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GOOD SPECS GUIDE

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FIONA PHILLIPS

‘Caring for Dad has changed my life’

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YOUR098-cover .indd 1 YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN PANTONE 185 C BLACK

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14/9/10 10:54:11 14.09.2010 09:52 Rival Colour LTD

❤❤H eart ❤ ❤ to Heart

With soul-searching honesty, Fiona Phillips tells Yours about the family heartache which lay behind her decision to quit daytime TV

‘Much as I loved my job, leaving was the best thing I’ve ever done. I can’t believe I didn’t do it sooner’

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y star chat y

By Pam Francis s queen of breakfast TV for more than a decade, Fiona Phillips always had a smile for the audience at home. Whether it was a flirty chat with George Clooney, a feisty exchange with Tony Blair, or banter with Prince William, she would always sparkle.

What millions of viewers didn’t know was that, in stark contrast to the glamour of showbiz, her real life back home was in very real danger of crumbling.

Having to care for not one, but two elderly parents with Alzheimer’s, on an average of four hours’ sleep a night, took its toll on the already busy mother-of-two, resulting in a breakdown.

“One minute, I’d have a call from GMTV saying, Tom Cruise is in town, could you go and interview him at a première? The next, I’d have Pembrokeshire police on the line saying that my dad had hit my mum and she thought he was going to kill her,” the 49-year-old TV presenter reveals to Yours.

“He was completely out of his mind with desperation at her changing behaviour, and the odd things she was doing caused by Alzheimer’s, that one day he just flipped. What we didn’t realise then was that he was also becoming ill himself.”

In her trendily tight grey jeans, high heels and belted black jacket, she cuts such a tiny doll-like figure, it’s hard to believe she had the physical, let alone mental

A

strength to endure the stress of coping with the disintegration of her parents’ lives.

To make sense of it all, she has written a book, Before I Forget – a daughter’s story about the impact of Alzheimer’s on her own life, woven into an account of her upbringing in the Sixties and Seventies.

Although her parents lived 300 miles away in Pembrokeshire, her mother, Amy, was the first person Fiona called with any exciting news. “What I miss most is that whenever anything exciting happened in my life, the first person I’d phone was Mum. I’d say: ‘Mum, guess what Tony Blair has asked me to do!’

“I used to love the joy I brought to her. She called me ‘Toots’, and she’d say, ‘Let me get my notepad’.

And she’d write it all down to tell her friends.

“She always saw the good in everyone. If I’d brought home the Yorkshire Ripper, she would have thought he was lovely.”

There were early signs of odd behaviour from her mother in her mid-50s, such as the Christmas Fiona arrived at her parents’ four-bedroom bungalow to find no food in the fridge. And the floods of tears, which Fiona put

Psst…

Fiona and her beloved parents: Neville Phillips (known as ‘Phil’), top and Amy, above

down to depression, or the onset of the menopause.

“There were all sorts of mirrors and masks that covered up what it really was. One of the problems with Alzheimer’s is that it’s in retrospect you look back and think, oh God, she was really odd then. Why didn’t we realise what was happening?”

Two years after Fiona became

Fiona shares a secret

“I won’t be celebrating my 50th birthday in January. I was brought up by a dad who always said: ‘Bloody birthdays.

What’s the point of celebrating getting older?” I’m not a party girl and I don’t like being the centre of attention – which is weird considering the job I have. I don’t even like dinner parties at home because I don’t like the focus being on me. Even when I got married, I didn’t want the big white wedding – it was just Martin and me in Vegas.”

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pIcS: JAMES VELLAcOTT; RANDOM HOUSE; pLANET pHOTOS

❝What really matters to me❞

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❝Seeing my daughter’s work go on is amazing❞ After her daughter Helen died in a tragic accident in Africa, Margaret Golder vowed that Helen’s work nursing sick children would continue

By Carole Richardson s a mum, Margaret Golder naturally worried when her only daughter Helen flew to Africa on mercy missions to nurse children undergoing heart surgery. “I’m quite a strong person but it concerned me every time she went to a strange country,” admits Margaret. “I knew she was with a superb team of doctors and nurses, but would still imagine all sorts could happen...”

As a retired nurse herself, Margaret (62) was doubly proud of Helen for giving up her hospital holidays to be part of a charity medical team performing pioneering operations on sick youngsters in developing countries – a team run by renowned heart surgeon Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub.

