Home/Women's Lifestyle/Woman's Weekly/28-May-2024/In This Issue
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Hello!Colouring in When I was young, I wore a lot of black. I think I naively believed that it looked rather cool, like a Parisian beat poet puffing on Gauloises in a cafe off the Boulevard Saint-Germain. My wife Claire also favoured black when young, but whether that was another attempt at French arty chic, or because of its allegedly slimming effects, I’m not at liberty to divulge. However, both of us, as we’ve matured, have belatedly realised the error of our ways and embraced colour in what surrounds us – we think it’s a lot more fun. So, if you’d like to experiment by adding a little bit more colour to your outfits, don’t miss our expert’s fashion guide on page 17.…1 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024‘Don’t let age hold you back’A regular on Loose Women and TV veteran, in many ways, Ruth Langsford feels like a friend. The warm nature and honesty you see on the ITV daytime show translates in person, and whether it’s on ageing, weight gain or her highly anticipated return to This Morning, the star, 64, is not afraid to lift the lid on the challenges of being a woman, specifically in the showbiz industry. ‘In television, age is not always a positive [for women],’ Ruth admits. ‘Loose Women is fantastic and, thank God for it, but often your age can be a negative in TV.’ The former Strictly contestant, whose career spans almost four decades, explains, ‘You are at the mercy of programme controllers. You can have the best agent in the world and be,…4 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024IT’S A FUNNY OLD WORLD ‘Becoming a grandad was hard to get used to!’When I became a grandad I was in my mid-50s. It was great but I found it hard to get my head around. There was a disconnect between the uncomplicated joy of my first granddaughter and a sense of unreality because it meant I was now officially a grandparent – and that felt odd. Your preconceptions of what it is to be an older person can be challenged by labels like grandad. When I see a news story on the TV and they talk about a 68-year-old pensioner, I immediately think of an old guy, and then I remember I’m 68! I have five grandchildren now – Ivy, 11, Edith, six, Kit, five, Bodhi, 21 months, and Wren, seven months. When one of them comes in shouting ‘Grandad or Grandpa’,…3 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024I’m a 90 year-old CARER!Ever since she was a Brown Owl for the local Brownies club when her children were young, Shirley Galsworthy BEM has known the power of community and the importance of helping others. ‘I like to feel needed and that’s a big thing as you get older,’ says Shirley, from St Albans. ‘In my job as a carer now, I’m needed and I am helpful. I don’t think you should ever stop contributing to your community.’ ‘I hope to be a role model for younger generations’ Shirley, now 90, and her husband, Rob, married when she was 18. They had four children, but sadly Rob died just six weeks after being diagnosed with intestinal cancer when he was 35 and Shirley was 30. ‘I never remarried, and our children and family…4 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Your wellbeing3 WAYS TO... Cope with bladder leaks 1 TRY LIFESTYLE CHANGES Make sure you drink enough water and cut back on caffeine and alcohol, and quit smoking. They all can have an impact on your bladder. 2 WORK YOUR PELVIC FLOOR Regular exercises to help strengthen the muscles here can help control leaks. Pull up muscles as if you are attempting to stop your flow of urine. 3 GET SOME PADS Incontinence products, such as absorbent pads and pants, can be worn to help manage your condition, while you wait for treatments to work. MY HEALTHY LIFE Lavina Mehta is a personal trainer and wellness coach. My go-to remedy Walking outdoors in nature is my therapy. I know whatever I’m feeling – whether it’s perimenopausal brain fog, anxiety, tiredness or…3 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Relaxed MINIMAL3 OF THE BEST... STYLE TIPS 1 GO BIG ON ART If you have a large blank wall above your sofa to fill, opt for a large-scale canvas or framed piece of art to be the main focal point of the room. 2 PICK SIMPLE COLOURS A palette of white, creams, tonal browns and a few black accents is all you need for this minimal look. Add plenty of texture with woven fabrics and antiqued leather to add interest to the neutral scheme. 