Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2023 i Platinum

’Tis the season to be jolly! I love Christmas and always have. I have fond memories of waking up to a pillowcase-full of presents at the foot of my bed, gorging on chocolate money and segments of Terry’s Chocolate Orange (all before breakfast on Christmas Day, too. And no, I no longer do that as my intestines can’t take it!). My favourite years were when the extended family all congregated at my grandparents’ large house in Felixstowe, Suffolk, where after lunch we’d play charades and card games, sing carols and play instruments (I come from an amateur dramatics-loving family!). And one year, we all received a mini present box attached to the end of a ribbon from inside a faux Christmas cake my grandad had painstakingly made from cardboard and…

Dressing for any kind of special occasion over the festive season should be as stress free as possible. Comfortable chic is eternal. The timeless combination of tailored trousers teamed with a silk blouse has always been my go-to outfit, but more recently I have invested in what I term a “grown-up” midi dress that is effortless and requires little styling. It’s more Grace Kelly in High Society than Little House on the Prairie. In this column, I have created three outfits, each with a very different vibe. One is pure boho with a feminine chiffon maxi skirt as the hero item, paired with a sequin vest and classic camel cardigan. You can team this with either suede boots or the whimsical faux pearl slingbacks. Another revolves around a sleek, elegant…

My path into design started when I began working with Noble Macmillan after my A Levels. I did work experience and fell in love with everything the brand stands for. I was particularly drawn towards the creative design side, so started to focus on that through self-teaching. We are a classic brand with modern twists and pops of colour. We stand firmly by our values of working with top craftsmen, creating long-lasting, well-made products that are attractive to many ages. Our brand tells and shares stories through its multigenerational customers. For the past 40 years, we have been synonymous with beautifully hand-crafted albums, journals, bags and diaries and are loved by generations, from grandmothers and mothers down to their daughters. All our albums, journals and social books are handmade in…

TO START Pesto tear ’n’ share Christmas tree This festive-shaped sharing bread makes an ideal centrepiece for your Christmas party table and provides a fun communal eating experience. The swirl of pesto gives it a punchy savoury flavour. Serves 4-6 ● 500ml lukewarm water● 10g fast-action dried yeast● 750g strong white flour, plus extra for dusting● 10g fine salt● 1 tbsp sugar● 75g vegan butter, softened● Vegetable oil, for greasing● 150g vegan pesto● Handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped 1. Mix together the measured lukewarm water and yeast in a jug and set aside for about 8 minutes until the mixture is frothy and the yeast is activated. 2. Meanwhile, beat together the flour, salt, sugar and 50g of the vegan butter in a stand mixer, or in…

Have you ever found yourself engrossed, looking at property listings, charmed by the architecture and the history each building holds? Each “For Sale” sign seems to beckon with untapped potential, doesn’t it? But rather than admiring from afar, why not take it one step further? While many default to the stock market when considering investments, diving into the world of rental properties, i.e. buy-to-lets, could be your golden ticket to impressive returns, shaping your present and future wealth. Despite recent pricing trends, the resilience of the UK’s rental property market is noteworthy. Many investors, both domestic and international, continue to see British property as a haven. Why? The consistent rental yields, especially in major cities, have continually outpaced other investment avenues. And there’s also the advantage of potential capital appreciation…

Life can seem pretty overwhelming, can’t it? A bottomless “to-do” list of deadlines, work, household chores, family responsibilities, admin, social engagements, more admin. It can feel like you’re in a constant battle with time. With so much to crack on with, self-care falls to the bottom of the list and, for many women, never gets a look in at all. Women often tell me that they’d love to try a yoga class, but that they couldn’t possibly justify taking the time to do that. An hour a week spent stretching and breathing seems to them shamefully indulgent and a dereliction of their normal duties. But if you don’t take steps to make sure that you’re well and energised, how can you take care of others? When you stretch yourself too…

It was in 2015 that my partner, Rob, had a minor health scare. Being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes on Christmas Eve, it was a wake up call that his lifestyle needed to change. It made us both go on a mission to get stronger and fitter. We began with the NHS Couch to 5K programme and the first few runs were challenging. We both pushed on and after nine weeks we managed 5K without stopping. I’d gone from being a complete novice to having caught the running bug, so now I wondered what I could do next. If I could do 5K, could I perhaps run 10K? That first 5K was in February 2016 and we kept on running 3-4 times a week. We really had no idea what…

