Innholdsfortegnelse for 19-Jan-2016 i Woman's Weekly

Bon Appétit Aside from my apparently insurmountable addiction to chocolate, I do try to eat as healthily as I can. And, as at the end of last year, England’s Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, identified obesity as one of the main threats to women’s health and that of future generations, it’s more than just a vanity thing to make healthy eating a priority. But it feels as though it’s become increasingly complicated to follow all the latest advice on what’s good to eat (seemingly less and less) and what’s bad (more and more). In line with current recommendations, I have cut back on sugar (excluding aforementioned chocolate), eat very little red and no processed meat, watch the salt content in my food like a hawk, have cut back on…

I really enjoyed ‘Vintage Models’ (3 November 2015) about later-life fashion models. As we age, us ladies become wiser and more confident; in my mid-forties I finally found the courage to leave my hated job and begin a new career working from home. As I approach the big five-oh, I couldn’t be happier. I set myself daily goals and work towards achieving them. We need to grab all the opportunities we can, no matter how old we are. Sharon Boothroyd, Brighouse, West Yorkshire We couldn’t agree more, Sharon! We love to hear from you, so do get in touch if you have something to say…

Admire Modern Scottish Women Between 1885 and 1965 an unprecedented number of Scottish women trained and practised as painters and sculptors and, in this exhibition, more than 90 works are on show. Artists featured include Bessie MacNicol, Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh, Joan Eardley and Bet Low. The show runs until 24 June at the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh (nationalgalleries.org). Enjoy Snowdrops At Saltram, Devon Walk among 500 acres of parkland and woodland to see of some of the first snowdrops expected to flower in the UK this year, until the end of January. For more details, call 01752 333 500 or visit nationaltrust.org.uk/saltram Book Jackie The Musical A fifty-something divorcee looks to her old teen bible, Jackie magazine, for advice about her love life. This life-affirming musical features the…

Maya Pinnock, 53, Christchurch Tell us about your look… My style is very casual. I usually go for a lot of black and grey but I am trying to wear a bit more colour! I wear dresses for work so I tend to go for trousers and jeans at home – I like to be comfortable. I bought my coat and dress from Boden but my favourite shop is TK Maxx. And the best bit of your body? My face. Katie O'Flynn, 41, Northamptonshire Tell us about your look… I love winter clothes and wrapping up in lots of layers. I wear a lot of jeans but I do like a dress and heels if I’m going out. Today my cover-up is from Monsoon and my…

The rain is battering the windows at the very top of the hotel next to the BBC in Portland Place, but the mood inside couldn’t be sunnier. It’s all down to Mel Giedroyc, half of Bake Off ’s Mel and Sue, who’s wreathed in easy smiles and it’s not hard to see why. A couple of months ago, she received a call from her agent. Would she like to present the upcoming Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour when it takes to the road from 22 January? ‘It was like Christmas coming early,’ grins Mel, 47. ‘It took less than a nanosecond for me to say yes. And it comes at such a good time – that period post-Christmas when work’s thin on the ground, you’ve got a stone to lose…

Can’t hold off any longer: winter has done its worst. Alligator skin on knees and elbows, advanced muffin bloat, terrible toenails, hair like Worzel Gummidge, repetitive sneezing, limbs stiffening, starting to say ‘Ooof!’ when rising from a chair. Time for the health farm – or spa, as they prefer to call themselves these days. Only for two nights, mind, and ridiculously more expensive than the simpler system of just pulling oneself together, going for a brisk walk in the rain and slathering on some Nivea. But an odd stolen weekend in a spa has become a guilty addiction I share with my daughter. We just love it. You schlep around in a towelling robe all day, look out from a basket chair at the damp winter trees and a deserted…

O saw ye Bonnie Lesley, as she gaed o’er the border? She’s gane like Alexander, to spread her conquests further. The Cumbrian fells slipped past the train window, bathed in sharp spring sunshine. I should be as thrilled as – presumably – Bonnie Lesley had been on her way south. I’d never been to London. Now it was to be my home for the foreseeable future. Only, futures in this game weren’t all that foreseeable. I was well aware that my chosen path was ranked among the most unpredictable careers imaginable, but I was going to do my damndest to make it work. So why was my heart as heavy as the big suitcase that sat in the rack by the door? To see her is to love her,…

