Family first: Emma with ❙ strap strap ❙ a former child soldier Tindy, who she took under her wing
Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins and right Emma with co-star Tom Hanks in Saving Mr Banks
Why Emma’s a By Alison James mma Thompson is one of those actresses who effortlessly seems to inhabit the characters she plays. In her latest film Saving Mr Banks, for instance, she portrays the extremely rude, difficult and fundamentally unhappy P L Travers so brilliantly, it’s a bit of a shock to see Emma as Emma – smiley, funny, casually glamorous and a selfdeprecating national treasure. Mary Poppins may have been Travers’ creation but in the books she was not like the famous Julie Andrews’ version of the flying nanny. In fact, the main premise of Saving Mr Banks is Travers’ intense and very vocal opposition to Walt Disney turning the story into a musical film and making it – and Mary herself – too nice. Emma, however, has more than a touch of the movie Mary about her. She’s been a ‘film’ nanny before, of course. She wrote the screenplay of and played the title role in Nanny McPhee, the kind but firm nanny who tamed a family of motherless children.
E
12
YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
REAL LIFE
Mary Poppins The Oscar-winning actress, tipped for more honours, chats to Yours about fame, family and her toughest film role yet But she also adores children and young people. She and her actor husband, Greg Wise, have a daughter, Gaia (13), but more than 10 years ago, they unofficially adopted Tindy, then 16 years old, an orphan and former child soldier from Rwanda, whom Emma had met at a Refugee Council party in London. “He didn’t have much English, but we just got talking,” she recalls. “His experience had been awful and when he finally got to England after tremendous suffering, the Home Office didn’t believe him. He spent two nights sleeping rough in Trafalgar Square before they finally did. He was such a lovely, enchanting boy, so I said, ‘Come and have Christmas with us’. He came for half the day but slowly, he became
a sort of permanent fixture, came on holiday to Scotland with us and became part of the family. Gaia was three when he joined us and he instantly became her adored big brother. Tindy is now a Human Rights lawyer and we couldn’t be more proud. Family is absolutely everything to me.” Her home life and loved ones may be at the centre of Emma’s world but, after a few quiet years, her career is back in the ascendant. “I accepted the role of PL Travers in Saving Mr Banks before I’d even finished reading the first page of the script,” she explains. “Any actress of my age (Emma is 54) will tell you that roles like this are very thin on the ground. It’s probably the hardest part I’ve ever taken on. Pamela
Travers was such a difficult, inconsistent character and I didn’t know from one minute to the next how she would behave. She had a traumatic childhood and, like many damaged children, invented a character – Mary Poppins – who took her by the hand and led her out into the light.” In 1993 Emma won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Margaret Schlegal in ‘Howards’ End’ and it’s widely tipped she’ll take home the 2014 Best Actress Oscar for playing P L Travers – she has already been nominated for the Golden Globe and for a Screen Actors Guild best actress award. She is, incidentally, the only person in history to win an Oscar for writing (BestAdapted Screenplay for ‘Sense and Sensibility’ in 1995) in addition to acting. “I think the most incredible thing about winning an Oscar is the effect it has on everyone else,” she says. “It’s such an iconic and powerful object. I remember after winning for Howards End, before the flight home I had to hand the Oscar to airport security to hold while I was sorting through my hand luggage. It was passed around and everyone had such reverential expressions on their faces. The Oscars are great fun but you should never allow yourself to feel complacent after winning one. You know...” she pauses. “I can never understand why some people who win an Oscar never have any kind of speech ready. I mean the fact you’ve been nominated means you’ve one chance in four of winning. You should really be prepared. The acceptance speech is part of the performance, I feel.” Emma was recently honoured by Hollywood. Prints of her hands and feet were immortalised in cement
