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30/3/10 12:47:45 30.03.2010 11:39 Rival Colour LTD
❤❤H eart ❤ ❤ to o eart H By Daphne Lockyer t seems amazing that Caroline Quentin – the actress who first came to our attention as the youthful Dorothy in Men Behaving Badly is about to celebrate her 50th birthday. “And ‘celebrate’,” she says is “definitely the word I’d choose. After all, by the time you’ve been through your 40s, you know people who sadly haven’t made it and it makes you realise how lucky you are to be around, still enjoying life. So, quite honestly, I’m absolutely thrilled.” Being real and honest are just two of the qualities of this talented actress and ones she brings to the roles she plays. One of her strengths as an actress is her ability to sympathetically convey the plight of the modern female, never more so than in Life of Riley. “If people can relate to me in the roles I play then I’m happy about that,” she says. “In the end, my situation isn’t so different from everyone else’s. I have children and a husband and the school run and all of those things. Sometimes I get criticised for playing women who have families and children, but most women in this country have some connection to the domestic routine. I think it’s a good thing to reflect their lives.” Good, too, she says that there is still a market on TV for actresses who are not either
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❝
Life of Riley actress Caroline Quentin talks frankly to Yours about turning 50, finally feeling confident in her own skin, and the joys of family life
intimidatingly thin or aged under 30. “It’s important that we’re all represented. Yes, I love to see teenagers on screen who look lithe and healthy, but I also want to see older people enjoying life and it isn’t essential for them to be slender, is it?” Despite her increased fitness, it’s reassuring to the average-size British woman that Caroline hasn’t become one of the band of size zero celebrities herself. “To be honest, I’m probably always going to struggle with my weight,” she admits. “But at the same time I don’t think you should spend your life beating yourself up because you’re not the dress size that you dream about. Why spoil your life in that way?” Certainly life for Caroline sounds idyllic as she manages to combine her career with family life in a beautiful 35 acre farm in a corner of Devon. That’s where she will be celebrating the big 5-0 with family and friends – with another bash
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y star chat y
programme of exercise. When we meet she looks toned and fit and glowing with good health. Well, I got to a point where I thought, ‘I owe it to my kids to stick around for their growing up,’ ” she says. “Nothing matters more to me.” At home, her exercise routine includes kickboxing and jogging with her husband 38-year-old old Sam Farmer. “Sometimes I have to
‘What seemed like small blessings when I was 20 are massive ones now’ stop my exercise routine when I’m working away from home and, to be honest, I feel like death warmed up when I do. I can’t wait to get back to it as soon as I’ve finished. It does give me an amazing sense of well being.” Most recently, of course, she’s been at work in the returning BBC1 sitcom, Life of Riley. She plays Maddy Riley, the matriarch of a modern mixed up family. Her own life right now, seems much less chaotic than Maddy’s. She’s blissfully married to Sam, who happens
Psst…
to be 12 years her junior. “Neither of us could care less about the age difference,” she says. “We get on like a house on fire. We have a brilliant time together, we want the same things out of life and we have a really nice time together. It’s a fantastic stroke of luck that he came along.” The couple met on the set of Men Behaving Badly. Caroline was already a well established star, Sam was starting out in the business as a runner. Their relationship was forged in the aftermath of Caroline’s painful and much scrutinised divorce from the comedian, Paul Merton. Now, she says, she is watching friends in their fifties go through the same agony. “There seems to be something about this time in people’s lives where, maybe they start to look at their own mortality. They think, ‘Oh, I haven’t done this or that yet’ and it can tear a marriage apart. But, what I’ve learned is that the grass is only ever as green as you make it yourself. Plus, I always joke with Sam that he’s never getting away from me. I’m dim but I’m not stupid,” she laughs.
D Life of Riley is on Wednesday evenings, BBC1, 7.30pm.
