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RAGING RUTH JUST BE HONEST! WHAT’S UPSET OUR COLUMNIST? best – THE BIGGER WEEKLY!

in!

W £1,350 IN PUZZLE PRIZE MONEY & GIVEAWAYS!* *T&Cs APPLY

17 august 2021 issue 33

JE N N Y ECL A IR THE SADDEST PHOTO ALBUM EVER

TURNING BACK TIME

…

Why I won’t stop living in the past THE S TORIE S BEHIND OTSUR OLYMPIC MEDALLIS SUPER-SIMPLE DIET PLAN

HOW TO LOSE 1ST FAST!

KATE’S HELL A looming crisis & unwanted heartbreak MAGIC MADELEY Can the Marmite man save GMB?

GEMMA COLLINS

THE NEW GREEN GODDESS

A music station for a dynamic generation

12 Style staples for the season

Jason and Laura, GB’s power couple

EDITOR SIOBHAN WYKES

Returning Heroes ON THE COVER 8 Raging Ruth: Just be honest! What’s upset our columnist?

9 Gemma Collins: The new Green Goddess 14 Kate’s hell: A looming crisis & unwanted heartbreak 16 Turning back time…

Why I won’t stop living in the past 25 Magic Madeley: Can the Marmite man save GMB? 30 Super-simple diet plan: How to lose 1st fast!

49 Welcome home… the stories behind our Olympic medallists 59 Jenny Eclair: The saddest photo album ever

Is there anything Tom can’t do?

60 At home with…

Sarah Jayne Dunn 72 Tony Hadley 78 Gwen Taylor: ‘Violet has no filter!’

REAL LIFE 28 I became a mum at 70!

40 Menopausal at 46 – thanks to my divorce!

64 Cold case files

REGULARS 4 Start your week with a smile 12 Style: Keep your cool!

86

SHOWBIZ 10 Davina McCall 19 Carol McGiffin 46 Eamonn & Ruth

• Please let me know your thoughts, siobhan.wykes@hearst.co.uk

20 We’re all talking about 22 Style: The final straw 26 Beauty: Get a head start 32 Time for lip service!

34 Polished to perfection!

36 Recipes 39 Win! A £50 voucher from the original factory shop 42 Late blooms!

44 Dear Vanessa 57 Win! A family hair kit from KinKind 62 Fiction 68 Animals: Sea life 69 Your stars 71 Cash advice 74 Girls’ night in… and out 80 Colour therapy 82 Puzzles 86 Travel: Cornwall 90 Treat yourself for under a tenner Hearst Magazines UK is a trading name of The National Magazine Company Limited (Registered in England number 112955) whose registered offices are at 30 Panton Street, London SW1Y 4AJ.

FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 3

COVER PICTURES: ALAMY, GETTY, INSTAGRAM/GEMMACOLLINS, PA REAL LIFE, SHUTTERSTOCK THIS PAGE: GETTY, NICKY JOHNSTON, SHUTTERSTOCK

Hands up who loved these Olympics?

From the magic of Tom Daley and Matty Lee’s diving to historic Gold victory, to the heartbreak of the decathlon’s Katarina JohnsonThompson hopping over the finishing line with a pulled Achilles tendon, it’s been an emotional roller coaster for Team GB. There were moments of fun – Tom Daley’s knitting – and delighted surprised, such as when 13-year-old Sky Brown from Hemel Hempstead, Herts, won a Bronze in skateboarding.

Meanwhile, Jason Kenny became the most successful British Olympian ever (eight medals, six Golds) while his wife, Laura Kenny, added her fifth Olympic medal to the tally as the couple’s reign of dominance in the velodrome continued.

‘It’s nice,’ said Kenny, with the sort of understatement we have come to expect from our athletes.

As Team GB flies home, we take a look at some of the back stories that have brought our team to victory (page 49).

Makes you proud to be a Brit.

h t i w k e e w 1

2 Instagram/harperaspreywildliferescue

R U O Y T STAR

HANK THE HEDGEHOG!

Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue recently posted this adorable picture of Hank the hedgehog, keen to get off their weighing scales – we know how he feels!

The rescue centre said: ‘Hank is very keen to get off the scales and head home. After some bad facial injuries he is now fully fit and ready for release. Good luck Hank.’ If this doesn’t make you smile, we don’t know what would!

To inspire women to continue to boost their lives post-lockdown, writer and broadcaster Katie Piper has partnered with Bloom Gin to launch Bloom Bright, a fund of £20,000 to help women spend their time wisely and say ‘yes’ to the things that really matter to them.

Katie, 37, commented: ‘We want to encourage more women to say “yes” to themselves and the things they love, and hopefully we can help a few tick off some big Bucket List dreams along the way.’ This is definitely something we could get on board with, Katie!

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Katie wants women to do what they love

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Instagram/charlottehawkins1

WORDS: DANIELLE SOUTHWOOD PICTURES: DAN KENNEDY, GETTY, INSTAGRAM

Blooming out of lockdown!

Instagram/d

ebbiedresses

Go for green! GM B Charlotte Hawkin ’s s, 46, recently stunned a t Court Flower Sho the Hampton w in Rhoades Fashion a plant-print go Susanna Reid, 50 wn – while , in Ashley Roberts, 3 Boden, and 9, w as much in green owed just ensembles with added Summ er accessories.

best this WEEK

. ..

Y A ID L O H T S IR F SANTI’S After a bad start to the year for Dani Dyer – with her baby daddy Sammy Kimmence put behind bars – her parents Danny Dyer and Joanne Mas whisked off their daughter and new grandson, Santi, seven months, on holiday. Melting our hearts last week by posting an adorable picture on social media, the reality star, 25, wrote, ‘Baby boy’s first holiday’ – so sweet!

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Instagram/danidyerxx

Who wowed the crowd?

PRETTY AT PRIMARK! Susanna and Ashley were wise to take a leaf out of Charlotte’s book with their green gowns

Primark’s latest homeware collection has all you need to achieve a laid-back Bohemian style on an affordable budget! From beautiful baskets to candles and stunning faux flowers such as these – from £1.50, you can’t really go wrong!

5

R U O Y T STAR

h t i w k e e w

w o N

Fashion throwback At 54 years old, Salma Hayek has always had an enviable figure – but back in 1999, her fashion choices were questionable. Look at her crop top, knitted hat and lace-up trousers at the Eyes Wide Shut premiere. These days, Salma’s red carpet efforts ooze glamour and sophistication – this Alexander McQueen gown from the Golden Globes is certainly a wardrobe highlight!

WORDS: DANIELLE SOUTHWOOD, HELEN PIKE PICTURES: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK, YOUTUBE/ITV

6

8

OH, BABY!

Glam Hollywood couple George and Amal Clooney are reportedly expecting a baby – four years after the birth of their twins, Ella and Alexander!

The 60-year-old actor and 43-year-old human rights lawyer married at a star-studded ceremony in Venice in 2014, just months after the Ocean’s Eleven star popped the question. It’s claimed the silver fox made no secret of the fact he wanted to add to the couple’s beautiful brood – and it seems he’s got his wish!

6 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

We should’ve kept our eyes wide shut when Salma stepped out in the Nineties but now she’s the epitome of elegance!

best this WEEK

7

WE’LL MEET AGAIN…

n e h T

The late Dame Vera Lynn has been sweetly remembered with a huge graffiti-style street art mural in her native East London. The image of the Forces’ Sweetheart, whose songs rallied the nation in World War II, has been painted on a wall on Barking Road, not far from where she grew up in East Ham. The stunning black-and-white portrait also includes a pair of bluebirds – a reference to one of her biggest hits, (There’ll be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover… Spare tissues, anyone?

9

DESSERT IN A DRINK! Try this delicious cocktail recipe using Aldi’s Mini Whirlz ice lollies… cheers!

For two lollies, you’ll need: M 60ml Aldi Saint Gérmont Vodka M 130g fresh strawberries, roughly chopped M Juice of ½ lime M Juice of ½ lemon M 4-5 ice cubes M 100ml lemonade

Peckish penguins…

GMB’s Laura Tobin, 39, was presenting from the penguin enclosure at Chessington World of Adventures Resort recently, when one of the hungry birds nipped her leg! Poor Laura, yelping in pain, ended her broadcast as she laughed, ‘Owww, I haven’t got any food. The penguins must think I am the food... I’m not a fish!’ What do they say about never working with children or animals…?!

1. Put vodka, strawberries, lime and lemon juice into a blender.

2. Take one green and one red Whirlz lolly. Remove sticks, chop lollies and add to blender with ice cubes.

3. Blend until smooth.

Pour into a glass and top up with lemonade.

4. Garnish with fruit.

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best for CELEBRITY

Ruth Langsford has blasted celebrities who lie about having ‘tweakments’…

his Morning ’s Ruth Langsford got all hot under the collar recently - over ‘dishonest’ celebs!

The 61-year-old presenter recently hit out on the ITV show about famous faces who aren’t entirely honest about the ‘work’ they’ve had done.

While the star maintained that she has absolutely no problem with people having ‘tweakments’, Ruth said she doesn’t believe that people should lie about them.

Ruth, who was presenting with husband and fellow best columnist Eamonn Holmes, was discussing the rise of men

T

This Morning spoke to men about ‘backto-work’ Botox

receiving tweakments ahead of the return to the office.

‘Before you ask, no I haven’t had anything done,’ he said.

‘As I said, if I’d had something done, I’d be asking for my money back!’

Hubby Eamonn, ever with a twinkle in his eye, responded lovingly, ‘Darling, you don’t need anything.’

Ruth added, ‘The thing is, you see yourself a lot when you’re on the telly and you see yourself a lot in magazines…

Obviously there are lots of times where you think you could do with a bit of something – but I’m trying to age as gracefully as I can.’

Ruth happily showed off Eamonn’s natural cheeks

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‘Age appropriate, darling,’ Eamonn chipped in.

Ruth continued, ‘I have no problem with anyone doing anything they want, I think people should admit to it rather than say they drink lots of water, that’s all.’

Ahead of speaking to a 41-year-old HGV driver about getting Botox, Eamonn admitted fans had been asking him on social media whether he’d had anything done.

Turning to his wife, Eamonn

said: ‘How many tweets did I get two weeks ago when I came back to do this show saying, “Eamonn’s looking very good, he must have had treatment! He must have had a tweakment! He must have had Botox!”’

Ruth even cheekily grabbed her husband’s face to show just how natural his look was.

He continued: ‘Yeah, it was all, “He’s looking a bit too fresh, if you ask me!”’

Ruth concluded the debate with, ‘There are a lot of men in the public eye who do have tweakments but don’t ever talk about it. Yet it is happening.’

We couldn’t agree more, Ruth. It’s 2021 – if anyone’s had a bit of ‘work’, there’s no shame in it, so why hide the fact?!

‘I’m m trying to o age as s gr racefully as I can’

WORDS: DANIELLE SOUTHWOOD PICTURES: ITV, SHUTTERSTOCK

RAGING RUTH – ‘Just be honest!’

best for CELEBRITY

TOWIE ’s Gemma Collins has been pounding the streets as part of her new fitness regime – and fans are stunned at the results…

40 years since she graced our screens in a shiny green outfit on breakast telly but, like Gemma, she inspired many of us to get moving!

After battling with fluctuating weight for years, the GC appears to have set on a winning combination – one that includes incorporating cardio and weights in her exercise routine alongside ‘clean eating’ [eating only whole, fresh, unprocessed foods] and ditching the naughty snacks.

Something else no doubt helping to keep off the calories is Gemma’s activity in the bedroom… as she recently revealed she’s ‘ready to go all the time’ with former fiancé Rami Hawash!

Since rekindling her relationship with the businessman, the star’s personal life is looking just as promising as her diminishing silhouette, after a somewhat tumultuous love-life in the past with her on-off boyfriend, fellow TOWIE star James Argent.

‘You know what? I’m over the moon,’ she confessed in a recent interview. ‘I’m delighted. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m very in love.’

Well, whatever is behind the new Gem, she is – as ever – very likeable and, these days, quite an inspiration...

You glow, girl!

The modernday Green Goddess prefers running...

FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 9

Instagram/gemmacollins

WORDS: DANIELLE SOUTHWOOD PICTURES: INSTAGRAM

Q

ueen of reality TV Gemma Collins continues her rather fabulous fitness comeback this Summer, having posted yet another gorgeous weight-loss picture on her social media.

Since losing a whopping 31⁄2st, fans were incredibly impressed – and showered the reality star with praise for the progress in her journey, after she shared a bikini snap on her Instagram.

Gemma reportedly runs for 10 miles a day – and told her followers to ‘Keep motivated. Stay focused.

No excuse!’, calling workout guru Joe Wicks her fitness ‘inspiration’.

Focusing on the 40-year-old’s weight loss (and we must say, her waist is definitely shrinking!), her posts are gaining up to 30,000 likes, with hundreds praising Gemma’s body positivity.

One fan wrote, ‘It’s lovely to see that you’ve taken a new direction and starting to inspire us big women for the better, Gemma.’

Another said, ‘You go, Gem – you’re looking sexy, lady.’

In this picture (above right), Gemma reminds us of another fabulous fitness icon – the Green Goddess, Diana Moran.

Remember her of the trademark green leotard? It has been almost

Instagram/gemmacollins

Is Gemma the new Green Goddess?

‘Tell me not to do something and I’ll do it twice!’