3 KEEP IT LIGHT AND BRIGHT To help the room feel as light and airy as possible, keep curtains soft and lightweight, letting in as much natural sunlight as possible – think delicate cottons and linens. Avoid heavy woven or velvet fabrics in favour of shutters if…1 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024GARDEN notesCHELSEA CHARMERS Two new clematis take a bow at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Both carry star-shaped blooms as large as an outstretched hand, from May to July and again in September. ‘Lindsay’ is deep violet, while ‘Guernsey Flute’ is pure white. Grow them in partial shade to full sun, either in a container or at the front of a border for a splash of glamour. H90cm-1.2m. GYO FUNGI Growing your own mushrooms can be fun and cost-effective. You don’t need a garden, with windowsill kits like this one from Dobbies, £24.99, you can harvest oyster or shiitake mushrooms in two to three weeks. Alternatively, buy mushroom spawn online and grow on waste materials, like logs or coffee grounds, in a damp, shady place such as a shed. GARDEN…1 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Sunny SKIESDifficulty level MEASUREMENTS To fit age 12 months. Actual chest 45.5cm/18in. Actual waist 50.5cm/20in. MATERIALS 1 x 100g (270m) ball of Cygnet Pato Baby DK (100% acrylic) in each of White (799), Pink (796), Orange (Apricot 784), Yellow (Lemon 798), Green (Mint 790), Blue (Baby Blue 785) and Lilac (782)*. Size 4mm crochet hook. Yarn is available from theknittingnetwork.co.uk TENSION Square panel measures 20x20cm, using 4mm hook. ABBREVIATIONS BLO, back loop only; ch, chain; dc, double crochet; htr, half treble crochet; slst(s), slip st(s); sp(s), space(s); st(s), stitch(es); tr, treble crochet; yrh, yarn round hook. NOTES Pattern is one size but can be easily adjusted. Adding/removing rounds on front/back panel: do this in twos in order to finish with an odd number of rounds, which makes a difference of 3cm…5 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Puzzle TIMEWordwise 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: One who mocks. 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 the shaded squares…3 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Any QUESTIONS?We still have a landline at home because we’re old-fashioned like that. When you have a landline, you can actually hear what people are saying. Call me a stick-in-the-mud, but I’ve always thought being able to hear was a very important quality in a telephone. The trouble is, only the following people call us on the landline: A nice young man who says we have a problem with our loft insulation. He might be a robot. Another nice young man who says he has double-glazing representatives in our area. He might also be a robot. There’s a lot of it about. A lady who wishes to know when we’d like our smart meter fitted. I would give you Mr Dear’s usual response, but the editor says he can’t spare enough…4 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024FROM US TO YOU Good to SHAREBOATS WITH A TALE TO TELL Could you survive a month adrift in the Pacific? In 1972, the Robertson family did just that aboard a small dinghy, the Ednamair, after orcas sank their boat. See their dinghy and other boats with a past in Small Boats, Big Stories, a fascinating new display at Cornwall’s National Maritime Museum in Falmouth. ✱ nmmc.co.uk Blooming lovely Welcome the summer with a visit to Manchester, which celebrates its annual Flower Festival from 24-27 May. Follow the city centre’s floral trail to discover 10 designer displays, all themed around Manchester icons. Artists and florists create gorgeous Festival Zone surprises around the shopping streets, and there’s even a ‘Fringe’ with green installations beyond the main festival area. It’s all free, and you can also enjoy outdoor…3 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Who loves a whodunnit?It’s no mystery why festivals celebrating the literature of criminal psychology and the police procedural are popping up here, there and everywhere. Our relish for detective stories and thrillers has made crime fiction the biggest-selling genre among UK book lovers. We love page-turners about our favourite sleuths, whether they’re by Agatha Christie or modern mistresses and masters of suspense such as Elly Griffiths or Ian Rankin. No wonder there’s a boom in ‘murder mystery’ breaks too. Follow our leads for the 2024 season. Enjoy a stylish murder mystery weekend at the Art Deco hotel on Burgh Island off the south Devon coast, where Agatha Christie wrote And Then There Were None and Evil Under the Sun. 1-2 and 20-21 November; burghisland.com/murder-mystery-weekends-2024 Watch Sherlock Holmes solve The Hound of the Baskervilles…3 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024How to... wear more colour1 FIND YOUR COLOUR First, try to establish what shades suit you and your skin tone. As a general rule of thumb, cool skin tones can pull off bright greens, deep purples, pinks and blues, and warmer skin tones suit browns, warm reds, oranges, coral and greens. Of course, these aren’t set in stone and the best way to experiment with colour is through trial and error. ‘Wearing colour is all about having fun with your wardrobe and showing your personality through your outfit,’ says Alyson Taggart, director of product and publications at Damart. 