Caroline shares a secret
“Although we grow our own vegetables and rear our own meat on the farm, I admit that I’m still a bit squeamish about the business of slaughter. We have two beautiful Berkshire pigs who are destined for the freezer in a couple of weeks time We make it a point of never naming the animals because they aren’t pets. It’s pathetic I know but, personally I can’t even look them in the eye. If I did we’d end up never killing anything.” YOURS
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in London for city mates. “When I turned 40 I had only just had my first child, Emily, and so that went by the board in a fog of maternal happiness. Now, though, I’m feeling much more peaceful and settled and, perhaps less insanely maternal than I was then and I’m looking forward to that ten years on thing and to marking such a milestone birthday.” There are, of course, the usual irritations that come with getting older. “Ok, it’s annoying that I now need glasses and sometimes my knees are creaky. But, overall, I’m happy in my skin and I feel relatively fit and mobile. What seemed like small blessings when I was 20 are massive blessings now. You do become intensely grateful for what you have.” In fact, the actress is being modest about her current physical condition. For the last three years she’s been building her strength and stamina with a rigorous
PIC: © TREVOR LEIGHTON/WOmAN & HOmE/IPC+ SYNdICATION
❝I’m standing up for real women ❞
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Meeting place
Welcome to the heart of the magazine. If you’ve got a funny story to share, need to let off steam or have a picture you’re proud of – get in touch. You could end up on the UK’s biggest letters pages.
Valery McConnell, Editor
Meeting Place, Yours magazine, Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Peterborough PE2 6EA. Jeans genius
No thanks
I am all for saving money and taking advantage of special offers, but things can be taken a bit too far! I recently bought a bereavement card, only to be brightly informed by a helpful assistant that I could buy three for the price of two. I politely, and somewhat stunned, declined the offer. Marilyn Walker, Hull
EXTRA
foR YoU
Don’t get conned
£25 Star letter
I enjoyed the article in issue 83 about looking good in jeans at any age. I am just coming up to my 73rd birthday and have always worn jeans since acquiring my first pair in 1957. They were light denim and calf length, as you can see. The other photograph is me at 72, ready for a birthday lunch at home. I’m not quite as slim as your models, but I think I look just as good. My jeans are all from M&S and fit on the natural waist, which I think is a must for we older ‘girls’. Getting older doesn’t mean we have to stop looking trendy. Wendy-Jane Walcott, North Somerset
D We have doubled the prize value on Meeting Place so that every contribution published gets a £10 High Street voucher, with the star letter getting £25. So keep all those letters and emails coming in.
yours@bauermedia.co.uk
WendyJane is proof that jeans can look great at any age
I read with interest your recent article on internet love cheats. I have recently been the victim of such a scam, but unlike your case history, I did lend him a lot of money – £15,000, which I had put aside for my retirement. He led me to believe he lived in Essex and had then got a contract to work in The Philippines. Then the tsunami disaster struck and he told me he had lost everything… These people are so clever – I can’t believe I was totally sucked in by someone I had never met. So please warn your readers; don’t fall in love with words. Name and address supplied
Up close and personal
A sofa too far
D We receive hundreds of letters and cannot reply to each one. We publish as many as we can and if they do not appear they may be used on our website www.yours.co.uk or in other Yours publications. Those not printed help us to keep in touch with your feelings and concerns and we enjoy reading them. We like to include photographs, so please send them with your letters and, if you want
them returned, write your name and address on the back. Letters must be original and not duplicated to other editors. Please don’t send in your only copies of precious photos, as these can go astray in the post. If you are sending a digital image, please make sure that it is high-resolution. If you are sending a print from a digital image, please send it on photo-quality paper.
I was caring for my grandson, who has recently learned to dress and undress himself. Hearing a noise outside in the porch, I enquired through my letterbox: “Are you running about without your trousers on?” “No madam, I am just reading the gas meter!” came the embarrassingly gruff response. J Green, Lichfield, Staffordshire
I used to think our national sport was football. Now I’m of the opinion that it’s actually buying sofas. Every evening I’m treated to several television adverts for different firms offering deals on living room furniture. I can even sing the theme tunes! How many sofas does one home need, anyway? Mary Cook, Market Rasen, Lincs
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Style notes
brighten up New to Origins is the Brighter By Nature HighPotency Brightening Peel With Fruit Acids (£28/ 40 pads, 0800 731 4039). By exfoliating and removing dead surface cells your skin will regain a youthful radiance and smoothness without any redness.