Fabulous and feisty, TV presenter and fitness guru Davina McCall talks about her new sense of ‘contentment’ – and why she still refuses to conform to people’s expectations of her! avina McCall is everywhere at the moment. The queen of multi-tasking is not only busy with her fitness platform, Own Your Goals (check it out at ownyourgoalsdavina.com), her podcast Making The Cut, a YouTube channel and her role as Garnier beauty ambassador, she’s been on our screens on The Masked Singer and its spin-off, The Masked Dancer, her powerful Channel 4 documentary,

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The star doesn’t want to conform to ideas of age

Davina McCall: Sex, Myths And The Menopause and the ever-emotional Long Lost Family. The star, 53, who has found love again with celebrity hairdresser Michael Douglas following her separation from her husband of 17 years, Matthew Robertson, is living in Kent with her three children, Holly, 19, Tilly, 17, and Chester, 14, as a brand-new family home is being built nearby.

Here, she talks about her exciting new life, post-50…

Davina, how are you doing – you seem so busy?!

You know, when I turned 50, I went on holiday to France and my kids spent my birthday laughing and going, ‘Halfway to 100!’ By the end of it, it wasn’t funny any more. I thought, ‘I’ve been on telly for 30 years, I’ll be lucky if I’ve got 10 more.’ But I’m trying to smash down all the barriers I’d put up to things, and it feels great.

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So, 50 was a turning point for you?

Yes. The Summer after my birthday, Matthew and I split up, and I was in a real transition phase. We’d still been living together, I was in this weird no man’s land. But then I moved out and started renting. My new life post-50 feels very different.

In my 30s and 40s, it was about flashy holidays and nice cars. I used to look in jewellery shop windows and go, ‘Wow!’ – and I was on a hamster wheel of having to earn a certain amount of money to keep this crazy lifestyle. Now I couldn’t give a hoot. All I want is a life for my family full of love and laughter.

You’ve said you want to grow old disgracefully, can you elaborate?!

I don’t want to conform to what people think I should do – if someone tells me not to do something, I’ m going to do it twice and take photographs!

When I was 30, my Granny said to me, ‘You shouldn’t really have long hair at this age.’ By the time she was 40, she had a perm, she’d gone grey, and had the twin set. It doesn’t work like that any more and that’s exciting. I want to still walk into a club and

She’s being forthright about the menopause

not be laughed out. And why shouldn’t I? What’s the most daring thing that you’ve done in your 50s?

Some of my outfits on The Masked Singer. I wore quite a see-through dress by Amanda Wakeley and felt so saucy in it!

There was every possibility I’d get ripped to shreds. But in this job, you constantly get built up and taken down again and I don’t care any more.

What inspired you to tackle the menopause in your recent documentary?

No one was talking about this thing 51 per cent of the nation go through! I started experiencing symptoms at 44. My keys were in the fridge, my phone was in

‘I WANT TO GO CLUBBING WIT MY DAUGHTERH !’

Now there’s lig

ht at tunnel with the pa the end of the ndemic, Davina has, well, a lot of ambitions! ‘I just want to hug ever ybody, kiss peop le, talk to everybod y and go on walks with 20 people!’, she explains. ‘Till y is turning 18 in S eptember and I want to go clubbi ng her sister (I prom with her and ise I’ll leave befo re midnight!). I wan t to be in a band and I want to swim w ith to live again! But dolphins. I want I’m going to star t off outside my lo cal supermarket with a sandwich board that says, “Free hugs availa ble!”.’ We can’t w ait to see that happ en!

the bin, I had no energy.

Thankfully, HRT brought me back. When I started it, I felt a bit washed up. Now I feel excited – when you’re not making babies any more, it’s liberating.

You look amazing! What’s your relationship with your appearance?

When I was younger, I’d look in the mirror and hate myself. I was so slim and toned, yet so critical.

Now I’ve got wrinkly skin on my tummy, a bit of varicose vein down one leg, flabby bits on my arms – but I think I look fierce!

I see the same happening with my girls now, and I think, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll love yourself in the end, you’ve just got to get through this bit.’

You’ve got three teens, how’s your relationship with them?

They teach me patience, understanding, being present.

The latter I struggle with most.

Do you worry about an empty nest?

I didn’t think I’d be affected by Holly going off to university last year. Then she went, and I’d walk round Sainsbury’s and take pictures of kefir and oat milk, which she used to make me buy for her, and text her saying, ‘I’m not buying it, I feel really sad.’ I was so needy! It took me a couple of months to not feel emotional every time I shopped!

You’ve been through drug addiction, losing your sister to cancer, divorce – has all of that made you stronger?

Definitely. Someone asked me recently, ‘Would you change your past, if you could?’ I’d like to go back and unhurt people – I hurt my family and probably frightened my sister when I was young; I hate that I did that. But if I hadn’t been through that, perhaps I wouldn’t be as wellarmed for the difficult stuff now.

In some ways, I’m grateful – I feel armed for battle.

M Davina McCall: Sex, Myths and The Menopause is on All 4. For more information about Garnier, visit garnier.co.uk

WORDS: NATALIE WHITTLE PICTURES: DAVID VENNI/GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

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Kate’s

looming ‘crisis’

The Duchess of Cambridge is facing a ‘hellish’ 2022, says one Royal expert – with The Crown, a film on Diana and the latest from the Sussexes… ou could say that 2021 and all its bombshell Royal revelations has not exactly been a walk in the park for Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.

But according to one Royal expert, it could get worse, and she should be braced for a ‘hellish’ 2022 as there is a ‘PR crisis’ on the horizon – one that will ‘dredge up’ a lot of heartache, linked to the more painful elements of her husband Prince William’s childhood.

Daniela Elser has claimed that the Duchess may be in for a stressful year, her husband possibly even more so, as William’s childhood will be

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‘picked over’ in the next series of Netflix hit The Crown – which she claims will represent the Palace Royals as ‘rigid, even callous’.

Season five of the hugely popular series picks up in the early Nineties, and will include the painful disintegration of Charles and Diana’s marriage, and Diana’s untimely death in a Paris car crash in 1997.

The Royal expert added that ‘the Cambridges are staring down the barrel of a very rocky 12 months that will have the entire Royal Family bracing themselves for another global PR crisis’.

She explained that for Duchess Kate, such deeply

Observers noted tension between the two couples

Imelda Staunton as The Queen in The Crown

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unwanted attention means ‘having to watch her husband suffer through seeing some of the most traumatic parts of his childhood dredged up and picked over like carrion’.

Dramatic words, perhaps – but certainly, there is plenty of heartache to be explored, should the drama’s makers wish to (and one suspects they will).

Ms Elser said that the new season of the worldwide smash will see the monarchy ‘dragged brutally over the coals and face a fresh round of public condemnation’.

Frustratingly for the real Royals, one imagines, in The Crown, ‘what you see is both invented and true’ – as Royal historian Robert Lacey previously put it.

Though painstakingly researched, and closely based on real historical events, it is also a work of drama and storytelling, rather than a documentary.

After a turbulent 2021 so far – punctuated by ‘that’ interview by Harry and Meghan with Oprah Winfrey, then Harry signing a deal for several books telling his life story – this sounds like the Royals’ worst nightmare.

And The Crown aside, there is another dramatic

William’s childhood with Diana and Harry will come to life in The Crown

best for CELEBRITY who is third in line to the throne – has caused controversy.

A trailer for the new American satirical cartoon The Prince depicts Prince George calling Kristen the Queen a ‘bad Stewart will play Diana in b****’ after she a movie shoots a footman in the knee with a pistol.

The footage was criticised online, but the night12-episode series, created mare for

by Family Guy writer Gary the Windsors Janetti, premiered in full in the in the form of Spencer, a film US on 29 July. due out in September starring It parodies the imagined life Kristen Stewart as Diana in of the Royal family through the later years that were full of the eyes of young George, and heartache and regret. features a scene in which he As for Harry’s upcoming asks a staff member: ‘Excuse memoir, Royal biographer me, do you have any tea that Ingrid Seward warned that it doesn’t taste like p***?’ is Prince William who ‘could One anonymous Royal come out worst’ – as the brothers’ rift could be writ large. commentator told a newspaper, ‘Frankly, I think Speaking to GB News, Ms it’s rather cruel’, while Dr Seward said: ‘If Harry says Shola Mos-Shogbamimu things that are inappropriate wrote online: ‘A child won’t about the monarchy, that understand why you’re making is William’s future. It is not fun of him.’

Harry’s, he is out of it now.’

‘Disgusting,’ added another Meanwhile, a TV cartoon Royal expert. ‘Exploiting a which takes aim at Kate’s small boy to prop up a TV eldest child George, eight – show and make money.’

But it seems nothing is offlimits. The show also pokes fun at Kate, depicting her It has been claimed by Royal as a heavy drinker, Camilla expert Katie as mute and Harry as Nicholl that so out-of-touch that he Meghan wanted doesn’t know how to buy to ‘settle scores ’ a pint of milk. with ‘dignified’ The Duchess – whose Kate during that warm, protective nature now infamous Oprah interview as a mother was witnessed by discussing th so sweetly at the England e sisters-in-law’s football final at Euros 2020 supposed feud. at Wembley – must surely The infamous Oprah (Meghan claimed interview caused a stir be silently fuming. that Kate had in Clearly a peacemaker at fact made her cr y in a spat over fl ower girl dresse her wedding to H heart, this must be another s before arry.) But Nicho ll says Kate’s su silence made an painful kick in the teeth for Kate. bsequent impression: ‘Kat e’s reaction to th spoke volumes. at story It would be wonderful to She could have is sued a statemen didn’t. What cert t, she ainly struck me as think such turbulent waters very illustrative character was th of her at when it came begin to calm for Kate, William to that public reun with Harry, whate ion ver feelings she and the Royals. Sadly, it looks may have had ab about his wife, ab out out being pulled into that Oprah in him, she set aside an like first, they are set to become d was the one who terview, made the peace. stormier still… ’

A dignified sile nce

WORDS: SHELLEY SPADONI PICTURES: GETTY, ITV, NETFLIX, YOUTUBE/HBO

An animated Prince George sparked criticism online

best for REAL LIFE Emma’s filled an enire storage unit with vintage goods!

The dining room has taken on an Edwardian feel

The wedding was a Thirties throwback

Why I love living in the past Emma Tighe adores anything vintage – so much so, she’s even transformed her home to represent eras gone by… tanding in the cellar, I scanned the beautiful vintage brown leather suitcases from the Thirties, the elegant gold photo frames, the chic white bunting…

‘What are we going to do with it all?’ my husband Stuart asked, as he looked at the piles upon piles of items.

‘I’m going to sell it,’ I said determinedly.

It wasn’t an easy decision to make. These props had been the backdrop of our meticulously planned Thirties-themed wedding seven months before in June 2014. And it really had been a wonderful day…

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I’d first met Stu back in 2007 when we’d moved into the same street in Kidderminster within a week of each other.

I was a single parent to my son, James, now 22, and Stu was with his then wife.

There was a real community feel to our road. Street parties, barbecues at the neighbours’, everyone lifting and carrying boxes when new additions arrived. It felt like home.

Stu and I would stop for a chat when we saw each other, and by 2009, we were Facebook friends.

He told me his marriage had broken down, which I was sorry to hear, but I soon realised how much we had in common.

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We were both history buffs, enjoyed dressing up and were usually the first on any dance floor! I’d always been interested in eras gone by, spending almost every Bank Holiday at museums with my nan, soaking up the beautiful detail of the Victorian costumes, or enjoying the grounds of stately homes.

I’d grown up in Bournville and could smell the chocolate from the Cadbury’s factory down the road. I’d even been a proud Dairy Milk model as a kid!

During school holidays, I’d go to stay with my great-great aunt and uncle, who’d never really moved on from the Forties.

I’d wash in a basin with a towel

hanging by the gas fire and slept in a bedroom with antique furniture.

They were really special memories for me, and as I’d got older, I’d started collecting the odd vintage piece for my home.

I had lots of old Cadbury signs, posters and boxes.

Stu thought it was a hoot.

Then, in 2011, Stu asked James and I to feed his goldfish while he went on holiday, which we were happy to do.

‘I’d like to take you both out for dinner as a thank you,’ he said when he got home. It was a wonderful evening and there’d been a real spark between us. Soon, we were attending

Emma loves her classy and classic clothing

Her ‘gentleman’s club’ living room

A retro home was perfect for a VE Day party

It was a fantastic day. We’d adorned tables with Thirties milk bottles that included black-and-white photos of our guests, my uncle offered his Austin 7 Ruby car to get me to the ceremony and we’d created a newspaper in-keeping with the decade called The Daily Tighe.

I’d even made Stu take dance lessons. ‘You’re my very own Fred Astaire,’ I joked – and he looked the part too!

It was more than I’d ever dreamed of, especially with the man I loved by my side.

But we couldn’t keep the props forever, so I started selling off items. But online, I quickly found more things that I loved.

Unique pieces of furniture, pictures, even paint colour that was reminiscent of the past.

I enjoyed the buying and selling so much that I quit my job as an autism specialist and founded Vintage Dolly – an online shop.

Slowly, I started to transform our Edwardian terraced home…

It was a gradual process, but we found everything from vintage leather Chesterfields to wing-backed chairs. We restored

g ‘There’s nothing wron e th with being inspired by things you love. Find ts someone who suppor and shares your passions.’

skirting boards, ceiling roses, cornicings…

Each room was made retro in its own way, representing a different era.

Our Victorian hallway had sepia family photos, the living room was kitted out like a gentleman’s club, the Edwardian dining room was botanical-themed, with taxidermy butterflies, fungi posters and distressed furniture.

