Innholdsfortegnelse for 2nd Dec 2025 i Woman's Weekly

Winter wonderlands “We live in what’s known as a frost pocket. In winter, the heavy cold air slides off the top of nearby Exmoor overnight, down into the neighbouring valleys, one of which we are in, so sometimes, when you venture outside first thing with a cup of tea, the whole valley is covered in a sparkling white hoar frost. Many people dread frost or snow, for health and safety reasons, but there are few more spectacular sights at the beginning of a crisp, sunny, winter’s day. We British love to complain about the weather but aren’t we lucky to live in a country that can deliver such beauty? See page 10 for gardens that showcase the glories of winter.”…

A led Jones has been synonymous with Christmas ever since his beautiful rendition of Walking in the Air, from the animated film The Snowman, reached number five in the festive charts in 1985. It has become one of the best-loved Christmas songs of all time, while Aled has continued his singing career, alongside being an in-demand presenter and stage star. He is forever grateful to the song that changed his life, aged 14, and admits it meant he enjoyed a very different childhood to the one he expected. ‘I remember leaving my house in Anglesey, North Wales, to go to school each morning. I’d hop on my bike with a jam sandwich in my pocket and Mum would always say to me, “See you at teatime.” Then The Snowman came…

“When I was little there weren’t many picture books, though I vividly remember a French one belonging to my grandmother – full of cautionary tales about animals punished for their misdeeds. The horrible picture of a goose whose neck was stretched and tied in a knot will never leave me. So I was amazed, as a new mother, to discover the huge variety of colourful stories in bookshops and libraries. I’d never realised you could share books so early – that a boisterous toddler would sit still on your lap, engrossed in the sights and sounds. There were books with rhymes, holes and flaps, stories about ordinary children and fantastic animals. One celebrated noises, with violins going ee-ow and bees going bbzz; another hid a green parrot on every page.…

Chickenpox vaccination All UK children will be offered a free NHS chickenpox (varicella) vaccination from January 2026. Given as two doses, at 12 and 18 months of age, it will be combined with the existing MMR jab, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella, to be called MMRV. A catch-up campaign is planned for slightly older children. Although usually mild, the vaccine will protect infants against rare but severe chickenpox complications, such as pneumonitis, encephalitis and stroke. COVID RISK IN PREGNANCY A Swedish study of nearly a quarter of a million pregnant women shows that having Covid during or just after pregnancy significantly increases the risk of venous thromboembolism, especially within the first three weeks after infection, although the risk was lower for vaccinated women. There’s an increased DVT risk due to…

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: Stagnant pool connected to a river. Average = 15 More than 25 = 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…

GLOWING ON SAFARI The natural world is at the heart of this year’s Glow Wild lantern trail at Wakehurst in Sussex. Seed Safari – A Walk on the Wild Side takes visitors through magical realms, under the sea, along rivers and through animal worlds. Closing the 25th anniversary celebrations of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, visit Glow Wild from 27 November to 3 January 2026. ✱ kew.org/glowwild Free trees Trees are good for our health, as well as providing food and shelter for wildlife. If your local street, school or community group would be improved by planting trees, now is the time to apply to the Woodland Trust, which is giving away thousands of free trees all over the UK. Mixed saplings come in packs of 15, 30, 105 or 420,…

Wrap up warm and head to one of the many gardens that open their gates over winter – it’ll give you a great physical and mental wellbeing boost. To create breathtaking displays at this time of year, garden designers choose from a select group of plants that include highly scented flowering shrubs, plants with brightly coloured stems, textural bark or jewel-coloured berries, and early-flowering bulbs and perennials. When planted collectively, the displays easily rival the floriferous seasons of spring, summer and autumn. Here are a few of our favourites. DUNHAM MASSEY CHESHIRE The Winter Garden at Dunham Massey has been planted with an enchanting array of plants offering visitors a multisensory experience. With over 1,600 shrubs, trees and evergreens, thousands of bulbs and numerous perennials, it is one of the…

