Table of contents for 23 April 2026 in Take a Break Weekly

It’s a WRAP! I was looking for tasty low-calorie, low-carb meals to make and discovered a great hack for a quick, easy pizza that ticks those boxes. I took a plain wrap, spread some pasta sauce on to it then added toppings before sprinkling on some grated cheese. Then I popped it into a hot oven and it was ready in five minutes. Delicious! Fen Crosbie, Edinburgh The white bags inside cereal boxes make great storage bags once you’ve finished what’s inside. Caroline Janney, Louth, Lincs BAG for good When I buy a toy car which is sealed in a plastic bag, I reuse it to hold small items. I’ve used it to store little hooks, the sticky tabs you use to put up pictures and other items. It stops…

Hoisting my backpack on to my shoulders, I ran to catch up with my parents. ‘Come on, love, we’ve got a long way to go!’ Mum encouraged. ‘I’ve got the sarnies packed.’ At just six, I was ready to climb Snowdon with Mum, Dad and my brother Steve – and I couldn’t wait. My parents loved getting out into the countryside and as soon as Steve and I could walk they had put us in walking boots and taken us out with them. We lived in the Cotswolds, so we had lots of beautiful countryside on our doorstep, but they also took us on walking holidays like this one. Now, after a few hours of hiking, we made it to the summit and we felt so proud of ourselves. As…

Go green This boldly patterned pairing will make a statement when worn together Take cover Matching your jacket and trousers is a fresh new take on a twin set – perfect for the weekend Crafty coupling Delicate embroidery and lacy cut-outs give otherwise understated pieces a high-end feel Marvellous monochrome Floral patterns are always a winner for a spring occasion – especially in black and white! Retro chic You really can’t go wrong with vintage-inspired gingham. Wear this floaty duo with blue denim and you’ll be all set…

Lying in my pyjamas on the sofa, I reached for the cheese and crackers. Four months pregnant with mine and my hubby’s first baby, and trapped indoors due to the Covid lockdown, I was combating my boredom by bingeing on snacks and greasy takeaway food. Although I was thrilled to be expecting, I was struggling with my mental health after being furloughed from my retail job. I’d been put on pregnancy-safe antidepressants, and those, along with my bad eating habits, meant I was rapidly gaining weight. Thankfully, our gorgeous daughter Autumn arrived safely, and it was love at first sight. But while I wanted to be the best mum possible, I was still stuck at home because of the pandemic. My weight continued to go up, as I stuffed myself…

Pearls of Wisdom All these five-letter words fit into the grid horizontally, vertically or diagonally, reading forwards or backwards. The first and last letters of each word should be written inside diamonds and the rest of the word in the pearls. We’ve placed some starter letters to get you going. CLUES DEMON DENIM DIVOT DODGE DOWEL HOUND LINEN LOOSE LYMPH MAJOR MAPLE MIGHT MODEL NOTCH RIGID ROBOT TORCH WHIST WIDTH WORLD Up and Downer By writing the solutions to the ‘down’ clues downwards, you will reveal the solution to the ‘up’ clues reading upwards, and vice versa. DOWN 1 Day after Sat? (3) 2 Follow orders (4) 3 Serious play (5) 4 Take an audible breath in shock or surprise (4) 5 Walk like a soldier? (5) 6 Feudal farm…

My fingertips were on the ground, my knees were bent, and my back was low. Hearing the word ‘Go!’ I shot up and ran as if my life depended on it. But after crossing the finish line first, one of the other kids smirked and pointed at the large, red birthmark covering my left leg. ‘Raspberry leg,’ he teased, so I gave him a shove. Although my birthmark had never troubled me, what did bother me was that my left leg was half an inch longer than my right, and I hated having to add extra height to the heel of my right shoes. But when I was 13, Mum said, ‘You’re going to have surgery that will stop your left leg growing so much.’ Although the doctors seemed pleased…

1 PICTURE A One Battle After Another was the big winner at this year’s BAFTAs, including bagging the Best Supporting Actor gong for Sean Penn – but how many awards in total did the film take home?  2 What is the minimum age requirement of someone buying a UK National Lottery ticket? 3 The Brill Bend is a technique used in which athletics event? 4 What colour is the serpent in the Alfa Romeo logo?  5 PICTURE B Name this chef and host of Saturday Kitchen, who’s also joined Marcus Wareing and Monica Galetti as a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals.  6 Sofia is the capital of what country? 7 ‘Mrs Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me. Aren’t you?’, is a famous line from which 1967 film? 8 In poetry, a…