Our Cadbury’s-themed kitchen was a nod to my childhood with all its signage and storage.

It was a real labour of love.

Our attic bedroom had an oriental feel to it, while our spare room was based on the Sixties – including the bedframe and love hearts on the walls!

‘It’s like stepping back in time,’ Stu, now 48, often marvelled.

I loved that we could time travel through different periods of history from the comfort of our

home. We even had beautiful bone china, a Victorian lift pulley and a World War I-era telephone!

For his birthday last year, I bought Stu a bar and we spent months transforming our 17ft shed into an Eighties pub, with computer games, record player, Kylie and Jason and Adam Ant posters, as well as a glitterball. It was a welcome space, especially as Stu worked throughout lockdown as a postman.

Our neighbours love our timewarp and we’ve even thrown VE Day parties in the past, complete with Union Jack bunting!

Now, at 43, I always wear old-fashioned clothes, drive a black cab with ‘Vintage Dolly’ down the side in pink lettering and used to run vintage events for the Black Country Museum.

I sell items online, and have moved into a 4,000sq ft shop.

We should all be grateful for the past and what we can learn from it. I’m a vintage timetravelling wife – and proud!

WORDS: LOUISE BULGIN, JESSICA FRANK-KEYES PICTURES: PA REAL LIFE

auctions, going to car boot sales and enjoying dinners out together.

I didn’t tell James until I knew my relationship with Stu was serious, but he was thrilled when we did. By 2012 we’d decided to move into Stu’s house, as ours was rented.

‘You need to whitewash the walls first, though,’ I’d said.

Brown walls were a no-no for me!

As soon as he had, we moved in, along with all my vintage pieces and clothing. We’d soon decided to marry, and as a tribute to my wonderful stepdad, Kenneth Clarke, who’d been a steam engine fan, we decided to marry at Severn Valley Railway.

We’d been watching a TV series called Dancing on the Edge which was set in the Thirties and were obsessed!

‘Wouldn’t it be fantastic to have the whole wedding based on that decade?’ I said to Stu. He loved the idea! We spent months trawling online and at auctions for unique props, read history books and flicked through magazines for inspiration.

I found a beautiful champagne pink ruffled dress and Stu ordered tops and tails for him and his seven groomsmen.

‘If there’s one thing I’ve learned’

best for STRAIGHT TALK

CAROL McGIFFIN THE WAY I SEE IT...

Wise words from our feisty, fearless and funny columnist

’ve only seen the trailer but there hasn’t been a film I’ve looked forward to more than House of Gucci for a long time, and it’s not even out until the end of November!

It has an unbelievable cast including Lady Gaga as Patrizia Reggiani, plus Al Pacino, Jared Leto, Adam Driver and Jeremy Irons – Oscar winners all round and directed by one too, Ridley Scott.

As the trailer says, it’s about money, family, power, betrayal, sex, loyalty, scandal, ambition, and, of course, murder. The fact that it’s based on a true story makes it all the more desirable. Not to mention the glorious Italian backdrops.

But another exciting thing is how it appears to be rekindling my interest in fashion. I used to be a bit of a super-shopper and designer fiend back in the day – when I was working a lot more – but was very careful and have kept almost all of the really good stuff, even though

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I’m loving...

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GOING GAGA FOR GUCCI!

I haven’t worn any of it for nearly 10 years.

I lost interest when I stopped working and because I was sick with breast cancer, partly because I realised how unimportant things like that become when you’re ill. Then when I moved to France, it was simply unnecessary. And for the last year and a half, because we haven’t been allowed out almost all clothes became surplus to requirements.

But thanks to House of Gucci, I’ve started looking at fashion pages and digging out some of my old ‘pieces’ (including a Gucci jacket bought in 1998 which I will wear when I see the film) and thinking about looks for when I’ll be in the UK for my tour Lunch and Laughs Live and Loose Women in September.

All I have to do is lose half a stone and we’re good to go!’

I’m loathing...

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Didn’t we do ll the So pleased for a ners, in Olympic medal w ritish eB but especially th hard to so ones. They work f competition o l reach that leve st be the most and so to win mu ell, that’s .W amazing feeling their faces how it looks from a shame anyway. It’s just done it’s all had to be m without a stadiu full of cheering supporters and for that I feel really sorry for them.

TEAM GB DID SO WELL!

JAB PUSH

The determination of ours and governments around the world to WHAT ABOUT get everyone to take OUR CHOICE? the vaccine is verging on demented. The tools of coercion are ridiculous and damaging.

Threats to block phone SIM cards, free pizzas, doughnuts, kebabs and even cash incentives .

Restricted entry to venues, bars, even hospitals and education.

People unfriending the unvaxxed and families falling out. Stop. The. Madness.

FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 19

e r ’ e W t u o ab NG I K L A T ALL

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

ad time h ’t n e v a h If you Twitter, h t i w p u to keep agram, t s n I r o k Faceboo e it for you… we’ve don

Is Channel 4 going too far?

Channel 4 is known for pushing the boundaries. Its show Naked Attraction – which requires contestants to be completely, well, naked, as the title suggests – debuted in 2016 and is now in its eighth series. It’s so popular, there are even rumours of a spin-off, Naked Attraction Hotel.

But the channel’s latest programme, set to air later this year, is set to be its sauciest yet. My First Threesome is a documentary that instructs viewers on the best way to approach a sexual encounter with two other people. According to research, having a threesome is the nation’s top fantasy and this show aims to help turn that particular penchant into a raunchy reality.

‘It’s a one-off brand new documentary that will provide an open and honest platform for these discussions exploring sexuality, consent and boundaries to create healthy ways to bring fantasy to reality,’ a Channel 4 source said. But is this a sexy step too far? Do we really need our bravest bedroom antics broadcast onto the small screen?

Or is the ‘menage a trois’ something you’d like the lid lifted on?

Let us know what you think!

Summer wreaths Who said door decorations were just for Christmas? We’re loving the ‘cocktail umbrella’ twist on the festive classic – and if you find crafts daunting, this one is a good one to start out with, using the paper umbrellas you’d normally find in cocktails. A great project to do with the grandkids, or even on your own, we loved this one on Pinterest via blog.darice.com.

The sun may be hiding, but that doesn’t stop us bringing a bit of cheer to our door!

20 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell us at facebook.com/ bestmagazine

OR WEIRDRFUL? WONDE

L G O IN G V IR A

Vivo, here we come!

The trailer for the latest animated film has been viewed more than 800,000 times and we’re excited to say the least! Released in selected cinemas at the end of July, Vivo is now available to watch on Netflix and it’s set to be a feelgood film we can get stuck in to.

The family-friendly flick follows Vivo, a musically gifted kinkajou (aka a rainforest ‘honey bear’) who embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to deliver a song to his cherished owner’s long lost love. Vivo is voiced by Hamilton and Mary Poppins Returns star Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Gloria Estefan also lends her voice to the film. This is one we won’t mind watching with the grandkids!

Find it by searching ‘Vivo’ on Netflix

PICK of the best

Marie Antoinette cakes Decadent, luxurious... the name Marie Antoinette conjures up many things, so it makes sense that a cake theme named after her is as palatial as possible. Multiple layers and piped icing make this cake look like it’s been served straight out of that era – and why have standard candles when you can have a mini chandelier on top?

This creation from @jenny_ bakes is mouthwatering. Let them eat cake, indeed!

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM AT… @bestmagofficial

Pop that pink!

Raise a glass, for it’s National Prosecco Day this week (13 August), and if you fancy something more than your basic bubbles, think pink! Prosecco rosé is a growing trend; in fact, rosé fizz in general is, with sales of rosé Champagne increasing by 188 per cent in Sainsbury’s alone. Find bottles in most supermarkets, but for something special, eco-conscious wine brand Sea Change Wine, which supports marine conservation, has this delicious option for £12.99 at seachangewine.com

#AboutFaceSongs OK, so this ‘cheek’-y little hashtag took us a moment to understand but it’s far simpler than it looks. It’s literally songs about faces – and, with a few tweaks, there are quite a lot of them out there. We can’t get Material Grin out of our heads!

FIND US AT… @bestmagofficial

O DY…

can dress like a Duchess For more than a year, we’ve thought nothing of throwing on elasticated trousers and old T-shirts, but now things are reopening, we’re ready to get glammed up and look our best – maybe even as good as Kate Middleton! LK Bennett clothes are a firm favourite with the Duchess, 39, and they have a new service, LK Bennett Borrowed, which allows you to rent two ready-towear pieces at a time in sizes 8-16 for £79 a month.

It could be perfect for wedding season – or simply because you’re worth it! You can swap your items up to eight times, it includes free shipping and you don’t even have to dry-clean the garments. Better still, if you fall in love with a piece, you have the option to buy it for up to 50 per cent off its retail price.

If that is a bit costly but you still want to look fab right now, M&S is looking to trial same-day clothes deliveries this year.

Yep, that would mean you could see something online and have it delivered within hours. Sounds tempting to us!

WORDS: HELEN PIKE, SARAH WHITELEY, LOUISE BULGIN PICTURES: GETTY, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, NETFLIX/SONY

Trending on Twitter

E V E RY B

£29, Kalidescope

£49.50, Oliver Bonas

£30, Freemans

£30, Very

£44.95, Joules

£55, Lola & Mawu

Bag, £48, Basket Basket

THE FINAL 22 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

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best for STYLE

TOP TIP! A nautical stripe will never go out of style.

£55, Inititally London

£49, Lipsy

£49, Braided Company

£35, Monsoon

£50, Initially London

Booked a last minute beach break? Invest in a straw bag to carry all your essentials in style...

WORDS: LARA NUGENT

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OUT NOW!

best for CELEBRITY Viewers welcomed Richard’s return

Love him or hate him, there’s no doubt that Richard Madeley livens up the mornings on GMB

here’s been a familiar face on ITV in the mornings this Summer – in the suave form of Richard Madeley – and viewers have loved having the daytime legend back on screen.

Despite his ever-youthful appearance, Richard, 65, has over 30 years of broadcasting experience, having started as a young TV reporter at Granada in 1982, before going on to form an iconic partnership on This Morning with his wife, Judy Finnigan.

So it’s no surprise that he is so comfortable in front of camera.

Opinionated and gaffeprone, viewers love the fact that

T

Richard and Judy were an iconic TV duo…

whatever else he may be, he is never dull.

Now flying solo – as Judy, 71, has largely retired from live TV in favour of the quiet life in Cornwall – he has been a regular fixture on Good Morning Britain, filling in the vacancy that was created by Piers Morgan’s sudden departure.

And he hasn’t ruled out making it permanent.

Speaking to Lorraine Kelly, he said: ‘I’ve been filling in for Piers for quite some time now.

‘Piers was meant to go to America last year before Covid, and I was meant to be filling in for him quite a lot last year. But of course, all of that went west because of the virus, and he

…but could his next partnership be with Susanna?

didn’t go anywhere… well, he did eventually.

‘So, those opportunities were shut down but now I have been invited back and I’m loving it.

It’s such a lovely team and I get along really well with the other presenters like Susanna and Ranvir and Charlotte – I love working with them.

‘I know I will be here for a couple of months on and off, but beyond that who knows?’

Who knows indeed? His Summer stint has certainly not been without controversy.

His fiery encounter with SAGE scientist Professor Susan Michie led to hundreds of complaints to broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, and many viewers were angered when he slammed Marcus Rashford for missing his penalty in

the Euro 2020 final, saying ‘he should have scored’.

However, other viewers were delighted to see him in the hotseat, with one tweeting ‘Richard is TV gold. Making him a stand-in on GMB was the best thing you could’ve done’, with another adding ‘absolutely love Richard with his open honest view, always telling the truth.

Don’t ever change!’

And ratings, which plummeted after Piers’ exit, are on the rise, with Susanna Reid taking to Twitter last week to celebrate.

She tweeted: ‘Celebrating yesterday’s fab @gmb ratings – peaking at 1.2m viewers and up 20% on the same day last year!

Well done Team @gmb.’

Perhaps some of the Madeley magic is just what the breakfast show needs?

‘It’s a lovely tea am an nd I gett allong well with h the othe er pres senter rs’ FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 25

WORDS: DEIRDRE O’BRIEN PICTURES: GETTY, ITV, SHUTTERSTOCK

We want Richard!

Get a

t r a t s d a e h Treat your scalp like your skin for healthy hair

1

CLEANSE

This is key to stop a build-up of oils and dead cells, which can cause itching, and impede growth, due to blocked hair follicles. ‘Spend a minute massaging shampoo into your scalp, then let the suds run down,’ says trichologist Anabel Kingsley. Daily cleansing is best for fine hair. She recommends not leaving more than three days between washes, because your scalp can feel irritated. Curls, coils or coarse textures may prefer a weekly wash, so use a dry shampoo with scalp benefits in between. Redken global consultant Vernon François applies shampoo directly to a dry scalp and emulsifies with water. ‘This allows the product to attack the dirt directly,’ he explains.

Try: Head & Shoulders Deep Cleanse Scalp Detox Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, £5.99; Aveeno Volumising+ Fresh Greens Blend Shampoo, £8.99, featuring rosemary oil and peppermint extract; Colab+ Dry Shampoo Refresh & Protect, £4.49.

2

Dry, itchy scalp? Fight the urge to scratch and delve into your kitchen, instead. Mash up two ripe bananas and combine with 2tsp olive oil and 2tsp honey. Apply to your scalp and massage for a minute before leaving for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and shampoo twice to ensure you’ve removed all residue.

