‘The job swap I would say
yes to!’
By Christine Smith ooking every inch the glamorous grandmother, it’s hard to believe Mary Berry turned 80 this year. With a new TV series, Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites, set to start on BBC2, a new book out to accompany the series packed with an all-new collection of more than 100 recipes and another Great British Bake Off returning in the autumn, Mary is busier than ever. And while some of her peers would rather put their feet up, Mary likes nothing better than being on the go. Indeed, the 80-year-old – who celebrated her landmark birthday in March with a dinner party for her closest friends – reveals she regularly rises at 6am to kickstart her busy day and won’t sit down properly again until her meal and glass of white
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With a new series set to start, Mary Berry chats about her keys for success and a dream job wine in the evening. A treat to a spa wouldn’t happen, she says, because it’s a waste of her valuable time. And being super organised is, she thinks, the reason she is still working today. “I certainly wouldn’t go to a spa,” she declares. “To me, that would be a waste of time. For me, it’s all about being organised and I am very organised. I never leave anything to do for the morning and I will put jumpers out the night before along with my shoes and scarves. I don’t want to get stressed out. “It’s a lot easier now the kids aren’t little! I can remember trying to juggle working when they were ill off school. It was tough! I still do leave lists out for my husband, Paul, too!” With a trusted notepad by her
bedside to jot down sudden flashes of inspiration in the middle of the night, Mary admits that, despite the success she has found over the last five decades, she still worries about whether people will invite her back again – a revelation that will come as a huge surprise to many. “There was never one big moment in my life where I realised cooking was what I was going to do,” reveals the likeable judge. “I’ve always known I enjoyed working and I hope I have taken every opportunity that has been offered to me. You never are too sure of yourself. Even when you are offered something, you always get nervous if you are going to be asked again. They could say you are rubbish.
❙ star chat ❙
“That said, it is now a huge joy for me to be able to say no to things! Some TV things people ask me to do, I don’t want to do. I like food programmes and some of the interview shows – but they have to be right.” Crediting her trusted assistant Lucy, who has worked with Mary for 25 years, as her right-hand woman, Mary says she still loves working in TV just as much as she did when she first started. Reflecting on how much television-making has changed over the years, Mary muses: “I can remember Judith Chalmers telling me that if I didn’t make it fun and interesting, people would switch off. You do have to think of it as a mass of people watching. I don’t get in a state any more. When I first started, you had to do everything – leave home at 6am with the pots, pans and ingredients and lay it all out on a trestle table. Now it’s so wonderful to have so much help and backing – although I still do bring along things like a bunch of parsley because I want it to be the best. “And I have learned a lot, too. At the beginning, they’d say things like ‘Shall we go from the top’. I was very nervous and I’d think, ‘Where is the top?’ They didn’t tell you where to look or what to do.” Did she ever think she’d become as popular and so well-loved as she has done? “You can’t go back can you?” replies Mary. “I know I enjoyed it from
‘I am very organised. I never leave anything to do for the morning’
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PICS: EDWARD LLOYD/ALPHA PRESS, REX SHUTTERSTOCK, DAN WOOLLER/REX SHUTTERSTOCK
Top: Mary cooking with her children in the Seventies; with hubby Paul (above right); and with daughter Annabel and grandsons, who call her ‘Granny Cocoa’!
