz pillows with sleep spray to create a relaxing aroma. Pick soothing scents such as camomile, lavender, sage and geranium oil. ✱ Diffuser, £5, and candles, from £3 each, all B&M 3 ADDWARMTH Pair dusky blues with neutral hues on upholstery, furniture and flooring…

FADED FLOWERS BEGONE Once the flowers have gone over on shrubs like weigela (main photo), forsythia (right) and flowering currant, it’s time to prune them. This encourages young shoots to develop so you get a great display next year. Whip out dead, damaged and spindly stems, then cut down old flowering stems to where strong green shoots are growing. Finally, feed pruned shrubs with a slow-release fertiliser to boost growth. LITTLE GREEN FINGERS National Children’s Gardening Week (24 May to 1 June) is the perfect opportunity to inspire young ones to sow, grow and have fun in the garden. Download Grow with Peter Rabbit, a free booklet with step-by-step activities, including making a leaf-print card, a sundial and a windowsill herb garden. ✱ childrensgardeningweek.co.uk 3 OF THE BEST... Airy grasses…

TESTED BY US so they work for you Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS To fit ages 3-6 (6-9) (9-12) (12-18) (18-24) months. Actual chest measurements 52 (54.5) (57.5) (61) (64.5)cm/20½ (21½) (22¾) (24) (25½)in. Side seam 17.5 (18) (20.5) (21) (22.5)cm/6¾ (7) (8) (8¼) (8¾)in. Length to shoulder 28 (29) (33) (34) (37)cm/11 (11½) (13) (13½) (14½)in. Sleeve seam 18 (19.5) (22.5) (24) (26)cm/7 (7¾) (9) (9½) (10¼)in. MATERIALS 1 (1) (1) (2) (2) 100g (210m) ball(s) of King Cole Cottonsoft DK (100% cotton) in each of Orange (Apricot 1850) and Green (Mint 715)*. Pair each of 3.25mm (No. 10) and 4mm (No. 8) knitting needles; stitch holders; 3 small buttons. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk. TENSION 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10x10cm, over stocking stitch, using 4mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS Dec,…

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: Kept secret. Average = 20 More than 40 = 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. 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…

“‘I’m so bored,’ said my little sister Deb as she stared out of our kitchen window at a rabbit that was obviously contemplating a raid on our vegetable patch and possibly trying to remember whether we owned a dog. ‘Twiddle your thumbs,’ I said. Deb flashed me the look of contempt mastered by every little sister since Adam and Eve’s youngest wanted to know why she never got a mention in Genesis. ‘Oh God,’ she said. ‘You’ve turned into Mother. That’s what she used to say.’ ‘It’s not me who’s turned into Mother.’ ‘What do you mean by that?’ ‘What can I do that’s interesting and fun?’ ‘Look in the mirror. You’re exactly like Mother would have been if she had more cash than she knew what to do with.…

SAFARI ADVENTURE Chester Zoo’s new Heart of Africa zone might be the closest most of us will ever get to wildlife from the African savannah, bringing 57 species, including giraffes, zebras, ostriches, meerkats and antelopes, to Cheshire. There’s also a Hidden Savannah, exploring the underground world of burrowers, such as the naked mole rat. Entry is free with your zoo tickets. ✱ chesterzoo.org Big bird success Standing at over a metre tall, storks are huge creatures with distinctive orange beaks and white feathers. They became extinct in the UK 600 years ago, but thanks to The White Stork Project – which began in 2016 at Storrington in West Sussex, in partnership with the Knepp Estate – last year saw 27 nests built and 53 chicks. Now the area is proud…

They say you can’t keep a good woman down, and Bonnie Tyler is concrete proof of that. Despite having emergency knee surgery in February and needing to use crutches for several weeks, to get around, she’s currently recording and releasing new music, and has a busy year of live shows ahead of her. ‘I’m used to being on stage and going from here to there all the time, and it’s so strange when you’re kind of forced to stay still for a while,’ she tells Woman’s Weekly. A lot of downtime is not something the usually active Bonnie is a fan of. ‘I’ve got lots of energy and can’t stand not being able to potter around and get on with things. I wanted to do things like sort my clothes…

Chicken feta tray bake Feta features twice here, baked among the chicken, and crumbled through the radishes and mint for a crunchy-creamy salad garnish. SERVES 4PREP 15 mins COOK 45-50 mins ✱ 4 chicken legs✱ 1 bunch spring onions, each onion cut in half✱ 3 red peppers, deseeded and quartered✱ 100g feta✱ Juice 1 lemon✱ 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil✱ 10g mint, leaves picked✱ 10g dill, chopped✱ 100g radishes, thinly sliced using a mandoline✱ 200g giant couscous, to serve 1 Heat the oven to 180C Fan/Gas 6. Arrange the chicken legs, spring onions and peppers in a single layer in a large baking tray. 2 Crumble half the feta into a small bowl, and add half the lemon juice, 2½tbsp of the oil, some salt and pepper, and 100ml of…