at the word-famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre but there’s no chance of her relocating herself and the family to LA. “Although I like Los Angeles and have some really good friends there, I wouldn’t like to live there,” she says. “It’s a funny old place. When I go there it’s not long before I’m thinking, ‘Does my bum look big in this?’ and by ‘this’ I mean Hollywood. I don’t like the expectation you must be a certain shape and they somehow always find a way to make you feel bad about yourself. I also dislike the hierarchical nature of the movie business in Hollywood – the Star System and the sense of entitlement some actors have. It’s just revolting and quite inexcusable for actors to become grand. Fortunately we don’t have it so much here – everyone’s in it together. It infuriates me when actors keep the crew waiting, for instance. It’s so disrespectful. These people are doing everything they can to make your image on screen be the best it possibly can. What do I do if I’m working with actors like that? I tell them!” John Travolta was one Hollywood star who incurred Emma’s wrath. “I lost my rag with him when we were making the film Primary Colours,” she recalls. “He wasn’t particularly grand but he had this ‘Turnaround’ clause in his contract. What it meant was that if we worked longer hours than was stipulated on one day, we couldn’t be called the next day until those hours had been accounted for. We always tried to finish work on time because of this but one day it proved to be impossible as we only had one day at a particular location and we didn’t finish until 2am. The next day, because of John’s Turnaround clause, we weren’t allowed to start work until 7pm! I was so cross. John came on set and said ‘You’re angry with me, aren’t you’ and I let him know, in no uncertain terms that I was!” What a woman – and one who more than deserves her ‘national treasure’ status. YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
13
PICS: REX FEATURES; GETTY IMAGES; KOBAL;IMAGENET
❙ star chat ❙
Style Anti-ageing handcare notes
Stop your hands giving your age away with our handy guide By Beauty Editor, Michelle Nightingale
SOS… e spend a lot of time (and money) fighting the signs of ageing that show on our faces, but our hands are often an afterthought. “Our hands are constantly exposed to the elements and winter is one of the most challenging times, with harsh winds, extreme cold, central heating and hot water all disrupting the skin’s delicate balance,” explains Noella Gabriel, Director of Product and Treatment Development at Elemis. It’s all these harsh elements that make them age so quickly. “If you want to keep your age a secret then it’s essential you use a product specifically targeted for the hands. Yes, hands are exposed to a lot, but the good news is they do respond quickly to a little TLC.” Hand creams today are pretty impressive, so, whether it’s looking youthful, tackling age spots or improving the appearance of fine lines, younger looking hands are within reach.
W
Meet our experts Clair Rose is the Head of Cosmetics for Dr LeWinn’s, creators of the awardwinning Renunail nailcare range Noella Gabriel is Director of Product and Treatment Development at Elemis
rd Safeguaands your h with SPF
36
m and crea ✓ Wear h nd u ro r a d all ye a targete larly with u g re e s ri am ✓ Moistu g hand cre anti-agein ves whenever arm glo ✓ Wear w ide in winter t water outs r than ho e th ra , ing ith warm fter wash ✓ Wash w nds thoroughly a h s every wa ur ha ✓ Dry yo hand cream after g cleanin ✓ Apply a ber gloves when b ✓ Wear ru oing the dishes or d
STOCKISTS: Aldi 0844 406 8800 www.aldi.co.uk; Boots 0845 609 0055; Cuticura available from Boots, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and independent pharmacies; Dr Lewinn’s 0800 614 242 www.drlewinns.co.uk; Elemis 01773 161 888 www. timetospa.co.uk; L’Occitane 0207 907 0301 www.loccitane.com Details correct at time of going to press
Anti-ageing benefits
Tackle dry patches
“To maintain healthy, happy hands it’s really important to switch to a hand cream that gives maximum protection providing a barrier against the elements without any oiliness,” says Noella. The Elemis ProRadiance Hand and Nail Cream (£23/100ml) has been specially formulated with a combination of lipid-rich oils including avellana seed oil to rejuvenate and repair skin cells, macadamia seed oil to help delay skin ageing and virgin plum oil to protect. Apply before bedtime and then pop on some cotton gloves to really get the most from this gorgeous smelling cream. It’s a bit pricey, but you only need a tiny amount so it will last ages.
