Innholdsfortegnelse for 30th Dec 2025 i Woman's Weekly

Picture perfect? When my parents passed away, I discovered a lot of old photographs they’d kept, many of which I perhaps saw when they were originally taken, but had long since forgotten. Don’t you find that memories in your own head are so vivid that in many ways they feel as if they only happened yesterday? But, when you see a picture of yourself from long ago, you realise how antiquated things now appear to the modern eye! However, people in times gone by could still look amazing, and if you have an old picture of yourself or loved one that you’re really proud of, we’d love to see it for our You Wore It Well feature. Turn to page 7 for details.…

The Corrie cast film the Christmas episodes at the start of October, so Catherine Tyldesley would be forgiven if she was now feeling a little bit jaded about the festive season. But luckily, when it comes to Yuletide, the actor just can’t get enough. ‘I’ve been Christmassing for a while,’ she laughs. ‘But I’m here for the tinsel, because I am slightly obsessed with Christmas. I know some people at work go, “Oh God, Christmas feels like it goes on forever!” But I love it. My decorations go up at the start of November.’ Catherine, who plays Rovers Return landlady Eva Price, will be celebrating Christmas at her Manchester home with her husband, photographer Tom Pitfield, their two children, Alfie, 10, and Iris, three, and assorted other family members. And…

“This is my 50th year in panto and I keep going back for the love of it. I seem to suit it. I like the larger-than-life part of it and the silly gags. It’s beautiful because the children really get into the magic of the story and they’re allowed to shout things back at you. In Shakespeare, you’re just supposed to keep quiet. I wouldn’t miss the experience for the world. I nearly went up in smoke in one of my first pantos. I was a fairy in Babes in the Wood in Bournemouth. In those days the special effects were a bit less safe. The director said, ‘At this point in the script, the pyrotechnic will go off.’ It was a blue powder in a container at the footlights…

3 WAYS TO... Help a migraine 1 KNOW YOUR TRIGGERS Keeping a migraine diary may help you identify potential triggers, which could include skipped meals, lack of sleep and stress. Other causes might be sensory stimuli, such as strong smells or bright lights, or certain foods and drinks. 2 MEDICATION ‘There are more treatment options available than ever before,’ says Debbie Shipley from The Migraine Trust. ‘Acute medications (such as triptans and painkillers) can be taken at the onset of an attack.’ Preventative meds can help reduce an attack. 3 SLEEP An hour or two can be enough to end an attack, and lying down in a darkened room can also help. To find out more about migraines, visit migrainetrust.org or call the helpline on 0808 802 0066. WHAT’S THAT?…

Difficulty level YOU WILL NEED ✱ 40cm square of patterned fabric✱25x15cm rectangle of medium-weight wadding✱ Bodkin✱ 37cm of 1.5cm-wide elastic✱ 60cm of 1.8cm-wide bias binding✱ Matching sewing thread FOR THE POUCH ✱ Two 5x17cm rectangles of pink fabric✱ Two 15x18cm rectangles of patterned fabric✱ 80cm of 1cm-wide pink ribbon✱ Matching sewing thread 1 From patterned fabric, cut one 48 x 5.5cm bias strip for the elastic channel and one pair of sleep masks, using the template. From wadding, cut one mask. 2 Fold the elastic casing lengthwise in half with right sides facing. Stitch the long edge, taking a 1cm seam allowance, then turn right side out. Attach the bodkin to one end of the elastic. Thread the elastic through the casing. When the elastic and casing ends are level,…

Difficulty level MEASUREMENTS Width 10cm/4in. Length 13cm/5in. MATERIALS 1 x 100g (81m) ball of King Cole Big Value Super Chunky (100% acrylic) in each of Dark Yellow (Brass 3400) and Off White (Champagne 0012)*. Size 5mm crochet hook. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk. TENSION Not critical for this project. ABBREVIATIONS Ch, chain; dc, double crochet; htr, half treble crochet; slst, slip st; st(s), stitch(es); tr, treble crochet. NOTES Only small amounts of each shade are needed, so these coasters are a perfect way to use up leftover yarn. 25g of each shade is enough for a set of six coasters, three in the colourway given and three reversing the colours. Figures in square brackets are worked as stated after 2nd bracket. PAW PRINT COASTER With Dark Yellow, make 4ch, join…

Bluff by Francine Toon (£16.99, HB, Transworld) After a secret relationship ends, Cameron returns home to Scotland for Christmas, filled with nostalgia and with time to reflect. The small town hasn’t changed but one person is missing – Joanie. She vanished a decade ago after they finished school at 18, and can’t be found online. As Cameron investigates, it becomes clear his questions aren’t welcome, hinting at a deeper mystery. Told from both their perspectives, it explores youthful naivety, adult choices and how past actions can haunt us. The Merge by Grace Walker (£12.99, PB, Oneworld Publications) A powerful and inventive debut, this novel follows a mother with Alzheimer’s disease and her daughter, who bravely makes the radical choice to merge their minds, blending their consciousness into one. At its…

ARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR Many exciting options are available – just tune into your intuition to find the treasures you’re looking for. TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY It’s time to dream big, explore new horizons and expand your perspective. There’s so much potential sitting inside you. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN Your wonderful sense of fun is often hidden by responsibilities. Set an intention to spread joy and wonder, and you’ll magnetise miracles into your life. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL This is an excellent time to start something new or revisit a project you set aside. The energy around you is buzzing with possibilities. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG You’re going through a huge awakening that will eventually result in your self-empowerment and…