2 START SMALL You don’t have to delve straight in with a top-to-toe fuchsia look. Ease yourself in with an accessory – some joyful earrings, a vibrant shoe or a patterned scarf. These are cheap and…2 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Gorgeous GRILLINGBest-ever halloumi burgers Veggie burgers that the meat eaters won’t be able to resist – and so quick and easy to whip up too! SERVES 6 PREP 10 mins COOK 10-15 mins ✱ 2tbsp oil, plus extra to drizzle✱ Handful coriander and mint, finely chopped✱ 2 fat garlic cloves, 1 finely chopped and 1 sliced✱ 2tbsp sweet chilli sauce✱ 4 pickled chillies in brine, chopped✱ 2 x 250g packs halloumi, sliced widthways into 6✱ 200g baby plum tomatoes✱ 3 thyme sprigs✱ 2 red onions, each cut into 5 rounds✱ 2 small ripe avocados✱ Juice 1 lime✱ 6 seeded brioche burger buns or pretzel buns, toasted 1 Heat the barbecue. In a shallow bowl, mix the oil, coriander and mint, chopped garlic, sweet chilli sauce and 1tsp brine from the pickled…6 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Doctor GillCoping with LARYNGEAL CANCER This type of cancer affects the voice box The larynx (voice box) is part of the throat used during breathing and speaking. There are more than 2,000 new laryngeal cancer cases annually in the UK, mostly affecting people over 60 and more men than women. Symptoms include hoarseness, pain or difficulty when swallowing, a lump or swelling in your neck, a prolonged cough, breathlessness, persistent sore throat, earache or high-pitched wheezing as you breathe. Some people experience bad breath, unintentional weight loss or fatigue. See your GP if you have any of these symptoms, especially a hoarse voice for more than three weeks, although even then, less serious conditions, such as laryngitis, are likely. They’ll refer you to a throat specialist for further tests. Laryngeal cancer…5 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Pen PALSThere was a big poster in the window… Barnaby Johnson will be signing copies of his new book, The Ringmaster and the Dragon, here on Friday. Marylou made a mental note. She would go to the signing, but she wasn’t going to read the book. Ever since her husband passed away, she hadn’t been a big reader. Anyway, she hated fantasy, didn’t like stories set in some kind of imaginary universe. She preferred novels rooted firmly in the real world. The reason she was going was because it would give her a chance to study the author… Barnaby Johnson. Now there was a name from her past. Over 50 years ago, he had been her pen pal. Maybe… Back then, her English teacher wanted her sixth formers to perfect the…3 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Twiddle MATDifficulty level YOU WILL NEED ✱ 15 x 12.5cm squares of cotton fabric ✱ Embellishments (see ideas box, right) ✱ 42x62cm piece of backing fabric ✱ 36x56cm piece of batting ✱ Matching sewing thread ✱ Rotary cutter, quilting ruler and cutting mat STOCKISTS Ruby Star Society Flowerland charm pack, £18, thefabricfox.co.uk; all embellishments, from a selection, Hobbycraft. 1 Position the fabric squares in your preferred order, with five squares by three squares. Use the embellishment ideas to add a sensory element to some of the squares. 2 Once all the embellishments have been added, join each row of three together with right sides facing and a 1cm seam allowance. Then join the five rows together to form the quilt top, making sure not to catch any of the embellishments as…3 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024A Run OF LUCKGLOUCESTERSHIRE, 1635 The countryside looked beautiful in the early spring sunshine, thought Martha Langley. The hedgerows and ditches hummed with insects busy on the wild chervil and tiny pink dog roses. Birds twittered in the newly greened trees – everything looked fresh and bright. Only the ruts on the road testified that it was an old way, and well-used. Martha hung on to the side of the rough cart, her few possessions in a bundle at her feet. She felt guilty that she could be even half cheerful. She should have been feeling bereft. When both her parents had been taken by the ague in the early months of the year, she’d thought that she might never smile again. ‘Some have it worse, but still, 15 is no age to…12 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Your starsARIES 21 MAR – 20 APR No matter what obstacles appear to be in your path, you have the power to overcome them. Just keep going. TAURUS 21 APR – 21 MAY You may be making changes, repairs or upgrades to your home. Keep it simple and everything will fall into place. GEMINI 22 MAY – 21 JUN Having an attitude of gratitude is your magic wand. Focus on the gifts you have and your abundance will grow rapidly. CANCER 22 JUN – 23 JUL You may be faced with many choices and decisions to make. Follow your heart, no matter how it looks. You’ll be guided to the best path for you now. LEO 24 JUL – 23 AUG Relax, rest, surrender and let go of all the stresses…1 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024FROM YOU TO US Good to SHARELetter of the week Simply dive in I loved reading about editor Geoff’s father learning to swim in later life, and about how others have been learning new skills in their later years too [Never Too Late!, 2 April issue]. I can very much relate to their stories. As a child, I was terrified of the water and hated school swimming lessons. I never progressed beyond the beginners’ group. Then, as a young