Womans weekly new zealand TruePDF 25 march 2019

But when she’s backhome, the demands begin andthe fights get out of control.” Though the couple havecertainly faced challenges,friends insist they’re still verymuch together and that the

Brave Coro stars tell all

‘THE DEMONS THAT UNITE US’

TO IMPROVE YOUR HEART HEALTH

5 QUICK WAYS

MEGHAN’S FUSS-FREE PREGNANCY

She’s doing swell!

Kate and William

chat to the man who

married them eight

years ago, the Very

Reverend Dr John Hall.

Kate last wore

her vibrant coat

I SEE RED,

I SEE RED

Star

New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 3

A right royal outing

The royals got their glad rags on to

celebrate Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey last week, with

the Queen (92) and her daughter-in-law

Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (71), opting

for eye-catching shades of regal purple

But, as usual, it was the next generation

who stole the limelight Meghan, Duchess

of Sussex (37), wore standout white,

choosing a bespoke ensemble by Victoria Beckham According to fashion insiders,

the coat was worth a whopping $7700, the dress was $5800, and the bag and shoes together came to $3800 That’s a grand total of $17,300 Earlier in the day, Meghan attended another Commonwealth Day appointment in a $15,400 outfit by Canadian designer Erdem

Meanwhile, Catherine, Duchess of

Cambridge (37), chose to recycle, donning

a vibrant Catherine Walker number she previously wore in New Zealand in 2014

Meghan raised eyebrows with the eye-watering cost of her fashion choices.

STORIES

5 SHALL WE MARRY!

J-Lo’s engagement joy

14 THE WRAP UP

Felicity and Lori’s desperate

situation; Olivia’s grateful heart;

Prince Edward’s earl of a present

18 GRANDPARENTS OF

THE YEAR COMPETITION

Last chance to enter yours!

WEEKLY PEOPLE

24 OPERATION ELIJAH

One family’s battle for their boy

26 ONE TO WATCH

Megan’s vision for eye care

28 GINA TO THE RESCUE

Her great animal instincts

10 MEGHAN’S DOING SWELL

Her fuss-free pregnancy

12 BRAVE CORO STARS TELL

‘The demons that unite us’

16 OH BABY!

Laurel’s life imitates art

20 PC PENNY LANCASTER

Her arresting new job!

52 GET TO THE HEART OF IT

Five ways to improve your health

JULIA ROBERTS REVEALS HER FAMILY’S BLISS

your kids and grandchildrenthe heads up, perhaps justcasually leave this magazinelying around open on thosepages and hope they takethe hint! There’s $5000 incash prizes to be won, plusthe priceless value of allthose warm fuzzies in

in a competitionsuch as this one

Good luck andenjoy your week!

I timed last week absolutelyperfectly! The weather wasglorious for my week off as

I tried to catch that last ofthe summer sun – which,

my goodness, I did

Plus, the beaches werealmost empty – save a fewtourists wandering aroundNew Chums, marvelling atthe beauty of the place (but,rather crazily in my opinion,also grumbling there wasn’t

a pub near the beach!)

I have to admit, my brainhas been wandering a bitthis week, thinking up wildget-rich-quick plans to get alittle bach and spend my days

in the middle of nowhere

It would be bliss!

But in this issue, we’ve got agreat competition that wouldput some money in your backpocket, without having to resort

to any crazy schemes

It’s your last chance to enterour Grandparents of the Yearcompetition If you knowsomeone who deserves somerecognition for being a caringgrandparent, turn to page 18

Or, if you’re a grandparentyourself, make sure you give

This week in

LOOKING AT NEW ZEALAND

Woodgrain print, designed

almost 30 years ago To celebrate, we have one framed

Dick Frizzell Miki to Tiki print,

personally signed by the artist himself, valued at $400 To enter, go to womansweekly.

co.nz and click on the “Win”

tab with the code DF13, or send your name, address and phone number to: New Zealand Woman’s Weekly/Specsavers, Private Bag 92512, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141, by March 29.

Win!

allnvolved

Alice O’Connell, Editor nzww@bauermedia.co.nz

FROM THE EDITOR

Holy Trinity Church, Thames, by

L Thomas We want to see and share your New Zealand – send us your pics:

nzww@bauermedia.co.nz

instagram.com/

newzealandwomansweekly

ALEX AND JENNIFER'S HAPPY NEWS

ENGAGED!

Her love don’t cost a thing,

but her engagement

ring definitely does!

Jennifer Lopez’s partner

of two years, former Yankees

star Alex Rodriguez (43), has

popped the question and

presented the singer/actress

with a magnificent 15-carat

diamond ring, estimated to

be worth $1.5 million

The happy couple recently

celebrated their two-year

anniversary and are currently

on holiday in Baker’s Bay in

the Bahamas Both posted

a picture of the Second Act

star’s ring to Instagram and

were flooded with well wishes

from all over the world

In a recent interview, Jennifer

(49) admitted an engagement

may be on the cards

“We think about getting

married It will happen naturally

and when it’s supposed to,”

she said at the time

On their anniversary Alex

wrote on Instagram, ”Words

will never do justice to

what the last two

years have meant

to me Thank you

for always being

you, for your

singer Marc Anthony

Alex hit a home run with his choice of engagement ring

He put a ring on it!

The couple shared pictures of the moment they became engaged

on Instagram

with a rock

CELEB UPDATE

AMERICA’S SWEETHEART

When Julia Roberts

emerged from thewings at the Oscarslast month, jaws dropped

As she strode on stage

clutching the best-picture

envelope she was about to

open, a trail of pink couture

billowing behind her, Hollywood’s

A-list were in raptures

Looking impossibly youthful,

a beaming Julia (51) announced

that her return to the spotlight

was complete in the most, well,

Julia Roberts way possible –

with a stunning frock and that

big, beautiful smile

America’s sweetheart has

been quiet in the past few years

She’s shunned Tinseltown for a

discreet life in New Mexico and

Malibu, and her acting roles

have been few and far between

perhaps just one or two projects

a year She’d be forgivenfor simply calling it a day onwork, given that her net worth

is more than $200 million, butthe reason for her absencefrom public life was morecomplex – it was for the sake

of her marriage

Rumours have swirled sinceshe and her cinematographerhusband Danny Moder married

17 years ago, after meetingthe year before on the movie

The Mexican.

At the time, Julia was one

of the biggest stars on theplanet and was starring in therom-com opposite Brad Pitt

Danny, meanwhile, was acamera operator – and hewas still married to his firstwife, make-up artist VeraSteimberg, which createdsalacious tabloid headlinesfor years, particularly as afurious Vera ensured theirdivorce proceedings dragged

on for more than two years

As a young man, LosAngeles-born Danny initiallyshunned showbiz, insteadearning a degree in psychology

But the bright lights soon camecalling and he got his first bigbreak in 1995 as a production

assistant on Crimson Tide, with

el Washingtonene Hackman,

re working his

up the ranks

He’s worked on big-budget

films including Mr & Mrs Smith and Spider-Man 3 as a camera

operator, and has served as

a cinematographer in known films, taking on a handful

lesser-of projects each year, but hiscareer has always been farmore low-key than Julia’s

As the Weekly has previously

reported, the pair have facedunique circumstances in theirrelationship, which has producedthree children, twins Phinnaeusand Hazel (14), and Henry (11)

Perhaps their hardest challengehas been Danny’s sensitivityabout always being in theshadow of his much morefamous wife, sources claim

“Danny has felt smotheredand manipulated,” an insidersays “He feels bitter when she’soff working because it leaveshim at home with all of theresponsibilities and little time for

a career But when she’s backhome, the demands begin andthe fights get out of control.”

Though the couple havecertainly faced challenges,friends insist they’re still verymuch together and that they’resimply made for each other, withboth Julia and Danny havingmade a commitment to scaledown their work to spend timewith each other and the kids

“They’ve always comeout the other side very muchtogether,” says a pal “They

have a really solid, lovingmarriage… Their top priority

is their family.”

Julia says that living awayfrom Hollywood has allowedthe couple to live a more normallife – and provided a sense ofnormalcy for their kids, whohave only recently begun

to understand the extent

of their mother’s fame

“I don’t think there was onelightning moment when any ofthe kids came home and said,

‘Wait a minute, are you JuliaRoberts?’” she recalls “One ofthem came home from school

a couple of years ago and said,

‘Somebody asked me today if

my mom was Julia Roberts and

I said no.’

“We talked about it and theydidn’t feel they hadn’t beentelling the truth because theyreally don’t have a connection

to the Julia Roberts of thatquestion So I said, ‘Well, I thinkthat’s totally fine if that’s whatyou feel comfortable with.’

“And then another of my kidssaid, ‘Somebody asked me thesame question and I said yes!’

So I guess we all have different answers to everything.”