Pretend to sing • 62-68-24-4 Drinking tube • 26-53-60-11-45 Cognac, eg • 34-5-48-39-63-29 Neckwear item • 50-32-9 Pouring part of a teapot • 19-55-2-35-7 Our planet • 25-31-64-15-47 Weaving machine • 33-61-51-12 Yell, raise your voice • 20-8-44-58-36 Male spouse • 22-18-1-13-41-69-37 Witchcraft, sorcery • 3-28-70-14-21 Praise falsely • 59-42-66-49-40-23-10 Also, as well • 46-57-54 Blood relations, kin • 30-6-67-16-43-56 N American elk • 27-38-17-52-65 HOW TO ENTER Solve the clues and transfer letters to the numbered squares to spell out a message for Aries. The yellow squares reveal our hidden star, who was born under this sign. Write her name on the entry coupon, enter online, phone or text. See page 57.…

PRINT: ◼ £99.99 by annual recurring payment ◼ £110 as a one-off payment SUBSCRIBE TODAY AND BENEFIT FROM: ◼ Receiving both of your favourite weekly magazines together in the post each week! ◼ FREE delivery direct to your door – never miss an issue VISIT GREATMAGAZINES.CO.UK/REAL  CALL 01858 438 884 & QUOTE CODE ANAA T&C’s: *Monthly cost is calculated based on the annual recurring payment price. The minimum term is 12 months. Offer closes 29/12/26. Subscriptions will start with the next available issue. Offers cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Order line open 0800hrs – 2100hrs (Mon-Fri). 0800hrs – 1600hrs (Sat). Calls may be monitored or recorded for training purposes. Call costs from mobiles vary according to the calling plan chosen. Please refer to ofcom.org.uk for updated…

ENTER ONLINE AT takeabreak.co.uk OR SCAN ❯ For a full list of winners from issue 6 go to takeabreak.co.uk. Or send an sae to: Winners’ List, Take a Break, Bauer Media Publishing UK, The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL. All winners have been notified on Take a Break headed notepaper or by official email. 50p* TO SEND ALL YOUR ANSWERS! How to enter Entries to arrive by midnight Monday 4 May 2026 You can enter as many competitions as you like. Please use BLOCK LETTERS throughout. TEXT 65115 It’s now even easier to enter! You no longer need to register. ALL YOU NEED TO DO TO ENTER EACH WEEK IS… ● TEXT TAB14 then a space followed by a name, house number/house name and postcode, then your answers,…

As Prince’s The Most Beautiful Girl in the World blasted from the speakers, my sister Ranjit sang enthusiastically into a wooden spoon. ‘Do you ever run out of energy?’ I said, laughing. It was Friday night, which meant we were in my kitchen, cooking dinner and dancing around to our favourite songs. I was one of five siblings and Ranjit, or Nita as we called her, was the baby. Growing up she’d been a little pocket rocket, with so many hobbies it was hard to keep up with her. After I’d moved out of home at 18, married and started a family, Nita and I had remained close. We spoke most days and, like tonight, got together for our Friday night dinners. Time passed, and Nita met a guy called…

This puzzle is like a regular sudoku, but with an added twist! Start off by filling in the squares in the grid, so that every row, every column, and each of the 3x3 squares contains all the digits from 1 to 9. NEED A HAND? To get you started, look at the top-middle 3x3 block. One of the missing numbers is 1. It must go in the middle row as there are already 1s in the top and bottom rows of the other 3x3 blocks along the top. FINISHED? When you’ve completed the puzzle, use the boxes above to add up the three numbers in the pink squares in the grid – the total in the yellow box is the prize answer. Write this total on the entry coupon, enter…

Each number in the grid below represents a different letter. We’ve placed one starter word in the grid which shows you that 20 = T, 18 = S, 26 = A and 5 = R. We’ve also filled in all the Ts for you, and you can do the same for the Ss, As and Rs. All 26 letters of the alphabet will appear – keep track by crossing them off at the bottom of the page. FINISHED? Now, from the top, list the letters in the yellow squares for the winning word! Write it on the entry coupon, enter online, phone or text. See page 57.…

