Innholdsfortegnelse for 25th Nov 2025 i Woman's Weekly

Same again, please!  “We love a tradition in our house, and especially at Christmas. In fact, my three grownup children still hang their childhood stockings up by the fire, even though the presents they buy us are probably more expensive than those we buy them these days. We always do the same things on Christmas morning, and heaven help those making the puds if a classic custard tart, a pavlova and a trifle aren’t provided, as well as the essential figgy pudding. Plus the trifle must have port rather than sherry, because I did it that way for the first time many years ago, as I had no sherry to hand! For more on loved traditions, see page 20.” EDITORgeoffrey.palmer@futurenet.com…

‘It isn’t Christmas until my stocking is up’ Dara Stringham, 47, a bespoke tailor, lives in Isleworth, London with her partner Paul, 44, and their children Aneira, 14, Isadora, 12, and Frida, eight. As I hang the stockings from the mantelpiece, I feel a flicker of Christmas magic – and I am reminded of my grandmother, Carmen, who made mine for me four decades ago. She stitched me and my siblings Esther, now 51, Jonathan, 49, and Hannah, 42, a stocking when we were babies. Every December, my mum, Yvonne, would fill them with advent sweets, candy canes and sugar mice. Growing up, we lived in Germany and Grandmother was in the US, but I have fond memories of visiting her every few summers. And she was always present in…

3 WAYS TO... Spot glaucoma 1 GET AN EYE TEST ‘Glaucoma can develop slowly over time without obvious symptoms,’ says optician Ebahi Demi-Ejegi**. ‘That’s why regular eye checks are important – they’re not just about checking your vision, they’re vital to catch conditions like glaucoma early.’ 2 INTENSE EYE PAIN, tenderness or red eyes. Seek help quickly. ‘Once detected, glaucoma can be a very manageable condition,’ says optometrist Jagdeep Singh***. ‘In most cases, treatment can prevent further damage.’ 3 BLURRED VISION or seeing rainbow-like circles around bright light. Feeling sick or having a headache can also be signs. See your optician or GP – swift treatment is important to prevent irreversible damage to your vision. HIDDEN MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS – AND HOW TO BEAT THEM! Dr Zahra Damji is a GP…

3 OF THE BEST... HALF WREATHS STYLE TIPS 1 KEEP IT SIMPLE Ditch the tinsel and go for an understated look with decorations in frosted finishes, burnished metallics and rustic weaves, and a palette of soft blue, sage green and snowy white. 2 WORK IN GREENERY Natural foliage is a must, from wreaths on doors to garlands draped on mantels and shelves. Keep to silvery-green tones, such as eucalyptus, spruce, mistletoe and fragrant rosemary. 3 DECK THE TREE Buy a box of inexpensive baubles in shades of blue. They’ll help fill out the branches and add colour if you have a large tree. Then add special ornaments and favourites in key places. 4 ADD TWINKLING LIGHTS Be generous with tree lights to ensure your tree really sparkles. As a general rule,…

LEAFY GOODNESS Leaf mould is a wonderful (free) gift to the gardener and so easy to make. Gather damp, fallen leaves and pack them into a hessian sack or bin liner punched with a few holes to let in oxygen. Tuck bags out of sight and, in one to two years, they will have broken down into a crumbly soil conditioner. Use as a nourishing mulch, to top-dress lawns or blend with potting compost. SHINE ON Now is the time for Schlumbergera, aka Christmas cactus, to shine. This easy-going succulent has exotic pink, red or white flowers that are pollinated by hummingbirds in its native Brazil. It flowers from November to January and will be happy in a warm room (18-20°C) with four to eight hours of bright, indirect light…