The three children enjoyplaying sports, and Julia andDanny are often seen on thesidelines kitted out with rugs,coffee and packed lunches,really making a day of it Julia says she and Danny also

New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 7

Danny take some couple time in Rome, where Danny bought her red roses.

The superstar fell for the married camera operator in

2001, while starring

with Brad in

The Mexican

make sure they all do

“regular” things together, such as buying groceries andpreparing dinner

Despite that famous face, Julia says she’s hardly ever been recognised while on thedomestic rounds and those locals who do know her never make a fuss

The uncomfortable part is when the family get to the checkout and the US tabloids have her photo splashed across the cover with a salacious headline about the state

of the couple’s marriage

The actress says she now tries

to laugh off the rumours as much as she can – which has become easier as they have become more far-fetched “I like when they write about, ‘The

$150 million divorce,’ and then

a week later a different tabloid says, ‘The $275 million divorce.’

I’m like, ‘Well, somebody got

a pay cheque in the last week

This is getting good!’”

Danny is also able to laugh off rumours of Julia having affairs with her co-stars – over

the years, shes been linked tonearly everyone she’s appeared

opposite, including My Best

Friend’s Wedding star Dermot

Mulroney, Money Monster’s

George Clooney and, most recently, Sean Penn

Julia says they both found the George rumour to be the most hilarious as she and the actor have a wonderful friendship Julia says her kids call him

“George Looney” and the two families often stay at each other’s houses George recently said, “Danny and I are great friends, and love each other too What’s really fun is it’s really like a family.”

Julia chimed in, adding, “It makes it easy What he’s saying

is [that] we’ve just stitched our lives closer together, all these people that come into our lives – my husband, my children,

8 New Zealand Woman’s Weekly

the years she’s been linked to

Despite constant rumours, Julia insists her marriage is stronger than ever and says she ensures the family does

“regular” things together.

his wife [Amal Clooney] ”

With Julia and Danny’s

marriage now in tip-top shape

– the pair were spotted last

month enjoying a romantic stroll

in Rome, where Danny stopped

to present his wife with a bunch

of roses – Julia feels it’s now her

time to shine once again

She began her comeback

with Wonder, a hit dramedy in

which she starred opposite

Owen Wilson, and followed it

up with indie flick Ben is Back,

before striking oil once again

with Homecoming, a critically

acclaimed web series produced

by Amazon

She supported her new

projects with an intense

publicity schedule, featuring

countless red-carpet events,

fashion-magazine covers, an

interview with Oprah Winfrey,

a reunion photoshoot for My

Best Friend’s Wedding and

even a new Instagram account,

which she admits she’s still

coming to grips with She also

did a flurry of press interviews,

where the notoriously private

star dished on family, friends

and even Danny

“He truly, to this day, to this

minute, is just my favourite

human,” Julia says “I’m moreinterested in what he has to say

or his point of view than anybody

Really, I mean, we’re so lucky inthat way We just really, reallylike each other and we enjoyeach other’s company.”

Julia has even eschewed her

Julia’s pals George and

Amal put on their owndazzling display last weekwhen they were the guests

of honour at a dinner hosted

by Prince Charles (70) atBuckingham Palace

The black-tie dinner was acelebration of the Prince’s TrustInternational, an organisationthat supports vulnerable youngpeople through education andjob training Big showbiznames were there,including BenedictCumberbatch andChiwetel Ejiofor

George (57) andAmal (41) shared alaugh with the prince,whom they saw lastyear at the wedding

of Prince Harry andMeghan, Duchess of

usual approach to privacy byposting loved-up shots ofherself and Danny on Instagram

But it was her appearance atthis year’s Academy Awards thattruly set tongues wagging – in agood way Social media blew

up over that attention-grabbingpink Elie Saab gown, with userscommenting on how fantasticthe actress looked – and how

among her Hollywood pals

“She’s stunning!” remarkedone fan, while another wrote,

“Holy hell, Julia Roberts is HOT!”And with reports that she’sabout to star in another big TVseries for Amazon, this vibrantJulia is a sight we can expect

to see plenty more of in the

“She has been pursued andvilified, and chased in the sameway that Diana was, and it’shistory repeating itself We’veseen how that ends,” he said

Hollywood Homecoming:

Julia with good pal George, and opening up about her life with Danny to Oprah (above right).

GEORGE’S WARNING

he’s at the stage of herpregnancy where many women just want to kick

ff their shoes, pull on their aternity trackpants and set

p camp on the sofa

It’s highly likely that Meghan, uchess of Sussex, does just that when she and husband Prince Harry are relaxing at home But for the rest of the time, it’s business as usual for the eight-months pregnant royal, who has been turning up

to engagements looking asglamorous and radiant as ever.Despite the fact that she’sexpected to go on maternityleave any day now, ahead ofthe birth of her baby nextmonth, Meghan (37) is showing

no signs of slowing down or ofpregnancy taking a toll on her.She doesn’t appear to havecut down on her schedule andwhen she visited Canada House

in Trafalgar Square as part ofCommonwealth Day last week

She’s sailing

through pregnancy!

g

e

THERE’S NO CONFINEMENT’ FOR THIS BUSY DUCHESS

Meghan hopes her child becomes a feminist, no matter what its gender.

ofmaup

Dutha

‘C

ROYAL UPDATE

New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 11

– one of two engagements on

the same day – she effortlessly

crouched down in dizzyingly

high heels to chat to a small

girl handing her a posy

There was speculation that

she’s been suffering from

oedema – or swelling – when

she turned up at the event

without her distinctive diamond

engagement ring Swollen

fingers can be an issue late in

pregnancy, but swelling is more

common in the feet, legs and

ankles – and Meghan doesn’t

appear to have any problems

in that area Her legs are as

slender as ever and she doesn’t

appear to be making any

compromises on footwear

for the sake of comfort

So far, the yoga fan seems

to have sailed through her pregnancy without too many problems She did miss one engagement during her tour

to Australia in October last year because she needed rest, but she recovered from that earlyfatigue and attended all of herscheduled visits when she andHarry came to New Zealand

And even at this point in herpregnancy, when tiredness,heartburn and shortness ofbreath can understandablymake a woman less inclined to

go out, Meghan seems to have

no problems continuing to be

in the public eye

“The duchess will bestepping out of the spotlightshortly to go on maternity leave,and we won’t be seeing asmuch of her, so perhaps whileshe is still feeling well, she ismaking the most of this time

to show what a valuable part

of the royal family she is,” says

a royal commentator

Meghan has even turned

up at events she didn’t need toattend When Harry (34) went

to Wembley Arena to give aspeech at WE Day – a campaignaimed at encouraging youngpeople to take part in positivesocial change – Meghan couldhave stayed home and watchedthe telly But she was on hand

as Harry gave his address oneverything from mental healththrough to climate change, andafterwards he had her join him

“I’m now going to drag mywife on stage,” he told theexcited crowd Dressed morecasually than usual, in blacktrousers and a blue blazer,Meghan beamed as she stoodalongside her prince

The next day, sheepped out solo to takeart in a panel discussionpart of Internationalomen’s Day, an eventonvened by the Queen’sommonwealth Trust

he had just beennnounced as the newce-president of therust, of which Harry

s the president

Looking chic in atriking black and white

mini dress, Meghan said shewould like her unborn child

to be a feminist, no matterwhat its gender

“I had seen this documentary

on Netflix about feminism,”

she told the invited guests,

“and one of the things theysaid during pregnancy was,

‘I feel the embryonic kicking offeminism.’ I loved that, so boy

or girl, whatever it is, we hopethat that’s the case with ourlittle bump I’ve said for a longtime, you can be feminine and afeminist You can be masculine[and a feminist].”

When asked how sheresponded to newspaperheadlines describing herfeminism as “trendy”, Meghanreplied, “I don’t read anything– it’s much safer that way.” #

Judy Kean

stepaasWcoCShanvitriss

The duchess may have left her

diamond ring at home (swollen

fingers?) but she’s evidently not

having problems with her feet!

Hand on her bump, as usual, Meghan joins Harry at Wembley.

HUG AND MAKE UP?

HER

HIGH-HEELEDNESS

One of Meghan’s

many appearances

in recent days was

at the Commonwealth Day celebrations at Westminster Abbey, attended by all the royals, including her sister-in- law Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge It was a good opportunity for the two women

to put to bed the rumours of a rift between them, which they did by exchanging a hug

The pair also chatted and smiled at each other while waiting with their husbands inside the cathedral

Days earlier, the duchesses had attended a Buckingham Palace reception to honour their father-in-law Prince Charles, but observers noted that they appeared to keep their distance One body language expert says that while Meghan seemed to

be isolated at that event, the tables turned at the abbey, with Kate taking the initiative and giving Meghan a kiss on the cheek Meghan’s response was one of delight, the expert says

“It was clear Kate and Meghan were keen to signal bonds of warm friendship, rather than the either distant or over-congruent displays from the last couple of outings.”