adult, I went on holiday with a friend and found I couldn’t use the pool. While she clocked up length after length, I sat there feeling bored and envious! I hated those feelings and so when I got home, I signed up for adult swimming lessons. Since then, I’ve never looked back. Learning a new skill can…4 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024BOOST YOUR BONE HEALTH in one monthBrittle or weak bones aren’t something we just have to accept as we get older. ‘We do stop building bone, but there’s plenty we can do to keep what we have strong and healthy,’ says Woman’s Weekly GP Dr Gill Jenkins. Act now and you can help slow the decline. Make time to introduce these tips into your life week-by-week and, by the end of the month, your bones will thank you for it. WEEK ONE Introduce bone-strengthening exercise WHY Regular weight-bearing and resistance activity is needed to keep your bones strong. That’s because bone is living tissue that gets stronger when it’s used. HOW TO DO IT Any exercise with impact is particularly beneficial for your bones. ✱ Think jogging, brisk walking, skipping, hopping and racket sports. ✱ Activities…4 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024EYES rightMy eyes are looking tired If you struggle to get a full eight hours of beauty sleep every night, your eyes will quickly start to show it. Dark circles and dull skin are common complaints, and can often take a bit of work to disguise. Try to prevent the issue while you sleep by applying an overnight eye cream like Versed Smooth Landing Advanced Retinoid Eye Balm, £16.50, cultbeauty.co.uk. It combines retinol and vitamin E to treat and nourish skin while you doze. In the morning, opt for a lighter lotion that fights any dullness. Bubble Morning Rays, £14, Boots, brightens brilliantly – it’s like a power nap in a bottle. For really stubborn shadows, use a concealer to help them vanish. Mavala Perfect Concealer, £17, mavala.com, is packed full…3 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Clever CLEANINGGood to know We use them every day, but how often do you give your household appliances some TLC? If you aren’t a fan of harsh chemicals, these natural tips will help to keep them sparkling. ‘You don’t need lots of expensive chemical products because old-fashioned cleaning methods are cheap, they work and they are much better for the environment,’ explains cleaning expert Aggie MacKenzie. Freshen your fridge Wash down the inside of the fridge and shelves with hot soapy water and dry with a clean tea towel. ‘Then use a cotton bud to clean out the drain hole at the back of your fridge,’ advises Aggie. ‘If you notice lingering food smells, bicarbonate of soda works well to absorb and neutralise odours. Leave an open container of bicarb in…2 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Here to helpTheir marriage is on the rocks Q I’m watching my son and daughter-in-law’s marriage unravel. I know the signs, having been there myself a number of years ago. I have asked him if everything is all right and he says it is, but they snap at each other most of the time and the issues seem serious when they row. I know the kids are anxious about their arguing. I’d really like to help. Yvonne, Nuneaton A It is very hard to watch your children go through a difficult time and, of course, you want to help. But it’s important that you stay separate and impartial. Even though you’ve been through a break-up, you don’t know what are the tipping points for this couple. As your son says, they may…4 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024Magic on the MEDTravel A big-ship cruise can deliver great value for your holiday pound. You hop between numerous contrasting destinations, with the excitement of going to bed in one country and waking up in a different one the next morning. We enjoyed a trip on the MSC Seaview, taking a leisurely circular course around the Med, starting in Rome, hopscotching around Spain, then back to Italy via Cannes. But simply being on a ship as big as this – a floating village over 19 decks – is an experience in itself. There’s so much to do, from enjoying glitzy West End-style entertainment and all-inclusive restaurants to simple pleasures like watching the sun set as seabirds skim the waves. All this, and you only have to unpack your bag once. Palma to Barcelona…3 min
Woman's Weekly|28-May-2024To put it MILDLYMy older sister Andi has always been prone to exaggeration and general overemphasis. There are only 18 months between us, so she often employed this technique to get her way. For example, she once assured me ‘one million per cent’ that I looked great in a yellow swimming costume because the only other one in the shop was blue, and she wanted it for herself! There’s a flip side to her dramatic declarations, though. When she met her future fiancé, Dean, she once cancelled a date with him because of the tiniest spot on her skin, peering in a mirror and wailing, ‘You can see it from space!’ ‘You so cannot!’ I scoffed, pretty certain that Dean wouldn’t notice if she had an extra head – not because he was…8 min
