Prima UK December 2022

I don’t know if you are like me when it comes to Christmas, but I always think, ‘This year, I’m going to shake it up and do things a bit differently.’ Of course, when it comes to it, I fall into the same routines. I’m rushing around trying to buy things last minute and not stopping to enjoy the moment enough. Working on this festive issue has certainly reminded me that I truly mean to make this Christmas as special as possible. With so much bleak news about, adding a little sparkle where you can seems truly fitting. I’m not talking about spending a lot of money. We’ve tried to make the ideas in this issue as budget-friendly as possible. After all, baking a beautiful cake or knitting a gift…

‘Getting the call to join Strictly changed our lives. It brought me closer to Aljaž and closer to achieving my dreams’ It’s been nine years since Janette Manrara and Aljaž Škorjanec first waltzed on to our television screens as professional dancers on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing. Over the course of eight series, the couple stole the nation’s hearts with their infectious personalities, creative routines and flawless fleckerls, earning one glitterball trophy and two Christmas Special trophies between them. While the pair have both left the Strictly dancefloor behind, they’re as busy as ever. Janette is currently presenting BBC Two’s Strictly: It Takes Two alongside co-host Rylan Clark, and the couple are about to reunite on stage for their dance tour, Aljaž And Janette: A Christmas To Remember. Cuddled up on our…

Christmas has always been a very happy time for our family. My elder daughter, Deborah, especially loved the run-up to it. She’d spend hours in her local garden centre in search of pretty baubles to add to her extensive collection and she loved booking pantomimes, ice skating and ballet shows for the family – my husband, Alistair, and I, her husband, Sebastien, and their children, Hugo, 15, and Eloise, 13. When it came to decorating, Deborah loved all things bright, colourful and sparkly. I’ve always preferred a more colour co-ordinated design, which meant that in typical energetic Deborah style, she insisted we always had two trees in my bungalow in Woking, Surrey, where we usually spent Christmas. One of them was decorated with my preferred colour scheme of pinks, golds and…

The importance of faith ‘We know, every one of us, that, in the end, all will be well; for God will care for us and give us victory and peace.’ In 1940, aged just 14, in her first public speech, the young princess gave a message of hope in wartime to listeners of BBC Children’s Hour, and revealed her faith in God. Pledge of duty ‘I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.’ Princess Elizabeth made this pledge in a speech broadcast on the radio from Cape Town on her 21st birthday in 1947. Power of womanhood ‘It has been women who have breathed gentleness and care into the harsh progress…

JD Williams is getting ready for special occasions and events this party season and has launched its Autumn/Winter campaigns, which are fronted by ambassadors Davina McCall and Amanda Holden. From celebrating with friends to laying on a feast for loved ones at home, Davina and Amanda play the ultimate hosts, showcasing the Happy Host Collection, which features drinks trolleys, beautiful glassware and some serious power suits and red lippy. Also available is the Out Out Collection, which celebrates the glitz and glamour of the party season. The range is bursting with sparkle and colour, and features party dresses, shoes, accessories and beauty products. Check out jdwilliams.co.uk to view the full ranges. HOW TO CLAIM To receive your exclusive 20% discount code, visit prima.co.uk/offersdec22 and follow the instructions. You can redeem your discount at jdwilliams.co.uk…