In the same way you exfoliate your face, the skin on your hands also needs occasional gentle exfoliation to help it stay looking fresh and youthful. You’ll also find exfoliating will help remove dry patches and improve the skin’s tone and appearance. We like No7’s Revitalising Hand Saviour (£9/75ml), which contains fine salt crystals as well as almond and grape seed oil to leave your hands feeling super soft.
Gentle protection Affordable everyday use Hand creams need to be applied frequently to work best and particularly after washing your hands. For everyday use we love Aldi’s Lacura Pro-Vital AntiAgeing Cream (75p/75ml), which protects against light-induced skin ageing with UV filters and Vitamin E. It AMAZING VALUE also contains glycerine and beeswax to help stop skin drying out.
Alcohol hand serums, although useful, can be very harsh on sensitive skin, which is why we love Cuticura’s Anti-Bacterial Hand Serum (£2.49/50ml). It acts like invisible gloves by protecting hands from germs for up to eight hours and it’s alcohol free so kinder to hands.
Lighten age spots
CLAIR’S TOP TIP For discoloured nails, mix whitening toothpaste with a little lemon juice into a paste and smear over your nails. Leave for five minutes, then wash off.
Know your nails
CLAIR’S TOP TIP
Ragged unsightly nails can also be a big age giveaway, so give them some TLC too. “Hormone changes in your 50s and beyond, can often cause nails to become dry and brittle,” says Clair Rose. “Apart from natural ageing, water is one of the harshest elements that can affect nails, so if you are forever cleaning, looking after the grandchildren or gardening, then nails and hands can easily become dry.”
Have multiple hand creams; keep one in your handbag, by the sink, on your bedside table and anywhere else that will help remind you to apply it regularly.
››
Now visit www.yours.co.uk or more beauty tips and advice
Treat your nails Start with a daily conditioning oil like BEAUTY Dr LeWinn’s Renunail Nourishing EDITOR Oil (£11/14ml), which encourages LOVES healthy growth by moisturising the new nail coming through as well as softening cuticles. If your nails are flaky and hard to grow, a nail strengthening product can also help. Dr LeWinn’s Renunail Nail Strengthener (£17.50/30ml) is calcium enriched to help restore weak and brittle nails. It’s good stuff and you can apply your varnish as normal over the top, but it shouldn’t be used for longer than stated on the directions. You should start to see results in four weeks.
››
Next issue: Get your best hair yet with our no-nonsense guide
PIC: ISTOCKPHOTO
Prevention is better than cure, so use a hand cream with built-in SPF all year round. L’Occitane’s Immortelle Brightening Hand Care SPF 20 (£19/75ml) smooths hands, evens out skin tone to reduce the appearance of age spots and protects against UV rays.
Time of my
life
My first ever school dance
n the Fifties I was a pupil at a prestigious girls’ school in the West Midlands where my mother had one of the first scholarships in the Twenties. It was an all-female establishment, except for the caretaker’s husband who was occasionally seen emerging from their basement flat to attend to some minor DIY job or other. This particular school year would culminate in us sitting the newly introduced O and A-levels and the whole year would be geared to the exams. We were used to having a full timetable, hours of ‘prep’ and little free time. The curriculum did include gymnastics, games, music and art, as well as the basic Three Rs, languages and science, but it left little time for frivolous pursuits. It wasn’t long before rumours began circulating about the ‘sixth form dance’. This was, apparently, the event of the year. Although there was a public school for boys in the town, and, according to hearsay, an invitation had once been extended to their headmaster, it had been refused and our headmistress had forbidden any further discussion on the issue. So, the dance would again be an all-female gathering and, to make up a reasonable number, the fifth years would be invited too, along with all members of staff. The lack of male partners or escorts didn’t bother us; in those days, boys were a comparatively unknown entity. When our official printed invitations arrived with RSVP at the bottom, break time discussions soon turned to what we would wear, followed by immediate consternation when someone innocently asked: “But who can dance?”
