Happy Spring everyone
This time of year gets me thinking about shopping.
I’ve been a more mindful spender over the past few months (huge sigh of relief from my husband Adrian) because we’re building an extension on our kitchen and every penny is needed for DIY and home improvements. I’ve been amazed at how much money can be saved by bringing a packed lunch to work and basically not going into shops. “Funny that!” says Adrian. When the weather gets warmer, though, a trip to the high street or a scroll through fashion websites is hard to resist. Most of us have a summer event in the diary to look forward to – a wedding, a day at the races or even just a barbecue with friends – and getting dressed for the occasion is all part of the fun. Our dress code feature by fashion journalist
Clare Coulson (p86) will give you all the inspiration you need to choose the right outfit and arrive feeling confident. It doesn’t seem like that long ago that it was impossible to find an outfit with sleeves but now the shops are packed with midi-length, belted dresses that are so flattering, which is a relief.
I most definitely prefer to keep my upper arms covered – unlike our cover star this month, BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin (p10). Now if anyone was ever going to inspire you to take up exercise, Louise is the woman. She started doing triathlons at the age of 44 and it’s not just her arms that are toned – she exudes that glow and positivity only a healthy lifestyle can bring. I’m thinking triathlon might be a step too far for me, but I’ve been doing some very gentle running since our shoot with Louise.
This month sees the launch of the 2019 amazing women awards in partnership with hotter. Last year, we were blown away by the nominees – women aged over 50 doing incredible things in all walks of life, from the arts and business to local communities and the environment. the hotter Community hero
categories need you to put forward women you know who inspire you, so do turn to p46 to find out how you can nominate. We are delighted to have Hotter on board as our partner this year, as they share our passion for celebrating the life stories of grown-up women.
One feature really made me chuckle this month. Our regular series My life in a picture was created to tap into our love of nostalgia, and this one (p49) really hit the mark with me. Writer anstey harris remembers the time when she was 15 and her mum hid the phone because she was always making long calls to her mates. This was the 80s and well before we all had mobiles, and it was the thing to spend hours on the landline to your friends, even if you’d been with them all day at school. I used to sit on the stairs in our hallway gossiping to the girls I’d just left at the bus stop until my dad got fed up and pulled out the connection. We moan now about young people being on social media all the time but this was our equivalent, wasn’t it? Anstey explains how her mum got one of those silver locks to stop her dialling, but she worked out how to tap the numbers instead
– I did exactly the same and my parents were so baffled when the bill came in just as high.
Finally, can I draw your attention to our special midweek meals section. I know many of you are accomplished cooks and love to entertain, but whenever I talk to friends and readers about food, it’s the quick midweek meals they need inspiration for. I do get bored with the weekly spag bol myself, but when you’ve been working all day you just want something you can throw together quickly. For 17 new
fast and tasty recipes, turn to p151 and surprise the family tonight with something different.
“Now if anyone was ever going to inspire you to take up exercise, our cover star Louise Minchin is the woman”