As the opening bars of the R&B classic Shake A Tail Feather fill the air, the group of dancers bursts into life. They twist, shimmy and spin in perfect harmony, confidence growing with every step. But this isn’t a scene from the comedy movie classic The Blues Brothers, set in late 1970s Chicago. It’s a group of middle-aged women in a church hall on a drizzly afternoon in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Leading them is mum-of-two, Caroline Thompson, who was inspired to pull her dancing shoes on after hearing the song floating out from the jukebox in an American diner near her home. As she sipped on her milkshake, she looked at her husband Jamie and said, ‘Now this is the music that makes me want to dance.’ ‘I felt like…

Walking through the door, I glanced at the staircase, hoping to see a blur of furry paws scampering down to greet me. But when nothing stirred, I sighed sadly and said, ‘Oh, how I miss you.’ Wilson, my beloved white Pyrenean Mountain dog, had died a couple of months earlier. He was an old boy, but he’d left a huge, doggy-shaped hole in mine and my husband Steve’s lives. Now, everywhere I looked reminded me of Wilson and the house felt empty without him. ‘I want another dog,’ I said to Steve. ‘I think it is time,’ he replied. We agreed on a Pyrenean rescue this time, over a demanding puppy. That type of big, loveable dog was all we had known. The next day, I contacted our friends at…

The sun was shining as I arrived at my mum’s house to celebrate her birthday. There were presents piled up, my younger sister had baked a cake and family had come from all over to make the day special. It was rare for us all to be together, so I wanted to soak up every second. It had also been my dad’s 60th a few weeks earlier and he’d just retired so, after a couple of hours at Mum’s, we got ready to go round the corner to his home in Eastbourne, East Sussex, for another celebration. Dad was a keen motorcyclist and, inspired by him, I’d got my motorbike licence two years earlier. Now, as I strapped on my helmet, Mum said, ‘Please ride safely.’ ‘I will,’ I replied.…

When the envelope arrived, I opened it up thinking it was just a flyer. I scanned the first line, then read it again and again. It was at this point I said to my husband, ‘I’m going to have a heart attack!’ The reason my heart rate had gone up was because I had been informed that I’d won £10,000 in the Take a Break Big Cash Stash competition. After reading the letter, my emotions were all over place – from shock to disbelief, to happiness back to disbelief, to hysteria to being excited, back to disbelief again – and then elation! This really is the most fantastic prize. I have done the competitions forever, and was introduced to Sudoku and worked out how to complete them through Take a…

As the music thudded through my kitchen, I grabbed my phone and punched out a text. I love it, I wrote and pressed send to my new admirer. I’d met Billy on Tinder and we’d clicked instantly, bonding over our love of music, sharing our favourite songs. But his taste in music wasn’t all I liked about Billy. ‘Honestly girls, he’s gorgeous,’ I told my friends over a drink one day. ‘He looks like a rock star and he really looks after himself. Plus, he always smells amazing!’ Truth was, though, Billy was more than a bit of eye candy to me. Before we knew it, we’d fallen head over heels in love and, within weeks of meeting, we were talking about a future together. ‘I want to marry you,…

PICK ONE In this puzzle, there are three possible answers for each clue. You need to decide which is correct. We’ve placed the first and last answers to get you started. CLUES ACROSS 1 Shrub ● Shrew ● Greed 3 Proud ● Poise ● Sling 6 Sin ● Ail ● Oil 7 Lid ● Lit ● Rig 9 Treat ● Truce ● Litre 10 Norm ● Note ● Tome 12 Calm ● Clam ● Ante 15 Troop ● Trill ● Trail 16 Speak ● Tweak ● Chalk 17 Mist ● Mime ● Pine 20 Toot ● Trot ● Drop 23 Crest ● Cress ● Tress 25 Tor ● Doe ● Boa 26 Hog ● Lop ● Rod 27 Round ● Erode ● Horde 28 Plead ● Pleat ● Meaty DOWN…

All but one of the words related to fruit picking, listed below, can be found in our wordsearch. Words run in straight lines in any direction. LOOK FOR ★ AUTUMN ★ BACKACHE ★ CASUAL ★ CHERRY ★ COLLECT ★ DAMAGE ★ ELEMENTS ★ EXERCISE ★ FARM SHOP ★ GRAPE ★ HARVEST ★ KNIFE ★ LADDER ★ MARKET ★ PEACH ★ PESTS ★ PHYSICAL ★ PICK ★ PLUCK ★ PUNNET ★ RIPE ★ SPEED ★ STAMINA ★ STINT ★ STRAW ★ SUMMER ★ SUNBURN ★ SUNHAT ★ THINNING ★ WEIGH ★ YIELD FINISHED? One of the listed words cannot be found in the puzzle and is the prize answer. Write it on the entry coupon, enter online, phone or text. See page 57.…