Your fashion & beauty starts here
beauty dilemma
beauty pick
I’ve noticed my heels have become dry and cracked. Any ideas to help make my feet more sandal-ready? Amanda Uxbridge, Sussex
Q
D yours Beauty Editor says: Most of us admit to neglecting our feet during winter – so you’re not alone! One product that’s caught our eye is Revlon’s Pedi-Expert Pedicure Kit (£9.99), which has a stainless steel file to get rid of any dead skin. After removing the rough skin, smother a nourishing moisturiser such as Vaseline’s Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Cream (£3.99/250ml) over your heels to help keep them feeling soft and silky. For a quick fix try Scholl’s Cracked Heel Repair Cream (£3.99/25ml) formulated to help reduce dry skin within seven days. It is also dermatologically tested to help fight infection. We have ten Pond’s Cold Cream
EXTRA Cleansers to give away, worth
foR you £3.99 each. Simply send your
name and address to: Pond’s Cold Cream Cleanser Giveaway, issue 86, PO Box 57, Coates, Peterborough PE7 2FF. The first ten entries drawn after April 23 will be the winners. If you do not want to be contacted in the future by Yours magazine please write ‘No further contact’ on the postcard.
Get your hands on a pair of Elf Mechanical Eyelash Curlers (£1.50, www.eyeslipsface. co.uk). It’s perfect for making sparse, short lashes look longer, which in turn makes your eyes look wider and brighter.
top tip If you’re afraid of wearing colour, then why not accessorise with a vibrant scarf, necklace, belt or bag? The splash of colour will give any dull outfit an instant boost.
the 3ofbest…
Belts for every outfit
D for a youthful twist… Matalan Jade Croc Jeans Belt, £3 D To slim your waist… Evans Enamel Butterfly Buckle Belt, £12 D To save your pennies… Primark Woven Skinny Waisted Belt, £1.50 StockiStS: Evans 0845 121 4516; Matalan 0845 330 3330; Pond’s 0800 591 720; Primark 0118 960 6300; Revlon 0800 085 2716; Scholl 0800 074 2040; Vaseline 0800 591 720 YOURS
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Recharge your
health
By Michelle Nightingale eadaches, joint pain and backache – we all get these niggling aches and pains from time to time and research shows that more than a third of us automatically reach for conventional painkillers. Almost 10 million Brits suffer daily pain that impacts on their quality of life, so learning to manage yours could provide welcome relief. You might think that you cope far better with painful niggles than your partner, but studies actually show that women are more sensitive to pain, particularly during the menopause when oestrogen levels are low. If pain is stopping you from living your life read on for complementary therapies that could help…
H
Drug-free tw ways t atys ttoo beat pain!
ACUPUNCTURE Best for: Everything from back pain to arthritis If you experience chronic lower back pain acupuncture is worth a try. A recent study found that 60 per cent of people saw a reduction in pain after just eight weeks, while just 39 per cent of people using conventional treatments felt
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Pain getting you down? Don’t just grin and bear it – follow our guide to alternative ways to get pain-free HEAT THERAPY
a difference. “Acupuncture involves having extremely fine needles inserted into your skin, with the aim of treating not just the pain, but also the underlying cause,” explains British Acupuncture Council member Maggie Bavington. “It can be very effective for problems such as back pain, painful arthritic joints and even IBS. Sometimes symptoms go completely, but more commonly the condition can be alleviated with ongoing treatment.” ✤ To find a practitioner call the British Acupuncture Council on 0208 735 0400 or visit www.acupuncture. org.uk
Best for: Reducing stiffness and inflammation Heat applied to aching muscles can ease your symptoms. Heat increases deep tissue temperature and blood flow to your muscles, which brings essential oxygen and nutrients to help repair ThermaCare damaged tissue. “Heat is HeatWraps, £5.86 comforting because it helps for two wraps relax muscle tension and it also improves circulation to your joints to relieve stiffness and inflammation,” explains Barrie Savory, author of The Good Back Guide. Try ThermaCare self-heating wraps, which could help all sorts of pain, from muscular and joint twinges to conditions such as arthritis. ✤ Stocked in Boots nationwide, for more information call 0845 111 0151 or visit www.thermacare.co.uk Always check with your doctor before trying any alternative treatments and never stop taking medication unless advised by your GP.
