Tabla de contenidos para Issue 496 en Yours Magazine

As we come to the end of the year and the start of a brand new one, I want to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to you all for being part of this amazingly warm, supportive Yours community. I can’t tell you how much the team and I appreciate all the wonderful letters and emails we receive from you, whether you’re sharing thoughts on a hot topic, letting us know about something that made you laugh out loud, or sending pictures of your beautiful pets and amazing handmade creations. I promise you we really do read and enjoy every single one of your letters. Your opinions and stories truly shape what goes into Yours, so your feedback is vital. If you’ve never written in before and…

At 93, many would consider they’ve done it all. Petula Clark could say the same three times over – and still have some stories to spare! A global star since childhood, she has sold more than 70 million records, performed on the world’s most iconic stages, and rubbed shoulders with legends including John Lennon and Elvis Presley. Dubbed the First Lady of the British Invasion in the United States, she rocketed to international fame when her era-defining hit Downtown became a worldwide anthem and won her a Grammy in 1965. A host of classics followed, cementing her place as one of pop’s most enduring and influential voices. Yet, curiously, it’s taken her until her ninth decade to pen the story of her life. Her new memoir, Is That You, Petula?,…

With Oscar, Golden Globe, Emmy and BAFTA awards to her name, Olivia Colman is undoubtedly one of the reigning stars of the big and small screens. And, while she’s portrayed iconic characters such as Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Anne and the Queen Mother, it’s her culinary skills in the kitchen that she is proudest of. ‘I am a world-class maker of gravy. I do more than that of course, but that is my forte,’ she tells Yours, with a smile. Viewers are set to witness her cooking prowess on The Great Christmas Bake Off, which sees Olivia reuniting with her Peep Show pals David Mitchell, Isy Suttie, Matt King and Sophie Winkleman. ‘My designated duty is to eat as much as possible’ Olivia, 51, is spending Christmas with her family…

When Hilda Jackson first stepped into her new care home, it felt daunting, but a warm welcome instantly put her at ease. At 102 years old, she was moving into Holbrook Hall Residential Home in Derbyshire. She’d lived alone since the late Fifties when her husband Walter, the love of her life, passed away. But she’d been close to her sister Vera and the two of them had led a full life, travelling, going on cruises and enjoying a hobby they were both passionate about; dancing. ‘We’d loved going dancing,’ Hilda says. ‘Every week I jumped in my Vauxhall Corsa and drove 10 miles from my home in Ripley, Derbyshire, to our dance classes where Vera and I did the jive, foxtrot and tango.’ Sadly, Vera passed away aged 89,…

SHINE ON If you prefer a glossy finish, then try Revolution’s lustrous lippie. It offers pigmented colour and plenty of shine without any sticky residue. KEEP IT SIMPLE With a user-friendly wand for precise application, this matte formula lasts for hours – even when sipping on wine. The best bit? It didn’t dry our lips out, either. STAYING BOLD Skip constant touch-ups with a long-wearing lip stain that stays vibrant from day to night. When it’s time to take it off, gently buff with a lip scrub and follow with an oil-based cleanser for a clean, nourished pout. ROYAL FAVOURITE Did you know that Queen Elizabeth II wore a custom ruby-red Clarins lipstick for her coronation? Although her exact shade was never sold, a similar version is available – and…

Hunker down with fluffy socks, hot water bottle and a cuppa Create a cosy space using toning colours, and textured accessories Fleecy throws are perfect for winter evenings…

■ Here’s a gorgeous baby hat and bootees set made from a pattern in Yours. Marion Akers, via email ■ I’ve been knitting these Pudsey chocolate orange covers to raise money for Children in Need. Aren’t they cute? Doreen Cross, Kenilworth ■ My friend, Joan, made me this bag in beautiful bright colours. She’ll be delighted to see it in the magazine - it’s the only one she reads! Val Knight, via email GET IN TOUCH We love to see your makes. Please share your creations with us using the contact details on page 3.…