ADD AN OIL

Once a week, pop a few drops of oil directly on to your scalp, massage it into your roots and leave it overnight.

Rinse with water before shampooing twice to completely remove the oil. Umberto Giannini Banana Superfood Vitamin Oil, £8.25, features coconut oil and glycerin for thirsty scalps and dry hair and Fable & Mane Holiroots Hair Oil, £29, is a blend of olive, castor and ashwagandha oils for all hair types.

best for BEAUTY

3

SOFTLY DOES IT

A scalp scrub removes dead skin cells and product build-up that can clog follicles. But abrasive textures can irritate sensitive scalps and damage hair at the roots if used over-enthusiastically.

Anabel prefers formulas with chemical exfoliants, such as salicylic acid. If you do use a grainy scrub, try one that’s extra fine, with hydrating ingredients, and only use once a week. Try Philip Kingsley Vitamin C Jelly Detoxifying Hair and Scalp Treatment, £28, which tackles pollutants while boosting moisture and shine.

Sneak in a quick massage to improve blood flow and oxygen supply to the scalp (integral to healthy hair growth) every time you shampoo or treat. For an Indian head massage, start by making an L-shape with your fingers. ‘Place the thumbs just above your ears and your fingers should meet perpendicularly on top of the head,’ explains Nikita Mehta, co-founder of hair wellness brand Fable & Mane. Start there and firmly knead all the way around the head. Try Grow Gorgeous Sensitive Ceramide Rich Hair & Scalp Mask, £25.

5

BE PROTECTED

Spending time in the sun? Anabel stresses the importance of SPF to prevent sunburns and skin cancer, especially on your parting and on areas with thinning hair. Your facial sun cream will do the trick but a mist wins points for convenience. We love Ultrasun UV Face & Scalp Mist SPF50, £18.

FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 27

WORDS: HEARST PICTURES: GETTY

4

MASSAGE REGULARLY

I became The young Tony, a real little smiler

etting a text from my son, Jason, my stomach churned.

‘I think someone’s been trying to get in touch with you, Mum.’ I felt fear, hope, regret, curiosity… because I knew exactly what that message meant. What I didn’t know was how Jason would react when I told him the secret I’d carried for so many years.

I went straight to his house.

‘There’s either a long-lost inheritance coming our way, or I’ve a brother or sister I don’t know about, Mum,’ he joked. When I stared at him, his face dropped.

Taking a deep breath, I started to explain…

Just over four years before Jason had been born, I was a naive 16 year old and had fallen pregnant. I’d hidden it from my parents as best I could, but my morning sickness had given me away.

Furious, they sent me to my grandparents in Lancashire to hide my blossoming baby bump from any gossiping neighbours.

Six months later, I’d pushed my son into the world. He was gorgeous, and I immediately fell in love. In hospital I fed, bathed and cuddled him, named him Stuart. I spent one precious week with him, hoping against hope I could keep him. But the moment I was discharged, I found that my parents had arranged to

G

Sandra Hobson never expected to reconnect with her firstborn after she was forced to put him up for adoption. But after 50 years, a Facebook message brought them together…

28 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

‘If there’s one thing I’ve learned’

g ‘There really is nothin as important as family relationships – they’re irreplaceable, whatever shape and form your loved ones come in.’

Sandra was eventually reunited with her eldest son Tony

best for REAL LIFE

a mum at 70!

Cornwall

– did Tony have kids too?

My marriage broke down, but I met someone new called John. When I’d told John about my firstborn, he wanted to help me find him.

But I was afraid of upsetting my parents, and how Jason would react to having an older brother…

Thankfully, I needn’t have worried. Because when he’d received a Facebook message out of the blue last May from an online group who specialised in reuniting families and the whole story tumbled out, Jason was thrilled. ‘I wish I’d told you sooner,’ I wept happily. The relief was overwhelming.

We replied to the message, which had included my maiden name and an old address of mine.

The group got back to us immediately, asking if we wanted to speak to Tony. Of course I did! I’d spent 53 years wishing for that chance…

Within minutes, I’d provided my phone number and it felt like the longest wait of my life. Would he blame me for what happened? Would he seem like a stranger? My insides churned with nerves.

Would he reject me?

When the phone finally rung, neither Tony nor I could speak – we were both so emotional! Eventually, Jason and Tony’s partner, Emma, stepped in to help us.

I was elated to hear Tony had been trying to find me for years, with Emma’s help. But because I’d married and changed my Young name, he’d Jason on found it his new bike impossible.

That’s when he’d decided to join the Facebook

Fun family time for Jason, Sandra and Tony... at long last

‘I was hugging him like I would never let him go’ group. That first call was a complete blur – I was in total shock, but so happy…

After that, we spoke every day. I learnt that Tony had two boys aged 23 and 25, and that remarkably he didn’t blame me for what’d happened.

During our first FaceTime call three weeks later, I could see his kind smile, how similar his eyes were to Jason’s.

‘Speak soon, Mum,’ he said.

I felt like I’d burst with pride.

As we got to know each other, I learnt he’d had a good life. ‘I didn’t like school much,’ he laughed. I soaked up the details like a sponge.

‘You were my beautiful baby – I’ve loved you all your life and not known what you were doing,’ I sobbed as he told me all these things.

In June last year, when lockdown eased, Tony and Emma came to visit us in

Leicestershire. ‘I’ve wanted to do this for more than 50 years,’ I said, hugging him like I would never let him go.

Then I took a good look at him. He was so tall. ‘You’re my baby, and now you’re a grown man with a family of your own,’ I thought. It felt surreal – and wonderful. There was a lot of laughter and tears – it was the most amazing day.

We decided to organise a holiday together. John and I owned a motorhome and Tony and Emma had a caravan, as did Jason. So, we all went to Norfolk in August and enjoyed every minute. I told Tony about my life, and he told me about his adoptive parents, who’d given him a loving family life with his two sisters.

His mum had divorced, but remarried, and he got on brilliantly with his stepfather.

He adored my John, too.

Now, at 71, we chat all the time, and meet whenever we can, catching up on lost time.

‘How did it feel becoming a new mum at 70?’ John asked me recently. It really does feel wonderful. Jason and Tony get on brilliantly – they’ve both got the same sense of humour and remind me of Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger in Twins!

Finally, my life feels like it’s complete.

WORDS: LUCY LAING

have him adopted by a family they knew.

I was hysterical. ‘Please don’t do this,’ I screamed as they walked away with Stuart.

‘Someone your age can’t bring up a child, he’ll have a better life with someone else,’ Mum said. I was in such a state, the GP was called to sedate me.

I had nothing at all left of Stuart… no photos, no lock of hair. I thought that my heart would break.

Six months later, I’d read the newspaper announcement of his adoption, including his new name – Anthony John. I couldn’t stop crying. I’d never get to be his mum again. But as painful as it was, I’d no choice but to carry on as before.

Three-and-a-half years later, I’d married, and at 21, I gave birth to another son, Jason. This time, as I was married, my family loved him.

Mum and Dad adored being grandparents. I was thrilled at being a mum to Jason, but Tony was always in my heart.

When Jason took his first wobbly steps, I’d think of Tony and wonder when he’d started to walk. Every day I wondered what kind of toddler, young boy and teenager he’d turned out to be.

Eventually, Jason grew into a young man and got married. He and his wife had John and my grandson, Sandra on Callum, now 23 holiday in

best

SEVEN-DAY DIET Forget lengthy recipes and loads of choice. The answer to slimming this Summer is a super-simple eating plan that could see you lose up to a stone this month…

HOW IT WORKS

Slimming made simple!

30 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

Our seven-day plan is the ultimate meal planner. All you do is choose few key healthy meals – say three simple breakfasts, four easy lunches and six or seven dinners with a set theme like Meat-free Monday or Pasta Tuesday – and rotate them each week. It’s simple, budget-friendly and a brilliant way to slim.

For starters, it helps with willpower. Every time you decide what to eat – even if you’re not struggling with whether to order chips or not – you use up a little bit of your willpower store. Spend too long deciding and you can run out completely and give in to those chips! Having your meals or themes planned reduces this risk.

By knowing what you’re planning to eat, you’re also less likely to give in to last-minute take-out urges – especially if you batch cook favourite meals and pop them in the freezer.

Best of all, you create a habit that sets up a healthy eating structure for the long term.

How you pick the themes is up to you – just aim to keep to half of your plate being vegetables or fruit, a quarter protein and a quarter carbs.

Our plan, right, gives some good ideas, though…

TUESDAY

Breakfast:

Breakfast: 1 egg,

40g porridge oats, 125ml skimmed milk.

2 handfuls of berries.

Lunch: Simple salad of rocket, tomato, cucumber and 4-5 olives. Top with 40g of any cheese or 100g of any other protein like chicken, tuna, egg.

Dinner: Veggie night: 2 Quorn sausages with 100g new potatoes, unlimited vegetables.

boiled, scrambled or poached. 2 slices of granary toast. 1 piece of fruit.

Lunch: 400g carton of any soup. 3 oatcakes topped with cucumber.

125g low-fat yogurt.

Dinner: Pasta night: Try 40g (dry weight) pasta served with sauce – try 200g tinned tomatoes, mushrooms, onion and 100g of tuna.

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Breakfast: 40g Bran

Breakfast: 1 egg, boiled,

Flakes, All Bran or 2 Weetabix, 125ml skimmed milk. 1 piece of fruit.

Lunch: Any supermarket sandwich under 350 calories. Handful of cherry tomatoes and 4-5 olives.

Dinner: Stir-fry night: Stir-fry 150g of protein like chicken, pork, prawns or tofu with unlimited vegetables and ½ sachet of any sauce.

scrambled or poached.

2 slices of granary toast.

1 piece of fruit.

Lunch: Simple Salad Day: Rocket, tomato, cucumber, 5 olives.

Top with 40g cheese or 100g chicken, ham, tuna, egg, etc.

Dinner: Burger night: Serve 1 quarter-pounder or veggie burger in a wholemeal bun with salad.

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Breakfast:

Breakfast:

40g porridge oats made with 125ml skimmed milk.

2 handfuls of berries.

Lunch: Any supermarket sandwich under 350 calories.

Handful of cherry tomatoes and 4-5 olives.

Dinner: Fish night: 125g of any fresh fish or 1 breaded fillet, grilled. Served with 150g mashed potatoes and unlimited vegetables.

40g Bran Flakes or All Bran or 2 Weetabix, 125ml skimmed milk. 1 piece of fruit, chopped.

Lunch: 400g carton of any soup. 3 oatcakes topped with cucumber.

125g low-fat yogurt.

Dinner: Fake-out night: Any curry, Chinese or other takeout-style ready meal under 500 calories. Unlimited vegetables.

SUNDAY

HEADLINE SNACKS

Breakfast: 1 egg, boiled, scrambled, poached. 2 slices of granary toast. 1 piece of fruit.

Lunch: Simple Salad: Rocket, tomato, cucumber, 4-5 olives topped with 40g of any cheese or 100g of any other protein like chicken, tuna, egg.

Dinner: Roast Night: 150g of any roast meat, 2 roast potatoes, unlimited vegetables.

Choose one each day

• 125g pot low-fat yogurt • piece of fruit • 2 oatcakes with 20g cheese • 1 Freddo bar • Small skimmedmilk coffee and 1 rich tea biscuit

WORDS: HEARST PICTURES: GETTY, SAINSBURY’S.CO.UK PLEASE SEE YOUR GP BEFORE STARTING A NEW WEIGHT-LOSS PLAN. WEIGHT LOSS ACHIEVED MAY VARY.

MONDAY

Time for

! e c i v r e s lip Lesley Reynolds from the Harley Street Skin Clinic reveals the best products and tweakments to pucker up for

L

ips are often left out of our skincare routine, yet they are one of the first areas to show the signs of ageing.

They lose their pillowy plumpness and the tissue around them loses volume, too. The top lip can sink down, and smoker’s lines develop – even if you have never smoked!

Lip skin is very thin and made of the same tissues that line the inside of the mouth.

A rich blood supply gives their full and red appearance, but age and hormones mean blood supply starts to diminish, and collagen and elastin break down. There’s plenty you can do, though. Read on!

WRINKLED, CHAPPED LIPS A lack of oil glands causes this common symptom.

Tweakment: Filler will hydrate and smooth wrinkles above and on the lips. Rather than adding volume, hyaluronic-based filler smooths and gently lifts the outer corners of the mouth in a painless jab thanks to its anaesthetic lidocaine formula. The result?

Softness and hydration lasting six months.

From £250.

Best buy: Reduce lines with a good cream containing peptides, which stimulate collagen. Choose an eye cream with this ingredient, as the skin around eyes is similar to around lips. Then apply Maybelline Lifter Gloss, £8.99, to add shine.

A PALE POUT Lips lack colour because they

contain little melanin, the pigment that contributes to skin colour. Lips become paler over time due to hormones and ageing.

Tweakment: Lip Blushing is semipermanent make-up, which deepens your lip colour for a fuller, healthier look. It’s like wearing subtle lipstick which never washes off. The process involves artistic shading of the entire area using colour customised to match your tone. Healing takes around five days and the effects last up to two years. I recommend Sophie at our clinic – 0207 436 4441. From £450.

Best buy: Choose a long-lasting lipstick like Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick, £17.

TOP TIPS • Avoid dark matte colours – they make lips look smaller.

• Use a dot of highlighter on your cupid’s bow and the middle of your bottom lip to add volume.

SMOKER’S LINES Excessive sun exposure, genetics and smoking can create lip lines between the nose and mouth.