12 New Zealand Woman’s Weekly

WHY THEY’RE SPEAKING UP

ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

Georgia admits having understanding people in her life has helped her.

Samia and Sylvain (above) tackle her panic attacks together

Helen (left with baby Delilah) isn’t ashamed

of her anxiety struggle.

They seem to have the

world at their feet They’ve

all appeared in the world’s

longest-running television soap

and earned a good living from it

But behind the scenes, a

number of current and former

stars of Coronation Street are

living with often crippling

anxiety Several have been

speaking out about it, in a bid to

show that mental health issues

can affect anyone and to try to

remove some of the stigma

surrounding the illnesses

SAMIA LONGCHAMBON

She plays hairdresser Maria

Connor and is the latest Coro

cast member to open up

about her struggles, revealing

she is so sensitive that her

anxiety can sometimes be

triggered by TV ads

“I can’t even watch a charity

advert for cancer or something,”

says Samia (36) “I have to turn

the channel over I am

hyper-sensitive It’s like a daily battle

against yourself.”

The mum-of-two says she has

battled anxiety since she was 11,

“and possibly before that, but

that was the first time I saw my

doctor about my inability to

get a deep breath

“It is something that comes

and goes, but when it’s there,

it’s awful and all-consuming.”

Her anxiety starts with “a

sense of dread that something bad is about to happen

Recently it’s been like a health anxiety about everything.”

She finds it hard to breathe when she has panic attacks and, in severe cases, it feels as though her heart is going to explode, she tells

Her husband Sylvain (38), a professional skater who she met when they were partners on the

reality show Dancing on Ice, is

able to help her calm down

“He holds me really, really tight and says, ‘It’s going to

be okay, just calm down and breathe.’ After about 10 minutes,

it subsides and then you’re absolutely shattered afterwards.”

Samia has tried counselling, numerous types of therapy and she says keeping busy helps her deal with anxiety She started learning reflexology (treating health issues by applying pressure to the feet) and found that was a useful distraction

“It’s given me a focus, a break from my own head.”

Yoga is another way she keeps anxiety at bay “I’ve been doing it daily and that helps my breathing more than anything.”

Samia says she’s pleased to hear more and more people talking about anxiety

“I love that the stigma of mental health is finally being

broken and people are opening up, talking and realising they are not alone.”

KYM MARSH

Co-star Kym, who plays Michelle Connor, has also been frank about the toll anxiety has taken on her

She says when she first started experiencing panic attacks, she was convinced that she wouldn’t survive “The first time it ever happened, I thought

I was going to die – and I was driving my car as well It was a really frightening, really scary thing to experience.”

Kym (42) says she manages her anxiety by thinking of it as

“an old friend”

“I know what’s going to happen,” she explains “I know I’m not going to die, I know it’s going to come and go When you learn to deal with it that way, it becomes manageable, and once you start on that path,

it tends to disappear quickly.”

GEORGIA MAY FOOTE

She portrayed Katy Armstrong from 2010 to 2015 and Georgia has addressed her mental health battles on social media, posting on Instagram about how she sometimes finds her anxiety “unbearable”

“It can make you feel like it’s too much and you can’t cope, and you don’t know how to turn it off It’s really serious Just because you can’t always see mental illness, doesn’t mean it’s not there and not happening.”

Georgia (28) adds that she’s getting better at dealing with it

“I’ve learned ways to cope and to rationalise the situation

You need people around you to understand how you are feeling

Get the support around you.”

STEPHANIE COLE

Veteran actress Stephanie agrees that being open about mental health is important

Well known for her role in ’90s

comedy series Waiting For God

and for playing Roy Cropper’s

late mother Sylvia, she says conditions like anxiety and depression weren’t talked about when she was younger, and that people regarded any kind of mental illness as a weakness

“There was still very much

a sort of ‘pull yourself together’ attitude, but you actually can’t and it’s not your fault Nowadays, we know so much more and these things are talked about more.”

When Stephanie (77) was in her 20s, her panic attacks became so severe that she turned down work and wouldn’t leave the house

Valium didn’t help but exercise did, and she began running regularly

Doing relaxation exercises every day “retrained” her brain surprisingly quickly too “What helped me most was exercises, counselling and the occasional use of anti-depressants to rebalance the chemicals in my mind.”

HELEN FLANAGAN

She’d been on Coro for 10

years as Rosie Webster, but Helen left the show in 2012 when her depression and anxiety became too much The anxiety worsened after her first daughter Matilda (3) was born, but she recovered thanks to professional help

“I worked with an anxiety therapist and it really worked for me,” says Helen (28), who returned to the show in 2017 but is now on maternity leave with her second daughter Delilah (nine months)

“So many people struggle with mental health issues and it

is nothing to be ashamed of.” #

Judy Kean

Our anxious minds

Stephanie (left) found exercise and counselling helped keep her panic attacks at bay

Kym (pictured with Tristan Gemmill) treats her anxiety as

“an old friend”.

Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)

Healthline – 0800 611 116 Samaritans – 0800 726 666 Information about suicide prevention can be found at mentalhealth.org.nz/

suicideprevention

CORO UPDATE

Felicity Huffman has

found herself in quitethe fall from grace

The actress was taken intocustody following herindictment in an allegeduniversity admissionscheating scam

The Desperate Housewives star is one

of dozens of wealthy

parents, including Full

House actress Lori

Loughlin, accused of

committing fraud toget their children intoprestigious US colleges

According to court papers,both women allegedly workedwith an organisation thatarranged phony test-takers, orbribed coaches to take studentswith fake athletic credentials.Felicity (56), who is married to

Shameless star William H Macy

(69), allegedly paid $22,000

“to participate in the collegeentrance exam cheatingscheme on behalf of her oldestdaughter”, while Lori (54)reportedly spent $730,000 to sayher daughters were part of therowing team, when they weren’t.FBI agents secretly recordedtelephone calls with Felicity andalso tracked down emails fromLori that implicated her

“There can be no separatecollege admission system forthe wealthy There will not be aseparate criminal justice system,”says US Attorney Andrew Lelling

“For every student admittedthrough fraud, an honest,talented student was rejected.”

William and Felicity with daughters Georgia (far left) and Sophia)

Questions surround the admission of Lori’s daughter Olivia Jade (left) to college Above:

Olivia Jade with dad Mossimo Giannulli and Lori on the day of her high school graduation.

New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 15

Grease superstar Olivia Newton-John has opened up

in a new interview, dismissing reports from earlier thisyear that she was at death’s door

The 70-year-old singer, who has been diagnosed with stagefour breast cancer, has also revealed that she actually spent herbig birthday receiving radiation treatment in hospital

While taking part in a cancer walk for her Olivia Newton-JohnCancer Wellness & Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia,she felt severe pain and discovered soon after that she had afractured pelvis, a side effect of the weakening of her bonesdue to the cancer, which has spread to her sacrum

Olivia says she was put on immediate bed rest to preventany further fractures and had to learn how to walk again “Therewere all these things I was going to do for my birthday,” she says

“But God had other plans.”

But in the new interview, she says that six months on fromthe break, she’s really on the mend “I started on a walker, then

a cane and now nothing!” The star has also assured fans thatshe is coming to grips with this latest form of the disease, whichdoctors say is incurable but can be managed “I’m feeling good,getting stronger.”

Olivia believes that staying positive is incredibly important

“We’re all going to die,” she says “I mean, that’s probably thehardest thing to accept as a human being, that we know that

So I kind of consider I’ve had a gift of extra time I’ve lost peopleyounger than me, so I’m very grateful I’m 70, and I’ve had the most amazing life.”

Prince Edward got an

extra-special gift from

the Queen on his 55th

birthday – the Earldom of

Forfar in Scotland

He and wife Sophie (54) will

be able to use the titles Earl and

Countess of Forfar whenever

they go north of the border

Locals welcomed the news,

saying it would put Forfar and

surrounding area Angus on the

map Forfar councillor Colin Brown says,

“The Earl andCountess can beassured of a warmwelcome when theyvisit I met the Earlwhen he visited theBrechin Community Campus

in 2017, he was a lovely manwith no airs and graces, heput everybody at ease He will

be a good ambassador forForfar and Angus.”

Edward is currently 10th inline to the throne, and he andSophie have two children,

Lady Louise (15) and James, Viscount Severn (11).

A feather in his cap: Sophie and Edward can now use the titles

of Earl and Countess

of Forfar.

