GothIron

Gothiron.......? Don't I know that name...
Rants from the past revived

Dust Sluts of the World Unite

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm a dust slut, I really find the idea of housework pointless unless there is a specific reason for it (my mum ringing to say I'm dropping around in a few minutes provokes a flurry of dusters and Pledge). Personally I subscribe to the Joan Rivers idea "what's the point of house cleaning, 6 months later you only have to do it all again"

So therefore it may seem perverse that this op is extolling the virtues of that fine publication, Good Housekeeping.

My conversion to GH came about partly because I was fed up with the "How to bonk for Britain" type articles in She & Cosmo; not ready for the Mills & Boon fiction/knitting patterns within Woman's Own and never likely to be in possession of a figure that would be of interest to Vogue and so I found my choice of monthly reading a bit limited. Yes I wanted my mind stimulated, no I didn't want to be dubbed dull, yes I wanted to read about interesting people, no, Jordan's latest boob op doesn't fall into that category. So goodbye Hello and hello Good Housekeeping (courtesy of some stranger who left a copy on the train!)

GH has all the things you'd expect from any woman's mag (apart from knitting patterns!), features on clothes, make-overs (with a very holistic spin to them - it's not just your make-up they review), furnishings, cooking, lifestyle & health and short stories but the whole spin to it is just so much less patronising than some of the other mags on the market. GH has all the things that other racy women's mags have but it all seems to be done in a less voyeuristic way. Yes, you will find articles on the best undies to wear under that party dress but they will cover (or uncover as the case may be) real sized women, not stick insects who could wear a plaster for foundation wear! If there are boobs on view in GH then it's more likely to be an article on breast cancer surgical reconstruc tion rather than "match these knockers to their owners."

There are great features, interesting interviews with famous women that go a bit deeper than "Ooh what colour nail varnish are you wearing today, Cindy" and the back page column by Maureen Lipman is a real delight. The features on health are informative rather than scare-mongering and always give practical advice on recognising symptoms and also treating them, there will usually be a personal account accompanying the article which I always find interesting.

GH sticks true to its background when it comes to Christmas and does have terrific cooking & entertaining features in the November for December issue. There are brilliant vegetarian alternatives to the standard turkey dinner - the white nut loaf can be heartily recommended, as well as quick meal ideas, the wines to serve with the food and tips on how to make it all a bit easier. If you're not following "Delia" then GH is just as helpful. Plus if you really want to make your own table decorations and door wreaths, then that's there as well. In fact a GH Christmas would be great in my opinion if I had a GH tested and approved family to go with it.

But it's all a bit nobby I hear you cry, not a bit of it, if GH thinks something is the best, then whether it's mince pies from Greggs or bubbly from Asda or the latest multi-toaster from Duralit, it will recommend it. Price is no guide to quality and the famous GH triple-testing procedures tend to prove that. It's sound advice, well researched and presented in an informative way and doesn't limit itself to just "girly things." DIY tool reviews, car safety features and computers have all featured this year along with the vacs, washers and irons.

Yes some of the articles reviewed and described may be a bit out of my price range, but then I'm pretty unlikely to be parting with £800 for a pair of shoes as reviewed in Cosmo. Still we can all dream and it's always nice to see how the other half live. Aspirational journalism at it's best.

GH can best be described (by me anyway) as a thinking woman's magazine - yes it's glossy and glamorous but has depth to it and is suitable for a wide age range. It's one magazine I can see being read by the whole female side of a family, regardless of the generation gap - that's if you can wrest it away from the man in your life first. So if you are struggling for that present idea for a lady in your life, then a subscription to GH is a good investment. At less than £2.70 it's money well spent as it's a magazine that I tend to keep for a few months and reread rather than just abandon it to the bin once I've read through it the first time.

So how did I, Dust-Slut Extraordinaire end up a total convert to this bastion of standards? It was a Christmas present subscription from my mum. Plus a dusterbrush. Plus a can of Pledge!