Coping with… REITER’S SYNDROME This rare, temporary and reactive form of inflammatory arthritis is triggered by infection Reiter’s syndrome (reactive arthritis) occurs where your joints become sore and swollen after a urinary tract, genital, digestive system or throat infection triggers an unusual immune-system reaction. It affects both sexes of any age, but is most common in men aged 20 to 40. Causes include sexually transmitted infection (such as chlamydia), gastroenteritis, or if you’ve had glandular fever or slapped cheek syndrome. The body’s immune system overreacts, causing inflammation in healthy tissue, although it’s not clear why. Symptoms usually start one to four weeks after an infection, settling within six to 12 months, but can last longer. They include pain and stiffness in your joints, especially in the lower body, tiredness, mouth ulcers, pain when…

Anne was lifting a heavy suitcase from her bed when her phone rang. It echoed around her empty house. How different the place sounded now that furniture was covered and boxes packed. She grabbed for her phone, too late, and clicked open a message. It was the removal firm, telling her they’d arrive soon. There was another message too, from her daughter Dinah to say she was on her way. Anne surveyed her bedroom and a lump rose in her throat. She’d always known it would be hard to leave. But since Bill died, the house had become too big and she’d rattled around in it, alone. It was Dinah who’d suggested downsizing, and when the perfect place came on the market, Anne couldn’t resist. When she’d signed the contract,…

Difficulty level TESTED BY US so they work for you YOU WILL NEED ✱ A4 white paper✱ 10mm-wide quilling papers in pink, light purple, sky blue, light green, light yellow and apricot✱ 10mm quilling tool✱ Scissors✱ Tacky PVA glue✱ Glue brush✱ Quilling board✱ Tweezers 1 Photocopy the template by 170%, then trace the design on to a blank piece of paper. Start by assembling the outline. Cut one strip in light purple and one in pink, both measuring 7.6cm long. These will form the bottom section of the kite outline; sit them in place on the template. 2 Cut one strip in apricot and one in light yellow, both measuring 4.8cm long. These strips will form the top section of the kite outline. 3 Add a little glue to the…

ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR Home and family are where your attention lie now; you may begin to plan a move, refurbishments or an upgrade. TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY Is anything in your life past its ‘sell-by’ date? If so, it could be time to sever ties and make way for something way better. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN If you can focus your creative mind, you’ll come up with some innovative and useful problem-solving ideas. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Now’s the time to set yourself goals to make you stretch beyond your comfort zone. It will be an exciting ride. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG This week, do your best to stick with whatever you’ve been working with. Stay the course and…

Letter of the week Clever cleaning I loved the article Affordable Home Cleaning Made Easy [8 April issue]. It has inspired me to clean in a more environmentally friendly way while saving money. I am trying to be more conscious of what I can do for the planet, and the ideas in the article made it seem much easier than I thought. Every little thing matters. Thank you. Veronica O’Reilly, Wicklow Town, Ireland PAWS FOR THOUGHT Here is a photo of my husband Gary and our 14-month-old collie Jasper taking part in their first CaniCross event, in Keswick. It is a great sport, open to all abilities. You get to enjoy running with your best friend in beautiful settings. Emma Broadbent, Cumbria ✱ Got a pet pic that makes you…

Across the UK, quirky and enchanting miniature tourist attractions offer the chance to get nostalgic or see perfect little worlds all in one day. Here are some of our favourites. LITTLE LONDON (AND THE REST OF THE WORLD) Head to Legoland’s Windsor Resort to visit the newly revamped mini London and its iconic skyline. Over two million bricks and 10,800 building hours have been used to bring the miniature city bang up to date with seven new buildings, including City Hall, The Gherkin (below left) and The Cheese Grater. Twenty-five moving boats, and 174 buses, taxis and trains have also been added to help recreate the capital’s hustle and bustle. Miniland also includes scenes from other parts of the country, including Liverpool’s Albert Dock, Stonehenge and Glastonbury Tor, as well as…

My new husband feels left out Q I recently remarried 15 years after my divorce. My children are all adults and a couple have children. My new husband is complaining about how much time I spend with my family. He and I used to see each other only every other weekend, as he worked away. He’s demanding I see them less. I’m not sure what to do. Annie, Hereford A I can see that this is uncomfortable for you but, if you’re to stay married, this has to be resolved. Before you talk to him, take a moment to stand in his shoes and feel what it’s like from his viewpoint. My hunch is that he’s feeling left out and not important in your life. In short, I expect he’s feeling excluded. With this in…

The Elopement by Gill Hornby (£18.99, HB, Century) Jane Austen’s presence is felt but not seen as we revisit the extended Austen family during the 1820s. Young Mary Dorothea Knatchbull is shocked when her widowed father remarries, and her new stepmother Fanny Knight of Godmersham Park is, frankly, a bit of a cold fish. But even surface cordiality vanishes when Mary falls in love with young Mr Knight, his wife’s brother, causing a family rift. There appears to be only one solution... A captivating return to the world of the Austens. Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle (£16.99, HB, Bloomsbury) A masterful debut with a highly original concept that will pull you in and keep you hooked until the very last page. Protagonist Konstantin Duhovy, aka Kostya, discovers that he has a…