NEWS YOU CAN USE SUPPORTING FAMILY WITH THE BANK OF MUM AND DAD Parents and grandparents are going well beyond Christmas gifts, offering financial help to the younger generation as they face the challenge of buying their first homes. Almost a quarter (22%) of over-50s have supported family members with a chunky cash gift, according to insurer SunLife. Of these, 18% do so to offer support on a deposit for a property, with the average figure for this reason totting up to £30,600. Typically, the funds are given to children (89%), but almost one in 10 are choosing to support their grandchildren (7%). A larger deposit from the Bank of Mum and Dad, or Grandma and Grandad, can help first-time buyers to get a mortgage and secure a lower interest…

Joan, 81, a small, slim lady from the Derbyshire area is looking for a male aged 75-plus. She likes most things including shopping and boot sales. She would prefer a non-smoker. DEC2-101 Fit and active Chris, 78, from the Southfields area, likes playing golf, animals, music, reading, theatre and dining out. He is looking for a kind, dog-loving lady with a similar outlook. DEC2-102 Widow Sandra, 78, from West Yorkshire is feeling lonely, she would like some new pen friends to correspond with in the 66-80 age range. She enjoys reading, gardening, music and socialising. DEC2-103 Young-looking Barbara, 67 from Birmingham, would like to meet a male 70-78. She enjoys, TV, reading, and Frankie Laine music. Photo appreciated. DEC2-104 Cornish Mr A, 75, maths graduate, is looking for a lady…

WORTH £250 Win! The Ultimate Cosy Night In Essentials We’re giving one lucky reader the chance to win a fabulous selection of essentials for a cosy night in this winter. Included are a pair of snug limited edition PO.P x Liberty pyjamas, crafted from organic cotton and adorned with Liberty Fabrics’ iconic floral pattern. Plus, a humorous wine-themed puzzle from All Jigsaw Puzzles and two exciting new IQ Deluxe games. Perfect for some screen-free entertainment to wind down with on long evenings! ENTERING IS EASY! BY POST: Send the coupon on p95 ONLINE: yours.co.uk/competitions TEXT AND BY PHONE! Turn the page for details! Closing date: 12 January 2026 £1,199 WORTH OF PRIZES TO WIN! WORTH £299 WIN! NETGEAR ORBI 373 HOME ROUTER We’ve teamed up with NETGEAR to give one…

Jane McDonald is on a mission: to travel to the ends of the Earth in search of bucket-list adventures. In From Pole to Pole, she crosses oceans, continents and time zones from Antarctica to the Arctic. Her journey takes in the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, Uruguay, Brazil, Greece and Italy before finally reaching Norway, Svalbard and the Arctic Circle. She travels by yacht, plane, helicopter, rib boat – and even kayak – in search of unusual destinations and incredible once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Here, Jane, 62, tells us all about it… What makes this series the ultimate voyage of discovery? If you had said to me, where do you fancy going on your holidays? I would never have said, ‘Ooh, let’s go to Antarctica and then travel all the way back…

Dear readers, ’Twas the night between Twixtmas and New Year and all through the house, the creatures were stirring but quiet as mice… nicking each other’s batteries for their Christmas gifts. For in the Seventies, nothing arrived with batteries or, indeed, plugs. We learned early on that the green and yellow earth wire was really important. And that the red and black wires definitely needed to go in the right places. We were warned not to switch anything on ‘until Dad’s had a look at it’. Generally, though, he was busy with Dad things (long baths, looking at pictures of cars, fiddling about in the garage). So more often than not, you’d risk it. You’d plug your tape deck into the wall with your fingers crossed, ready to shout, ‘It…