This is exciting! Christmas time and a new column, and with it the chance to share some of the things I have been up to in my mission to be fitter and healthier and encourage you to do the same. This time last year, I was just putting the finishing touches to my book Fearless: Adventures with Extraordinary Women. It is a celebration of women breaking barriers and challenging stereotypes through their passion for sport. I wanted to write it because I think we all need heroes who look a bit like us to inspire us. Heroes of all ages, backgrounds, shapes and sizes. To write the book I decided to interview the women who star in it, while doing the things they loved. I had the most incredible year,…

GAIL ROLFE Fashion expert Gail shows us how to sparkle and shine this festive season! DR DAWN HARPER This month Dr Harper advises how to manage your alcohol intake. HEATHER JACKSON Menopause champ Heather shares her Christmas dinner fails over the years. ADELE PARKS MBE Prolific author Adele rounds up her favourite new reads this month. JANE MOORE The Loose Women presenter on the pros and cons of a tipple or two. LOUISE MINCHIN The TV presenter and author starts her new Fit & Fearless column. DOTTIE MONAGHAN Platinum’s resident make-up artist Dottie shares her tips for instant glam. SUZY GLASKIE Health coach Suzy this month invites you to have a little unselfish me-time. ELIZABETH JOSEPH Our ‘Menopause Guineapig’ tries to win the battle against hot flushes.…

When you work on TV, you’re often asked to contribute an insightful comment to, say, charity websites or magazines, about your favourite childhood memory or what you’d tell your 16 year-old self. On other occasions, they might ask you to list what you keep in your handbag or fridge. All pretty lighthearted stuff. But the other day, an interviewer rather floored me with this killer question: “What’s your relationship with alcohol?” Crikey! For once, I was lost for words and it took several seconds for my whirring brain to churn out a reply. “Sporadic”, I ventured eventually. Which is true. I don’t drink when I’m alone and, if I ever feel I have been overdoing it, I can easily go at least a fortnight without touching a drop. Lucky me.…

Christmas. We put a lot of pressure on it, especially the big day. The perfect gifts, the perfect decorations and, of course, the perfect Christmas dinner. But how often does that actually happen? I’ve definitely had my fair share of shockers over the years – my (adult) children now put bets on what might go wrong with dinner each year. There was of course the year that I popped the beautifully prepared turkey in to cook without realising that the aga had blown. I kept coming back to check on the bird that simply refused to cook. After 6 hours, I finally accepted defeat. Christmas dinner that year ended up being instant mash, peas and gravy – which everyone loved! Another classic Christmas in our household was the time I…

Feather & Stitch With a boutique in Richmond and an online shop (featherandstitch.com), Feather & Stitch may be an independently owned fashion business but it has the feel of a small department store selling lots of wonderful designer clothes. With so much on offer and a next-day delivery service, if you are short on time, this is one place you won’t have to wait to find a dress to impress. Oops! Although not available online yet, this Hertfordshire-based shop is a hidden gem. Independently owned by two best friends, it sells a vast collection of dresses, both of its own brand and alongside other designers. Check them out at instagram.com/oops.clothing_ to discover more examples of their vast range of dresses, including this gorgeous orange number. ‘As we age, dresses can…

December is usually a time to party what with word dos and festive catch-ups, and parties generally include alcohol. So this month I thought it would be a good time to address some of the common questions I’m asked regarding alcohol. WHAT ARE RECOMMENDED LIMITS? There is a lot of confusion out there about recommended limits, not least because they have changed. Historically the NHS felt that men could safely drink more than women. When I first qualified, limits were 28 units for men and 21 for women each week. This then changed to 21 units for men and 14 for women. Today the NHS recommends that both men and women limit themselves to no more than 14 units a week and that everyone should incorporate a couple of dry…

SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 159 CODEWORD Each letter of the alphabet has been replaced by the same number throughout this grid. Use the decoded letters given to work out the identity of other letters and fill in the grid. The alphabet list and reference grid will help you to keep track of the letters you’ve decoded. CELL BLOCK Fill the grid by drawing blocks along the gridlines. Each block must contain the number of squares indicated by the digit inside it. Each block must contain only one digit. WORDWHEEL You have ten minutes to find as many words as possible using the letters in the wheel. Each word must be three letters or more and contain the central letter. Use each letter once, and no plurals, foreign words or proper nouns…