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When she was 15, Helen decided to become a paediatric nurse. “It was obvious she was going to work with either children or animals,” Margaret laughs. She recalls how, as a child, Helen had lovingly spoon-fed her younger brother Robert and brought home a stray cat that had kittens under her bed.

As part of Helen’s nurse training at Oxford Brookes University and John Radcliffe Hospital, she worked in Zimbabwe. “It opened her eyes to a different culture. When she came back she was full of tales about how all the pregnant women stopped off to see the witch doctor before arriving at hospital! It also fuelled her love of travel,” says Margaret.

After qualifying in 2004, Helen took a post at the Royal Brompton & Harefield Hospital, London, world famous for its heart surgery.

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y real life y

‘Not a day goes by when I don’t think of Helen. She was radiant, and oozed personality and love’

It was there that Helen learned about the Chain of Hope, a medical charity which funds equipment and surgery missions to the third world. Working as a paediatric intensive care nurse, Helen’s first trip was to Kenya, the second to Mozambique.

Three days before her third trip, in June 2007, Helen met her parents for drinks in London. “She was 33 and life was looking good,” says Margaret. “She’d got a new man in her life and a new home. She was looking forward to the mission and really happy.”

Afterwards, Margaret and husband Stewart (62) barely had time to say goodbye to their daughter as she jumped out of their taxi to go and buy colouring books and games for the children in Mozambique. “Take care,” Stewart urged her. Waving, she laughed and ran off.

Less than a fortnight later, on Saturday evening, they took a fateful phone call. Apparently, after completing their charity work, Helen and two colleagues, Liz and Susan, had decided to go on safari in the Kruger National Park. Tragically, all three had died when their bus crashed.

“I put the phone down and screamed,” recalls Margaret.

“Then I thought ‘I must go’. Why, I don’t know. I needed to be there even though I knew there was nothing I could do.”

Devastated, Margaret tried to come to terms with the loss. “It took a long time to register. At first Paediatric nurse Helen gave up holidays to tend children in Africa

it felt like a dream. Then you realise you’re not going to see her again. I felt hopeless. But life goes on, you have to try to do something to try and fill your time, get through each day. You cannot let yourself be bitter.”

With support from family and friends, Margaret threw herself into raising funds for the Chain of Hope and has so far raised £20,000 through sponsored walks and other charity events.

Finally, in May this year, Margaret found the courage to travel to Mozambique with Stewart, her son Robert and his partner Ann, to see at first hand the work Helen was involved in.

While she was there, a ward was opened in Helen’s name.

“It was amazing,” says Margaret. “I knew they were treating babies with heart conditions but I had no idea of the enormity of the problem. Children were queuing up to be treated.

One little boy travelled 200 miles in the hope of an operation.

Looking at the children, I realised the importance of the work she’d been doing. They suffer a rare condition called endomycardial fibrosis, for which Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub has pioneered an operation. The trip was very emotional, but it has helped us to put a purpose to what’s happened.

“I’ll never get over losing Helen.

Not a day goes by when I don’t think of her. I miss her giggly laugh, her smile, her thoughtfulness. She was radiant, and oozed personality and love.

“The huge hole in our lives, which at first no amount of tears could fill, is still there. We still cry; we still hug each other a lot.

But that hole is now full of the wonderful work going on in Helen’s name.”

D Chain of Hope relies on donations and medical volunteers. Contact the charity on South Parade, London SW3 6NP; tel: 0207 351 1978; www. chainofhope.org YOURS

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PIC: VICTOR DE JESUS/UNP

Margaret cherishes photos of Helen, including the beautiful picture on her wall of her precious daughter with brother Robert

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10/9/10 11:43:02

WINTER cOaTS to suit your shape

PHOTOGRaPHY: RUTH JENkINSON; HaIR aNd MakE-UP: HaNaN TOUHaMI; STYlING: daNIEllE ElMES aNd aSSISTaNT STYlING: NaTalIE NIcOlaOU

We have winter all wrapped up with our pick of the most flattering styles around – whatever your shape or size

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By Michelle Nightingale

Add a waist

Flatters tall frames long faux fur collar coat, £49, sizes 8-18, atmosphere at Primark.

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White wool coat, £75, sizes 12-32, Marisota; denim jeans (style: 0070103700), £38, sizes 8-20, Star by Julien Macdonald at debenhams.

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Style notes

Elongates shorter frames Green crop jacket, £35, sizes 12-24, Bonmarché; black trousers (style: 453151), £25, sizes 6-16, Next.