Spreading happiness Newly crowned UK Bus Driver of the Year Michael Leech from Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire, sounds just the sort of person you’d want on your regular route. ‘I try to spread a bit of happiness,’ he said. ‘If I see someone running for the bus as I’m about to pull away, I’ll always stop and wait – even though sometimes they run straight past me!’ One regular passenger rewards him with a weekly Kit Kat. Love is all around her Despite her ongoing dementia struggles it’s heartening to hear that Pauline Quirke, 66, is surrounded by the love of friends and family. Following an early festive visit, Pauline’s Birds of a Feather co-star Linda Robson, reported that her old childhood chum recognised her and was ‘giggling and happy’.…

SKIRTING AROUND An elegant slip skirt will work for almost any occasion. Style with a simple blouse for the daytime, or switch to a sequin top for a festive party. TRUE BLUE The mesh sleeves on this dress are brilliant for adding a little extra coverage without feeling too heavy. HIT KNIT Pairing a berry jumper with navy and cream tones creates a softer take on the trend. TAILORED TREAT Want to know the easiest way to jazz up a classic white shirt? Simply pair it with a sequin skirt and plain accessories. TEXTURE PLAY Velvet and faux fur are a match made in heaven. The classic combination will add a luxurious finish to your outfit with minimal effort.…

Pear & sherry sparkle Serves: 6 Takes: 20min, plus cooling Cost per serving £2.01 1 pear, cored and diced (see Tip) ½tsp caster sugar 150ml dry sherry 6 long rosemary sprigs 600ml sparkling wine, chilled Stir in 4tbsp cold water, then simmer over a medium heat for 8-10min until the pear has broken down. Pour into a container and leave to cool. Pour the sherry between the glasses, then add a sprig of the rosemary. Top up with the sparkling wine. Serve immediately. COOK’S TIP Use a ‘ripe and ready’ pear for maximum flavour. Clementine cake Serves: 8 Takes: 1hr, plus cooling Cost per serving £1.24 1 large clementine, peeled 225g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 275g caster sugar 275g self-raising flour 1tsp baking powder 1tsp mixed spice 1tsp…

There are few more familiar faces in British cinema than Wally Patch, the rotund, cockney sour-puss, who usually sported a cap, and always looked like he could take care of himself if things got nasty. Although in the business for 60 years and chalking up nearly 300 feature films, Wally would often have his gruff and petulant characters go uncredited. He was never unnoticed though. At his peak, in the Thirties and Forties, Wally was the go-to bloke to spar with British film’s top comedians: as a miserable tramp opposite Max Miller, in Get Off My Foot (1935); as a jobsworth bailiff opposite Tommy Trinder in Almost a Honeymoon (1938); and as a humourless BBC Commissionaire opposite Arthur Askey in Band Waggon (1940). Wally would crop up alongside George Formby…

What you’re reading…. The Secret Mistletoe Promise by Cressida McLaughlin (HarperCollins, £9.99) ‘Filled with warmth and hope,’ says Glenda Ford. Runaway bride Imogen just wants to disappear. She escapes to her grandmother’s cottage by the sea but finds it harder to hide out than expected. As secrets unravel and the festive season draws near, Imogen wonders if she’s been running from the wrong things all along. Forget You Saw Her by Noelle W Ihli (Pan, £9.99) ‘I still haven’t recovered from this heartpounding read,’ says Jenny Butler. Sabrina made the difficult decision to give her baby up for adoption. Now, 17 years on, she hears the girl is missing and goes on a frantic search for the daughter she never knew. Because someone is watching and they’ll do whatever it…

£10 cheque for every letter published Dramatic licence ♦ My five-year-old daughter, Isabella, came home from school and told us she had been learning about Jesus’s birth. She relayed the story to us, but we had to smile when she said she thought the donkey Mary rode on was called Eeyore! Well, we are huge Winnie the Pooh fans. Rachelle Harding, Huntingdon, Cambs Everlasting love ♦ I lost my beloved labrador this year suddenly and unexpectedly. We had an incredibly strong bond and she helped me through some extremely rough times in my life. I originally rescued her, but she also rescued me. I realised that a vast majority of people simply do not understand pet loss. A loss is a loss whether it’s in animal or human form. Both…