Tweakment: SmartXide Laser pierces tiny holes into the skin to stimulate skin tightening, lasting up to three years. The area will be quite red for three days or so and will also peel.

However, this controlled injury makes the skin repair itself by producing collagen, making the skin thicker and stronger. SPF must be worn daily after treatment to prevent pigmentation. From £750.

Best Buy: A lip primer like e.l.f.

Liquid Lip Primer Clear, £5, helps prevent lipstick bleeding and feathering. A nightly retinol product like Pixi Retinol Eye

READERS SHOULD TAKE THE ADVICE OF THEIR DOCTOR BEFORE UNDERTAKING ANY ADVICE GIVEN IN THIS COLUMN

best for INSPO

Cream, £22, applied around lips can also help boost collagen.

SHAPELESS AND LACKING DEFINITION It’s not just about volume.

The edge of the lips can become less shapely. Collagen and elastin, which give lips their pouty shape, break down over time, so there’s less definition.

Tweakment: Lip Restorer Teosyal Kiss, made from hyaluronic acid, is injected around the border of the lip – restoring it and giving a smooth natural look.

Results are instant and last six to nine months. From £450.

Best buy: Lip liner can restore definition.

Apply a neutral lip pencil softly round the outer corners of the lips and soften the cupid’s bow. NYX Professional Makeup Suede Matte Lip Liner in Tea & Cookies, £4, suits all. Plumpers and glosses can help create temporary beestung fullness and instantly improves lip fullness. I like Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme, £22.

While filler is still the go-to procedure for plumping, the lip lift is gaining popularity. Unlike fillers, it is a permanent procedure and a good option for those who want to reduce the space between lips and nose or for a more defined cupid’s bow without the ‘duck lip’ look, adding height instead of volum e by increasing the amount of pink tissue on show. It also increases how much of your upper central teeth show when your lips are resting. The procedure involves removing a small piece of skin between the nose and mouth and sutures (a type of stitch) will be put on for up to a week after. From £2,000.

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PICTURES: GETTY, NICKY JOHNSTON

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FAUX PULLED PORK WITH BLACKENED CORN My vegan faux ‘pulled pork’ uses jackfruit and is deliciously smoky and barbecue-y. It’s accompanied by blackened corn which is good enough to eat on its own. Serve nacho-style spooned over tortilla chips, with rice, or in a soft bun (if you are not afraid to get dirty!).

2 x 400g cans jackfruit A splash of olive oil 1 large onion, thickly sliced 1 tablespoon smoked paprika 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon plain flour 80ml tomato ketchup 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce 1 tablespoon maple syrup 1 teaspoon cider vinegar A generous pinch

of dried oregano 200g can of sweetcorn kernels, drained A small pinch of cayenne pepper Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

r e n n i D

is in the can!

Chef to the stars, Theo Michaels whips up quick, easy & delicious dinners using tinned food...

TO SERVE Tortilla chips, rice or a burger bun Sliced fresh or pickled chillies Lime wedges, for squeezing Serves 4

1 Drain the jackfruit through a sieve. Just before you are ready to use it, pat it dry with paper towels.

2 Heat a frying pan to smoking hot, add a splash of olive oil and stir-fry the onion for a minute to char, then immediately turn off the heat and remove the onion from the pan.

3 Mix the paprika, cumin and flour together in a bowl and toss the jackfruit in to coat.

Reheat the skillet, add another splash of oil if needed and fry the jackfruit for a few minutes to get some colour. Using the back of a fork or a potato masher, gently push down to break up the jackfruit slightly and then add 100ml hot water. Gently shake the pan to mix in the water, then add the ketchup, soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar and oregano and season with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Simmer over a low heat for a few minutes, breaking up the jackfruit more if needed, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.

Remove from the heat, scatter the onion over the jackfruit and keep warm.

4 Heat a frying pan to almost smoking hot.

Tip in the sweetcorn kernels, shaking the pan to level them and leave to char for a couple of minutes. Any water will quickly evaporate. As the kernels start to blacken, shake the pan to get an even charring.

Remove from the heat, season well with salt flakes and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Serve with the faux pulled pork and trimmings.

36 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

Extract from Canned

by Theo Michaels, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£18.99) Photography by Mowie Kay © Ryland Peters & Small

best

RECIPES 2 tablespoons medium curry powder ½ teaspoon ground turmeric About 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1 onion, cut into 1-cm/ ½-inch thick slices 4 garlic cloves, sliced 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce A pinch of sugar A few sprigs of fresh coriander, chopped Sweet chilli sauce, to serve (optional) Serves 4

SINGAPORE NOODLES Vermicelli rice noodles stirfried with mixed Chinese vegetables and seasoned with that trademark hint of Indian curry spice makes Singapore-style noodles a sure-fire winner every time.

I find a little sweet chilli sauce drizzled over the top to serve works really well.

2 x 400g cans Chinese mixed vegetables OR 120g can bamboo shoots, 140g can sliced water chestnuts and 160g can baby sweetcorn or bean shoots 250g vermicelli rice noodles

1 Drain and rinse the canned vegetables, then leave in a sieve above a bowl while you prepare the rest of the dish.

2 Submerge the noodles in a bowl of just-boiled water, leave for about 6-8 minutes or until hydrated but still a little al dente. Drain, rinse under cold water and leave

CRAB ROLLS We really enjoyed eating fresh crab and lobster on a regular basis during the time we lived in New Jersey, especially when we travelled up the coast. These tasty and tangy treats are my store-cupboard interpretation of New England’s classic crab rolls, for when wrestling a live crab into a pot isn’t an available option…

2 x 145g cans lump crab meat 4 ciabatta rolls, or similar 1 Little Gem lettuce/baby Cos or Romaine, shredded (optional) DRESSING 45ml mayonnaise A sprig of fresh dill, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried dill) 1 tablespoon diced red onion A few drops of freshly

squeezed lemon juice A pinch of cayenne pepper ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce A pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper Serves 4

1 In a bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until fully incorporated. Season to taste. Drain the crab meat and gently fold into the dressing, being careful not to break up the meat too much.

2 Slice the ciabatta rolls in half and toast the cut sides.

Line the base of the rolls with some shredded lettuce, if using, and spoon on the crab filling. Top with more lettuce, if using, and add the tops of the rolls to serve.

to drip-dry in a separate sieve. Run a knife once through the noodles to break them down a little, then dust with the curry powder and turmeric.

3 Add a splash of vegetable oil to a frying pan. When hot, add the beaten eggs and quickly fry, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.

4 Reheat the frying pan until almost smoking, add the remaining vegetable oil and the onion and stirfry for a few minutes, then add the garlic, stir-fry for another 30 seconds, then add the canned vegetables and continue to stir-fry over a high heat for a minute.

Pour in the sesame oil, then add the noodles, eggs, soy sauce and a pinch of sugar. Keep lifting the noodles to incorporate all the ingredients and once piping hot, remove from the heat. Serve with a few fresh coriander leaves scattered over the top.

best

RECIPES

Bored?

These gorgeous cupcakes are packed full of holiday flavours

COCONUT AND LIME CUPCAKES If making for kids, omit the Malibu and simmer the syrup for less time.

WORDS & PICTURES: HEARST

Hands-on time: 30min, plus cooling Cooking time: About 25min Makes 12

FOR THE SPONGE 125g unsalted butter, softened 125g caster sugar 3 medium eggs, beaten 125g self-raising flour 25g desiccated coconut Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime FOR THE SYRUP Juice of 2 limes 25g caster sugar 2tbsp coconut rum, we used Malibu

38 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

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FOR THE ICING 150g full-fat cream cheese 75g icing sugar, sifted 150ml double cream Finely grated zest of 1 lime, optional 1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/ mark 4 and line a 12-hole cupcake tin with paper cases. To make the sponge, beat the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs. If mixture looks like it might curdle, beat in a spoonful of the flour.

Fold in (remaining) flour, coconut, lime zest and juice until combined.

2 Divide mixture among cases and bake for 15-18min until just golden and a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean. Meanwhile, make the syrup. Bring lime juice,

sugar and rum to the boil in a small pan, stirring occasionally, and bubble for a few minutes to thicken slightly. Set aside.

3 When the cakes come out of oven, brush over the lime syrup. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

4 To make icing, beat cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth. Add cream and whisk until thick enough to pipe. Pipe on to cakes and sprinkle with lime zest, if using, before serving.

PER CUPCAKE 321cals, 4g protein, 21g fat (13g saturates), 28g carbs (20g total sugars), 1g fibre TO STORE Keep covered in fridge for up to two days. Allow to come up to room temperature before serving.

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*TERMS & CONDITIONS: Open to UK residents aged 18 and over. To enter visit hearstmagazines.co.uk/best3321a or call 0901 027 2710 by midnight on 27 August 2021. Entries in the incorrect format will not be considered. This competition opens on 10 August 2021 and closes at midnight on 27 August 2021. Entries received after the closing date will not be considered. The prize is a £50 voucher for The Original Factory Shop. Eight winners will be randomly selected from the entries received. Entrants will be deemed to have accepted these Terms and to have agreed to be bound by them. This competition is not open to any employees of Hearst Magazines, the promoter or their immediate families, the promoter’s advertising agency and sales promotion consultancy, or anyone else connected with the creation and administration of the competition. Only one competition entry, fulfilling the eligibility requirements above, will be accepted per person. Once selected, only the winners will be contacted personally using the contact details provided upon entry. Winners will be notified once selected. Winners will have five (5) working days to respond in full or another winner will be selected.

Hearst Magazines’ decision is final in every situation, including any not covered above and no correspondence will be entered into in respect of the validity of any such decision. Hearst Magazines shall be permitted to exclude or disqualify any entrant at any time at its sole discretion. Hearst Magazines reserves the right to exclude late, incomplete or multiple registrations, or registrations made by third parties or agents. Hearst Magazines does not accept any responsibility for late or lost entries. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. The names of the winners will be available by sending a stamped addressed envelope to House of Hearst, 30 Panton Street, London SW1Y 4AJ, indicating the name of the competition. Entry to the competition and acceptance of the prize constitutes permission to use any entrant’s name, image and any competition entry photograph, for promotional and/or editorial purposes in any format in print and non-print media without additional consultation. No purchase is necessary. Once entered, entries cannot be returned / withdrawn. Spammers will be disqualified. Prizes must be taken as stated and cannot be deferred although Hearst Magazines reserve the right to change the prize in the event of unforeseen circumstances. There will be no cash alternative. We will use the information you supply to process your competition entry. For our privacy notice visit hearst.co.uk/privacy-notice. Hearst Magazines reserves the right to (i) cancel and/or withdraw this competition and/or (ii) amend these Terms, at any time without notice. Where Hearst Magazines runs a competition with a promoter such that the promoter is responsible for the selection and/or the provision of prizes then Hearst Magazines shall not be responsible for or have any liability for the provision of such prizes. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in no event will Hearst Magazines be liable, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, for any loss, damage or injury arising under or in connection with this competition. These Terms are governed by English law, and entrants agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts in relation to all matters arising under or in connection with these Terms.

Menopausal at 46 thanks to my divorce?

Amanda Gardiner knew her life would be turned upside down when her marriage broke down, but she didn’t expect the stress she was under to have such a strange effect on her health… ooking at my reflection, I couldn’t help but smile. In my beautiful white dress and veil, I was thrilled to be starting this new chapter of my life. And as my dad, Pete, now 79, took my arm and walked me down the aisle, I was filled with happiness.

I truly believed that this marriage was for life. No one gets married thinking it will end or that a divorce will change their life – and health – forever.

I first met John* at a friend’s party in 1995. I was 24, confident and loving my busy London life. So, when my

L

friend asked me to get people dancing, I didn’t hesitate.

Suddenly, John and I were moving to the music, and we just clicked.

Gregarious, funny and generous, we had a lot of fun together, and things moved fast. Within a month, we were living together and I was thrilled when he proposed seven years later. My parents have been married since their early 20s and, for me, marriage represented a public expression of your commitment. So, in November 2003, at a beautiful country estate, we said our vows.

We tried for children right away but I had three

40 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

devastating miscarriages. I’d always been incredibly healthy, but suddenly I was struggling with my body, and I felt powerless to fix it.

John was supportive and, finally, we got lucky. Without any fertility treatment, our amazing daughter was born in July 2007.

We were thrilled and, just 18 months later, I was pregnant again, this time with twins.

In October 2009, now a family of five, we moved to a village in Kent. Those next few years were so happy. We lived in a great community, owned a lovely house and were financially secure. I felt loved.

Life seemed perfect.

Then, in 2015, John suddenly began acting strangely. He became distant and constantly picked arguments with me, disappearing off to the pub when he’d never been interested in going there before.

My loving husband had become a different person.

Concerned, I spoke to my closest friends. ‘Do you think he could be having an affair?’ they gently asked.

No! There was no way John would do that to me… was there?