Disguise a big bottom Tummy skimming Pink double-breasted coat, £53, sizes 10-22, Bhs; black denim jeans (style 0380103003), £38, sizes 8-20, Principles by Ben di lisi at debenhams.

Black and grey mohair swing coat, £90, sizes 10-22, Bhs; grey trousers, £35, sizes 8-20, Star

by Julien Macdonald at debenhams.

Yours Our fashion

info

StockiStS: Bhs 0845 196 0000; Bonmarché 01924 700100; Debenhams 0844 561 6161; Marisota 0871 231 2000; Next 0844 844 8939; Primark 0118 960 6300.

Details correct at time of going to press

shoot location for this issue is Island Hall, Godmanchester, cambridgeshire PE29 2Ba. Built in 1740, this elegant Georgian building is available for private functions, tours, lunches, afternoon tea and croquet. Please call 01480 459676; www.islandhall.com YOURS

YOUR098-40-41 fashion.indd 41

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Recharge your

health

Meet our experts:

D Susan Smith Jones PhD – nutrition and natural health expert and author of The Healing Power of Nature foods, (Hay House, £9.99). www.susansmithjones.com D Dr Neal Barnard – author of Foods that Fight Pain (Bantam Books, £7.99). www.nealbarnard.com D Marilyn Glenville PhD – nutritionist and author of The Natural Health Bible for Women (Duncan Baird Publishers, £16.99) www.marilynglenville.com D Ann Walker PhD from the New Vitality Clinic in Reading (0118 966 6930)

For inflammation Try oily fish, nuts, red grapes and berries “Your body uses Omega-3 essential fatty acids to produce substances called prostaglandins, which prevent inflammation,” says Marilyn Glenville. Eat a portion of oily fish, linseeds (flax), walnuts, soya, pumpkin seeds and green leafy vegetables every day to ease joint and back pain.

Foods rich in a chemical called resveratrol also help reduce pain and inflammation.

“One of my favourite sources of resveratrol is grape and berry juice, made fresh in a juicer,” says Susan Smith Jones.

Snack regularly on red grapes, bilberries, blueberries, cranberries, mulberries and unsalted peanuts. Sprinkle them on porridge or breakfast cereal, or add them to juices and smoothies.

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Foods to help

fight pain

If you’re coping with chronic or frequent pain – from arthritis to a stiff back – it’s worth making sure you’re eating pain-busting foods to supplement your other therapies

by Colette Harris

For aching joints Try cherries or pineapple “For achy, arthritic joints, I always recommend cherries,” says Susan Smith Jones.

“Researchers in the US have found a substance in cherries stops the production of chemicals that cause inflammation and pain. A bowl of 20 cherries (fresh or defrosted frozen ones) a day during a bout of gout can neutralise the aches and swelling.” Enjoy them neat, in fruit salads, or gently stew frozen cherries with ginger, cinnamon

and a splash of orange juice for a warming winter dessert.

Bromelain*, an enzyme found in pineapples, is also thought to relieve joint pain. “Having pineapple or pineapple juice within one hour of exercise will help reduce inflammation and joint pain,” says Susan.

*If you are taking blood-thinning medication check with your doctor

For osteoarthritis and back pain Try ginger The latest research on ginger showed its pain-killing properties for osteoarthritis are on a par with overthe-counter painkillers. “Start the day with fresh ginger tea,” says Susan Smith Jones. “Put 3-4 coinsized pieces of ginger root in hot water and let it simmer for ten minutes.”

Dried ginger could be just as good: Dr Neal Barnard recommends half to one full teaspoon a day for 4-12 weeks for tackling arthritis and back pain caused by the degeneration of disks and vertebrae.

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y health matters y For nerve pain Try chilli peppers Studies have shown that a cream containing capsaicin, the heat-activating ingredient in chilli peppers, could relieve the nerve pain associated with diabetes, shingles and arthritis. “Eating chilli peppers also helps, but not as much as the cream. I make my own by sprinkling a dash of hot cayenne pepper into my favourite moisturising lotion, then rubbing it on any achy joints,” says Susan Smith Jones.

For rheumatoid arthritis Try green tea drinking three to four cups of green tea during the day can prevent inflammation and joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis, says a recent study from the University of michigan.

For headaches and lower back pain Try Vitamin D

“Fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, apricots and dates are very high is salicylates (the aspirin group) which are likely to reduce inflammation and pain,” says ann Walker. There’s also a range of vegetables that contain good amounts, including broad beans, green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and courgettes. Seasonings are another great way to kick pain into touch – try cinnamon, cumin, curry powder, oregano, rosemary, thyme and even

Worcestershire sauce! and, you’ll be pleased to know tea contains salicylates too. put the kettle on!