Our Skandi-inspired felt case will keep all your pins and needles neat and tidy. And you can stitch an initial to personalise it, too! Finished size: 10.5 x 9cm You will need 25 x 20cm rectangle of red felt 20cm square of white felt 15cm square of turquoise patterned cotton fabric Tracing paper and a sharp HB pencil 3cm square of bonding web 3cm square of turquoise felt Navy stranded cotton embroidery thread Two 1cm white buttons Matching sewing threads Cutting out 1 Cut four 10.5 x 9cm covers from the red felt. Cut four 9.5 x 8.5cm rectangles for the pages from white felt. Cut one 12 x 5.5cm bias strip for the binding from patterned fabric. 2 Trace the tulip head (left) on to the paper backing of…

Five-star European River Cruises There are lots of vessels cruising Europe’s rivers, but few ships can match the luxury and elegance of our selection of five-star vessels on the Rhine, Danube, Moselle, Main, Rhône, or Seine. Selected departures April to November 2016. The price includes: Return rail* and Eurostar, or flights, taxes and transfers Five-star cabins with hotel-standard beds, private bathrooms and river views Exceptional cuisine with full-board throughout your cruise Extensive and fully inclusive touring programmes Eight days from £1,099 per person 14 days from £1,699 per person Dubrovnik, the Dalmatian Coast & Montenegro Selected departures April to October 2016. The price includes: Return flights, taxes and transfers Seven nights three- and four-star hotel with half board Tours of Dubrovnik and Montenegro and visits to Split, the port of…

We love letters Woman’s Weekly, 110 Southwark St, London SE1 0SU. PS. It really helps when you put your details in capitals We do not return photos (apart from ‘You Look Great!’) so please do not send originals Email us Womansweeklypostbag @timeinc.com  Tell us your full name, address and daytime phone number, please Fancy a chat? Log on to facebook.com/  womansweekly We can’t wait to hear from you! Important! All contributions to Woman’s Weekly must be original and NOT duplicated to other publications. £25 will be paid to the writer of the ‘Letter Of The Week’, and the ‘Good To Meet You’ contributor will receive a gift or similar as stated at time of publication of contribution, for all rights in each letter printed. The Editor reserves…

Dilys Snelgrove (left) and sister Barbara, 1953 ‘We lived on a mountain in South Wales and if you look very carefully you can see our mother in the background, coming back from a shopping trip!’ We’d love to see how great you looked – in any era up to and including the 1980s. Please send a good-quality photo with your name, address and daytime phone number clearly written on the back, to: Fashion Dept, Woman’s Weekly, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark St, London SE1 0SU. Photos will be returned.…

The moment Nadiya won the 2015 Bake Off and seeing her face and then those of her husband, and their beautiful children. Unforgettable. Mary drawing on Paul’s car with what she didn’t realise was a permanent marker pen. He had to have the whole panel replaced but, because it was Mary, he couldn’t properly show how livid he was. The four of us in white towelling bathrobes in my hotel room watching the Eurovision Song Contest. Room service, a little bit of bubbly, a lot of fun. It’s become a tradition. Devouring the mini Victoria sandwich made by Jo Wheatley who won Series 2. One of the best things I’ve ever tasted in my life. Becoming obsessed with watching The Jeremy Kyle Show, mainly to see Mary’s reactions. Contrary to…

‘I’ve spent a year wearing charity shop clothes’ On New Year’s Eve 2014, in the middle of a party at a friend’s house, Caroline Jones suddenly felt the need to be on her own. Her much-loved mum, Mary, had died from breast cancer just two months earlier and Caroline realised the strains of Auld Lang Syne, the laughing and celebrating people would be too much to bear. So she left her husband, Rod, and their three children to quietly see in 2015 on her own. Then, while driving home, Caroline, 46, had a brilliant idea. Mary had been a volunteer at her local Cancer Research UK shop in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. What if, for the whole of 2015, Caroline dressed only in items from Cancer Research shops and bought no new…