When Billy Walkinshaw decided to take a gap year, his mum Stephanie was all for it. She would miss her only son dreadfully of course, but she knew that Billy, 23, needed to spread his wings. And after struggling with lockdowns during COVID, an adventure with his mates was just what her kind and caring boy needed. First Billy travelled to America, then he made a stop in Fiji before heading to Australia where he sold merchandise for the Grand Prix with his pals. But he kept in regular touch with his mum. ‘Billy and I had always been close,’ says Stephanie. ‘He often rang me to have a chat on his way home from work or when he was out and about in Melbourne.’ After four months away, Billy…

ADD VOLUME After curling, mist this texture spray onto hair to create extra volume and help your style last longer. The best part? It’s incredibly lightweight, making it suitable even for the finest hair types. ENHANCE YOUR COMPLEXION Not only can this radiance-boosting buy be used as a lightweight foundation during the day, it also doubles up as a primer for those big nights out. DEFINE LIPS No festive look is complete without a statement red lip. This classic buy delivers vibrant colour and features nourishing vitamins to help keep lips feeling oh-so-soft. MASTER YOUR MANI Treat nails to a DIY manicure with Max Factor’s iconic crimson polish. It dries to a glossy finish and delivers long-lasting colour that rivals gel options – perfect for festive glamour without the salon…

Whether you’re tossing and turning when you switch off the light, or find yourself wide awake at 3am, drifting off to sleep can be tricky. Adrian Zacher, sleep scientist and CEO of the British Society of Pharmacy Sleep Services, says, ‘Most people who struggle to fall asleep are battling what sleep scientists call cognitive arousal, where the mind won’t switch off. Thoughts race, the day replays, and the harder you try to sleep, the more alert you become. Others wake in the night when body temperature, hormones, or blood sugar fluctuate, then lie awake worrying about not getting back to sleep. These are common patterns of insomnia – and they respond best to simple, evidence-based techniques.’ Adrian adds, ‘It’s worth remembering that if poor sleep is frequent, affects your mood,…

Parmesan scones Makes: 10 Takes: 30min, plus cooling Cost per scone 35p Oil, for greasing 25g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting Pinch of salt 55g butter, cubed 25g Parmesan, finely grated 150ml milk, plus extra for brushing 200g goat cheese, thickly sliced 10 sun-blushed tomatoes, patted dry Basil leaves, to garnish Lightly grease a baking sheet. Mix the flour and the salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the Parmesan. You may not need all of the milk. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead very gently. Pat out to a round about 2cm thick. Gently knead together the remaining dough and repeat until used up. Brush the tops with a…

YOU WILL NEED Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick & Quick (80% acrylic, 20% wool, approx 97m per 170g ball) superbulky weight yarn 4 balls of shade Fisherman 099 10mm circular needles, 40cm, 60cm, and 80cm lengths 5 stitch markers – 1 in a different colour/style to the other 4 Tapestry needle FINISHED MEASUREMENTS To fit up to 107cm bust circumference 60cm long from neckline ABBREVIATIONS st(s) = stitch(es) pm = place marker k = knit yo = yarn over needle sm = slip marker inc = increase rep = repeat ■ Can’t get this yarn? Find a suitable alternative at yarnsub.com Difficulty rating: TIP: Cast on with the shortest circular needle and gradually switch up to the longer lengths as the number of stitches and garment circumference increase Worked in the round with a thick but light…