I
60
YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
Julia Gracey-Cox remembers the social highlight of her schooldays, with weeks of preparation and no boys allowed! On wet games afternoons we were corralled in the main hall and taught various country dances: Sir Roger de Coverley, Strip the Willow, and Circassian Circle, until a new PE teacher joined the school. Our repertoire was then expanded to include the Gay Gordons; military two-step, and the Valeta, but none of us had a clue how to do ‘proper’ dancing. Indulgent parents financed classes at a local school of dance, and we shuffled, hopped and manoeuvred each other into some semblance of a waltz, quickstep or foxtrot. As one of the tallest in the class I was taught to lead. Years later, as I adopted ballroom dancing as a keen pastime, I had to learn how to follow. Some girls were planning to wear one of their mother’s evening gowns, as we discovered we were expected to turn up in full regalia, but along with several others I wanted to have my own dress. My very talented grandmother made me a fulllength dress of two-tone taffeta with
sweetheart neckline and puffed sleeves. This was very much in vogue with current fashion and she somehow managed to acquire enough white chiffon velvet to make a short cape to go with it. So soon after the war, when things were either still rationed or in very short supply, this was a huge achievement, and my ensemble was a (gratifying) cause of envy for the rest of the girls. It snowed over the last weekend of term, and the taxi collecting me slithered alarmingly on the way to the dance. After assembling in the cloakroom, we trooped up the stone stairs to the hall, which had been beautifully decorated with pre-war Christmas decorations and masses of fresh holly and ivy. It was fascinating to see the staff in all their finery – we had been used to seeing them in nothing more stylish than a skirt and jumper! A large settee had been placed against a far wall and the headmistress sat there, presiding over the evening’s events, during which one was expected to approach her and request the
That year the school had acquired a Dansette record player, so no one was obliged to wind up the ancient gramophone
Brenda Lee ✢ The American singer known as Little Miss Dynamite has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and still packs out international tours aged 69.
Julia’s dress was the envy of her school friends!
pleasure of a dance. She always declined, but patted the cushions on the settee and invited us to ‘sit and chat’ for a few minutes – more of a summons than a request! Around 8pm the supper dance was announced. This was a waltz and it was all pre-arranged that every member of staff would be asked to dance by one of us girls, then be escorted to supper in the dining hall. The catering staff did very well in restricted times, and put on a lovely spread of sandwiches, cakes and biscuits with tea or squash. Cheese-andpineapple, sausages and chicken legs were unobtainable, so none of us were very concerned. After supper the dancing livened up a
Yours
wants to KNOW
bit, and as that year the school had acquired a Dansette record player, no one was obliged to wind up the ancient gramophone. At 9.30pm the last dance, Sir Roger de Coverley, saw everyone on the dance floor – even the headmistress – then, after the National Anthem, we caught our waiting taxis or were picked up by our parents, and that was the end of the sixth form dance for another year. The dance committee were allowed into the building on the Sunday to clear away the decorations, then the hall reverted to its usual unadorned self for lessons for the last few days of the term, as if nothing had ever happened!