The Queen with her youngest child

16 New Zealand Woman’s Weekly

IT’S POSITIVE NEWS ON AND OFF THE SCREEN

Laurel Devenie and Sally Martin were filming an episode for the

2019 return of Shortland

Street, both their characters

were pregnant, but there was one key difference

“We were standing next

to each to other with one false belly

and one real one!”

says Laurel, who is over the moon about the impending arrival of her and partner Matt Keene’s baby daughter in May

Kate – Laurel’s Shorty

character – lost her partner Mo

in last year’s gory cliffhanger PH

the world to look for love, Laurel found it with Matt in her Kiwi home town.

Laurel’s life

before finding out she was

going to have a baby

“The crazy thing is, when

I found out I was pregnant,

they had already written Kate’s

pregnancy in,” says Laurel (35)

“The producer was away for a

couple of weeks I was about to

go down and tell the production

team my news, but then I got

the script that says Kate throws

away the Pill I was like, ‘Okay,

that works really well!’”

The actress admits that four

and a half years ago, she had

pretty much given up on finding

love and starting a family “I was

single and very aware of it In

New Zealand, there’s this point

when it’s just a bit harder to be

single I got an opportunity to

do the Edinburgh Festival with

a solo show and I thought, ‘I’ll

just go to London and meet

the man of my dreams.’”

Instead, she found London grey and miserable, and eventually decided – while attending a close friend’s funeral

in the Netherlands – that the UK wasn’t the place for her

“I realised I wanted

to be at home in my community and tell New Zealand stories

I was like, ‘I’ll probably never meet anyone, but that’s alright.’ So I got back and went up to Whangarei because I had

no money and I thought I’d just spend the summer painting people’s decks

or something.”

Fate had other plans

She laid eyes on local web developer Matt (47) at a boat-shed party and quickly became smitten

“I think I must have met him before, very briefly, but I was quite suddenly going, ‘Oh, I’m really attracted to this person.’

I went back to Auckland to do

a play, but I texted him I made attempts, but he spurned them.”

She adds with a laugh, “He tells a different story.”

“We had actually met a couple of years beforehand,”

Matt confirms, smiling “I organised Laurel to speak

at a community talk, which was pretty incredible.”

Matt decided to give romance with Laurel a try They finally had dinner together and he ended

up travelling down to her theatre production three weekends

in a row “We both feel like it was the perfect time,” Laurel says “He had been through

a separation and I was in a particular space to be ready

to be with someone There was this moment when I said, ‘I’ve got a big crush on you.’ And

he said, ‘I’ve got a big crush

on you too.’”

A couple of months later, Laurel moved up to Whangarei, her home town – and then landed the role of Kate, a nurse

in the nation’s most famous clinic

“This dream job that I would never have expected fell out of the sky at the most challenging moment that it could possibly come Matt was still a priority,

so I just had to make it work –

I have made it work, which has

involved a lot of driving!”

Laurel decided to rent in Auckland and head back to Whangarei at weekends In another case of art imitating life, Kate’s relationship with Mo

on Shorty meant she worked

closely with his on-screen sons Curtis and Jack – a reflection

of her own life with Matt and his children

“He already has three girls – Kait (22), Sophie (18) and Finn (12) – so having another baby was not something he was expecting before I came along,” tells Laurel

But the couple decided to try “I’d been to the doctor and she’d said, ‘Oh well, you’re 35, it’s really hard – there’s only a 30% chance of pregnancy.’ So

I immediately thought it would

be a long haul But then I just started to suspect Matt kept saying, ‘I think you’re pregnant.’ And I was like, ‘No, I can’t be!’”

It took Laurel two weeks before she did a test, while

up late one night in Auckland, and it was positive “I couldn’t believe it Then I did another one in the morning and rang Matt It was just so fast, I wasn’t prepared for it.”

The loved-up pair are obviously delighted about this next stage in their lives

“I’m really excited,” says Matt “I can’t wait to meet our little girl, and I’m looking forward

to Laurel and I being under the same roof once she’s born!” #

ALICE O’CONNELL Editor, New Zealand Woman’s Weekly

“A highlight of my year is reading through the entries for this competition – there are

so many fantastic grandparents out there and I love sharing their stories! This year I’m joined by two fabulous judges Let me introduce them to you…”

KERRE MCIVOR, Weekly columnist and radio announcer

New Zealand has been following Kerre’s career and life outside of the limelight since she was a hit on our tellies presenting

Fair Go She’s gone on to have a stellar media career and now has a long-standing column in the Weekly, plus

we spend our mornings listening to her on NewstalkZB

Kerre is the proud grandmother of two!

DEBBIE MCCLURE, Ryman Healthcare

Chief sales and marketing offi cer and proud grandmother Debbie started at Ryman

28 years ago Growing up next door to her grandparents, Debbie benefi ted from their unconditional love and steady guidance This relationship formed her passion for excellent, caring retirement living

It’s time to celebrate, honour and reward

the unsung heroes in our lives – those

hardworking, caring grandparents out

there who keep our world ticking over!

In today’s busy world they’re assuming more

responsibilities than ever – from babysitting

duties to fi nancial and emotional support, and

beyond If you have a special grandparent in

your life, or know one who deserves to be

acknowledged, put pen to paper and enter

them in this fabulous competition – now in

its third year!

GRAN OF THE YEAR

Is she your rock when your world comes

crumbling down? Then she sounds like a worthy

contender for this category

GRANDDAD OF THE YEAR

Is he the one you have on speed dial, just in case

the taps leak or the babysitter cancels? Please

tell us all about him!

ACTIVE GRANDPARENT OF THE YEAR

Do they run up and down the sidelines at

Saturday morning sports, and keep up with

the kids at the playground? If you know a fi t,

active inspirational grandparent, we want to

know about them!

GRANDPARENTS OF THE YEAR

Are they the sole carers for the grandkids? Maybe

they take the children on holiday when Mum and

Dad are going through tough times, or are on call

for school pick-ups or bedtime stories Nothing is

too big or too small, so get writing and let us know!

THE AWARDS

Send us your details with a recentphoto of the nominee, then in 500words or less tell us why you or yournominee deserves to win! There arethree easy ways to enter:

A POST: Fill in the coupon below

and post it to:

New Zealand Woman’s Weekly,

Grandparent of the YearPrivate Bag 92512Wellesley StreetAuckland 1141

A EMAIL: Include the coupon

details with your entry and send to:

nzww@bauermedia.co.nz with thesubject line ‘Grandparents’

A WEB: Head to nowtolove.co.nz/

grandparentsoftheyear

NOMINEE NAME NOMINEE AGE NOMINEE ADDRESS NOMINEE PHONE NUMBER (daytime) YOUR NAME (if different to above) YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO NOMINEE YOUR PHONE NUMBER (daytime)

Which category are you nominating this person for?

†Gran of the Year †Active Grandparent of the Year

†Granddad of the Year †Grandparents of the Year

†I do not wish to receive information on Bauer’s (publisher ofNZWWmagazine) future offers, competitions, surveys, products, services and events

†I wish to receive communication from parties associated with this promotion

PLUS!To receive their prize, eachwinner will be invited to attend aspecial morning tea in their honour

at their local Ryman Village with the

Weekly team!

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Entry is open to New Zealand residents only Employees of Bauer

Media Group (LP) NZ and Ryman Healthcare Ltd and their affi liates, agencies and immediate

families are ineligible to enter No responsibility is taken for lost, misdirected or incomplete

entries Entries are limited to one per person The promotion commences on Monday, February

25, 2019 and fi nishes on Sunday, March 24, 2019 The winners will be notifi ed on Wednesday

March 27, 2019 To enter, email, post or visit nowtolove.co.nz/grandparentsoftheyear and follow

the upload instructions under the Grandparents of the Year page Entrants are required to submit

the details outlined in the entry mechanism By entering, the entrant gives permission for their name, the name of the Grandparent, the photograph and the 500 words to be published on the internet, in print and otherwise used in all media by the Promoter and Ryman Healthcare Ltd Entrants confi rm that they have obtained the permission of the nominee before entering this competition The prizewinners will be subject to police and background checks Prizes are not exchangeable or transferable To view full Terms and Conditions, see nowtolove.co.nz/

grandparentsoftheyear To view Bauer Media’s Privacy Policy, see bauermedia.co.nz/privacy/

for our Grandparents

of the Year

PRIZES

$5000 i

n cash prizes t o be w

on!

20 New Zealand Woman s Weekly

PC PENNY!

20 New Zealand Woman’s Weekly

Why Rod’s wife

wants to be a cop!

Penny checks in with Rod – she says he worries about her when she’s out and about but supports her police ambitions.