But that Summer, when John told me he was travelling on business, I uncovered the truth. On our shared computer, I saw an email that showed John was really at a local

‘Being in a constant state of stress meant that my body was suffering’ Amanda’s wedding day, with dad Pete

spa hotel. The shock was impossible to combined with the horrible sleep. Every realisation – my friends had day I was on been right. As soon as he edge, trying returned, I confronted him, to keep and he confessed. everything He was having an affair normal for – with a woman from our the children village. but never I was devastated. How knowing what could he do this to me and the was around the children? corner. Being in ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, a state of constant promising it was over and stress meant my body begging forgiveness. I loved was suffering. him so much that I wanted it In September 2016, my to be true – so I forgave him. periods suddenly stopped But I was wrong. and, in the Summer of 2017, Over the next two years, my doctor diagnosed me with John kept seeing her, then early menopause, thought to coming back and asking for be triggered by stress. my forgiveness. He broke my My mum hadn’t gone heart, over and over. through the menopause until But despite it all, I still her late 50s. But here I was, wouldn’t accept he no longer 46, having hot flushes and loved me because I was mood swings. still so deeply in I was also love with him… diagnosed ’s re ‘If the With skywith hypog in high stress thyroidism one th ’ d e levels, I – when there I’ve learn al ic ys ph ve rarely ate is too little ‘Stress can ha al re e ar and my thyroid consequences. They te ta si he t n’ do weight hormone in and valid, so or ct do ur yo to k ea sp to plummeted. your body. . You’re em th t ou ab I found it Exhausted t definitely no alone.’

Divorce isn’t as simple as it seems on paper

and anxious, struggling to get out of bed but unable to sleep, I felt dreadful.

At that point, I desperately tried to hold our marriage together but when he reignited the affair once again in late 2017, I knew it was finally over.

We waited until after Christmas to tell the children, and watching John explain to them what was happening brought the reality crashing back home.

I was devastated.

Starting 2018, I thought my health couldn’t get any worse.

But then divorce proceedings began… On paper, the process

seemed straightforward. You get a lawyer and petition for divorce. You both sign the paperwork; a judge agrees and that’s it.

The reality of it is impossibly difficult.

I was distraught, furious…

The menopause meant I was emotional and had brain fog, and I grew more exhausted the longer it dragged on. How was I going to live?

And, my hypothyroidism was going crazy, too, making me so tired that I struggled to get through the day. A year after we separated, in late 2018, I felt so low, I knew something had to change.

That’s when I had an idea.

For years, I’d been a successful executive coach.

I could use those skills to help other people navigate the same painful experience I was going through. I set up Reset Divorce Coaching.

I soon realised that divorce can have health consequences for almost everybody.

My clients, both men and women, suffered with everything from insomnia to alopecia to suicidal thoughts. Being able to help them through the maze of emotions, and make good decisions about their future, felt good.

My own divorce was finalised earlier this year in March. I’m now 50 and I still suffer from insomnia and my early menopause is irreversible.

But while I’ll always have hypothyroidism, it’s now under control. I’m glad, in a way, that the’change of life’ is behind me.

I can now look forward to a calmer future. And I know whatever my future holds, I’ll never take good health for granted again.

M For more info, visit Resetdivorcecoaching.co.uk

WORDS: KATE GRAHAM PICTURES: GETTY *NAME HAS BEEN CHANGED

best for REAL LIFE

Enjoy your outside space now, until the end of Summer FANCY A CONSTANT SUPPLY OF BASIL? Buy a supermarket pot, divide it into four and plant it out. The cuttings will soon grow away and start to increase.

LATE

! s m o o l b

WORDS: HEARST PICTURES: GETTY

KEEP YOUR POND TOPPED UP with water in hot, dry weather, and fish out blanket weed as soon as you see it - a hairbrush tied to a pole makes an excellent implement

TRIM TOPIARY AND YEW, box and beech hedges.

Start on your lavender towards the end of the month, cutting back to a neat 9in ball that will give you good structure through Winter.

This may mean losing the last few flowers, so gather them up for drying.

DON’T WATER THE LAWN. To keep it greener, let your grass grow longer.

!

best for GARDENING DON’T GIVE UP ON HANGING BASKETS - a little TLC will keep them going well into Autumn. Once they’ve faded, replant with some of your Spring bulbs, topped with ivy, cyclamen and ferns. That will see you through till March.

SOW A FEW POTS OF ROCKET, pak choi and other oriental greens - the shortening days and warmer nights mean they are less likely to bolt.

LOOKING FOR SOME PLANT INSPIRATION? Helenium ‘Sahin’s Early Flowerer’ glowing daisy flowers streaked and mottled in yellow, from now to November. When the petals fall, the central boss remains to give structure through the winter. A hardworking, easy-going plant that is also good for cutting.

FOR A SHOWY, DROUGHTRESISTANT OPTION that flowers for months on end - you can’t go wrong with an Agapanthus. Pick one up from the garden centre now and enjoy year after year.

SNAP OFF BROWNING ROSES just below the head, nip the spent heads off day lilies for more blooms the next day, and cut out the faded flower spikes on delphiniums and lupins, to get a second show before Summer’s out.

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY! Send off for your Spring bulbs at the start of September. Get early narcissus in by the end of the month. Crocus, scillas and most other bulbs can wait until next month, tulips until November.

FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 43

a s s e n a r V a e D r u o y s e l k c a t , z t l e sa F s e n a V , t n u a y n r o u g o a m y t u i h r b d e n l a e c m r o u O wisd , t i w l a u s u r e h h problems wit

SISTER THINKS DOG IS A HUMAN!

I

was so glad when my older sister bought a puppy last year to dote on, after her kids flew the nest, but I’m getting concerned about her attachment to him! She talks to the dog as if it’s a person, and won’t leave him alone for a second – even to pop to the shops. She even wipes him after doing his business! She’s gone to a holiday camp on her own because she wouldn’t go anywhere she couldn’t take the dog, as she wanted ‘the two of them to have a nice time’. If I want to see her I have to go to her house because the dog ‘doesn’t like to be out of his territory’. I have always been a big dog person, but she is starting to freak me out.

Catriona, Belfast

Your sister is a grown woman and it’s up to her to forge her own relationship with her pet. Who knows why she is treating her puppy as a child substitute? It’s clear that, whatever the reasons, the dog is extremely important to her. Looking after him so attentively gives her purpose, challenge, comfort and companionship. Don’t get involved and try, hard as it might be, not to criticise. I suspect she’s dealing with empty nest syndrome in the best way she can. Let her enjoy her dog in peace.

HE’S BOOKED A LADS HOLIDAY

PICTURES: GETTY, NICKY JOHNSTON

I

’m fuming that my self-centred husband has gone and booked a boozy week to Spain with his male friends for the end of the month – and not asked me if I wanted us to go away with our teenage son! He didn’t even ask me if it was OK, just told me it was happening. He just said, ‘Organise one with your mates, babe!’ Am I being unreasonable here?

He clearly can’t wait to get rid of me, but shouldn’t his priority be me, not the ‘lads’?!

Livia, Hartlepool If we hadn’t just been through lockdown, marooned in our front rooms with our Other Halves for over a year, I might agree with you, but for goodness sake, we all need a bit of a break from one another.

Your Old Man wants a week of escape, and can you really blame him? Do as he suggests. Book a week’s holiday with the girls and encourage your teenager to go back-packing with his mates. Focus on the pleasure of missing one another, and how great it will be to have something new to talk about!

44 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

M Email your questions to AskVanessa@hearst.co.uk

a

What’s up Doc? Hilary Jones MBE is a GP, medical writer and Good Morning Britain’s resident medic A BABY AT 48? er and I are

I

partn ’m 48, still having periods and my risky, am I kidding desperate to try for a baby. Is it too h Down’s myself? My sister has a little boy wit t diagnosed till birth syndrome whose condition was no me, as I know what and that’s something that terrifies – though she adores she’s been through psychologically at might be ahead, her little boy! I’d just like to know wh and make an informed decision.

Jenny, Portsmouth

I

DAUGHTER SAYS IT’S TOO SOON

lost my husband suddenly, from a heart attack, eight months ago. I am so lonely and just want a companion, and some distraction. I met a man at our local pub who is a widower and showed an interest in me.

I’m thinking of going on a date with him but when I told my daughter she was hysterical – she was a real Daddy’s girl and said I haven’t finished grieving yet. Is she right?

I am only 59 – I just can’t imagine the rest of my life being worth living, if it’s like this.

Sarah, Carlisle

My heart goes out to your daughter, but however profound her sorrow at the

loss of her beloved Dad, she doesn’t get to dictate the terms of your mourning. It is up to you to do whatever you feel will get you through this shockingly unexpected bereavement. If dating a chap you quite like the look of will take your mind off your situation, even for one evening, there is no reason why you shouldn’t give it a whirl. There is no rule about how long a person should stay at home and weep. Be sensitive to your daughter, but don’t allow her to be your boss. It may also be an idea for you and your daughter to contact Cruse Bereavement Care. They are a charity, helping those who have lost both partners and parents. Visit www.cruse.org.uk .

with increasing age, your First of all, because fertility diminishes next year is just 3 per chance of conceiving naturally within the r age puts you and your cent. Should you become pregnant, you baby at higher risk. g a baby with Down’s At the age of 25 the chances of conceivin age, it is around one in syndrome is one in 1, 100 – but at your should you want it, more 20. Screening is routinely offered and, rionic villus sampling specific blood tests, amniocentesis or cho s. are available to further assess your risk for a baby with the ire You should balance your intense des . You might also consider challenges of having a baby in later life adoption or surrogacy as alternatives.

C

SMOKING S AND ARTHRITIato id arthritis

an smoking make a person’s rheum e in life – I know I worse? Cigarettes are my only vic an-living in every should stop but I really am very cle can make my other way. But I read somewhere it in a bad enough way condition worse – and my joints are ything else you know already! Is this true? And is there an that aggravates the condition?

Christine, Liverpool matory disease, which is Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflam l in origin. largely genetic and partly environmenta rimental to your health I don’t have to tell you that smoking is det d it gives you pleasure, in all sorts of ways – but I also understan ere is evidence to suggest whilst living with a disabling condition. Th inflammation within that smoking causes oxidative stress and antibodies underlying the body and may contribute to the auto se to medication – the disease, as well as reducing your respon advice would be to try to particularly if you are a heavy smoker. My does find a different habit that you enjoy, which not impinge on your general health!

See drhilaryjones.com

y r a l i Dr H

M Got a problem you’d like Dr Hilary to answer?

Email him at AskDrHilary@hearst.co.uk

Eamonn & Ruth

, s y a s He s y a s e sh uple Britain’s best-loved co uth Eamonn Holmes & R ugh Langsford talk us thro this week’s news...

PICTURES: CHANNEL 4 , GETTY, NICKY JOHNSTON

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR HOMELESSNESS EAMONN: Homelessness is a massive problem – but £17m in a new initiative from the government to solve it is anything but massive.

What is controversial and exciting all at the same time about this initiative is that the money is being offered to buy properties for ex-offenders to live in. A lot of you may say, ‘Not with my taxpayer’s money’ but please, think again.

The probability of someone just being released from prison finding a job is very low. No job means no income and, in far too many cases, leads to no home.

Drink, drugs and solvent abuse can often follow as a way of escaping the reality and numbing the pain – so it could be argued that breaking that cycle benefits us all.

Recently I visited a food bank, a homeless shelter and what is called a drop-in centre, where people living rough have a chance of getting a bed for a few hours or a few days, getting some food, medical help if needed, and having someone to talk to for advice.

Believe me, the people who work there or volunteer are doing the work that the rest of us don’t want to do or don’t want to admit needs to be done. I’ve seen with my own eyes how that

The painful indignity of homelessness can be solved

work is left to others, including the police and ambulance services, who in some cases park permanently outside a shelter just to deal with anti-social behaviour or drug overdoses. For such a toxic problem, we’ve got to come up with innovative solutions.

When a person is stripped of their home, bought or rented, in so many ways they’re stripped of their dignity. Imagine not having an address? Imagine someone asking you where you live, and you have no answer.

Imagine not having anywhere that someone can even send you a birthday card. On that basis alone, count me in.

‘This plan is controversial – and exciting’ Eamonn

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DON’T JUST TALK TOUGH ON CRIME – BE TOUGH

RUTH: Doing the Right Thing shouldn’t be hard. Most people, including politicians, want to do it but something stops it from happening.

So, while I’ve read about what Home Secretary Priti Patel wants to do to fight crime, I’ve heard it all before.

More powers for police, tougher on crime, tougher on the causes of crime, more bobbies on the beat…

These aren’t unreasonable expectations and shouldn’t be some sort of revelation. But what do we get? Less police doing more work, and slogans that take us all for fools.

Crime and anti-social behaviour are enemies to all – wherever they occur.

Good policing beats slogans

best for CELEBRITY

BRITAIN’S POSHEST SERVICE STATION RUTH: I’ve been enjoying Channel 4’s fly-on-the-wall show A Lake District Farm Shop. Not just because it’s everything that other motorway service stations aren’t, but because it’s one Eamonn and I regularly visit.

Nestled between junctions 38 and 39 of the M6, Tebay Services has long been a handy spot for a quick dash to the loo and a welcome break from six lanes of traffic. But also, for those in the know, an awful lot more.

Complete with hand-baked bread, local cheese counter and a lifestyle shop – the pit stop is far from your bog-standard services.

It’s family-run and just leads to the question ‘why can’t all motorway services be like this?’

The Tebay team makes every trip a delight!

QUEUE, ME? NO WAY

Ruth: ‘Why can’t all motorway service stations be run like this?’

ALL WASHED UP EAMONN: Ahead of the massive UN Climate Change Conference being held in Glasgow this October, Downing Street is suggesting we all save water, by not washing our dishes before we put them in the dishwasher. I have to say, I’m ahead of the curve here.

My wife, on the other hand, believes in feeding our dishwasher beautifully clean plates, so that they can be cleaned even more. The problem is so bad, I have in the past emptied dirty plates thinking they were clean! A story which Ruth fails to believe, on the basis that she says she has never seen me near the aforementioned appliance…

EAMONN:

I’m not a believer in paying to do other people’s work for them. I don’t work for Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S or Morrisons, so therefore I don’t feel the need to pack bags for them, or run my purchases through a scanner on their behalf.

