Woman’s Weekly UK – 27 August 2019

PHOTOS:

NICK

HARVEY/SHUTTERSTOCK,

GETTY,

DAVID

APPLEBY

LifeCoin Turkey,whereweonlydrank

insipidjuicefora week– I returned

verythin,butputit allonagainafter

divingintothewinebottleonmy

return!Onthesetripsweshop,we

sightsee,weliein thesun,weplay

Bananagrams,butmostlywetalk.

Butit’snotjustaboutthefun.It’s

alsoaboutthesupport.Welisten,we

empathiseandwedon’tjudge.Life

getsmoreseriousaswegetolder.

Parentsage,andsometimessadly

die,teenagerssuffertheusual

anxieties,andourowngeneration

candivorce,getsickandhaveto

tackleproblemsthatonlyseem

to becomemoreserious.

Whenmysistertragicallydiedtwo

yearsago,it wasthosegirlswho

ralliedto myside.Theycalledme,

listenedto meandsupportedme

longafterthefuneralwasoverand

everyoneelsehadmovedon.I’m

luckyenoughto countthemasreal

friends.I’vealwayshadmydoubts

abouttheso-calledsisterhood

becausewomencanbecompetitive,

andI’vewitnessedtoomanywomen

betrayingclosegirlfriendsovermen.

ButI’velearnedthatnotallwomen

arelikethat.Myfivefriendshave

taughtmetherereallyis a sisterhood,

andI’mgratefulto bepartof it.

✿TheSecretHoursbySanta

Montefioreis on sale now,

published by Simon & Schuster

NEXT

WEEK

Julia Donaldson

WhereI’vebeenTheCeremonyoftheKeysatTheTowerof

London,whereyou’retakentoTraitor’sGatetowatch the guard lock

thegates.It’sa wonderful700-year-oldritual.

WhoI’vemetEdwardEnninful,editorofVogue. Charming,

funny,handsomeandclever!

WhatI’veboughtPDNLondonmakebeautifulshirts.

If youneeda pick-me-up,a gorgeousshirt’sa real treat.

WhatI’veseenThemovieRocketman. It’s

spectacular – I sobbed.

‘My funny old week’

This week’s columnist:

Novelist

Santa Montefiore

I

nmy 20s, I was a man’sgirl.

The sortwhohad lots

ofmalefriends,andIrather

preferredmaleto female

company.In my 30 s, as a married

woman,myfocusshiftedto

womensharingmy experiences

• expectantmumswhenI was
  pregnant,mumsat the school
  gates–but I hungout mostlywith
  my husbandand othercouples,
  withmy focuson my youngfamily.
  In my40s,thingschangedagain


• I becamea girl’sgirl.Lastweek,
  I returnedfromProvencewitha
  groupoffivefemalefriendswho
  havegrownintothekindof tight-knit
  gangthatonereadsaboutin novels.
  Wemetover 10 yearsagoat our
  sons’school,whenourboyswere
  eightyearsold,andstarteda book
  club.Ourmeetingswereheldover
  lunchesanddinnerswithglasses
  of wineandheapsof laughter.
  Recently,however,thebookclub
  hasmorphedintoa holidayclubtoo.
  OurfirsttripwastoRavello,when
  IwasresearchingTheTemptation
  of Graciethreeyearsago,whichis
  setin Italy.Westayedin anadorable
  pensioneoverlookingtheseaand
  spentoneof thefourdaysat the
  wonderfulMammaAgata’scookery
  school,whichinspiredthebook.
  Afterthat,therewasnoturning
  back.Girls’tripsaretheway we
  unwind.Thethingabout
  beinga wifeandmother
  is thatyou’realways
  needed.Whetherit’stofill
  thefridge,drivea childto
  a partyor simplyto listen,
  yourdayis rarelyyours.
  Well,ona girls’tripit’s
  allyours,everydelicious
  minute.We’vebeento
  Amsterdam,Switzerland,
  ParisandDevon!Last
  September we went to the

‘As a wife and mum, you’re always needed.

On a girls’ trip, every minute’s yours’

It’s A Funny

Old World

COLUMN

Rocketman,

theElton

John biopic

15

Edward Enninful