CELEB UPDATE

At the end of Penny

Lancaster’s famously

long legs, you’ll usually

find some improbable strappy

shoes She’s generally all about

the stiletto or the sparkle – she

is Mrs Rod Stewart, after all

How curious then to find she’s

fallen in love with a very

different type of footwear

She took her new

favourite shoes – well,

boots, really – home

cop on the beat

One can’t imagine Sir

Rod would be thrilled

to have her stomping

around the bedroom in

them, but that’s beside the

point “I love my boots,” she

says “I had to give the uniform

back Obviously I couldn’t keep

the stab vest or the radio, but I

got to keep the boots I hope

I’ll get them dirty again.”

The boots in question are

police ones – sensible black

lace-ups with steel toe caps

They were issued when she

took part in a show over in the

UK called Famous & Fighting

Crime, which took celebrities,

trained them as police special

constables and sent them out

to assist regular officers

A reality show too far? Penny’s

experience suggested so but,

in her words, it’s a wake-up call,

showing the reality of how hard

police work is and how much

more support officers need

After just a day of training, she

found herself without back-up,

face-to-face with a drug addict

who was threatening to stab her

Cameras captured the standoff

as she chased the woman,

a suspected shoplifter, andcornered her while on herbeat in Peterborough, 120kmnorth of London

“It was terrifying,” says themum of two “I’d been withanother officer but there weretwo suspects going in differentdirections so we split up, onetaking each of them Mine wasunder the influence She lookedlike I imagine a druggie wouldlook, almost like a rabid animal

You want to help a rabid animal, but you don’t want

to get bitten

“She said she was going to stab me There was a pause, and I said, ‘You want to stab me?’ And she said,

‘With my needle I’ll stab you with my needle.’ I was aware of how vulnerable

I was I was unarmed I waswearing a stab vest but didn’thave a baton or a Taser gun ormace spray I didn’t even havehandcuffs, so I couldn’t actuallyarrest her, although I threatened

to I had to keep saying, ‘Stop!

You’re making it worse foryourself,’ while calling in

I’ve got a husband This isn’t

a situation I can be in.’

SPECIAL CONSTABLE PENNY

LANCASTER TAKES TO THE BEAT

The former supermodel says she’s 20kg heavier than in her modelling days, but is happy to have

a “chubby” face that plumps out her wrinkles.

‘In that uniform,

I wasn’t Rod Stewart’s wife

I was doing a real job, making

a real difference’

“But on the other hand,

I couldn’t have been more

comfortable It felt like I knew

I had to do it and follow the

rules about what I’d been told

to do It was quite surreal It was

only afterwards that I started to

shake and couldn’t stop.”

By her own admission, Penny,

formally known as Lady Stewart,

has had a sheltered life, working

as a model before meeting

Rod and being dropped into a

cushioned red-carpet existence

The family split their time

between their Essex mansion

and their Beverly Hills one

“I feel I live in a bubble at

times,” she admits “I’m quite

protected from this sort of reality

I’m like the princess in the tower.”

She says she agreed to take

part in the show because the

princess wanted a dose of

“something else”, and she

loved every minute of it

“It was like putting a mask on

– or maybe taking a mask off

In that uniform, I wasn’t Rod

Stewart’s wife I wasn’t someone

on the red carpet I was doing a

real job, making a real difference

By the end I didn’t want to takethe uniform off

“It sounds weird, but of allthe things I’ve done in my life,

it was the one job I felt was the

most… me Nothing else has

ever given me such satisfaction.“

So much so that she is, honest

to goodness, talking abouttraining as a special constable inreal life “I want to do it I’ve had

a conversation with the sergeantand he said they’d love to have

me join the force The trainingfor the real thing runs over 12consecutive weekends, so I’mtrying to figure out how I could

do that If I do qualify, I’d have

to commit to 16 hours a month,which is very doable.“

It sounds as though Rod isstill reeling from this particularbombshell “When he firstheard I wanted to do the show

he said, ‘Brilliant You go, girl.’

But when it got underway and

he realised what it involved, heworried more He’s a worrieranyway He’s always askingwhat time I’ll be home If I goout with the girls, he’s always

up waiting for me to get in,

texting to check I’m safe.”

Surely he was climbing thewalls when he heard about whatshe was facing on the beat?

“He was, but at the same time

he could see how elated I was,even talking about it He said,

‘Your excitement is contagious.’”

Her children were less thrilled

“My older son, Alastair, who’sjust turned 13, got a bit annoyed

He said, ‘Oh great, so now you’regoing to be like a police mother.’

I did get a bit more strict withthem One day, he was arguingwith his brother Aiden, who’sseven, and I put them in separaterooms and told them I was going

to ask them the same questions

I was doing the the-cells thing.”

interrogation-in-Now 48, Penny is just abovesix-feet tall (1.83m) and head-

turningly stunning, even withoutmake-up She has a mane ofblonde hair, is in a green faux-furjacket and, yes, she wears it well.When we meet for breakfast,she orders two boiled eggsand a sausage, and spears thesausage cheerily as she talks ofone significant change from theold days – she can eat Whenshe was modelling, she says,she used to lie about havingher period and feeling bloated

on swimwear shoots to excusethe slight roundness to her belly.Perhaps old habits die hardbecause she’s still conscious ofnot always looking how peopleexpect Penny Lancaster to look.She says she’s put on nearly 20kgsince having children and nowweighs about 80kg

“It’s fine because I’m tall I cancarry it off But I do wear a size

14, sometimes a 16 I thinkpeople still expect me to be a

10 It shows, particularly in myface I’ve always had quite achubby face In the early dayspeople would say, ‘You still haveyour baby fat.’ Well, it neverwent I mean, it’s a good thing

‘SHE SAID SHE WAS GOING TO STAB ME’

Above: With fellow recruits including TV presenter Katie Piper (at right) Above right: Rod was delighted to see Penny so elated Left: Life on the beat was an eye-opener.

‘I feel I live in a bubble at times.

I’m protected from this sort

of reality’

New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 23

now, because people my age

are pumping stuff into their face

to plump it up I don’t need to

“But I don’t like what’s

happening with the jowls and

the neck and the waistline.”

Her husband has been

the same weight since forever

– about 75kg, she says “He’s

so good When he eats, he’ll

just eat what he needs off the

plate, whereas I wolf it all down

He’s very strict, conscious about

his weight, health, longevity

“That’s why he’s still going

It’s partly genetics too His

whole family are trim, so Rod’s

going to be around for a lot

longer I’ll be struggling to keep

up with him, I think.”

She says with a laugh that

he’s “very fit and virile” but that

the famous Stewart fitness has

taken a battering of late Old

football injuries have meant the

father of eight can’t run around

on the pitch with his younger

kids as much as he would like

“He gets really frustrated by

that He just wants to be out

there In his head he’s 20.”

They’ve been together for

20 years now, defying thenaysayers who thought RodStewart was incapable of ahappy ever after “It’s a mission

It’s a job, really, to make it allwork,” Penny admits “I think it’sbizarre when people say, ‘Oh,when you’re in love, just let itbe.’ No! The reason it’s got tothat stage in the first place isbecause you’ve worked at it, soyou have to continue that effort.”

She talks me through thelogistics of an upcoming holidaywith her family and some ofRod’s other children, the oldest

of whom is 37 “It’s tricky becausethey live all over, but we’re allgoing to be together.”

Most women would balk athaving to be nice to all the exesand entertain the whole clan at

ristmas “I knew what

as getting into,” she

s “It wasn’t a case of,

h, there’s a lovely guy

e met and now we’llsappear and create

r own life together.’

There was a lifefore me, and I’m ansiderate person

ake pride in making

r Penny’s two boys

he’s determined theyon’t live in the LA

“bubble” and has

ensured their upbringing is asclose to a regular life as it can

be with such a famous dad

Alastair is allowed to travelone stop alone by train to thenext village or hang out with hismates in the local kebab house

“I’m strict about knowingwho he’s with,” she says “If hegoes to a party, I need to havethe parents’ phone number, but

he does have some freedom

He’s part of a community here

He mixes with different sorts

of people Yes, he’s at privateschool, but he also does footballand swimming, so he has adiverse group of friends Wewanted that.”

She says her sons want to be

“normal” too “It’s still difficult,because of the narrow lane that

we live on, for him to just hop

on his bike and go and meet hisfriends, but I’ll drop him off Wehave a big van and he makes

me drive that, throwing the bike

in the back He’ll say, ‘Don’tbring the Bentley, Mum.’”

It’s a very different lifestyle

to the one Rod’s older childrenenjoyed in LA, including his kidswith Kiwi ex-wife Rachel Hunter,Renée (26) and Liam (24)

“I think when you doeverything second or thirdtime round, you analyse it abit more,” Penny says “It’sthe same with marriage Youask, ‘What went wrong? Whatwent right? What should I avoidnext time?’ Rod’s [other] children

are amazing, but I think if theyhad an option, they probablywouldn’t choose to have theirchildren go to school in BeverlyHills, because it’s mostly onetype of person there andone way of thinking We didn’twant our boys to be stuck inthat mould.”