‘I HAVE A POISONOUS ASP’ Packed with puns and visual gags the 10th film in the series, Carry On Cleo (1964) saw Amanda Barrie and Sid James (wearing costumes originally intended for Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton) replay the epic love story of Antony and Cleopatra. Kenneth Connor and Jim Dale are hilarious as hapless slaves Hengist Pod and Horsa, but the best line belongs to the mighty Caesar (Kenneth Williams) – ‘Infamy, infamy, they’ve all got it in for me!’ ‘OH DEAR, I SEEM TO BE A LITTLE PLASTERED’ Filmed partly on location in Snowdonia, Wales, Carry On Up the Khyber (1968) mercilessly pokes fun at the days of the British Raj. Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond (Sid James) and a kilted regiment of soldiers (Devils in Skirts), led by Captain…

FILM: CARMEN JONES (1954) ICONIC COSTUME: A black, off-the-shoulder gypsy-style top with a plunging neckline and bright orange wrap-over pencil skirt and gold hoop earrings SHE WORE IT WELL: Dorothy Dandridge DESIGNED BY: Mary Ann Nyberg SHOWSTOPPING SCENE: Tempestuous femme fatal Carmen flirtatiously goes from table to table in a factory canteen while singing Dat’s Love For Otto Preminger’s update of the Bizet opera, Carmen was transposed from 19th Century Spain to an American Army base during the Korean War. Mary Ann Nyberg’s concept for Carmen’s black top and bright pencil skirt was to immediately set her apart from her more moderately dressed co‑workers and khaki-clad GIs in the canteen. The split in the front allows free movement during the vicious catfight that follows. The director had been reluctant to cast Dandridge because…

Steadying herself to make sure she wouldn’t slide down the riverbank, Ros picked up the equipment and took aim. Her protective faceguard was in place, and she began to spray the giant hogweed that had overwhelmed the banks of the River Tees. The invasive non-native species rapidly takes hold and dominates areas, preventing other plants from growing. ‘It’s a vile plant,’ says Ros, 76, who volunteers with the Tees Rivers Trust in projects to remove the plant. ‘People don’t realise just how dangerous it is. The sap is toxic. The riverbanks are popular places for walks and I often see people walking near the giant hogweed in just their shorts, and they let their dogs nose around the plants.’ Poisonous sap from the giant hogweed’s stem hair can cause severe…

£1,399 WORTH OF PRIZES TO WIN! Wordsearch Head stateside and find all of the largest cities of the US in the grid. ANSWERS ON PAGE 95 ALBUQUERQUE AUSTIN BALTIMORE BOSTON CHARLOTTE CHICAGO COLUMBUS DALLAS DENVER DETROIT EL PASO FORT WORTH HOUSTON INDIANAPOLIS JACKSONVILLE LAS VEGAS LOS ANGELES LOUISVILLE MEMPHIS MILWAUKEE NASHVILLE NEW YORK OKLAHOMA CITY PHILADELPHIA PHOENIX PORTLAND SAN ANTONIO SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SAN JOSE SEATTLE WASHINGTON, DC WIN £100 WHERE IS SAMMY SQUIRREL? Find where he’s hiding in this issue of Yours and you could win £100. To enter, fill in the Competitions answers coupon on page 95. Closing date for entries is 12 January 2026. More prizes to win at yours.co.uk WIN £50! TWO £50 PRIZES Prize crossword For this puzzle we’ve provided two sets of clues, each giving…

If it’s your birthday this fortnight… You are born under Capricorn, the sea goat, also the mountain goat. Capricorns are measured, some super-ambitious, others quietly focused on making the most of what’s in front of them. You often seem to land on your feet through having the right connections, can be socially sparkly, yet tend towards emotional reserve. ■ Famous Capricorns celebrating this fortnight include Craig Revel Horwood and Sienna Miller (pictured). SAGITTARIUS 23 NOV-20 DEC This may be a more sentimental festive phase, perhaps due to what’s shifting and blossoming within the family. ■ For a weekly update call 09044 705708 CAPRICORN 21 DEC-20 JAN Lovely Venus arrives, warming relationships, perhaps settling uncertainties around family matters. ■ For a weekly update call 09044 705709 AQUARIUS 21 JAN-18 FEB Your…