Floral favourites Fresh and uplifting, like inhaling a bouquet of blooms or walking through a meadow, these buys offer a twist on traditional florals. Uplifting solar These sparkling scents help cheat a sunny feeling – even in the depths of winter. They harness the mood-boosting power of zingy citrus fruit, or bright notes including orange blossom or ylang-ylang. Delicious gourmand Perfumes based on sweet treats are a big trend this year, with elements such as coffee, cinnamon and vanilla. These buys offer a grown-up take, and are softly sweet, not sickly. Lively aquatic Inspired by the sea, these refreshing buys will excite your senses and leave you revived. They feel like a cold plunge – minus the risk of hypothermia. Warm and woodsy Ideal for chilly mornings, these cosy, nature-inspired…

Biscoff and Baileys cheesecake Is it even Christmas if there isn’t a bottle of Baileys in the house? It adds the perfect edge to this boozy, creamy, baked cheesecake SERVES 10PREP 20 mins, plus coolingCOOK 50-55 minsFOR THE BISCOFF BASE ✱ 200g speculoos biscuits (Biscoff), plus 50g for decoration ✱ 75g unsalted butter, softened FOR THE BAILEYS FILLING ✱ 560g full-fat soft cheese ✱ 150ml double cream ✱ 150g light brown soft sugar ✱ 4 medium free-range eggs ✱ 75ml Baileys Irish Cream ✱ 2tbsp cornflour FOR THE GANACHE TOPPING ✱ 100g 70% dark chocolate, broken up into small pieces ✱ 1tbsp light brown soft sugar ✱ 1tbsp Baileys Irish Cream ✱ 200ml double cream ✱ Gold shimmer spray, chocolate balls (such as Lindor), to decorate YOU WILL NEED ✱…

Don’t they care he’s ill? Q My husband has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and is undergoing treatment. It’s a shock and very worrying. However, not one of my family has asked me how he is, or how I and the children are coping. They just talk about themselves when we speak. I am cross and hurt, and don’t see why I should just listen to them. Name and address withheld A I understand that feels hurtful, although I don’t expect it is their intention. Take a moment to think about your relationship with them. Have they just stopped asking about you and your family or is this how it has always been? If it’s the former, then my hunch is they are unsure what to say about your husband’s cancer and so avoid…

Letter of the week A piece of cake As a young lady, I read my mother’s Woman’s Weekly, and one day I tore out and saved a design for my future wedding cake. In 1994, my neighbour baked and decorated that cake for my wedding. We’ve been married 31 years, and my mother recently died, which made me recall the happy memories of my younger years reading Woman’s Weekly. Here’s a photo from our reception on narrowboat The Saucy Sue, before the cake was cut! Claire Shackleton, Brackley 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…

Sore knees? Achy hips? It isn’t just due to ageing. Oestrogen drops during the menopause, which can lead to aches and stiffness. And a drop in temperature can make moving more difficult too, by reducing blood flow and causing joint tissue to expand. Luckily, a workout can make all the difference. ‘Targeting your hamstrings, quads, glutes, hip adductors and calves will help to strengthen your muscles, which will help shift pressure from joints and reduce damage,’ says fitness coach Suzy Alvarez. Our exercises below will do just that. HEEL RAISE Place your heels together with your toes pointing out and squeeze your inner thighs together. Raise heels up so you’re standing on the balls of your feet, then lower back down softly. Top tip – imagine you have a strip of…

3 WAYS TO... Get rid of damp 1 WIPE YOUR WINDOWS EACH MORNING ‘This will remove condensation and prevent mould build-up,’ says property expert Natalie Mitchell*. Mould and damp are bad for health because they can release allergens, irritants and toxins, which cause respiratory problems like asthma, allergies and infections. 2 COVER PANS WHEN COOKING ‘You may also want to close the kitchen door to prevent steam from escaping to other areas of the house,’ says Natalie. Consider an extractor fan in the kitchen to reduce moisture. 3 OPEN A WINDOW WHEN YOU SHOWER OR BATH Keep the bathroom door shut, to stop moisture getting out. Open windows for 10 minutes each morning to air your home. Maybe get a dehumidifier. What’s that? Have you experienced low energy and lacklustre…