And although she spends

a great deal of time with herkids, she continues to work

“I’ve been lucky I’ve been able

to do a bit of TV work here,modelling there I can pick andchoose in a way that I know alot of women can’t – but beingMrs Rod Stewart has been thenumber-one job.”

Their home life sounds quitetraditional (she sorts the childcareand packs the lunches), butwho’s in charge? “Well, obviously

a lot of it revolves around Rod’stour dates or work, but thedynamics change depending

on what we’re doing.”

When asked if Rod thinks he’smore in charge than he really is,she laughs heartily “I think anywise woman will allow theirhusband to think they’re the onewho makes all the decisions.”Spoken like a woman whodefinitely wears the boots #

Jenny Johnston

GETTING ON FAMOUSLY

Left: Rod and Penny with Aiden (left) and Alistair Top left: The extended family (clockwise from left) Penny, Kimberly, Alistair, Sean, Rod, Aiden, Ruby and little Delilah Above: Rod’s older sons Sean (left) and Liam join the gang at the beach.

24 New Zealand Woman’s Weekly

OPERATION

THE PAIR ARE GOING THE EXTRA

MILE FOR THEIR LITTLE BATTLER

It’s fitting that Laura and Tane

North are embarking on a

700km walking challenge from

Wellington to Auckland to raise

funds for their disabled son

Born with microcephaly

and an undiagnosed genetic

condition, three-year-old Elijah

cannot speak, is legally blind,

fed through a tube and has

14 health issues

NORTH

Yet the loving couple fromTrentham, who are both NewZealand Army captains, aredetermined to do all they canfor their son who cannot stepout on his own

Keen to raise $56,000 on theirmammoth trek, they hope themoney can be put towardsregular treatment sessions atthe world-leading Neurological

and Physical Abilitation (NAPA)Centre in Sydney

“Elijah can only movearound on a walker, but he’s

so motivated to walk,” saysthe mum-of-four “As an able-bodied person, walking issomething we take for granted

Tane and I can both walk, sothat is why we chose the walk

to Auckland.”

After a normal pregnancywith her third child, Laura(33) initially saw “nothing

untoward” with baby Elijah,who weighed a healthy2.9kg, despite being bornfour weeks premature

“For a long time, I had myhead in the sand,” explainsLaura, who has two olderchildren, Ellamae (11) and TJ(6) “He was my baby and hewas amazing.”

Over time, however, it wasapparent all was not well Put

on a permanent feeding tube,Elijah was formally diagnosed

THEY’RE YOUR STORIES

weekly PEOPLE

FOR THEIR SON’S

New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 25

with microcephaly, which means

he has a small head because of

abnormal brain development

“Two days on the journey

stand out as the hardest,”

recalls Laura “One was when

Elijah was aged 12 months and

the development therapist said,

‘We need to start thinking about

a wheelchair.’ This made me

think that Elijah’s disability is

permanent and not going

to go away

“The other was at 15 months

when a paediatrician said,

‘If he gets through the next few winters, he should have a life.’ At no point do you ever think your child will die before you These were two really rough days.”

For husband Tane (38), the darker moments arrived in different ways

“Seeing Elijah sat next to other children and not being able to do what they could

do filled me with sorrow,” he says “It was almost like I was in mourning at a funeral, trying to figure out what was going on.”

Life can be demanding for the couple, particularly so for Laura

as Tane has recently been on a 12-month deployment overseas, working in Israel and Lebanon

Days of dealing with feeding tubes, physical therapy and medical appointments can be draining, yet the pair always look for positives

“From the outside, it looks like a lot of work, but he’s Elijah, he’s awesome and we love him

to pieces,” tells Laura “We feel very blessed and most of the time he is happy He relies a lot on his hearing and loves

anything to do with music.”

Says Tane of his devoted wife, “She’s a very strong lady who puts everything into her children Laura won’t take no for an answer, not even when doctors said Elijah would never walk.”

Nine months ago, Laura and Tane’s life became even more demanding when they gave birth to their fourth child, Thea, who was born with Down syndrome The proud parents were aware of Thea’s condition during pregnancy, but they never considered aborting

“Many people thought having a second child with a disability would be too much

to handle, especially as my husband is away overseas for long spells,” explains Laura

“But if we had decided not

to bring Thea into the world, it was almost like saying Elijah’s life has no value.”

Thanks to generosity from the military community, and financial aid in the past from the Returned Services’

Association and New Zealand Defence Force, Elijah has been able to attend intensive treatment sessions at the NAPA Centre

Undergoing the therapy has

been “life-changing”, according

to Laura, who says that under the programme, Elijah has advanced from only being able to pull himself forward 1cm to now walking with the aid of a walker

“The progress he has made has been absolutely amazing,” asserts Tane “If you look

at his strength and weight development, he has massively benefited from the therapy.” The next step is to get Elijah walking and the Norths believe their best chance is finding $56,000 of funding for four intensive three-week long blocks at the centre over the next two years

The motivated couple, who are taking both Elijah and Thea with them on the mammoth trek, will be walking between 60-70km a day for

an 11-day period

Tane, however, is matter of fact about what lies ahead for him and his wife

“Everyone has their own struggles that are very real to them,” he concludes “We have Elijah and Thea, but ours are no worse or harder than anybody else’s challenges It is important

to always remember that.” #

Steve Landells

Not expected

to walk, Elijah has come along

in leaps and bounds at the NAPA Centre.

We’re a team!

The Norths with older kids Ellamae and TJ, who dote on wee Thea and

Having kicked off in Wellington on March

13, the walkers are scheduled to arrive at the Auckland War Memorial on March 23

You can contribute to Elijah’s treatment at givealittle.co.nz #walkforwonderboy.

LIFE

26 New Zealand Woman’s Weekly

THE KIWI OPTOMETRIST’S

TRIP TO FIJI WAS VISIONARY

optometrist Megan

Glover told her

children that Mummy was going

to work in Fiji for 10 days, she

had a bit of explaining to do

No, she told them, her

days wouldn’t be filled with

swimming at tropical, white-

sand beaches and nor would

she be returning with colourful

beads in her hair

“Their idea of Fiji is when their

classmates go over on holiday

for the sunshine and water

sports, and stay in an island

resort there So I showed them

pictures of the small villages

where I’d be working and had to

talk to Alice (7) and Patrick (5)

about why my trip was a bit

different,” smiles Megan

And ‘different’ is downplaying

it The 35-year-old was recently

selected by Specsavers to work

alongside the Fred Hollows

Foundation NZ, in what she calls

an “opportunity of a lifetime”,

visiting the largest

optometrist-training facility in the Pacific and

teaching nurses to provide vital

eyecare to local communities

in need

“Driving from the airport

to central Suva, I knew this

outreach was going to show me

a contrasting side of life,” tells

Megan, who hadn’t been back

to Fiji since holidaying with her

parents as a child

“On one of my first days

there, I was surprised to find it

was literally a little tent that

we’d be doing eye tests in.”

Along with distributing

glasses to hundreds of locals,

the trip included assisting with

the training of post-graduate

nurses at the Pacific Eye Institute

in Suva and helping eye screenings based out of the Mobile Eye Clinic in Lautoka

“The strong emphasis on teaching had a huge appeal to

me and I felt honoured to be able to pass on my knowledge,”

explains Megan “The students were also very grateful, and so happy for us to be able to give them that extra support and one-on-one feedback that they don’t usually get It allowed them to grow quite significantly and the change in some of the students in just a week was quite impressive.”

She adds, “They were from all over the Pacific and it was amazing to see them take their new skills back to their islands, which often had no eyecare

at all.”

Most mornings, when Megan would arrive at the Pacific Eye Institute at 7.45am, there’d be people already lined up at the door, waiting to be seen

“The high level of need,

of people with terrible vision defects or vision loss, wasn’t what I was expecting,” she admits “They just put up with their vision being like that, whereas obviously in New Zealand people would complain

if their sight was just a bit off

“The trip really made me appreciate what we’ve got

And as a wife and mother, it made me so grateful for having children who can go to school regularly with good healthcare systems nearby if we need them.”

However, Megan – a owner and optometrist at the two Specsavers stores in Riccarton – reveals the biggest shock of her Pacific experience

co-was discovering how severe the type 2 diabetes epidemic was in Fiji

In fact, two daysbefore she was due

to leave fomedia repthe counthad thehighestnumber odiabetes-related d

in the wo

“That whugely eye-opening for me,”

she says “The disease can change the blood vessels at the back

of the eye, which often causes haemorrhagesand leakages, and can have

an irreversible effect on thepatient’s vision, unfortunately

“So when I got over there,

it was a shock to see type 2diabetes affecting youngerFijians, many in their 30s,and more severely than it is

in New Zealand.”