Have you got an amazing story to tell? We’ll pay up to £100 for every story we print. Send your story (no more than 1,000 words) and pictures to: ‘Your Memories’, Yours magazine, Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Peterborough PE2 6EA. Or you can email your stories and pictures to lizzy.dening@bauermedia.co.uk
✢ Her first ‘hit’ was at a school event, aged five. She wore a homemade evening gown, won the talent show and was runnerup in the beauty contest. It led to a year of appearances on a radio show sponsored by an ice-cream company – and all the cornets she could eat! ✢ Her string of hits, mainly in the Sixties, include Sweet Nothings, and Speak to Me Pretty (number three in the UK charts). ✢ Brenda met husband Ronnie at a Jackie Wilson concert. They celebrated their golden wedding this year and have two daughters and two granddaughters – born on the same date eight years apart. ✢ Until his death in 1982, Brenda’s dance moves were choreographed by Richard Barstow, who also worked with Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly and Judy Garland. ✢ Brenda’s latest album, Fools Rush In, was released in October (Play 24-7 label). An album of gospel duets was also released this year in the US but is available through her website – www.brendalee.com YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
61
PICS: GETTY IMAGES; ALAMY
e
My very talented grandmother made me a dress of twotone taffeta with sweetheart neckline
5
delicious ideas
forleftovers
Use it all up: the turkey, the veg, the pud – even the cranberry sauce! Turkey, Sweet Potato and Vegetable Cottage Pie
Serves 4
Per serving 610 cals
Fat 15.8g
Sat fat 7.8g
This lovely pie uses up all sorts, including any leftover cheese Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 25-30 minutes
n n n n n n n n n n n n n n
50g (2oz) plain flour 350ml (12fl oz) stock 2 tbsp cranberry sauce Nutmeg, to taste 2 tsp honey 500g (1lb) leftover turkey, cut into chunks 400g (13oz) leftover mixed vegetables, cut into chunks Spinach, watercress and/or cabbage (optional) 3-4 large sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed 100g (3½oz) leftover cheese Cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and/or curry powder (optional) Cracked black pepper 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed 5 sprigs thyme
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. 2. Over a medium heat, place the flour in a pan, add a little lukewarm stock and mix well. Boil remaining stock, then pour in half and stir well until all lumps have dissolved. Carry on adding stock until the desired thickness is reached. 3. Add the cranberry sauce, nutmeg, and honey. Adjust seasoning if necessary. 4. Add turkey and vegetables, and gently mix. At this stage you can also add any spinach, cabbage and/or watercress. Pour into an ovenproof dish. 5. Season the sweet potatoes with the spices of your choice, add the cheese (grated, or mixed with the potatoes), and top your pie mix. 6. Decorate with garlic and thyme before cooking for 2530 minutes, until piping hot and golden. © www.lovesweetpotatoes.com/scott-farms
72
YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
Turkey Laksa This dish also works well with chicken or prawns, post-Christmas Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes
n 4 tbsp Laksa paste n 500ml (17½fl oz) chicken stock n 200g (7oz) turkey meat, shredded n 300g (10oz) ribbon rice noodles (straight to wok) n 3 tbsp 0% fat natural yogurt
n Handful bean sprouts n ¼ cucumber, cut into strips n 2 spring onions, trimmed and cut n 4 radishes, cut into wedges n Small bunch coriander n Lime, for dressing
FOOD
notes
Christmas Pudding Cheesecake A truly indulgent dessert, to finish off that pud! Preparation time: 20 minutes Chilling time: overnight
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
200g (7oz) digestive biscuits, crushed 100g (3½oz) butter, melted 200g (7oz) cream cheese 50g (2oz) icing sugar 450g (14oz) Christmas pudding – cooked, cooled and crumbled 300ml (10fl oz) double cream, whipped 2 leaves gelatine 2 tbsp rum (or milk) Sprig of redcurrants, to garnish
Serves 10
Per serving 578 cals
Fat 43g
TOP TIP Reduce the fat and saturated fat content by using low fat cream cheese and low fat double cream
Sat fat 26g
1. Line a 20cm (8in) loosebottomed cake tin with baking paper. 2. Place the crushed digestive biscuits and melted butter into a bowl and mix well. Press the biscuit mix into the base of the lined cake tin. Level and chill for10 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese, icing sugar and crumbled pudding together. Then, fold the whipped cream into the mix. 4. Soak the gelatine in cold water
