Editor’s Letter
I tis often said that necessity is the mother of invention, and I have seen that play out in all manner of ways over the past few months. My builder husband has discovered hidden talents as a hairdresser, giving my daughter Ellery an edgy bob that would make Anna Wintour proud. The Weekly’s Deputy Editor Tiffany has relocated to the mountains and developed a gardening addiction no one saw coming. Style Director Mattie has repurposed her bedroom into an impromptu fashion showroom and enlisted the cutest intern ever in two-year-old son Archer. Health and Beauty Editor Brooke has traded her love of infrared saunas for a DIY meditation that involves sliding fully clothed into a heated sleeping bag and floating calmly away from all thoughts of home schooling and deadlines. Editor-at-Large Juliet has reenergised her French after binge watching The Bureau on SBS and is driving everyone mad on Zoom with her hybrid French-English. And our writers have uncovered culinary skills they never knew they possessed by working through the back catalogue of Women’s Weekly cookbooks. (Needless to say, they are pretty excited about the Spring Food special in this issue, which features new recipes from Jamie Oliver, Maggie Beer and Stephanie Alexander as well as our trusty Test Kitchen, pages 158-187)
When it comes to reinvention, our cover star Olivia Newton-John (page 18) is an endless source of inspiration. Not only has she run the gamut musically, she has always faced her own personal challenges with positivity and purpose. And as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of her very memorable, Lycra-clad hit song I am finally moved to follow through on my own lockdown resolution and get Physical! Whether you are thriving or just surviving right now, I hope this issue brings you some joy or, as Juliet would put it, some joie de vivre.