ability to do it but she isn’t going to.” But what do her grandchildren think of their famous granny showing so many people how to bake the perfect cake? “Oh I am just granny to them,” she says, laughing. Looking young and fighting fit today as the beginning. Now we chat at the launch of her new you can’t imagine life TV series, Mary says she is slowly without a freezer but but surely recovering from a knee back then we started replacement operation in January. out with just a mixer She says she hopes to be back on and a grill, then the tennis court very shortly and along came foil and credits her husband, Paul, for being clingfilm!” so supportive in her recovery battle. In Mary’s Absolute Favourites Indeed for the first time in their new series, she visits the seaside as marriage, it was he who was in she fondly recalls many a family trip charge of the kitchen. to Salcombe in Devon; a trip to find “He had to unload the dishwasher wild mushrooms, a visit to a farm and do everything,” she chuckles. country shop (one of Mary’s absolute “But I was really grateful. I’m feeling a favourites) and a rummage around lot better now.” the allotment. Gardening, she says, What’s so nice about Mary is she is her other big passion in life, aside is so unassuming. Ask her about how from baking. “I am a fair-weather flattered she must feel to be a style gardener but I do love it,” she says. icon for the older generation and she “And if I could swap places with simply says it’s good to wear bright anybody for 24 hours, it would have clothes. “I hope I do dress for my age,” Mary remarks. “People my age are often dressed in rather dark colours. I don’t wear skirts that are too low either. But I do think we are so lucky now with the choice.” Mary does have help from a TV stylist with her wardrobe but loves nothing better than being able to pick items up herself when she can. to be with a presenter of the Chelsea She sees close friend and fellow coFlower Show!” star, Paul Hollywood, as much as she Cooking with her grandchildren can but insists she didn’t feel strange is, without a shadow of doubt, Mary’s recording a show without him. favourite pastime. Affectionately “It didn’t feel weird and besides, called Granny Cocoa by them, she there were plenty of people on set I says she definitely won’t be putting could ask,” she says. “We are a team.” pressure on them to follow in their Looking at the specialist chefs famous grandmother’s like Madhur Jaffrey and Ken Hom footsteps. “Oh gosh no,” for her own inspiration, Mary says ✢ Mary Berry’s she says clearly. she never takes anything for “I loved teaching granted. Absolute Favourites from the beginning “I do feel lucky,” she says. starts on BBC2 on May but I don’t think any 15. The book of the same “I love baking and to be able to of them will follow. name is available from make a show about my absolute My daughter has the favourites has been fantastic…” bookshops and
❧A LOVING WELCOME INTO THE WORLD…
Sleeping
cutie
With Princess Charlotte just over a week old, we celebrate her birth and look at what lies ahead for the Cambridges as three become four t was the moment we’d all been waiting for – the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s new baby – a dear daughter for William and Kate and a little sister for George. And as the proud parents showed off their new arrival, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana, on the footsteps of London’s St Mary’s Hospital, the little princess took it all in her stride – sleeping peacefully in her mother’s arms. George took it all in his stride too – with a
I Off to meet his sister: William with Prince George outside the hospital YOURS
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little help and reassuring words from William as they arrived at the hospital. “You okay? Good boy. Give a wave,” he was heard to say. But it’s now that the family is home and out of the media spotlight that the new chapter in the Cambridge’s lives will really start – adjusting to being a family of four. Prince William was quoted in March as saying, ‘It will be a game-changer,’ and he’s right. Now they are a quartet rather than a trio life will be different. As parents, both Kate and William
P
… PRINCESS CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH DIANA
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Oyez, oyez: a town crier announces the news outside St Mary’s Hospital; the official written notice outside Buckingham Palace and a canine royal fan, Derek the police dog, waits for news...
Getting on famously: Inset, above left, Prince Charles gives his little sister Anne a peck on the cheek and right, Prince William gives Harry a cuddle
congratulations to all four of them! ✢ If you’d like to find out more about the history of royal babies, the Royal Baby Book by Yours writer Alison James is available from www.amazon.co.uk
Yours readers say:
Here’s how Yours readers on Facebook welcomed the good news… ❧ Congratulations to them on the birth of a daughter… a little sister for George – how wonderful! Jeanette Odonnell on dle name and also her mum’s so it’s ❧ Lovely names. Elizabeth is Kate’s mid e Wagstaff both sides of the family. Carole Ann lovely the feminine version of his name. A ❧ Prince Charles will be very proudrywith Cartwright set of names for her. Elizabeth Ma ie at ’d be named! Hope they call her Lott ❧ Love it… it’s just what I thought she name too! Sharon Wells home. Glad she is carrying Diana’s family life – leave them alone to have a normal ❧ A very lovely name. Now can weckle YOURS EVERY FORTNIGHT bank for a few months at least. Irene Bro
WORDS: ALISON JAMES PICS: REX SHUTTERSTOCK, ALAMY, GETTY IMAGES
For now we are unlikely to see the family in public again until the christening, which is expected to take place at the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace. Royal watchers say the date is likely to be some time in July. We send our
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face the challenge of ensuring George, nearly two, doesn’t feel left out with all the attention on the baby. It’s a situation parents face the world over – royal or not. There’s no doubt they will ensure the brother and sister will be treated equally. Just as William’s mother, the late Princess Diana had done. Whenever, as a child, William, was photographed in an official capacity, Diana would insist that Harry be included, too. For Prince George it will certainly be strange at first. Who is that baby and why is everyone making so much fuss? Although according to his Auntie Pippa he’s ‘a very characterful, dear boy,’ so once he adjusts he’ll no doubt start showing his sister the ropes!