TESTED BY US so they work for you MEASUREMENTS Height 45cm/17¾in. Width 45cm/17¾in. MATERIALS 1 x 100g (295m) ball of Stylecraft Special DK (100% acrylic), in each of Cream (1005), Mid Green (Cypress 1824) and Red (Poppy 2170), small amount of Light Green (Spring Green 1316). Size 4mm crochet hook; 45x45cm cushion pad. Yarn* is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk. TENSION Each completed square measures 14x14cm. ABBREVIATIONS Ch, chain; ch-sp, chain space; dc, double crochet; slst, slip st; sp, space; st(s), stitch(es); tr, treble crochet. NOTES Yarn amounts are based on average requirements and are approximate. Figures in square brackets are worked as stated after 2nd bracket. FRONT MOTIFS COLOUR SEQUENCE A (MAKE 5) With 4mm hook and Light Green, 4ch, slst in first ch to form ring. 1st round:…

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: Immoral. Average = 25 More than 45 = well done 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 make a word. CLUE: Rastafarian hairstyle. Crossword Try the easy or cryptic clues, then rearrange the letters in the shaded squares for the answer. CLUE: Appreciative…

One of the things that has turned life with Mr Dear into a bit of an adventure is that he has the gift of getting on with all sorts of different people. At a steam engine rally, he has been known to spend half an hour talking to one of the drivers about, well, steam, I suppose. When we took the children to a fair many years ago, one of the stallholders gave our Rachel a lovely teddy in the hope that Mr D would go away and leave them alone. If Attila the Hun and his conquering hordes came sweeping across the county, Mr D would be giving Attila directions to the tea hut on the bypass. ‘We kept bumping into them all the time’ So it was no…

FESTIVE MAGIC The Nutcracker ballet is an undisputed Christmas classic, and the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s record-breaking production returns to the Birmingham Hippodrome from 21 November to 13 December, with tickets from £26. There will also be a special ‘relaxed’ performance on 2 December at 12.45pm, bringing this festive treat to those who may find coming to the theatre challenging. ✱ brb.org.uk Country corridors Hedgerows are getting a welcome boost in many areas, after years of being uprooted for more intensive agriculture. They are now widely recognised as natural corridors, providing invaluable food and shelter for birds, mammals and insects – as well as capturing carbon. Countryside charity CPRE is encouraging ‘Hedgerow Heroes’, and this year, 28,000 metres of hedgerow have been planted or restored, with everyone from schoolchildren to farmers…

In 1953, at a kitchen table in Pimlico, Laura Ashley and her husband Bernard started hand-printing fabric, inspired by the historic Victorian textiles in the V&A. Their first creations – tea towels, headscarves, napkins and table mats – were practical yet pretty, and found favour. The look tapped into a long, uniquely British heritage of florals, from William Morris to Liberty of London, reimagining them for a post-war audience hungry for tradition. By 1968, they’d opened a store in South Kensington, selling Victorian-style dresses – a ‘wholesome’ alternative to the hot pants and miniskirts of the Swinging Sixties. In the 1970s and 80s, Laura Ashley was everywhere. Loved by Sloane Rangers and adored by a young Princess Diana, Laura’s classically British style was being sold in 220 stores worldwide. Her…

1 CURL CREATOR If you have straight lashes, then you need to try Catrice Curl It Volume & Curl Mascara, £4.50, notino.co.uk. Promising to keep your eyelashes curled for up to 24 hours, the jet-black formula works hard to keep your flutter looking volumised and lengthened all day long. You won’t even need to use your eyelash curler. 2 BARGAIN BUY You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a good-quality mascara, and PS… Amplified Mascara, £1, Primark, is proof of that. Costing just £1, this hard-working formula is designed to leave you looking wide awake thanks to the brush coating each individual lash with its thickening formula, giving you false lashes without the faff! 3 WATERPROOF SHIELD If you have sensitive eyes that are prone to running, then…