for 2 minutes, until softened. 5. Warm the rum (or milk) in a small pan. Add the softened gelatine and stir to melt. Pour into the cream cheese mixture and stir through. 6. Spoon the mix over the chilled biscuit base, level with a palette knife and chill overnight. 7. Decorate with fresh redcurrants, and allow to come to room temperature before serving. © www.foxs-puddings.co.uk
TOP TIP Can’t find Laksa paste? Use Thai Red Curry paste instead
1. In a large saucepan, cook the Laksa paste for a few minutes until it becomes fragrant. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer. 2. Add the turkey and noodles, and bring to a simmer again. Stir with a fork to break up the noodles. Remove from heat and stir through the yogurt. 3. Divide the bean sprouts between two bowls, ladle over the Laksa and top with the cucumber, spring onion, radish and coriander. Finish with a squeeze of lime. © www.yeovalley.co.uk for more information Serves Per serving 2 292 cals
Fat 2g
Sat fat 0.4g YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
Bags of
fun DIFFICULTY RATING
★★ A pretty, floral bag that can be crocheted on the go Compiled by Alex Frisby
Bag measures 32.5x30cm (13x12in)
YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
HOME
& craft Materials:
✢ Rooster Almerino DK (50 per cent baby alpaca/50 per cent merino wool) light worsted yarn ✢ 1 x 50g (2oz) ball of 201 Cornish, 204 Grape, 214 Damson, 211 Brighton Rock, 203 Strawberry Cream, 219 Sandcastle, 216 Pier and 217 Beach ✢ 5mm (US size H/8) crochet hook ✢ 55x75cm (22x30in) piece of lining fabric ✢ Sewing needle and matching thread
Tension Flowers measure approx 5cm (2in) diameter, using 5mm (US size H/8 hook) Crochet the flowers ✢ Make 207 flowers; 25 in each of 8 colours, plus 7 more ✢ Make 3ch, join with a ss in first ch to form a ring. ✢ Round 1 (RS) 1ch, 6dc in ring, join with a ss in first dc. Cont with RS facing. ✢ Round 2 *2ch, 1PC in same st place as last ss, 2ch, 1ss in next st; rep from * to end working last ss at base of first 2ch. (6 petals) Fasten off.
1
Finishing ✢ Arrange flowers in rows, fitting them together in a staggered position with petals interlocking – so you have a row of nine, then ten, then nine again and so on. Place colours randomly. ✢ Sew 179 flowers together as above, WS facing, into a panel 35x63cm (13¾x 24¾in). Reserve 28 flowers for the handles. Keep the top and bottom edges as neat as possible, but along the longer sides, expect the petals to overlap the perimeters. These uneven edges will later be gathered into the seams. ✢ Fold the finished panel in half widthways, RS together, to form the bag. Pin and sew side seams. Turn RS out. ✢ Join 14 flowers for each handle. Pin and sew the handle ends to the inside of the bag, with the first and last flowers partly inside.
2
››
Abbreviations ch chain; cont continu(e/ing); dc double crochet; rep repeat; RS right side; ss slip stitch; st(s) stitches; tr treble; WS wrong side
Special abbreviation PC popcorn - work 4tr in same st, pull up the loop of 4th tr slightly and remove hook, then insert hook in top of 1st tr (picking up top 2 loops of st), reinsert hook in dropped loop of 4th tr (3 loops on hook), pull 4th tr though 1st tr and pull firmly.
Handles ✢ Cut two strips of lining fabric, 60x4cm (23¾x1¾in). Fold both long, raw edges into the centre of the WS, and press. ✢ Pin and hand sew onto WS of the centre of the crochet handle, then stitch along both long edges.
3
Lining ✢ This will help to strengthen the handles and keep the bag in shape ✢ Measure the bag width. Then measure from the top, around the bottom, and back up to the top. Cut fabric to fit this rectangular measurement, adding a 1.5cm (5/8in) seam allowance. For the best effect, ✢ Fold lining in half, RS together interlock petals of into the bag shape, and sew different colours side seams. ✢ Fit lining in bag. Fold the top edge of the lining back down between the lining and crochet fabric. Pin to secure this top edge, then hand sew into place.
4
Now visit www.yours.co.uk for more exciting craft projects and ideas
Cute and Easy Crochet with Flowers by Nikki Trench is published by CICO Books at £12.99. Yours readers can call 01256 302699, quoting GLR8JF, to purchase a copy at the special price of £9.99 including free UK p&p. Visit www.cicobooks.co.uk
››
Next issue: Make a decorative YOURS YOURS EVERY FORTNIGHT EVERY FORTNIGHT letter carrier for your home
y your stars y
horoscopes ght
Astrologer Lynne Ewart predicts what’s in store for you
this fortni
Between December 28 and January 6 The cosmos is making ‘sort it out’ shapes as 2013 closes, so news headlines may be dramatic, with prominent partnerships or alliances being challenged. As 2014 begins, there’s a fresh start new Moon hinting of changes at the top of key organisations.