Apart from handcream, is there anything for your hands to keep them looking younger? I use products on my face and look quite youthful, but my hands give my age away! Rachel Scarr, Glusburn, N Yorks Try switching out everyday handwashes for cleansing products that won’t strip skin of its natural oils. Rehab. Retreat Hand Wash, £15, smells amazing and is filled with glycerin, shea butter and vitamin E to soothe. A targeted mask, like BeautyPro Hydrating Hand Therapy, £6, can work wonders too. Lastly, sun damage can trigger premature ageing, so switch your usual hand cream for one that offers SPF30 protection, such as Hello Sunday Hand Cream, £11. SUPERMARKET SAVVY… Aldi Lacura Luminous Filter Foundation, £4.99, has a light and wearable feel that will create a veil of…

Reaching over the conveyor belt, I picked up another piece of chicken. Over and over, I selected a piece and popped it into packaging. ‘Any weekend plans?’ I asked my cousin, Makaya. We worked in a food factory together and chatting helped pass the time. Then suddenly, a sharp pain hit me like a punch in the stomach. ‘Argh!’ I screeched, doubling over. ‘What’s going on?’ Makaya asked. But I had no idea. Had I had a bad sausage at breakfast? If I had, it wasn’t like any food poisoning I’d suffered before. The cramps tearing at my stomach were so painful, I could barely breathe. Whipping off her gloves, Makaya rushed to my side and said, ‘Let’s get you to hospital.’ Doubled over, still in my hairnet, I shuffled…

ARIES 21 Mar – 19 Apr It’s planetary bingo for you, Aries, with Neptune, Saturn, Mars, Mercury and the Moon all in your corner. Mix and match enthusiasm and discipline and you can open doors. The Sun may also make a beeline for your zone of wealth, while a hot tip you receive is worth keeping under your hat for a while. Cheeky chat changes your mind TAURUS 20 Apr – 20 May You should find yourself in deep thought, Taurus. Big questions, such as what you love, need and want next are flooding into your mind, as Mercury meets Mars and Saturn. The answers won’t come overnight, but you can expect to have a next-level masterplan by your birthday. A message could also take you by surprise. Get taste…

I finished speaking and watched in delight as his eyes widened in wonder. ‘I want her to be called Sunshine,’ my son said. I’d just told him that he was going to have a baby sister. Speechless, I stared at him. ‘Sunshine,’ I repeated and he nodded. I’d never even heard of it as a name for a person. But he was adamant, and when she was born on the sunniest day of the year, it just felt right. So, we named her Darcey Sunshine. But, in hindsight, perhaps ‘Storm’ would have fitted as well, because our little girl was feisty and unstoppable from day one. By the time her little brother came along two years later, our family felt complete. My husband and I left our home in Glasgow to…

Too UGLY to leave the house As a teenager, I was diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), a mental health condition where sufferers have an obsessive hatred of their bodies. I barely left the house for two years, believing I was too ugly. I recovered but now, at the age of 42, the same feelings are coming back. What do I do? TaB Reader Vanessa, 52: ‘My struggles with BDD began after a friend made a comment about my ears. I became fixated on them and would spend hours in front of the mirror, doing my hair to hide them. It took over my life. After a battle to get a diagnosis and treatment, I learnt ways to break the obsessive and negative thoughts. ‘For 30 years, I managed to…

£50 STAR LETTER Best Buddy Scooping up my miniature dachshund Buddy, I gave him a cuddle. Over the years, I’d struggled with my health, but he’d been by my side through it all, bringing love and comfort. Then, when he was six, it was my turn to be strong for him as he developed a problem with his legs. He was facing possible paralysis and needed major surgery. ‘We’ll get you through this,’ I promised him. It was a long, very hard and tearful few months but, just as I’d promised Buddy, we got through it. My beautiful boy recently turned 15 and I wanted to share a picture of him with Take a Break, as I’ve read it since the very first issue. He truly is my very special Buddy.…