Style notes
7 ways to
healthy hair
Handy tips to strengthen your hair, from the inside out By Lizzy Dening
Wash it well Concentrate your shampoo on your scalp, giving it a gentle massage as you go to encourage healthy hair growth. Always use a conditioning product on the tips of your hair for increased shine and some UV protection. As we get older our scalps produce less oil, so your hair may need washing less frequently than it used to. However, if you find skin flakes in your hair that’s a sign that you might need to wash it more often.
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Dry your hair with care
Go DIY…
If you usually blast your hair with a dryer without towel drying it first, you could be doing more harm than good. Dripping wet hair is susceptible to breaking and it will be harder to style. Instead, carefully pat it dry with a towel and leave it to dry naturally until barely damp then you can set it with a dryer into the style you want.
For a cheap treat that will leave your hair shiny and strong, raid your kitchen cupboards. Mash 200g (7oz) of strawberries with an egg yolk and 2 tbsp olive oil. Apply the mask to your hair, pop on a plastic shower cap, and leave for 20-30 mins before rinsing off. If that’s too much effort, dry hair will thank you for a massage with coconut oil before wrapping in a warm towel and rinsing out after 15 mins.
If you use straighteners, curling irons or other heated devices, always use a protecting spray beforehand. Use them on the lowest setting possible and try to restrict yourself to only using them every other day. Taking care of your hairbrush – giving it a regular rinse with soap and warm water will reduce the oil between bristles that can dirty your hair.
If you usually blast your hair with a dryer without towelling it dry first, you could be doing more harm than good
Boost your locks Fine, flat or thinning hair are all common concerns (by the age of 60 almost half of us will have suffered hair loss) but limp hair can easily be disguised. Firstly, visit your doctor to have your thyroid and hormones checked, as hair loss can be a symptom of hormonal changes. Then invest in a volume-boosting shampoo and root-lift spray to use when blow drying and visit your hairdresser for a layered cut to maximise volume and disguise gaps. Avoid leave-in conditioners, which can weigh fine hair down.
Summer protection It’s not just your skin that needs sun protection, your hair can also be left dry and damaged after a day on the beach. Where possible, wear a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face, scalp and hair, and follow with a deep conditioning treatment next time you wash it. It will also benefit from a good rinse after swimming – or you could use a special sun- or chlorine-protection spray before you get in.
Eat right Healthy hair can be yours, with just a few diet tweaks. A lack of iron can cause hair loss, so eat iron-rich foods such as liver, branflakes, soya products, or take a supplement. Protein and zinc-rich ingredients will also fight hair loss – try pumpkin seeds, shellfish, egg yolk and wheatgerm.
Get volume into your hair – the natural way! Has your hair been affected by the cold winter weather? Or is your hair damaged by colouring, brushing and over washing? Both can leave your hair broken, matte and flat. Give your hair the health boost it needs with New Nordic Hair Volume™. New Nordic™ have used long-established traditions from Sweden and have combined high-quality ingredients to produce a supplement specifically designed to make your hair healthier. Hair Volume™ strengthens your hair and its roots from within and helps to increase volume. Hair Volume™ contains flavonoids from apple and millet, which are rich in herbal ingredients that stimulate your hair’s cells to form keratin. Together with amino acids, horsetail and biotin the formulation works as a stimulant on hair growth and makes your hair both stronger and more voluminous. It also contains copper, which could help to stop your colour fading – and zinc, which may help strengthen your hair, skin and nails too. ✢ New Nordic Hair Volume £24.95/30 tablets or £59.95/90 tablets (a three-month supply) available from www.newnordic.co.uk
✢ See your GP before taking vitamin supplements or herbal remedies, particularly if you take prescribed medicines. Always speak to your GP before stopping any medication or before starting any diet or exercise regime. YOURS
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PICS: SHUTTERSTOCK, GETTY IMAGES
Turn down the heat
Good to KNOW...
Be
HAPPY
...today!
Improve your mood with By Lizzy Dening
Meet our expert Annie Kaszina is an author, speaker and relationship coach who specialises in boosting happiness in mature women
e’d all like to feel happier and it turns out that a spot of smiling can also work wonders for your health. In a study of 52-79 year-olds, those who felt the happiest and most content lived the longest, plus there are numerous reports that a happy mindset will boost your immunity, too. So forget all your troubles and get happy with these expert tips!