During Megan’s two daysbased at the clinic, which wasconstructed in New Zealandand shipped to Fiji, nursesconducted screenings forhypertension and diabeteswith a simple finger-prick test

Surprisingly, she witnessedmany villagers arrive who had

no idea they were even livingwith diabetes until it was picked

up for the first time at theireye screening

“One patient who we sawhad his cataracts removedsurgically in the clinic, whichimproved things a bit for him, but because his diabetes had been left

e was

or Fiji,ported

ry now

of-eathsorld

wasye

untreated for so long, it had affected the vision as well

“Sadly, there were a lot of cases like that,” recalls Megan, who grew up in Nelson and was herself diagnosed with short-sightedness as a young teenager, when she couldn’t see the blackboard at school

“Trips like this are invaluable because it is not just about finding eye diseases, but about creating the backbone of

a sustainable eyecare system

by training the Pacific’s next generation of health

professionals

“It’s like that old saying:

‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day

Teach a man to fish and you feed him for

a lifetime.’” #

Fleur Guthrie

Megan with her kids Alice and Patrick, who thought Mum was in for a lazy time in Fiji!

Top: Megan with eyecare workers and students at a mobile clinic in Lautoka Grateful patients would be lining up in the early hours

All of my family are animal

lovers We all have petsand we always havehad pets

Our Instagram feeds are full

of pictures of our dogs and cats

I rode horses throughout my

childhood and teens I still have

a horse and I’ve got a little

rescue dog called Bella I’ve had

her since she was 18 months old

and she’s 10 now – she’s a

Chihuahua Papillon cross I’ve

also got a little cat – he was

a very, very sick kitten He’s

called Basil, after Basil in Fawlty

Towers, because he’s faulty!

While I was studying for my

vet nursing certificate, I got a

part-time job at the SPCA in

Auckland as a large animal

attendant – cows, pigs, horses,

goats, sheep; anything thatwon’t fit in a kennel or acrate – and I never left

I’m not quite an animalwhisperer, I’m not nearly thatadvanced, but we do receivetraining in animal behaviour andanimal handling skills I’m also

an animal rescue technicianinstructor with Rescue 3, which is

an international training provider

The SPCA National RescueUnit is where we do all the crazystuff It’s the technical rescueside of things We probablyaverage one or two technicalrescues a month, but there’salso a lot of training Last year,

I put in something like 600hours and it’s voluntary, overand above my paid job

Blue, a one-tonne bull, was

a hard case He’d fallen overthe edge of a gully We werethinking, ‘Oh yeah, we’ll walkhim out’, but the sides weresheer rock, so there was no wayyou could cut steps down, plus

he was standing knee-deep inwater – if we’d wanted to sedatehim, he would have drownedbefore we had a chance to doanything He was also mightilyannoyed by his predicament

We had to bring in a massivedigger and collapse one side ofthe gorge to make a ramp, andthat’s how we got him out

We also train in civil defenceand animal emergency

management I was deployed toKaikoura after the earthquakes

in 2016, to Edgecumbe duringthe 2017 floods and I’ve justcome back from helping out

at the Nelson fires

In Edgecumbe, we were inwetsuits and life jackets in boatsrescuing cats, dogs, chickens,birds and, would you believe

it, goldfish! When the waterstarted to go down, goldfishstarted appearing in the mud

on the pavements − peoplewere running around withbuckets trying to save them

We rescued more than 1000animals in Edgecumbe

We slept on the floor of therural fire station there, which

is all well and good In Nelson,

we got accommodation at theMohaka Holiday Park I think itwas the last place available, thecivil defence teams who camejust after us were on the floor

of a classroom To be honest,though, you’re that tired at theend of a day – after pulling 17 to18-hour days one after the other– you’ll fall asleep anywhere.I’m very fortunate that mypartner Adam is also an SPCAinspector and an animal rescuetechnician, otherwise I wouldnever see him He wasvolunteering here and doinglabouring jobs, and got the bug

He realised pretty quickly that

if he ever wanted to see hisgirlfriend, he’d have to join in.Our house has three times asmany animal beds than we haveanimals, and our bed has a

Gina, who has

a tattoo of her cute rescue dog Bella

on her arm, with partner Adam.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

She is such a clever and impressive (and funny) woman, I’d love to meet her Also, it would make Adam jealous because he’s a big fan too.

What’s always in your fridge? Hummus! I’m obsessed with it My favourite right now is peach and dill

Quick-fire:

All in a day’s work! Adam and Gina (left) rescue a calf from the Otaki River.

Right: Gina gives Patch the dog a hand in the Mohaka Forest

ramp built into it so Bella can

get on the bed easier

The most unusual thing I’ve

come across would have to be

three macaws that we removed

from a property a couple of

years ago They were huge,

beautiful, loud and terrifying!

The cases that always get

me are the chronic neglect

ones I had a dog recently −

a small breed that at its best

weight would be 6kg – that

could probably maintain its

weight on a sandwich a day,

but it wasn’t even getting that

To not be even bothered to

provide that, that’s not someone

having a bad day, that’s a

long-term, chronic culture of neglect

A lot of what we do is

education We talk about

prosecution as being the highest

form of education when other

forms have failed We encourage

people to contact us early so we

can help from the outset Let us

be the ambulance at the top

of the hill rather than having

us come in and investigate

at the end.” #

As told to Julie Jacobson

New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 29

My love for all things

GINA KEMP (28) IS AN ANIMAL WELFARE INSPECTOR AND THE TECHNICAL RESCUE COORDINATOR WITH THE WELLINGTON-BASED SPCA NATIONAL RESCUE UNIT

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Simply the zest! Eight uses for lemons in your home

like the present to

update your denim

SERVES 2-4

Silky and smooth, this purée

trumps even the best mashed

potatoes every time.

3 pears, peeled, cored and

chopped – I used Belle pears

which are quite small

2 sage leaves

20g butter

100ml cream

Salt and pepper, to season

Olive oil, for drizzling

1 Place the parsnip, potato,

pear and sage in a saucepan

Cover with cold water and

bring to the boil Cook for 20

minutes or until the parsnips

are nice and tender Drain

well and let the steam escape

Discard the sage leaves

2 Transfer the parsnip mixture

to a food processor Add in

the butter and process until the

mixture is smooth Gradually

add enough of the cream to

make a creamy purée

3Return to the saucepan

over a low heat Stir as it heats

through Taste, season with

salt and pepper, then drizzle

over the olive oil

4 Serve a generous puddle

with crispy pork chops and

It’s all going pear-shaped!

The fading light and

cooler climes of autumn

don’t worry me one

bit as they herald in

pear season! Try all

of these food ideas, I know

you’re going to love them

T

f th

nici WICKES

Send your foodie thoughts

and questions to Nici:

nwickes@bauermedia.co.nz

•This purée stores well in the fridge for a few days at least Just reheat and eat!

Nici s note

Pear & blueberry shortcake

New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 33

• Don’t store this in an

airtight container unless

you like soggy shortcake

Instead, cover with a tea

towel and/or eat quickly!

Nici s note

MAKES 9-12 squares

I love this shortcake as it isn’t too

sweet The pears and blueberries

are a great combination

2-3 medium-sized pears (I used

Doyenne du Comice pears),

peeled and chopped

Pulse briefly to combine Add the butter and keep pulsing until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs Transfer to a bowl and add the beaten egg and one tablespoon of the milk Mix with a butter knife and then with your hands until it forms a stiff dough Add in the

remaining milk if it seems too dry and knead briefly to bring

it together Halve the dough and pat each into a rectangle

Wrap in cling film or baking paper and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes

2 Mix all the filling ingredients together, tossing to ensure the fruit is coated in flour, sugar and vanilla Set aside

3Preheat oven to 180ºC and place a tray in to heat Grease and line a 20cm square tin, leaving plenty of baking paper overhanging

4 To assemble the shortcake,

dust one pastry half with flour and roll out to fit the base of the tin exactly Transfer to the tin and press in firmly Spoon over the filling and spread evenly Roll the second piece

of pastry out to fit as a lid and place it over the fruit, pressing down lightly Brush with milk and sprinkle over extra sugar

5 Place on the preheated tray and cook for 25-35 minutes

or until the top is a biscuit brown colour

6Leave to cool completely in the tin Use the paper overhang

to remove and cut into squares

34 New Zealand Woman’s Weekly

FREE

Gluten

SERVES 6-8

The burnt butter gives this cake

a delicious nutty flavour which pairs well with old friends, pear and chocolate

1 cup gluten-free flour, plus

1 tbsp extra to dust cake tin 1½ tbsp baking powder

½ tsp sea salt

3 large eggs

¾ cup sugar 125g unsalted butter

3 pears, peeled and sliced −

I used Bosc pears

120g dark chocolate, broken

Pear, chocolate & burnt butter cake

beat for another minute

4 Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-high heat until

it foams and begins to brown – about 6-7 minutes Take it off the heat when it starts to brown

as it will keep browning once removed from heat

5 With the mixer beating on a low speed, add the flour mixture and butter alternately Don’t overbeat, instead, use a spatula

to make sure all the flour is mixed in Scrape the batter into the prepared tin Scatter over the pear slices, then the chocolate Don’t worry that they all sit on top as while cooking, the batter will enfold them

6 Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the cake springs back when pressed Cool for 10-20 minutes before the removing sides

7 Slice and serve with whipped cream or yoghurt

Nourish

• If serving this for dessert, briefly warm in an oven set

at 180ºC for 5-10 minutes to melt the chocolate Yum!