The perfect present Only £79 per person Come along and join felting experts Judy Balchin and Roz Dace as they run our 2016 workshops. These full-day workshops are brilliant for complete beginners or for anyone keen on needle-felting, which is an easy technique to pick up. You just need a needle and a pile of fluff and, once you’ve learnt the basic method, you can make almost anything. Judy is a designer who’s written numerous craft books and articles. She attended Cardiff and then Maidstone College of Art, where she studied graphic design, before starting work as a designer at the BBC. Roz has always loved creative writing, drawing, painting and all crafts. For many years, she was Search Press’s editorial director, commissioning practical art and crafts books for international…

Seville Orange Marmalade Makes 900ml (1½pt) Keeps: Up to 6 months 1kg (2 ¼ lb) Seville oranges (5), washed 1 lemon 1ltr carton apple juice 1kg packet preserving sugar YOU WILL NEED: Large square of muslin Preserving pan Sterilised jars and lids Waxed discs Labels 1 Cut the oranges and lemon in half and squeeze out the juice. 2 Turn the fruit skins inside out and pull away all the pith and flesh. 3 Take the muslin square and put all the flesh and pith in the centre. Tie up with string. 4 Cut the peel into shreds; fine or chunky, depending on your preference. 5 Tie the muslin bag to the preserving pan and tip in the peel. Add the citrus juice, apple juice and 1.25ltr (2pt) water. 6…

These pretty felted slippers are knitted in stocking stitch using Instructions two strands overleaf of yarn alternately, finished with a Swiss-darned rose motif. They are machine washed on a delicate setting to shrink to a snug fit. Instructions overleaf MEASUREMENTS To fit shoe size: 3-4 (5-6) (7-8). MATERIALS 3 (4) (4) 50g (100m) balls of Sublime Natural Aran (100% wool) in Monty (424); small amount of Aran wool in each of Brown, Dark Green, Light Green, Red, Dark Pink and Pale Pink*. Set of four 5½mm (No.5) double pointed knitting needles; adjustable shoe shape stretcher (optional); anti-slip liquid latex. TENSION 18 stitches and 18 rounds, to 10 x 10cm over pattern, using 5½mm needles. ABBREVIATIONS K, knit; p, purl; st, stitch; tog, together; sl, slip; dec, decrease; skpo, sl1, k1,…

Aspirin, discovered as salicylic acid in willow bark, has been used for centuries to relieve pain and fever. It’s a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and, like other NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, it can help to make us feel better when we have colds, flu, headache or toothache, or suppress joint swelling and damage in rheumatoid and other forms of arthritis. It’s also now routinely used for many other conditions, and it’s even been suggested that we should all take a daily aspirin. But although its role as ‘wonder drug’ is still expanding, it has side effects too (see below), so we shouldn’t take it regularly, except on medical advice after a personalised assessment of our potential risks and benefits. Cardiovascular prevention Aspirin makes blood platelet cells less ‘sticky’ so they’re…

You can make it work for you Q My closest friend has decided to move nearer her children and grandchildren who all live miles away. I understand why she wants to go but I don’t like it. I find myself feeling quite angry and wanting to spend less time with her. She keeps saying we can call and Skype but it won’t be the same and I don’t think I want a long-distance friend. Mary, Sussex A That is, of course, your choice. Your friend has made her decision and you can make yours. We can’t decide where our children live and understandably she wants to be near them and her grandchildren. I wonder if you’re feeling rejected and that you aren’t a good enough friend to keep her living…

New Zealand – Land Of The Long White Cloud Selected departures from March to November 2016 and January to February 2017. The price includes: Return flights, taxes and transfers Three and four-star hotels with breakfast, a Maori Hangi feast, winetasting and a farm stay Two-day stopover in Singapore Tour Auckland, Queenstown, Napier, Christchurch, Nelson and cruise Milford Sound and Abel Tasman National Park’s coastline See dolphins in the Bay of Islands, helicopter over Franz Josef glacier, with a snow landing See Puia, Mount Cook and ride the TranzAlpine train Fully escorted by an experienced tour manager Classical Italy Selected departures April to October 2016. The price includes: Return flights, taxes and transfers Seven nights four-star accommodation including breakfast and four evening meals Guided tour of the cities of Rome, Siena,…