NEXT M&S DUNELM…

Difficulty level YOU WILL NEED ✱ White air-dry clay ✱ Rolling pin ✱ Cutting mat ✱ Circular biscuit cutter ✱ Craft knife ✱ Wooden skewer ✱ Pencil ✱ Acrylic paint in red, white, green and light blue ✱ Small paintbrushes ✱ Thin ribbon or twine 1 Take a small piece of clay and roll it out to approximately 5mm thick. On the mat, use the circular biscuit cutter to gently press a circle shape into the clay – don’t push too hard, you only want to indent the surface. 2 Use a craft knife to cut out a square at the top of each circle to create the outline of a bauble. Use the knife to cut out the rest of the bauble shape. Smooth down the edges with a wet finger. 3 Create a hanging hole in the…

Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS To fit ages 0-6 (6-12) (12-18) (18-24) (24-36) months. Actual chest 55 (59) (63) (66) (70)cm/21¾ (23¼) (24¾) (26) (27½)in. Length to shoulder 26 (29) (32) (35) (39)cm/10¼ (11½) (12½) (13¾) (15¼)in. Sleeve length 15 (18) (21) (24) (26)cm/6 (7) (8¼) (9½) (10¼)in. MATERIALS 2 (3) (3) (3) (4) x 50g (165m) balls of Sirdar Snuggly DK (55% nylon, 45% acrylic) in Grey (Lullaby 523), one ball in each of Navy (Light Navy 224) and Brown (Tawny 513) and a small amount of Cream (Oatmeal 344)*. Pair each of 3.25mm (No. 10), 3.75mm (No. 9) and 4mm (No. 8) knitting needles; stitch holders; 3 buttons. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk. TENSION 22 stitches and 28 rows to 10x10cm, over stocking stitch, using 4mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS Dec(’d), decrease(d);…

Eat Yourself Healthy by Jamie Oliver (£30, HB, Michael Joseph) Cookbooks are often full of tempting, creamy recipes that go heavy on salt, fat and sugar, while diet books can be a bit dreary. Combining the best of both worlds is Jamie’s offering – 120 easy, tasty recipes that unite good nutrition with mouthwatering flavours. Expect vibrant salads, wholesome one-pan chicken bakes, veggie-packed pastas, and even lighter takes on curries and burgers. With an emphasis on what you can enjoy rather than what you can’t have, it’s ideal for kick-starting a healthier lifestyle in the new year and beyond. The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan (£16.99, HB, Hodder & Stoughton) A feel-good holiday mystery set in the snow-dusted Scottish Highlands, this story follows Mirren Sutherland as she hunts for…

ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR This week looks stimulating and filled with variety. New and exciting opportunities may present themselves. Enjoy! TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY Stop coming up with excuses to delay taking action. It’s time to make a move and shake up the status quo. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN Anything you’ve misplaced may turn up now. This is an excellent time for revisiting a previous project and for reconnecting with someone from the past. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL Keep your mind focused on the positive things in your life. You’ll feel lighter, brighter and more inspired. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG Many changes may be happening around you. Remain centred and calm, having faith that everything is for your highest good.…

“Our friends Wendy and Iain live in a village on the other side of the woods just down the road from us. As I might have mentioned once or twice, they own a modest manor house but the rest of the village is also so posh that estate agents order in glossy holiday brochures every time a property goes on the market. The village hall looks as if it was inspired by Blenheim Palace. It has a kitchen about the size of our house, and there is a stage with proper lighting and a safety curtain and everything. I mention all this because Mr Dear and I are sitting at a table in this opulent village hall with Wendy and Iain, and waiting impatiently for somebody to be murdered. Wendy…