Editor’s letter

DEAR READERS,

Every year I tell myself that next year I will be far better organised for Christmas. I never am. November seems to whizz through in a flash, and before you know it we’re into December and rushing to catch up. We seem to be a nation divided about Christmas preparations, some bemoaning the fact that baubles are on sale seemingly earlier every year and others who can’t wait to get their decorations up. Gillian Spickernell and Liz Hodgkinson debate this very subject in this issue. Who will you side with?

One thing I am extremely organised about are my personal appointments for hair, nails, eyes and the dentist. I simply wouldn’t feel like me without these crucial things being well-maintained. In fact, I am so organised that I coordinate the fi rst three on the same day so I take the least amount of time away from work. I also book a year in advance to avoid disappointment.

As you can imagine, I am completely in tune with Liz Hodgkinson, who this month sings the praises of well-manicured hands. I am also a huge advocate of oral hygiene, which, as the experts confirm in our Health pages, is key to our overall wellbeing.

This is the month when we round up our Ladies of the Year – the women who have most impressed us with their achievements in 2023, and as a special Christmas treat, the novelist and ceramic artist Kate Glanville has written a superb short story for us with a festive theme and spooky twist. You will hear more from Kate as we go into 2024. Maureen Paton shows us a different side to the actress Susan George, and Ciar Byrne celebrates the 350th anniversary of Chelsea Physic Garden. I was a frequent visitor when I lived nearby, and if you haven’t been I urge you to go. Kerry Parnell takes us on some wonderful winter walks, while Gillian Spickernell and Juanita Coulson sing the praises of going to cultural events with a friend, and suggest some highlights to put in your diaries for 2024.

All this and so much more awaits you, so without further ado I shall let you get on with it. I wish you fabulous festive frolics and look forward to seeing you again next month. Until then,

Helen Budworth, Editor

WIN! TWO NIGHTS AT FA BU L OUS TEWKESBURY PARK RESORT SEE PAGE 21

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4 TH E L A DY DECEMBER 2023

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Editor and Managing Director

Helen Budworth Editor’s PA and Letters Editor

Gillian Spickernell Creative Director

Mar tin Ixer Books Editor Juanita Coulson Puzzles Editor

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Nadine Rooke Publisher and Chief Executive

Ben Budworth

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