So, when I read that a study has found that we are only prepared to wait a maximum of five minutes in a queue before abandoning shopping and walking out, my only response was – that long?!

L A I C E P S C I P M Y OL

best for THE OLYMPICS

PICTURE: GETTY

On Sunday, a starstudded Team GB Homecoming Concert will be broadcast live on the BBC One at 7.30pm. To help celebrate, we look back at just some of their incredible wins…

Turn over for more...

FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 49

L A I C E P S C I P M Y OL

Making a splash!

After 20 years and four Olympic games, Tom Daley finally won Gold – but he wasn’t the only one going for the top spot in the water... hen Tom Daley dived his way to his first Olympic Gold medal, the country – along with his husband, Dustin Lance Black, and mum, Debbie – went wild!

The nation has been behind the baby-faced Brit ever since his Olympic debut in Beijing back in 2008. And although he won Bronze in both the London and Rio Games, the much-craved top spot had eluded him. Until now!

On Monday 26 July, he and his partner Matty Lee won the men’s synchronised 10-metre diving competition in Tokyo.

‘I still can’t believe we actually did it!’ he wrote on his Instagram afterwards. ‘After 4 Olympics and 20 years of diving! An Olympic Gold medal! And to do it with @mattydiver was all the more special!’

It was Matty’s first time competing in the Games, after moving to London in 2018 to train with Tom, and he was equally delighted.

‘It’s crazy. I don’t understand what happened,’ he said. ‘To be able to share my first Olympics with Tom and get a Gold, it’s special.’

And they weren’t the only ones in the pool to win –

W

Adam Peaty secured the first British Gold medal in Tokyo 2020 when he won the men’s 100 metres breaststroke.

‘OLYMPIC CHAMPION!’ he wrote on Twitter afterwards. ‘For my country, my son and my family. For those who stayed up through the night to watch me. For all those people who need a bit of light. You can get through this.’

But it’s hard to deny all the eyes of the nation have been on Tom, Britain’s youngest competitor when he made his debut in Beijing 2008 aged just 14. Since then, fans have followed not just his professional journey, but his personal one too.

Tom had to leave school due Adam Peaty won three medals for Team GB

to bullying because of his new-found fame and his father, Rob, passed away in 2011 aged just 40 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Rob had quit his job as an electrician to follow his son’s events around the world and the two were obviously close. ‘If I could be half the dad that my dad was to me then that would be my best achievement!’ Tom wrote on Twitter.

And he got the chance to do just that, after he married film director Dustin in May 2017 and the couple had their son, Robbie, now three,

It’s the first Olympics the duo have dived together

who they named after Tom’s own dad.

‘I think any athlete would be lying if they said they didn’t want to win an Olympic Gold medal,’ said Tom. ‘But at the end of the day, I am a father, I am a husband and I think a massive shift in perspective has happened for me over these last couple of years.’

But this change hasn’t done his career – which hasn’t just been about the Olympics – any harm. He has won three world championship Golds, five European titles and four Commonwealth Golds for England. But it’s clear that

best for THE OLYMPICS

WORDS: SARAH WHITELEY PICTURES: GETTY

Tom Daley and Matty Lee win Gold for GB

his latest win means an awful lot to him.

‘I still can’t honestly believe what is happening,’ he explained afterwards.

‘That moment, being about to be announced as Olympic champions, I was gone. I was blubbering.’

His husband and mum were equally ecstatic, with Dustin taking to Twitter to congratulate his spouse. ‘No words! So so many tears! @TomDaley1994 you’re an OLYMPIC CHAMPION! Congratulations Tom and @MattyLee!’ Before Tokyo, Tom said that he wanted to continue diving until he won an Olympic Gold – but it doesn’t look like he’s

easing his way into retirement just yet, as he’s already posted a video of him working out on to social media, captioned, ‘Right back to it.’

Tom is so proud of his Gold medal he has come up with a special way to keep it safe.

‘If you’ve been following me for a while now you’ll know that I’m a little bit knitting obsessed,’ he wrote on Instagram. ‘And I kept on banging my medal, so what I decided to do was make a little case for my medal. One side is the Union Jack, the other side is the Japanese flag.’

We wonder if he’ll make one for his fellow winners?

Huge congratulations, Tom, Matty and Adam!

‘H He’s just Luke’

Luke Greenbank may be bringing hom after coming third in the men’s 200 e a Bronze medal m backstroke an although his pare d nt bits’ and ‘so happ s, Martha and Chris, are ‘chuffed to y’ at his achievem seem like life will ent, it doesn’t be changing any time soon for the 23-year-old.

When asked by C harlotte Hawkins on Goo d Morning Britain about ce lebratory plans, Martha re plied, ‘When he comes home, he’s just Luke. T here’s no airs and grac es about him. He co mes home and he’s to ld to pick up his shoe s and pick up his rubb ish.

He’s just one of the family again.’

Luke’s coach, Sea n Balmer, joked, ‘I’ m going to let him take m e out for Olympian Luke has a pint.’ no airs and graces So no special trea tment then!

L A I C E P S C I P M Y OL Not only did Team GB race ahead in the individual events, they were also storming to victory in the group competitions, too…

Running to Gold: Jessica Learmonth, Jonny Brownlee, Georgia Taylor-Brown and

Team Spirit!

Laps ahead in the pool... eam GB secured yet another Gold medal when swimmers Tom Dean, Duncan Scott, James Guy and Matthew Richards came first in the 4x200m freestyle relay. The quartet

T

missed the world record by 0.03 seconds – but what really mattered was that they beat the Russian Olympic Committee by 3.23 seconds and Australia came behind both to finish third. Their

L-R: James, Tom, Duncan and Matthew celebrating

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triumph was especially sweet to Tom, who had also won Gold in the men’s 200m freestyle, making him the first British male swimmer to win two Gold medals in the same Olympics since 1908 – particularly as he had contracted Coronavirus not once, but twice, since the pandemic began. The second time, earlier this year, left him coughing and wheezing – with his Olympics chances in doubt.

‘I just want to say thanks to everyone back home. I’m just lost for words. It’s amazing…’ the 21-year-old said. ‘When I was sitting in my flat in isolation, Olympic Gold seemed like a million miles off. But here we are.’

Duncan came second to

Tom in the same race, scooping his third Olympic Silver overall, after winning two at Rio. The 24-year-old Glaswegian said of his friendship with the other three, ‘We’re in an apartment together. We get on really well, if that’s playing cards or watching films together. The 4x200 boys in Britain have a really good connection.’

Matthew Richards is just 18. ‘It’s an honour to have this medal hanging round my neck,’ he said. ‘Forever now, this will be something that I can say I was part of and it will be something I can tell my kids and hopefully my grandkids about one day.’

It’s certainly a story they’ll want to hear! Well done!

best for THE OLYMPICS

Four times the charm Pretty impressive by any standard!

‘One word has changed the whole British team – belief,’ said Peaty. ‘We believe we can win, we believe we can get world records.

If you have belief, you can build everything around that.’

But of course, the win was no less special for his teammates.

Anna, 25, said, ‘It’s an amazing feeling and a privilege to be in this team.’

While 23-year-old Kathleen said, ‘It’s surreal, unbelievable what we’ve done – I couldn’t have imagined this in my wildest dreams!’ Her swim coach, Steven Tigg said, ‘When I spoke to Kathleen after the race, she was still in a bit of shock – but being an Olympic champion and world record breaker does that!’

We bet it does!

Congratulations, guys!

The fantastic four are Team GB’s first-ever mixed relay winners

t was the first ever Mixed Team Relay – and our British team only went and won it! Jessica Learmonth started the race on Saturday 31 July, Jonny Brownlee took the second leg, Georgia Taylor-Brown took the penultimate and Alex Yee finished the race to bring home the Gold.

‘These guys had done great legs

I

Swim when you’re winning!

Our triumphant triathletes

and put me in such a position that I just had to do everything to stay there,’ said 23-year-old Alex, a late addition to the team. ‘It’s surreal. That was 2km of pain, the longest of my life. I wanted to go hard at the start because I had a little gap and it worked.’

Jonny Brownlee – who famously hit the headlines when his brother Alistair, also a triathlete, helped him over the finishing line in World Triathlon Series in 2016 when he could barely stand due to heat stroke – had refused to touch his brother’s Golds from London and Rio until he got his own. And now he has!

The 31-year-old had himself won Bronze in London and Silver in Rio and is now the first triathlete to win three Olympic medals. Devastatingly, Alistair, 33, was forced out of the

Olympics this year due to injuries.

Jonny was clearly taking nothing for granted after coming first.

Posting a picture of his three medals on Instagram, he wrote, ‘Dreams do come true. Thanks to everyone who has supported me. You don’t get the recognition that you deserve. But hopefully you realise how important you have been to my success.’

Georgia, who’d come second in the women’s individual triathlon earlier that week, was equally overwhelmed with the win. ‘It’s amazing. I couldn’t ask for a better way to start my first Olympic Games. It’s quite incredible and just to do it with the team and with the past year with a pandemic.

To be able to finish it and bring everyone together and go home with a Gold medal. I think it just means so much to Team GB. It also means so much for the support system that we have… I’m just so grateful right now.’

Jessica took to Instagram to say simply, ‘Olympic Gold with a little help from my friends!’

WORDS: SARAH WHITELEY PICTURES: GETTY

eam GB has stormed ahead in the swimming stakes this year, also grabbing the Gold medal in the mixed 4x100m medley relay.

Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty, James Guy and Anna Hopkin worked together to come first on Saturday 31 July, leaving China to take the Silver and Australia Bronze.

And not only did they come first – they also beat the world record, taking just 3mins 37.58secs to complete their race!

You may well be recognising some of these names now, because Adam has also won the 100m breaststroke, while James was part of the squad who won the 4x200m freestyle relay. Golds upon Golds, eh guys?

And when it comes to numbers, Adam fares even better. This was his 14th world record, his fourth Olympic medal and third Gold.

T

L A I C E P S C I P M Y OL Laura Collett may have won Gold at the Olympics, but she’d won her biggest battle years before…

Laura leapt ahead of the competition

t’s not very often our childhood daydreams come true – but equestrian Laura Collett’s did when she won Gold last week! It may have been the 31-year-old’s first Olympics but, alongside Oliver Townend and Tom McEwen, she stormed her way to first place in the team eventing.

‘It’s always been a childhood dream to be at the Olympics, so to be sat here with an Olympic Gold medal around my neck is beyond words, really,’ she said.

Her career nearly came to an end before it had really begun when she fell off her

Instagram/laura_collett

I

Laura was injured eight years ago…

horse eight years ago while competing at Tweseldown, Hampshire, and the horse fell on top of her.

She suffered catastrophic injuries, including a punctured lung, a lacerated liver, a fractured shoulder and two broken ribs.

She was in a coma for six days and blinded in one eye.

It was a devastating time, not just for her, but for her family. ‘The first days in the hospital were the worst days of my life and I’ve tried to not think about it since,’ said her mum, Tracey Collett.

Yet, after recovering, Laura was keen to get back in the saddle – so keen, she was riding again two weeks later

…but now she’s back in the saddle

54 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

and competing after just seven!

Our ‘reining’ ‘A lot of people champs Tom, Laura and Oliver questioned whether I would, and whether I had the mentality to want to get back on a horse medal, I look back to where I after such a bad accident, but was eight years ago – I knew I all of that just made me want was lucky to be alive, let alone to prove everyone wrong,’ she do the job I love,’ she said. explained.

Her teammates were no less And that’s exactly what she delighted. ‘What an incredible has gone on to do. Despite honour to be part of this team being considered but left out and bring @teamgb their first of Rio 2016, she was picked eventing team gold since 1972 for Tokyo – and rightly so, as on the lowest ever finishing she has given Britain its first team score,’ Oliver wrote on Olympic Gold in his Instagram. ‘Huge thanks to the category since everyone who has got us here.’

Munich 1972.

While Tom wrote, ‘Wow. Just ‘Just to be here wow. There are no words except was more than a thank you Toledo [his horse] dream come true, and thank you everyone.’ and to be stood Huge congratulations to here, with a Gold you all!

‘My accident made me want to prove everyone wrong’

WORDS: SARAH WHITELEY PICTURES: GETTY, INSTAGRAM

A dream come true!

best for THE OLYMPICS annah Mills and Eilidh McIntyre made winning Gold look easy in the women’s 470 class last Wednesday, leaving Poland in second place and France to come third. And the pair were so delighted, they leapt into the water to celebrate!

And no wonder – this Gold, combined with her Silver from London 2012 and her Gold from Rio 2016, makes Hannah, 33, the most successful female Olympic sailor in history.

Hannah first sailed on a family holiday in Cornwall and loved it so much, she joined Cardiff Sailing Centre at just eight years old. As she progressed, she started to sail for the Welsh Optimist Squad and was the first Brit to win the Optimist Girls World Championships in 2003.

‘It is random because nobody in my family has a history of sailing,’ she said.

‘I was playing a lot of tennis, but started to experience knee problems. I got into sailing and just fell in love with the sport.’

The two are a relatively new pairing, as Hannah had sailed with Saskia Clark in the last two Olympics and had only joined up with Eilidh when Saskia retired after Rio. Yet, they had already proved themselves by winning the world championships in 2019 – and two years later, they’ve come first again!