Allergy note: If you are allergic or sensitive to aspirin, do not eat these foods in high quantities.

Some people with asthma and rosacea may also be sensitive to salicylates. If you are currently taking aspirin, check with your Gp before increasing the amounts of these foods.

D You can buy The Healing power Of Nature Foods by Susan Smith Jones for the special price of £7.49 including p&p (RRp £9.99). To order, go to www.hayhouse.co.uk and enter the code Ym01 when prompted.

Offer ends November 30, 2010.

pIcS: alamY aNd GETTY ImaGES.

For general pain relief Try fruit, veg and seasonings

“Vitamin d has pain-killing properties for headaches and musculoskeletal pain,” says ann. “Taking ten minutes in the sunshine to allow your body to boost Vitamin d production is a good idea.”

“Research has shown that people who have lower back pain are often deficient in Vitamin d, and a supplement can help,” agrees marilyn Glenville.

Do not stop taking medication for any condition without speaking to your gp YOURS

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Ask us anything… we’d love to help!

Where can Your I buy a non-slip questions foot to put on my answered walking stick?

S Baker, Whitby Yours says: Flexyfoot is an antislip tip that will fit on to walking sticks, Zimmer frames and even crutches. It gives 50 per cent more grip on floors and is particularly good on wet surfaces. It’s also shock absorbing for less impact on your joints and can rotate 360 degrees for easy manoeuvrability.

D Priced at £12.99, for stockists call 0800 0285 888 or visit www.flexyfoot.com

Q

Is it possible to get remote-controlled plugs?

W Andrews, Manchester Yours says: Switching off appliances will reduce your carbon footprint as well as saving you money. This clever radiocontrolled socket (£9.99) can be used with any domestic appliance.

Its remote control handset can operate up to 12 other radiocontrolled sockets and will work on sockets behind furniture or in nearby rooms.

D Visit www. energenie4u.co.uk

Buying glasses is an expensive investment, so make sure you find the perfect pair with this simple guide

By Michelle Nightingale

info

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YOURS

choose t What’s your face shape?

Your face shape should play a part when deciding which frames you pick. It’s all about balance, say experts at Specsavers, and the key is to look for frames that will complement your best features and help disguise your worst! The right frames can improve your overall appearance, soften your features and even make you look younger – so it pays to take time to find your perfect pair.

Q

We’d love to help Yours to answer your questions.

Write to us at: Ask Us Anything, Yours magazine, Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Peterborough PE2 6EA. Or email your query to us at yours@bauermedia.co.uk with ‘Ask us Anything’ in the subject line.

How to

D If you’re unsure of your face shape, try this simple method.

Stand in front of a mirror (with your hair tied back if it’s long) and, using a whiteboard marker or a pen that will wipe off easily, draw on the mirror around the reflected outline of your face. then simply match your face shape with the ones on the right.

GreeNWatch Ecozone’s Ecoballs are the latest eco-friendly way to clean your clothes without using pricey washing detergents. Their formulated filling penetrates the fibres, lifting dirt without fading colours or damaging delicates. Ecozone (www. ecozone.com) is offering free delivery worth £3.95 when ordering Ecoballs 150 washes (RRP £9.99) or Ecoballs 1,000 washes (RRP £29.99). Call 0845 230 2082 and quote ‘Yours offer’ before Oct 21, 2010.

(Lines open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, calls 4p/minute from a BT landline, calls from mobiles may vary.)

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7/9/10 11:00:33

65% of Brits regularly find loose change down the back of the sofa averaging £1.61. So check you’re not sitting on a small fortune! Source: halifax

Did you

kNoW?

5 ways to… protect your eyes

In association with

o

e the right specs oval If your face is oval shaped, you’re lucky enough to have evenly proportioned features that will suit most frame shapes.

Be adventurous with modern geometric and rectangular styles.

rectaNGle High cheekbones and a deep forehead mean you should avoid small square shapes and instead look for wide frames with a strong brow line.

All-over colours work well, too.

rouND If your face is short with full cheeks, a wide forehead and a round chin, then angular and geometric styles are perfect.

Avoid anything round or oval shaped.

SQuare Square face shapes have a wide jaw, broad forehead and square chin.

Balance strong features with oval frames to help soften your jaw line. Avoid anything too angular.

Arrange regular eye tests.