Nici’s note

SERVES 2-4

This is an old favourite of

Mum’s It is so simple and

perfectly exquisite − the aroma

alone is worth cooking it for.

20g butter, plus extra for

Liberally butter an ovenproof

dish that will snugly fit all

the pears

2 Peel, halve and core the

pears, placing them inside the

buttered dish, core-side up

3 Spoon over the caster sugar

and cut up the vanilla bean,

tucking lengths around the

pears Dot with butter Add

the water, then cover the dish

tightly with tinfoil and bake

for about an hour and a half

Remove the cover, increase

the oven temperature to

200ºC, pour the cream over

the pears and bake for another

15 minutes, when the cream

will have melted into the juices

4 Cool to warm and serve

with either crème fraîche or

ice cream

Vanilla pears

mum’s

KITCHEN

•I sometimes use sour cream

instead of cream, dolloping

1 tbsp on each pear half

before the second bake

•With simple recipes like this,

use top-quality ingredients

as the flavour is all-important

and there is nowhere to hide,

hence using vanilla pods and

not vanilla extract

Mum’s notes

36 New Zealand Woman’s Weekly

• Marinate the ribs in the spice rub overnight, but if you are short on time, you can skip this step

Tip

T

in heaven

PORK OUT ON THESE TASTILY INFUSED DISHES

SERVES 6

1 5 kg pork spare ribs

1 tbsp garlic-infused oil

1 cup chopped leek

(green leaves only)SPICE RUB

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup freshly squeezed orange

juice (3 large oranges)

140 g tomato paste

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp yellow mustard powder

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 If cooking immediately, preheat oven to 160°C

2 Remove the white membrane

Sticky pork ribs

from the ribs To do this, pierce the membrane with a sharp knife, slice a strip (to get it started), then peel it off using your hands and a paper towel (the paper towel will help you grip the membrane)

3 Combine all the spice rub ingredients in a small bowl Rub the meat with the spices and leave for at least 30 minutes (I like to do this the night before)

If you are in a rush, just add the spice mixture to the sauce

4 Heat a large frying pan over

a medium-high heat Add the oil and brown the meaty side

of the ribs and the leek for 3-4 minutes Transfer to a roasting dish

5 While you fry the pork ribs, make the sauce In a small saucepan, over a medium heat, mix together all the sauce ingredients (and spice rub

mixture if you haven’t used it) and heat for 3-4 minutes

6 Pour the sauce over the pork Cover with tinfoil and bake for 1½ hours, then check if the pork is tender If it isn’t tender, cover it again and continue cooking for another 30 minutes

7 Transfer the pork to a chopping board Pour the sauce through a sieve and into

a small saucepan Rapidly boil over a medium-high heat until

it reduces to a moderately thick sauce (about 10-15 minutes)

8 Increase oven temperature

to 220°C and line a tray with baking paper

9 Gently cut the ribs into single portions Place on the tray and coat each rib with sauce (use about half the sauce) Bake for another 10-15 minutes, basting

a couple of times with the remaining sauce

dited extract from

600 g boneless chicken thighs

2 1/2cups chicken stock

2large carrots, peeledand diced

2 cups buttercup squash/

pumpkin, peeled and diced

1 ¼ cups long-grain white rice

or basmati rice

1 cup chopped leek

(green leaves only)

1 tbsp neutral oil (eg, rice bran,

canola, sunflower)

1 1 / 2 cups chopped green beans

Few grinds of black pepper,

to taste

3 tbsp fresh coriander, roughly

chopped, to garnishSTICKY MARINADE

Grease a deep baking dish

or roasting pan that’s about 6cm deep

2Mix all the marinadeingredients together and pourover the chicken thighs Leave

to marinate for at least 5minutes, but ideally an hour

3Pour the stock into amicrowave-proof bowl and heatuntil hot – 1-2 minutes on high

4Put the carrot and pumpkin in

Sticky Chinese chicken bake

a microwave-proof bowl.Add 3 tablespoons water andcook in the microwave for3-4 minutes on high untilthey start to soften Drain

5Place the carrot, pumpkin,rice, leek and hot stock inthe baking dish Remove thechicken from the marinadeand reserve 3 tablespoons

of marinade Stir the remainingmarinade into the rice mixture.Cover tightly with tinfoil andbake for 30-40 minutes or untilthe rice is tender and sticky.Stir after 20 minutes

6Add the oil to a frying panand sear the chicken thighsover a medium-high heat for

4 minutes each side or untilgolden brown (but not cookedthrough) Place on an oventray and baste with half of thereserved marinade Bake for

10 minutes, baste again andcook for a further 5 minutes.Remove from the oven oncethe chicken is cooked through(juices should run clear; cook for longer if using wholechicken thighs)

7Five minutes before serving,blanch the green beans, thendrain Mix the green beans andchicken pan juices through therice Top with the chicken andseason with black pepper.Garnish with fresh coriander

healthy meal that will please most palates, this basic Brown Rice Vege Bowl is a good place

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PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES COOK TIME: 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 30 MINUTES SERVES: 2

1 cup SunRice Low GI

Brown Rice

1 avocado

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 capsicum, finely sliced

Salt and pepper

1 Place the rice and 2 cups

of water into a medium-sized saucepan and bring to the boil Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all of the water is absorbed (about 15 minutes), then stand for 5 minutes

2 In a small bowl, mix all of the dressing ingredients together and set aside

3 Once the rice is cooked, spoon

it into serving bowls Arrange the vegetables on top and place

a tablespoon of Greek yoghurt into the middle of each bowl Drizzle the dressing over the

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THE GIFT OF GOURMET

THE GREAT

TIM TAM SLAM

If you’re already privy to

the decadent and delicious

world of Tim Tam biscuits

and their side gig as an edible

straw, keeping it under wraps

will no longer be possible

with the launch of limited

edition Tim Tam range, made

especially for the widely

adored, highly addictive “bite,

sip, slam” experience Enter

Tim Tam Slams

Due to popular demand,

Arnott’s has released a trio of

choc-gooey goodness aptly

named Tim Tam Slams: Choc

Malt & Sticky Caramel, Choc

Hazelnut & Gooey Caramel

and Dark Choc & Sticky

Raspberry; each created to

take the original “bite, sip,

slam” pastime to a whole new

It’s how we’ve been secretly devouring our

favourite treat, but now the much-loved,

closely guarded ritual of morning and

afternoon tea is going public

level of taste and texture

What is the Tim Tam Slam?

While some say practise iskey, experiencing a true TimTam Slam is all about theimperfection: sticky fingers,gooey chocolate, meltedmalt and cream biscuit at thebottom of your coffee cup…

However, there aresimple steps to be followed

to truly lose yourself andexperience the Tim TamSlam flavour bomb

The innovative new

fl avours have been specifi cally designed with gooey cores

to create a fl avour explosion and they pair well with warm beverages such as tea, coff ee and hot chocolate – making for the ultimate, never-before-experienced, Tim Tam Slam

New Zealand Woman’s Weekly staff were recently introduced to the new range and indulged in what has been one of New Zealand’s

favourite, yet closely guarded, secrets

Lifestyle Director Penny Lewis says, “I do love a Tim Tam and cup of tea, but the Tim Tam Slams take a cuppa and chocolate treat to the next level I wouldn’t say I was

a natural with my fi rst bite, sip and slam – but practise makes perfect, right? I love the Tim Tam Slams fl avours – my favourite is Choc Malt &

Sticky Caramel Yum!”

HOW TO DO A TIM TAM SLAM

• Bite corners off diagonal ends of a Tim Tam Slam

• Dip one corner into a warm or chilled beverage

of choice, gently (or not so gently) sipping the liquid through as if it were a straw

• Slam the warm, gooey biscuit in your mouth before it melts completely in your hands

NEW ZEALAND WOMAN’S WEEKLY + ARNOTTSNew fl avour Choc Malt & Sticky

Caramel Right: Ellen Mackenzie,

Penny Lewis and Jessica Ault.