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❙ health matters ❙ Best for: Gently easing joint pain Practising Pilates could help ease away any aches and pains, especially those that are due to a misalignment of your joints, which over time leads to extra wear and tear. Liz Chandler, a qualified Pilates teacher says: “Pilates follows a series of simple, controlled standing and floor exercises that are low impact and
put little stress on your body making it suitable if you suffer from arthritis, spinal problems or have had a hip replacement.” ✤ For qualified Pilates teachers in your area visit www.pilatesfoundation.com Real People EXTRA Pilates For FOR YOU Over 50s is available to Yours readers for the special price of £10 including p&p. To order call 01373 455674 quoting Yours magazine.
EXERCISE
TENS MACHINES
Best for: Relieving tension and the ‘feel-good’ factor “Movement itself can be pain relieving and it’s also a great way of distracting your brain away from your aches,” says Richmond Stace, a specialist pain physiotherapist. Plus the rush of endorphins after a workout could help to relieve tension and even make you feel happier. “Try to do five 30 minute sessions of moderate exercise a week to maintain good health and joints. Walking, swimming and cycling are all great options.”
Best for: Relieving chronic and acute pain Using a TENS machine can help bring pain relief. Richmond Stace says: “They work by blocking the danger signals that tell your brain to create pain. When used in the correct way TENS machines can reduce pain caused by conditions such as arthritis, back pain, muscle pain and fibromyalgia.” ✤ For more details call 01372 723434 or visit www.tenscare.co.uk
An itouch TENS machine, £46.99
SUPPLEMENTS
Jointace to help maintain joint mobility, £12.95/ 30 tablets
Best for: Maintaining joint mobility There are hundreds of supplements available for aches and pains – but some are more beneficial than others. Studies have shown that glucosamine supplements could help to ease joint pain and may be even more effective long term than taking ibuprofen. Look for supplements that combine Glucosamine and rosehip, known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Remember, relief won’t be instant and it may take up to three months before you see results.
Ask Dr Jonty The Yours doctor is here to answer your questions every fortnight
Q
My mum has just had a stroke. Seeing how much it has affected her life has really thrown me. Are strokes hereditary? And what can I do to prevent one? DR JONTY SAYS: It’s natural to worry about your own health when someone close to you is ill – and the fact that your mum has had a stroke does unfortunately mean that you are at an increased risk of a stroke in the future yourself. A stroke is due to the blood supply to a part of your brain being interrupted, either through arteries becoming blocked or leaking. Without oxygen-rich blood, the cells of your brain begin to die, causing damage that leads to the physical symptoms we all associate with a stroke. There are a few things you can do to lower your risk. Keep an eye on your blood pressure and, if you’re on any blood pressure medication, take it regularly.
‘A small amount of alcohol won’t do you any harm’ Regular exercise, keeping a healthy body weight and lowering your salt intake will also help. Protect your arteries by not smoking, eat less fatty food and more fruit and vegetables. Omega 3-rich oily fish, and foods containing soy products or plant sterols and stanols (such as Benecol) will also help keep your cholesterol down. A small amount of alcohol will not do you any harm, but heavy alcohol consumption will increase your risk of a stroke. Your mum may also be on medication such as aspirin to thin her blood and prevent further strokes. But given current evidence I would not support you taking aspirin. If you do think you’re having a stroke the sooner you can get treatment the better, so call a doctor immediately, but I hope you never need to. Dr Jonty Heaversedge is a GP and star of BBC1’s Street Doctor. He answers your health questions every fortnight. YOURS
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PILATES
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y knitting y
Springtime
FOR KNITTERS WITH EXPERIENCE
elegance
★★
This bodice sweater looks really smart with trousers ABBREVIATIONS
BACK
alt – alternate, beg – beginning, C6F – Cable 6 Front (slip next 3 stitches onto a cable needle and leave at front of work, knit 3 stitches from left needle then knit the 3 stitches from the cable needle), cm – centimetres, cont – continue, dec – decrease(ing), foll – following, g – grams, in – inch(es), inc – increase one stitch, k – knit, mm – millimetres, p – purl, patt – pattern, rep – repeat, RS – right side, st(s) – stitch(es), st-st – stocking stitch (knit on right side rows, purl on wrong side rows), tog – together, WS – wrong side.
Using 3.25mm needles cast on 124(132:140:148:156:164) sts. 1st row (RS) Knit. 2nd row Purl. Repeating 1st and 2nd rows forms stocking stitch. Work 4 more rows in st-st.