These can help detect other health problems including high blood pressure, diabetes and eye conditions such as glaucoma and cataracts.

Eat antioxidant-rich foods as they’ve been shown to help maintain healthy cells and tissues in the eye. Good sources are oranges, tomatoes, peppers, carrots and green leafy vegetables.

Exercise regularly. Past research has shown you could reduce your chances of both cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Protect your eyes from the sun and look for sunglasses with the European standard CE mark and also the British Standard BS EN 1836:1997, which guarantees they’ll have a safe level of UV protection.

Quit smoking. Research has shown that if you smoke or have smoked in the past, you’re four times more likely to suffer from AMD.

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D Mindy (Specsavers ref 24816793) £99

Did you know that in everyone’s fuel bill is a hidden £32 a year tax to pay for Government energy efficiency schemes? to cut your gas and electricity bills contact Yours Switching on 0800 0087777.

Switching It’s a

Fact

D ailene (Specsavers ref 24990868) £85

D Semca (Specsavers ref 24816977) £69

turn the page for more advice on specs

25% discount off glasses for over-60s If you’re over 60, eye care is great value at Specsavers. From Monday to Friday, if you buy any pair of glasses from the £69 range or above, you’ll get 25 per cent off frames, lenses and any extra options you pay for. all Specsavers glasses

include Pentax lenses and a scratch-resistant treatment as standard. remember you can also have an eye test free under the NhS if you’re aged 60 or over.

D to find your nearest Specsavers call 0800 068 0241 or visit www.specsavers.co.uk YOURS

YOUR098-56-59 AUA choose specs.indd 57

Terms & conditions: This offer cannot be used with other offers and includes one pair of complete glasses only. Excludes reglazes, safety eyewear, any contact lens products, and non-prescription sunglasses. Discount not transferable in whole or part for cash. Offer available in-store only.

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PICS: REx FEATURES; ALAMY; ILLUSTRATIONS: KAREN BOOTH

D Season (Specsavers ref 24990936) £85

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y Pop sensations y

Jammin’ with the WI

By Richard Barber irst it was a carefully captured nude calendar that spawned a film and a successful stage play.

Now comes another new departure for the ladies of the WI. Following a competition open to all members, five finalists have been chosen to make up a new pop group, The Harmonies, whose first album will be released at the end of October. Experts predict it will sail effortlessly to the top of the Christmas charts.

It would seem the days of jam and Jerusalem have become a thing of the past... well, not quite.

More than 2000 WI members sent in CDs of themselves singing a favourite song – and more than 600 of them chose the WI signature hymn that begins ‘And did those feet in ancient time…’

It’s not really surprising considering it’s the time-honoured battle cry of the largest women’s organisation in the UK, formed in 1915 to help with the war effort and still flourishing almost a century later. A re-worked version of Jerusalem is one of the 11 tracks

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It’s not the traditional jam these ladies are into: in true X-factor style they’ve released the Women’s Institute’s first ever pop album on the new album, described as ‘easy listening with good strong melodies’, which also includes Louis Armstrong’s What a wonderful world and Mama Cass’s Dream a Little Dream of Me. The Harmonies range in age from 26 to 57-year-old Jan Mason (pictured above, far left), a secretary with an NHS team in Rainham, Kent. “I only joined the WI last November,” says Jan. “A friend had been made redundant and came up with the idea of starting a new branch near home.

We’ve now got 70 members.”

Up until six years ago, Jan would sometimes perform with a local band, so when she saw a competition to join The Harmonies in the WI’s magazine, she didn’t hesitate. “I sent in a CD I’d made in a friend’s home studio, so it was a little bit rough. But I hoped they’d like my rendition of Bette Midler’s song, The Wind Beneath My Wings.”

Jan had to wait a a few months before receiving a letter telling her she was one of 30 finalists auditioning at the famous Abbey Road studios in St John’s Wood. “I was thrilled – until I realised I’d be on a cruise on the crucial date with my partner, Trevor.”

Undeterred, Jan jumped ship in Lisbon and flew home early to sing Carole King’s You’ve Got A Friend for group managers, John Farmer and Phil Tennant.She was at work on July 9 when she learned she’d made the final cut.

Now the soon-to-be-famous five have recorded their album and may find themselves on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall at the next annual WI convention.

“To think I might be performing on the same stage where Frank Sinatra once sang!” says Jan, shaking her head. “It’s so surreal.”

D The Voice of the WI by The Harmonies will be released by Universal Records on October 25

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