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Pop your problems down on paper Write down a list of everything that’s bothering you or getting you down, then crumple up the paper and throw it in the bin. It might sound a bit strange, but treating your negative thoughts as physical things to be binned has been scientifically proven to help you feel better. Meanwhile, write down happy thoughts, memories and compliments people give you into a diary and look back on them Bin negative whenever you thoughts for good! need a pickme-up.
TREAT YOURSELF
Retail therapy may not cure depression, but there is a case for buying a bunch of flowers for yourself once in a while. A scientific study found that looking at flowers first thing in the morning leads to increased happiness and energy, as well as a decrease in anxiety – a perfect excuse for a little treat at the supermarket! Choose a yellow variety – widely regarded as a ‘good mood’ colour – for extra chirpiness. 60
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these easy tips Shut out ‘that little voice’ We’ve always been taught that you should treat others as you’d like to be treated, but sometimes the way we treat ourselves is rather unkind. If you are self-critical of your body, attitude or anything else, you need to silence that little voice in your head. “That’s no way to speak to anyone, including yourself,” says relationship coach Annie Kaszina. “Next time you catch yourself putting yourself down, shout – and I do mean shout out loud (assuming you’re alone!) – ‘Stop it, you nasty little voice. If you don’t have a good word to say, just be quiet!’”
“Ask yourself how the six-year-old you would respond to situations,” says Annie. “She wouldn’t make everything into a catastrophe in the same way as you. If you’ve had a disagreement with a friend or family member, she’d probably try to comfort you with a hug, tell you a similar story about something she did which had since blown over and distract you with a joke. Be kind to yourself in the same way. “At the very least, you might end up having more fun imagining what your response would have been as a child – remember, on average, children laugh more than 300 times a day while adults only manage 17.”
Get outside
Fresh air will make you feel better
Now that summer is just around the corner, there’s no excuse not to get out and about – and green spaces are sure to lift your spirits. In fact, a study has shown that even looking at photos of nature can stimulate the parts of your brain associated with positivity and emotional stability. Plus a stroll around your local park will not only help your body to produce Vitamin D (low levels have been linked to depression) but the exercise will help to clear your mind and release feelgood hormones called endorphins. Get those trainers on now!
QUICK TRICK
For a quick positivity boost, grab hold of a pencil... “Grip it between your teeth, as near to your back teeth as you can,” says Annie, “this will force your mouth into a sort of smile. Now say out loud whatever is frustrating or upsetting you. Do it five times and you’ll start to feel better. It sounds silly, but working physical smile muscles makes you feel happier.”
A stroll around your local park will not only help your body to produce Vitamin D but the exercise will help to clear your mind Listen to music We all remember the rush of our favourite song coming on at a disco, so hunt down all those ‘feel-good’ songs you know and love and give them a good blast! Numerous studies have proven the endorphin-boosting qualities of upbeat music, with classical music reducing stress in public speakers, folk and contemporary reducing the symptoms of pain at the dentist and listening to music in general
helping to reduce blood pressure and raise your mood. Even a quick blast of a great song while cooking dinner is sure to leave you smiling – and if you dance around enough to get your blood pumping, you’ll benefit from exercise endorphins too! ✢ For our favourite pick-me-up tracks, visit www.yours.co.uk
There’s plenty more happiness tips at www.yours.co.uk/tags/happy
PICS: SHUTTERSTOCK, GETTY IMAGES, ALAMY, ISTOCKPHOTO
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DON’T ACT YOUR AGE
HOME
& craft
Love your laundry Brighten up the weekly chore of washing with this handy bag Compiled by Claire Williams
Materials:
✢ Piece of cotton fabric measuring 102x30cm (40x30in) ✢ 117cm (46in) cord for the drawstring ✢ Scraps of coloured fabric for the appliqué ✢ Spray fabric adhesive ✢ Large safety pin ✢ Sewing machine with embroidery foot
DIFFICULTY RATING
★★
Top tip Y ou c ould make
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s malle r ve rsions of t his bag t o l st or e s hoe s in
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Instructions: Put a mark on each side of the fabric, about 20.3cm (8in) from the top. Drop the feed dogs (grippers under the foot) on your machine and use the free-motion embroidery foot to stitch
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Zigzag stitch all the way round the raw edges of the main fabric to prevent fraying. Starting about 12.7cm (5in) from the top, sew the two side edges together, right sides together, with a wide seam allowance of 3.8cm (1½in).
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Fold over the top edge of the fabric twice to make a hem around 2.5cm (1in) deep. Top stitch the hem.
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a washing line across the tops of the garments, beginning and ending at your marks. Repeat to make them stand out. Sew round each of the garments to hold them in place, and stitch pegs.