MATERIALS 11(12:13:14:15:16) 50g balls Wendy Merino DK. Pair each 3.25mm (UK 10) and 4mm (UK 8) knitting needles. One 3.25mm (UK 10) circular needle. Cable needle. Stitch holder. Yarn quantities are based on average requirements and are therefore approximate.
Change to 4mm needles Cont in st-st until Back measures 37(38:38:39:39:40)cm/ 141⁄2(15:15:151⁄4:151⁄4:153⁄4)in from cast on edge allowing the first few rows to roll to the RS, ending with a WS row. Begin cable pattern 1st row (RS) P3, *k6, p2; rep from * to last st, p1. 2nd and every foll at row K3, *p6, k2; rep from * to last st, k1. 3rd row P3, *C6F, p2; rep from * to last st, p1.
MEASUREMENTS TENSION 22 sts and 31 rows = 10cm/4in square over stocking stitch using 4mm needles or the size required to give the correct tension. Always check tension carefully and adjust needle sizes throughout if necessary.
PIC: RUTH JENKINSON
NOTES Figures in brackets ( ) refer to larger sizes. Where only one set of figures is given, this applies to all sizes. It is advisable to circle the size you wish to make.
To fit bust 81 86 91 97 32 34 36 38 Actual size 85 91 96 102 331⁄2 36 38 40 Length to shoulder 67 68 69 70 261⁄2 263 ⁄4 27 271⁄2 Sleeve seam 45 45 46 46 173 ⁄4 173 ⁄4 18 18
102 107 40 42
cm in
107 113 cm 42 441 ⁄4 in 71 72 cm 28 281 ⁄4 in 46 47 18 181⁄2
cm in YOURS
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with the
grandkids Get your grandkids out and about to enjoy the warmer spring weather
Foil butterfly
IT’S SPRING!
Get your grandkids to make this pretty decoration to brighten up a flower border You will need... • Clean foil container • Scissors • Black and coloured marker pens • Strong glue • Blunt pencil or ball-point pen • Stick (kebab sticks are ideal)
How to make… 1 Draw a butterfly design onto the base of a foil container. Cut around the outline of your design using a sharp pair of scissors. 2 On the reverse of the design press with a blunt pencil or ball-point pen to
create a raised pattern. 3 Colour your design using permanent markers. Once the ink is dry turn the butterfly over and spread glue down the centre of the butterfly’s body. Attach the stick and hold in place until it’s secure.
This project is taken from RHS Ready, Steady Grow, published by Dorling Kindersley, special price £7.99 (see below for details).
R IB Q: What do frogs drink?
TICKLER
PICS: GETY IMAGES; MASTERFILE
✤ RHS Ready, Steady, Grow is packed with quick and easy projects. Published by Dorling Kindersley, Yours readers can buy this book for the special £7.99 price of £7.99 including free p&p (RRP is £9.99). Call the DK GSR G MY‘quoting i ti ‘YMGRSG’ ‘YMGRSG’ or Bookshop on 0845 ’130 7778 order online at www.shop4online.co.uk/YMGRSG The offer subject to availability. Customers should allow up to 14 days for delivery. Offer open to UK residents only.
✤ Nest challenge Challenge your grandkids to build a nest using only materials found on the ground. When they’ve finished place some pebbles inside to represent eggs. Place the nest in a suitable fork in a tree and give the branch a little shake to see if could withstand the weather. For an extra challenge try using just one hand, after all birds only have a beak! ✤ Tracks in the mud You and the grandkids may be lucky enough to see an animal’s footprint or two while you’re out and about, particularly around burrows or places where animals would come to drink. Or find a muddy spot and try to make your own tracks for each other to follow. These ideas are taken from Playing through the seasons – Spring, a booklet produced by the Woodland Trust and Westonbirt Arboretum. This and many other ideas and activities are free to download from www.naturedetectives.org.uk/download
A: Croak-a-Cola
For little green fingers
Make the most of spring
✤ Introduce little ones to the idea o of growing fruit and veg with Grow M My First Ever kits. Peas, carrots, sstrawberries or sunflowers a available. £5.99 each from LLetterbox. C Call 0844 5 557 5263 or visit www. letterbox. co.uk
£5.99
✤ This Paint Your Own Garden Gnome is sure to go down well with budding artists. £5.99 from Hawkin’s Bazaar, call £5.99 0844 557 5261 or visit www. hawkin.com YOURS
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