FOUR-STAR ALL-INCLUSIVE HOLIDAY DEALS Departing April to June 2016. Prices include: Return flights from a selection of UK airports, including luggage allowance Seven nights’ full-board four-star accommodation plus all-inclusive drinks All-inclusive Corfu Seven nights from £299pp The four-star Mareblue Beach Resort is perfectly positioned in a stunning location overlooking a sandy beach, on the north coast of Corfu between Acharavi and Kassiopi. The hotel boasts a large lagoon-style swimming pool, landscaped gardens leading through to the beach, restaurant, pool bar and snack bar. All rooms have satellite television, air-conditioning, a fridge, tea and coffee-making facilities and either a balcony or terrace to relax on. Four-star all-inclusive Rhodes Seven nights from £339pp The four-star Sirene Beach Hotel is a friendly, family- run hotel and an ideal base for a relaxing holiday…

Aries 21 March - 20 April It will be difficult to find common ground with someone from a very different background. No matter how hard you try to make friends, you’ll be met with chilly politeness. There’s no point beating your head against a brick wall. Fortunately, old friends are ready for fun – plan an outing. For more, call 0901 609 2591* Leo 24 July - 23 August Showering gifts on a child or romantic partner will make a bad situation worse. If you want to bond and build a stronger relationship, you should be spending more quality time together. Expensive offerings are just a form of emotional bribery and sure to fail in the long run. For more, call 0901 609 2595* Sagittarius 23 November - 21 December…

The only reason the Grim Reaper isn’t at the door is that he’s been delayed by heavy traffic How am I? That’s very kind of you to ask. I’ve felt better, to be honest. For the past week I’ve had one of those colds that won’t seem to shift. Shares in Mansize Kleenex have risen sharply on the stock exchange. Supplies of honey and lemons have fallen to record lows in the surrounding area, and the patience of Mr Dear is being stretched to breaking point. ‘You’re the only woman I know,’ he observed as I took myself off for an afternoon nap, ‘who suffers from man flu.’ It is true that I have all the symptoms of man flu, apart of course from actually being a man: 1 I…

Shayne Ward How do you take your tea? Milk, no sugar and 15 Bourbon biscuits in a row. I’m a dunker. Who would you most like to have a cup of tea with? Keith Lemon from Celebrity Juice. That would be funny. What do you sing in the shower? I’m going through a Righteous Brothers phase. The shower has good acoustics for You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’. What would be your last meal? Mum’s meat and potato pie. Nobody cooks like your mum, do they? Your Coronation Street character Aidan runs a knicker factory. Could you stitch a pair if we asked you? I actually could. Magical fingers these, I tell you! I love being in the factory and it’s humbling when people say how natural it seems,…

Where I went I ran some WW knitting and crochet workshops at a crafts show in Exeter and made a weekend of it. Topsham’s high street is filled with boutiques, art and antiques shops, all a stone’s throw from the harbour. What I did The show was great fun and the ladies at the workshops were lovely company. When the show was over, we took evening strolls along the waterfront by the River Exe. It’s particularly stunning in the light of the setting sun. Where I stayed A cosy little b&b with an entire self-contained flat all to ourselves (topsham bedandbreakfast.com). Run by couple Ben and Julia, they surprised us with fresh homemade bread each day, even though we we’d gone self-catering. What a treat! What I ate I love…

How to stitch a bullion knot in 1, 2, 3… This decorative stitch is formed of very short bars. 1 Insert needle at A and backstitch to B without pulling the stitch all the way through. Reinsert the needle at A and wrap the thread around the needle until the amount of wrap matches the length of stitch you want to make. 2 Hold the wrapped thread in place at A and pull the needle through carefully. 3 Insert the needle at B and pull tight so the coil flips back covering the backstitch area. Got a craft query? Ask away…