Open out the base of the bag so that the seam is central, and sew straight across the bottom.
Turn the right way round and press. Place the safety pin on the end of the cord and thread through the top hem. Tie the two ends together.
✢ Project taken from Sew Useful by Debbie Shore, published by Search press, £9.99.
✢ NEXT ISSUE Keep your keys safe and visible with this idea – and no need to use a sewing machine
You can find more free home craft patterns at www.yours.co.uk/knitting-and-craft
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Cut out little shapes for clothes from the scraps of fabric. They should measure around 7.5cm (3in) high. Spray the backs with the glue and position across the fabric.
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y your stars y
horoscopes ght
Astrologer Lynne Ewart predicts what’s in store for you
this fortni
Between May 12 and May 25 Action planet Mars has arrived in chatty, restless Gemini, making us more inclined to want to be heard, and to be mobile, getting out and about, meeting people and exchanging news. From the 19th some people will be raking over old coals!
PIC: ALAMY
If it’s your birthday this fortnight…
…you are Taurus, like Zoe Wanamaker, born May 13, 1949. Taureans are a wonderfully steadfast friend, a great person to have on your side, as they commit and mean it. They love a wee flirtation, too, usually all in good fun! Zoe’s paternal grandfather was Ukrainian, leading to her unusual name. Her chart shows domestic expansion, with happy family news ahead. She’ll be given an excellent career go-ahead by July, too.
TAURUS
VIRGO
CAPRICORN
Apr 21-May 21 You’ll know exactly what you want, and probably find it, too, in this ‘changeover’ phase, where buying and selling could feature and lost items are found. Thought for the fortnight: A friend will be making news. B For a weekly update call 09044 705701
Aug 24-Sept 22 You could slip into the role of ‘wise but determined champion’ now, so get ready to quietly persevere with a goal as you really can make a difference. Thought for the fortnight: Second chances feature. B For a weekly update call 09044 705705
December 22-Jan 20 A new Moon forms in your horoscope house of love, and yet your skills are also highlighted, so for some, doing what you love might lead to a job. Thought for the fortnight: Studies could be significant. B For a weekly update call 09044 705709
GEMINI
LIBRA
AQUARIUS
May 22-June 21 Mars brings out your feisty side, starting new projects, getting yourself at long last back into a familiar routine and, in some instances, standing up to be counted. Thought for the fortnight: Memory lane is revisited. B For a weekly update call 09044 705702
Sept 23-Oct 23 Lively ‘let’s go do things!’ Mars has you feeling adventurous, adding a spring to your step or maybe to your mood, as you get beyond a stumbling block. Thought for the fortnight: A ‘back-to-school’ plan could be forming. B For a weekly update call 09044 705706
Jan 21-Feb 18 There’s so much you want to do, once you get by a particular milestone, and yet every small step looks like it’s a move in the right direction. Thought for the fortnight: Family ties warm your heart in mid-May. B For a weekly update call 09044 705710
CANCER
SCORPIO
PISCES
June 22-July 22 The presence of Venus in your sign will light up your kind and hospitable qualities, while Saturn reminds you of the importance of fitness. Thought for the fortnight: A disciplined effort could bring great results. B For a weekly update call 09044 705703
Oct 24-Nov 22 Sensible old Saturn might be reminding you to be realistic about limits, whether that’s being wise with resources or walking rather than running. Thought for the fortnight: Watch out for Saturn’s influence until early June. B For a weekly update call 09044 705707
Feb 19-Mar 20 Expect a busy time on your family or home front, with Mars acting as the cosmic whip-cracker, stirring you to want to tackle a task list. Thought for the fortnight: Long-awaited words may finally be spoken. B For a weekly update call 09044 705711
LEO
SAGITTARIUS
ARIES
July 23-Aug 23 You’re in the mood to get circulating and your community spirit is rising now that Mars stirs your horoscope house of friendship this fortnight. Thought for the fortnight: It’s time to keep a promise. B For a weekly update call 09044 705704
Nov 23-Dec 21 The spotlight is on what’s happening with those around you – and trying to second guess some people may not be easy, possibly due to their own lives being unsettled. Thought for the fortnight: Plans start coming together. B For a weekly update call 09044 705708
Mar 21-Apr 20 Your action planet Mars has you itching to be communicating or off on an adventure, and if you find you’re a bit outspoken now and then, too, that’s also Mars! Thought for the fortnight: Double-check arrangements. B For a weekly update call 09044 705700
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
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