PIC: REX FEATURES
If it’s your birthday this fortnight…
…you are Capricorn like Rick Stein, born January 4, 1947. Capricorns often have a harder time fitting in in early life, but their eyes sparkle with quiet mischief, and they get better looking with age! Rick’s birth chart reveals an intense ‘finger of Fate’ that occasionally triggers a new direction. With a restless Gemini Moon, he’s suited to a career that allows him to both talk and travel, while Saturn and Pluto in Leo add a fierce passion to control his own destiny. Cosmic activity over April spells significant changes at root level.
CAPRICORN
TAURUS
VIRGO
December 22-Jan20 Your festive phase looks hectic, but then a new Moon on January 1 marks a personal fresh start for you, with a real ‘off with the old, on with the new’ theme. Thought for the fortnight: Resolutions will be kept. B For a weekly update call 09044 705709
Apr 21-May 21 You are either itching to spread your wings, or else feeling pressured to start doing something new. Once you get into the New Year, you’ll fly. Thought for the fortnight: Things will improve. B For a weekly update call 09044 705701
Aug 24-Sept 22 Love, happiness and friendships are accentuated, and some spur of the moment outlays could be made, which are nothing to do with the festive season! Thought for the fortnight: Be true to your own hopes and dreams. B For a weekly update call 09044 705705
AQUARIUS
GEMINI
Jan 21-Feb18 Your rebel planet Uranus is stirring you deliciously wacky Aquarians to spring surprises, such as booking a trip to the moon or maybe something slightly less extreme! Thought for the fortnight: You’ll get to the bottom of things. B For a weekly update call 09044 705710
May 22-June 21 Committing to something that makes your heart sing could be on your mind, but first there’s something to get clear of. With your steely willpower, you should succeed. Thought for the fortnight: When a Gemini focuses, anything is possible. B For a weekly update call 09044 705702
LIBRA
PISCES
CANCER
SCORPIO
Feb 19-Mar 20 You may be under some extra pressure from all that has to happen in a fairly short space of time, but, probably to your surprise, you will get there! Thought for the fortnight: Much clicks into place January 4-6. B For a weekly update call 09044 705711
June 22-July 22 Much of your attention could be on an on-going revitalisation or changeover process, possibly for someone close. Thought for the fortnight: Life becomes smoother around January 4. B For a weekly update call 09044 705703
Oct 24-Nov 22 You could be weighing up options concerning work or surroundings. Something you’re wary of could turn out better than anticipated. Thought for the fortnight: The month of July could be a starting point. B For a weekly update call 09044 705707
ARIES
LEO
SAGITTARIUS
Mar 21-Apr20 Being a real team player could turn you into quite a hero over what looks like a hectic chopping and changing work or family phase as 2013 closes. Thought for the fortnight: A transformation is ahead. B For a weekly update call 09044 705700
July 23-Aug 23 Your focus beyond Christmas could be on work , fitness, or other changes. Journeys may be rearranged or venues switched, so try to stay flexible. Thought for the fortnight: Expert advice sounds helpful. B For a weekly update call 09044 705704
Nov 23-Dec 21 The cosmos is feisty as December meets January, energising you to shed something you no longer want or need. Thought for the fortnight: Early January brings a special family celebration. B For a weekly update call 09044 705708
Sept 23-Oct 23 With action planet Mars in Libra, you could be busy with something that has to be done in order to free yourself up for a new chapter. Thought for the fortnight: Green lights flash over that all-change festive plan. B For a weekly update call 09044 705706
Calls cost 66p per minute from a BT landline. Calls from other operators and mobiles may vary. Weekly readings last approx five minutes, monthly readings approx nine minutes, year ahead readings approx 13 minutes. For entertainment purposes only. Users must be over 18. Service provider: Spoke. Customer services helpline: 0845 270 8302 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm). www.lynneewart.com YOURS
EVERY FORTNIGHT
113