A ROCKY ROAD Jason Donovan is showing off his wilder side again. The musical star and Neighbours legend pulls on a corset to revive his role as Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show. Including classic songs such as Time Warp, it opens in Edinburgh on 6 January. Jason will also appear in Liverpool, Eastbourne and Bristol during the tour. ✱ rockyhorror.co.uk Wildlife resolutions Add these wildlife-friendly ideas to your list: ✱ Be inspired by the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, at the Natural History Museum until July 2026. It includes this stunning image of curious Arctic wolves by Amit Eshel. ✱ Resolve to create a hedgehog highway with a gap under a fence or gate, so that hibernating hedgehogs can roam freely once they wake. ✱ Replenish bird feeders…

NORTHERN SOUL The spotlight shone on the North of England in 2025. Bradford was the UK City of Culture, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway celebrated its 200th anniversary and the Dales National Park held its 10th Dark Skies Festival. The biggest music event of the year was served up by Manchester-born brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, who buried the hatchet for Oasis’ first tour in 16 years. BAGS OF CASH Sitting beside the boss of Hermès fashion house on a plane, Jane Birkin asked why he didn’t make bigger bags. He sketched a design on a sick bag and The Birkin was born. The original was sold at Sotheby’s Paris this July, two years after the singer and actor’s death, setting a record for a handbag sold at auction –…

From only 75p 1 LINE UP Sipping on fizz is fun and games until you realise you’ve smudged your statement lipstick. Keep a lip liner in your handbag for touch-ups on the go, to make sure your lips look flawless no matter how many glasses you have had. PS… Lip Liner Pencil, 75p, Primark, glides over skin to keep your pout plump and pigmented. 2 MULTI-USE STICK Stock up on Physicians Formula Butter Glow & Go Multiuse Sticks, £16.99, Boots, ahead of a New Year party to add a flush of blush or bronzed base to your face, colour to your eyes or a glow to your lips during any occasion. Dual-ended, the buttery balms blend into skin seamlessly and look completely natural too! 3 DO-IT-ALL PALETTE Don’t waste space…

Pigs in blankets tartiflette Tartiflette is a hearty alpine dish made with cheese melted through layers of onion and potato. SERVES 6 PREP 25 mins COOK 35 mins ✱ Oil, for frying✱288g pack pigs in blankets✱ 2 onions, finely sliced✱ 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped✱ 200ml white wine✱ 500g cooked roast potatoes✱ 150g cooked roast parsnips✱ Small handful parsley, finely chopped✱ 350g creamy cheese, such as Reblochon, Taleggio, Camembert or Brie, cut into 5mm-thick slices✱ 200g pot crème fraiche✱ Salad, to serve 1 Heat the oven to 160C Fan/Gas 4. In a large casserole dish, fry the pigs in blankets until golden brown. 2 Add the onions and fry for 15 mins until golden; add a splash of oil if they start looking dry. Mix in the garlic and fry…

Adrenaline nasal spray Adrenaline is traditionally used in acute allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, as an injection. But the injections generally have a shelf life of less than 12 months and aren’t heat stable, so most people don’t carry them with them. Now, a new, needle-free, heat-stable, nasal spray called EURneffy, with twice the shelf life, has been developed for adults and children over 30kg, and approved by the medicines regulator (MRHA). Ask your doctor about it. BOY OR GIRL? The expectation that, in singleton pregnancies, there’s a roughly equal chance of having a boy or a girl may be incorrect. Analysing children born to nearly 60,000 US nurses between 1956 and 2015 found families where all offspring are of one sex are commoner than expected from a simple statistical distribution. Among families with three boys or three girls,…

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: Projecting part. Average = 8 More than 16 = 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: Real Madrid and England footballer Jude. Crossword Try the easy or cryptic clues, then rearrange the letters in the shaded squares…

What a delightful little place you have here,’ said Mrs Protheroe. Little indeed. Mrs P was standing by the French windows in what my friend Wendy calls her morning room, looking out over the terrace and part of the 10-acre garden. No house that can be accurately described as ‘little’ has a morning room, and Wendy even has a drawing room. Regular readers will know that Wendy lives, by marriage, in what can only be described as a manor house. Regular readers might also think, ‘Oh, here she goes again with Wendy and her manor house.’ Well, I’m not ashamed to say that, even though this treat has arrived late in life, I rather enjoy saying, ‘I’m just popping round to the manor.’ Although most of the time, of course,…

SUPER SLIPS Whether you choose a design with built-in cups or wear one with your own bra, a control slip will firm up your figure all over, so you’ll feel your very best in your favourite party frock. Opt for light to medium control that won’t feel restrictive or uncomfortable to wear all night, and find a length that falls a couple of inches higher than your dress hemline. CONTROL PANTS A pair of smoothing knickers will pull in your tummy, hips and bum to create a sleek shape that will sit neatly under clingier pieces. High-cut styles will cinch in your waist too, and if you’re worried about VPL, opt for a thong design that will be invisible from behind. POWER BODIES Create a contoured silhouette around your middle,…

I’m jealous of my friends Q I find myself very envious of my friends as they all have grandchildren and I don’t. I know there’s nothing I can do about it as it’s my children’s choice, but I’m bored of hearing about their grandchildren – it’s all they talk about. They’re also unreliable, as they’re forever changing plans when ‘the children need them’. I feel devalued. I want to say something but I don’t want to sound whingy. Alison, Gloucester A What are you hoping will be the outcome of a conversation with them? I understand their behaviour leaves you in the lurch at times and that’s annoying, but do you think talking to them about it will change things? My hunch is it won’t. I think it would be more useful for you to accept…