1 Hylamide SubQ Anti-Age Advanced Serum, £30 This smart serum uses ingredients with different-sized molecules to target multiple layers of the skin. So the surface is hydrated, while deep down it boosts collagen. 2 Avon Nutraeffects Radiance Daily Cream, £5 Make dull skin come alive with a daily dose of this winter wonder. It revs up sluggish cell turnover so fresh new skin comes to the fore, while SPF 20 helps protect against pigmentation. 3 Elizabeth Arden Superstart Skin Renewal Booster, £45 Sweep over dry skin after cleansing, but before your moisturiser. This helps to strengthen your skin barrier, lock in moisture and boost the efficacy of every product you apply afterwards. 4 Olay Anti-Wrinkle Sensitive & Natural Day Cream, £9.99 Sensitive skin and anti-ageing formulas don’t always mix. Olay…

Each pattern will be printed on A4 card and delivered to your door To order, call 0800 024 1212* or complete the coupon HOW TO ORDER Order By Phone Call 0800 024 1212* MasterCard, Visa or Maestro cardholders can order direct on this number quoting WW03. Lines open Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm, but closed bank holidays. Fill In The Coupon Payment must be made by cheque, sent with the coupon to the address provided. For more patterns, visit womansweekly.com/patterncollections TERMS AND CONDITIONS Subject to availability to readers in the UK. Offers cannot be used in conjunction with other promotions. Prices are correct at time of printing. All correspondence concerning this offer should be sent to: WW03 Vintage Ladies’ Knits Offer, WW Shop Customer Care, Blue Fin Building, Room 06-C06, 110…

I’ve always been sporty, playing tennis and running at school, and continued to be active after I left. But I started getting pain in both knees in my twenties. I gave up running, started swimming and just learnt to live with swollen knees after walking any distance or a night out dancing. Over the years, I’ve tried physiotherapy and used orthotics in my shoes and trainers. But while both helped temporarily, the pain and swelling would come back. By the time I was 38, I was in constant pain – despite taking a variety of painkillers and using crutches. X-rays and investigations by an orthopaedic surgeon revealed I had ‘holes’ in the cartilage of both knees and that I had the knees of a 60-plus-year-old woman. The only option, he…

Dear Keren My problem is a bit complicated. My husband has had ‘another woman’ for several years and I originally planned to leave him but finances prevented it. So, for the past few years, we’ve basically lived separate lives although I have been stupid enough to continue to do his washing, ironing, cleaning and cooking. The problem now is I think he’s developing dementia. Given the circumstances, I don’t feel any obligation to look after him but don’t know what to do if things get worse. Barbara, North Yorkshire I know you say you’ve been meaning to leave him but you haven’t and I wonder why. I think this would be a good question to ask yourself. If you’d really wanted to go, however hard it would have been financially,…

Q What are some of the best ways to keep my mind active online? It’s easy to see the internet as one giant time-wasting machine – certainly I’ve got pretty good at whiling away the hours just messing about online. But it’s also crammed full of stimulating games and activities to help you keep your brain fitter. Exercising that grey matter is important at every age, and there are plenty of sites designed to do just that.Lumosity.com is designed by neuroscientists, and contains more than 40 games to make your brain feel like it’s on a treadmill. You get to choose which games you find most interesting, and the site charts your progress. It’s a bit addictive, but in a good way! There’s also Eidetic, created to help you improve…

Producing spikes of intensely fragrant, waxy white flowers throughout summer, these bulbs make amazing cut flowers. The semi-double, fragrant flowers of these bulbs are carried above narrow, lance-shaped leaves. Polianthes tuberosa requires a minimum temperature of 15°C, making it ideal for a heated greenhouse or conservatory. It can also be grown outdoors in containers or sheltered sunny borders, if it is lifted and stored frost-free over winter. Bulb size: 14/16cm. Height: 120cm (48in). Spread: 20cm (8in). • Buy 5 for £9.99 (RRP £14.99) – saving £5 • Buy 10 for £14.99 (RRP £29.98) – saving £14.99 • Buy 20 for £19.99 (RRP £59.96) – saving £39.97 To order, call 0844 573 6057 quoting WWK2062 HOW TO ORDER Order By Phone Call 0844 573 6057 and quote WWK2062 Fill In The…