Pregnancy news You can now self-refer directly to local maternity services, without seeing a GP, if you are pregnant. Completing an online form at nhs.uk/nhs-services/refer-yourself-for-nhs-pregnancy-care also lets you choose directly which NHS trust to refer yourself to. NHS England estimates this will free up around 30,000 general practice appointments annually. GPs are still available for any pregnant women with concerns about their pregnancy, but GP teams don’t need to be the first point of contact for pregnancy. NEWER TYPE 2 DIABETES TREATMENTS Latest diabetes guidelines are moving from everyone starting on the same medication, to personalised treatment plans aiming to prevent heart and kidney diseases. NICE’s independent guideline committee has expanded access to SGLT-2 inhibitors (such as dapagliflozin) from being second-choice to first-choice treatments. Some patient groups will also benefit from GLP-1 receptor…

TESTED BY US so they work for you YOU WILL NEED ✱ 50x50cm 28-count rustic aida ✱ Embroidery threads and needle (refer to the key for colours) ✱ Embroidery hoop and scissors ✱ Sewing thread and beading needle ✱ Silver sequins ✱ Silver seed beads ✱ Wooden beads ✱ Two 30x40cm pieces cream backing fabric ✱ Cushion pad 1 The 0 or dotted central lines on the chart should be matched with the centre of your aida. Fold the aida in half and then into quarters. Where the fold lines cross is where to start stitching. You can mark the centre with a line of tacking stitches to use as a guide. 2 Using the charts, stitch your design on to the aida held within an embroidery hoop. Cut a 40cm embroidery thread length. Take three strands from the length…

ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR Take your time and consciously relax. You might be juggling several balls right now but it will be easier if you pace yourself. TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY It may be time see which of your relationships uplift and inspire you. If you’re feeling dragged down, distance yourself. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN Courage and bravery are your keywords. If there’s something or someone you’ve been avoiding, it’s time to face it/them. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Nature, animals, flowers, the sea and the outdoors can all nourish your soul. Connect with these forces and a new world will open up before your eyes. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG Allowing, surrendering and letting go may be needed now. Everything is…

Letter of the week Raising awareness I wanted to say a huge thank you for your feature on polymyalgia [12 August issue]. I have been living with PMR for more than six years and it has become increasingly evident how little is known about the condition. I’m a member of PMRGCAuk, a registered charity that supports and educates our ‘community’, working hard to bust the myths and supply information. I have been fortunate to be treated by a leading authority on PMR, and have learnt a lot. It was encouraging to see PMR featured in your magazine, although I’d make just one small correction – we now know that for the majority of PMR sufferers, the average duration time is not two but five to seven years. Heather Chapman, Colchester,…

‘Bold jewellery will make any outfit feel more exciting’…

Nightmare at Christmas Q Last Christmas, some of my family had an almighty row. Some hurtful things were said and most people went away feeling awful. Some haven’t spoken since. However, they seem to think we should do Christmas together again this year, as we always have. I have five siblings and it’s my turn to host. I don’t want to do it. I explained this to one sister and she was appalled I was holding a grudge! Name and address withheld A I understand your concerns about things repeating if they aren’t resolved. Your sister may have thought you were a bit stuck in the past rather than finding a solution and labelled it as a grudge rather than a concern. It would be a pity to change the family tradition without…

The Breakfast Club Cookbook by Jonathan Arana-Morton (£18.99, HB, Ebury Publishing) With its combination of hearty food and 80s nostalgia, Jonathan Arana-Morton’s American diner-inspired Breakfast Club Café has been going strong since opening in Soho in 2005, and is now at 15 locations. This cookbook celebrates the wonder of all-day breakfasts, with tantalising recipes like American pancake stacks with cream and berries, huevos rancheros and eggs Benedict, along with brunches like mashed avocado & mojo pico toast. Or you may prefer a simple full monty fry-up – sizzling sausages, crispy bacon, golden hash browns and baked beans. It’s a fun, fresh start to every day. Introducing Mrs Collins by Rachel Parris (£18.99, HB, Hodder & Stoughton) In Jane Austen’s 250th anniversary year, comedian Rachel Parris – a founding member of…