Star letter ‘Keep up the good work’ ‘Hi Katy, well done on becoming editor-in-chief of a fantastic magazine. I’ve been buying Platinum for around 18 months but this is the first time I’ve written in. Having just bought the November issue and reading the star letter, I just had to endorse everything L Thomson said. I’ve read Good Housekeeping and Woman & Home for many years but they just seem to repeat interviews with the same women. There are so many other inspiring women out there, so I hope you will be championing them in future [as L Thomson suggested]. ‘I also love your fashion pages as they are affordable and aimed at the older woman without being boring. I really hope you reinstate the puzzles as only recently I…

Adele Parks MBE is the author of twenty-three bestselling novels including her latest release Just Between Us. She writes compelling, twisty, psychological thrillers that are popular all over the world. Adele has sold 4.75 million books in the UK and is translated into more than 30 languages. She is dedicated to spreading the love of reading and is a proud ambassador of The National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency. Keep in touch with her at instagram.com/adele_parks. The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallet (Profile Books, £12.99) The Fairway Players of Lower Lockwood are busy rehearsing their festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, to raise money for the church roof appeal. What could be more innocent and charming than that? However, despite the season, expected goodwill and cheer is distinctly lacking…

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, or at least that’s the tinsel-topped dream we’ve all been sold. It’s certainly a seductive one, filled with perfectly-wrapped presents, smiling faces, crackling log fires, clinking Champagne glasses, and trees wreathed in dazzling fairy lights. All set to the soundtrack of melodious carols. At the heart of the celebrations is a merry mid-winter feast of family togetherness, with turkey cooked to perfection and everyone laughing and getting along beautifully. Except these jolly images of the perfect Christmas can be nothing more than social media snapshots of unreality, piling on pressure along with feelings of failure if you don’t live up to the hype. It’s enough to send your stress levels soaring. No wonder nearly one-in-four people say they feel anxious or…

The festive season is now upon us. It’s great to have time to plan your outfit, decide on your hairstyle and enjoy getting ready. In reality, if you’re anything like me, I find myself short on time or running late. That’s where small additions to your glam kit not only save time, but can give maximum impact. BE BOLD A bold lip colour, for example red, never lets you down. It will deliver instant va va voom. DEFINE A sharp eye liner added over the top lash and swept up at the outside edge will define your eyes. If you have a steady hand, a false lash can work wonders. Not good with a pencil or want a softer version of an eye liner? Spray your angled eye brush with…

I sat down in my grey velvet office chair, completely put together from the waist up, hair curled, make-up on, eager to help the next group of young entrepreneurs turn their knowledge into a profitable business. I entered my Zoom room and started accepting attendees one by one an,d to my surprise, as their video screens turned on, the majority of participants were not young entrepreneurs but rather experienced women over age 60, ready to turn their knowledge into profitable online businesses. It’s never too late to jump into the lucrative world of digital businesses where you can spend time doing something you are passionate about while helping others. In fact, it’s the knowledge you have gained over decades that has you sitting on a gold mine. There are millions…

Have you ever woken up fearing spontaneous combustion only to feel immediately soothed by the fact there is enough sweat in your cleavage to douse a small fire? Hot flushes and night sweats are no laughing matter and yet they seem to be the one thing that is most joked about (and the most common menopause-age-joke-really-not funny-birthday-card reference. I hate those things). I also hate night sweats and hot flushes. They wake me up at stupid o’clock, boiling and angry, with my nightie stuck to me. The hormonal woman has a great deal to contend with. As you navigate your way through perimenopause, you need to be well rested for your journey. Yet there appears to be a major design flaw as it is exactly at this point that your…

Walking can be such a great joy but not when your joints start to give a little niggle and you experience aches and pains. This month I’m keen to help you walk away those aches and pains, and while you may have specific conditions that do contribute to a little joint discomfort, how you move can most definitely ease those aches, especially in the knees, hips and lower back, and feet. So even if you are investing in your health and physical fitness with regular exercise – how we move our bodies each day outside of dedicated exercise can potentially have a far greater impact on the ease of movement and discomfort we may feel. So this month I’m sharing some tips that can reduce your aches so you may…