‘It’s been one of the hardest weeks of my life,’ she admitted afterwards. ‘I’m sure for Eilidh as well, just every day, not being able to eat, just nerves building up… It’s over. We’ve done what we came here to do and it’s amazing… I just feel incredibly lucky… The support back home has been unreal.’

Eilidh, 27, clearly has sailing in her blood, as her father Mike won Gold in the Star class in the 1988 Seoul Games.

‘I can’t believe that this has happened.

I’ve dreamt about it my entire life with my dad and it’s just such an amazing feeling,’ Eilidh said. ‘I can’t wait to have [the Gold medal] around my neck.

‘To my dad, thank you for everything.

Thank you for being my inspiration, for being at the end of the phone whenever I wanted to talk. I want to thank my whole family and my poor mum… she’s had to live through the stress of this twice!’

It was Team GB’s third Gold medal in sailing, after Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell came first in the 49er and Giles Scott achieved the same in the Finn.

We really did rule the waves in this Olympic Games!

H

The Golden Girls!

It was plain sailing for Team GB when it came to the women’s 470 class…

WORDS: SARAH WHITELEY PICTURE: GETTY

Hannah (left) and Eilidh celebrated with a splash!

Hannah (right) with Saskia Clark in 2012

Eilidh’s dad Mike (rear) sailed in Seoul 1988

L A I C E P S C I P M Y OL

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It may have been a bumpy road but Beth Shriever raced her way to a Gold medal!

Road to victory W

and was crowned junior world champion in 2017 – only to hear that, after Rio, Team GB were only funding male riders.

Undeterred, Beth set up a crowdfunding page to raise the £50,000 she’d need to get to Tokyo 2020. She also worked in a nursery to help pay towards her training and trip.

And BMX riding doesn’t come without its risks. Along the way, Beth broke the same wrist three times and suffered a tibia and fibula fracture so bad that she needed metal plates inserted into her leg. She must have been devastated when she needed the same operation a year and a half later after another crash.

It was therefore no surprise that her family and boyfriend Brynley, watching from their home in Chelmsford, Essex, were worried about her.

Beth came top in the BMX race

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Charlotte Worthington’s backflip wowed the crowds

‘The risks are quite high,’ said the 22-year-old’s mum Kate.

‘We are nervous for her safety.

We just want her to get round without coming off.’

And Beth did more than get round without injury! No doubt spurred on by her training partner Kye Whyte winning Silver just moments before, Beth went on to win her own race.

‘Honestly I’m in shock. To be here is an achievement in itself,’ she said afterwards. ‘To come away with a medal, let alone a Gold, is crazy.’

Finishing in tears, 21-yearold Kye scooped up the sobbing cyclist. ‘I’m more happy for her than I am for me,’ he said. ‘That girl puts in some serious, serious graft.’

Kye, who trained at Peckham and credits BMX riding for keeping him on the straight and narrow, said of his own win, ‘It’s [the medal] flipping heavy!

Charlotte delivered GB another Gold

My neck is aching. It means everything to me. It’s hard to even get to the Olympics in the first place. But to do well and to get a medal, it’s special.’

Their victories were extra meaningful as they were the first two British medallists in the sport since it was introduced in Beijing 2008 – and then former cook Charlotte Worthington followed up their success a day later by winning Gold in the BMX freestyle.

The 25-year-old from Manchester performed the first ever 360-backflip in the women’s competition and said, ‘I’ve been dreaming about this for four years and it still feels like I’m dreaming. It was incredible.’

We’re ecstatic for all three of you – and all of our amazing athletes!

‘That girl puts in some serious, serious graft’

WORDS: SARAH WHITELEY PICTURES: GETTY

hen Beth Shriever’s school urged her to give BMX a go at nine years old, we bet they had no idea they were setting her off on a road that would lead to an Olympic Gold – but that was what happened on Friday, 30 July!

‘WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! GOLD MEDAL’ the 22-year-old exclaimed on her Instagram.

And it’s not surprising that she’s bowled over by her win – as even her entry to the Games was uncertain for a long time.

Beth started off first on a loaned bike after her school’s suggestion and, when she enjoyed it, her parents invested in a second-hand one.

As her skill became apparent, she trained seriously

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See the world through

JENNY’S D E T N I T N U F LENSES…

Our fabul ous and funny new colum nis comedian t, Jenny Ecl is here to air, like it is, in tell it her o witty way… wn

Jenny and June enjoy a day out

E L T T A B D A S ’S M MU

PICTURES: ALAMY, INSTAGRAM

‘With a photo album, she could see her own story’

Instagram/jennyeclair 1960

M

‘Here he is with your mother, Jenny’ (yes, the original), and ‘Here you are, pregnant with your first baby’. In some respects, it turned into a rather geriatric version of the Janet and John books that people of my age learned to read with, in primary school.

Many of the photos taken in the Fifties and Sixties are in black-and-white and, weirdly, they seem clearer now than the colour snaps taken in the Seventies and Eighties.

Technology doesn’t always Star of the show make things better.

– Jenny at her My daughter was with me christening as I made this album; she’s in her 30s and, like most women her age, her phone bulges with pictures dating back for years.

‘But I haven’t actually got any real physical photos,’ she admitted.

Hmm, looks like when I’m old and batty myself, instead of being handed a nicely bound photo album, containing photos of my nearest and dearest, I’m going to get handed a grotty USB stick.

It’s not quite the same, is it?

Instagram/jennyeclair 1960

y mother, June, is in a nursing home on the North-West Coast. She is 92 and she has dementia. Dementia is different for everyone. My mother can be quite lucid for several sentences, but then the wrong words slip into the conversation, she imagines she has just got back from somewhere else – usually Paris – and she cannot for the life of her understand why she isn’t having to pay for her meals.

‘Where is my chequebook?’ she asks, again and again.

My mother went downhill rapidly a year ago. Lockdown certainly played its part, as did the deterioration in her eyesight, after a failed cataract surgery.

Anyone who has a relative with dementia will tell you, in the initial stages of the disease, they still sound the same and the kernel of their personality is still there. My mother was a very intelligent woman, her voice remains the same, but she doesn’t half come out with some rubbish. However, she still knows who we all are – and for that, I am grateful.

The last time I went up to see her, I decided to make up a photo album, using a lot of spare old photos I’d found in a box in her flat. I captioned these photos with a black Sharpie in large print letters, so that she could read her own story. ‘This is your father, Tommy’,

Baby Jenny on her ‘horsey’

Three generations: Jenny with mum June and daughter Phoebe

FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 59

Instagram/sarahjaynedunn

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Instagram/sarahjaynedunn

Instagram/sarahjaynedunn

GARDEN DESIGN The family ’s back garden has been transformed with pristine green lawn turf, perfect for Stanley to play in, and an array of pretty planters.

KITCHEN COOL Posing in her wedding gown by the built-in fridge during a moment of lockdown boredom (as you do!), Sarah is a vision in white. And Ming, her beloved pet pug struck a pose, too!

Instagram/sarahjaynedunn

WORDS:DANIELLE SOUTHWOOD PICTURES :INSTAGRAM

CREAMS & GREENS Sarah’s modern country kitchen has been decorated with dark green tiles alongside cream fitted cabinets and a large black ceiling light. We like!

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FINISHING TOUCHES From a beautiful mustard corner chair and a footstall Sarah uses to rest on , the star also knows mirrors adds the illusion of extra space.

Instagram/sarahjaynedunn

DECO STYLE Either side of the deep blue velvet sofa sits at least one art deco coffee table … There has been a huge resurge in Art Deco sales of late - said to be because the style is both captivating and nostalgic.

We won’t argue!

n n u D e n y a J h a r Sa

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS...

Last year, the stunning couple practically beamed on the front porch when they move in – and let’s face it, who wouldn’t?! At the time, Sarah posted ‘new home, dream home, home journey.’

Instagram/sarahjaynedunn

STANLEY’S ROOM Little Stanley loves his custom-made bed with his name at one end (who wouldn’t?) complete with handy storage drawers, cupboards and ladder!

Instagram/sarahjaynedunn

She’s played Hollyoaks’ Mandy Richardson since 1996. Here, we take a peak inside the Cheshire home, Sarah Jayne Dunn, now 39, shares with hubby Jon Smith and son Stanley, five...

MOVING ON BY: GABRIELLE MULLARKEY

his was the first Summer that Simon hadn’t got itchy feet. In the past he’d gone backpacking all Summer with mates Tez and Andy, hiking in the Alps or trekking in the Pyrenees, meeting interesting characters along the way…

‘In other words, girls!’ Roz had snorted.

‘Women,’ Simon had corrected grandly.

‘Mmmm. Funny how you and your mates never seemed to bump into blokes who’d offer directions or turn out to have an uncle running an affordable pension.’

But she hadn’t begrudged him his adventures.

Those days were behind him and he looked back with nostalgia rather than regret.

He enjoyed the ‘proper’ job he’d been in for six months since moving back to his home town. He’d even been promoted.

This Summer, looking out from his office window at a sky of denim-washed blue, feet planted firmly under his desk, he saw the bright days ahead as a time to consolidate, to… ‘settle down’, Andy had said the other night, when they’d met for a drink. ‘Mate, I’m not knocking it. Comes a time in every freewheeler’s life.’

Simon had gulped down his pint and blurted, ‘bit more

T

to it than that. I’ve – I’ve met someone, Andy. I mean, a serious someone. We’re head over heels and want to get a place together. But how do I tell Roz I want out? She’s been so good to me.’

Andy had scratched his chin. ‘Mate, you only moved in initially to help her decorate her place after you got back from travelling. Then you stayed ’cos you’d nowhere else sorted… I mean, she’s been great and all that, but comes a time to move on.’

Simon had sighed. Sounded

‘How do I tell her I want out?

She’s been so good to me’ very clinical put like that, but on the other hand…

‘What’s this serious someone called, then?’

‘Trudi. We met at a work do three months ago.’

‘Aha, knew you were up to something, mate.’

‘I’m not up to anything,’ Simon had muttered. ‘We’ve

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just been discreet. Any useful advice on how I break it to Roz?’ ‘Rip off the plaster,’ Andy had said. ‘Just tell her and get it over with. Give her a chance to get used to being on her tod again.’

Simon had brooded, wondering how he’d go about it.

In the end, he’d decided to invite Roz to the Inn-on-theWater, a riverside restaurant they both liked.

Wondering briefly if he was making too big a deal of it, he phoned Roz at her office to issue the invite.

‘All very formal. You could’ve asked me at home. What’s brought this on?’ she asked, half-facetiously.

‘Just thought I’d treat you.’

‘What’s wrong with your preferred method of burning a ready meal, then chucking it on the fire escape for local cats to squabble over?’

He sighed. ‘It’s to celebrate my new promotion, and to thank you for the past six months.’

‘Well,’ she mused, ‘wouldn’t say no. Do I need a posh frock?’

‘Nah, fine as you are. And I’ll try to book a window seat, so we can look out on the river.’

‘Very apt, what with you pushing the boat out.’

He was glad she was looking forward to it. Still, he felt increasingly guilty as he

prepared his ‘not you, it’s me’ speech for the restaurant.

And whenever he looked at Roz, curled up on the sofa in a pair of men’s rugby socks watching EastEnders, he felt the familiar rush of guilt and affection that always got in the way of his ruthless streak.

In fact, he found himself being extra nice to her, or ‘leading her higher up the garden path’, according to Tez and Andy.

While all the time making plans with Trudi.

He’d told Trudi all about Roz, but she hadn’t pried or offered bracing ‘advice’ like Tez and Andy. She’d trusted

him to do what he thought was best, when the timing was right for all three of them.

He arrived first at the Inn-onthe-Water for his meal with Roz. It was a beautiful evening, sunlight sparkling off the water a few feet away.

Roz bustled in soon after, groaning as she plonked down. ‘Mind if I kick off my shoes? Feet are killing me, but shouldn’t pong too much, as I sprayed them with antifungal stuff before I left work.

Ooh – breadsticks! Stop me if I have more than one or I’ll be full after my starter. What you having? When we came before, I–’

Simon stared helplessly at the menu. How would she react to his news? Would she be devastated?

‘Listen, Si.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I’m gabbling with nerves ’cos I’ve something to tell you.’

He glanced up, surprised to see how flushed she was.

‘Oh?’ ‘Yeah. Thing is… um… well, thing is… I’ve met someone.

Remember that bloke I told you I met at the rugby club dinner dance? Phil Harper?’

He stared. ‘No, to be honest.’

‘I’ve been going on about him a good bit,’ she murmured.

‘Didn’t you notice?’

‘Er… now you mention it.’

One of those rugby club lumps – he might have known. Hence the socks she was surgically attached to.

‘This is hard for me,’ she said, avoiding his eye. ‘Especially after all you’ve done for me.

But now you’re settled in your job and you’re out a lot in the evenings and–’ ‘Consider it done,’ he interrupted quickly, putting her out of her misery. ‘When would you like me to move out by?’

‘There’s no hurry,’ she said, aghast. ‘I just wanted to give you the heads-up that Phil might be coming round in the

evenings. And at weekends.

But I’d never turf my little brother out on the street!’

‘Roz,’ he smiled. ‘As it happens, your timing couldn’t be better. I’ve got my eye on a flat. Though I’ll still be handy to come and get spiders out of the bath or duff up this Phil bloke if he ever upsets my favourite sister.’

‘Your only sister,’ she pointed out, laughing. ‘And thanks, but I can usher spiders out of my own bath.’

‘Yeah, I know,’ he nodded (talk about rewriting history!).

‘But if you ever need help with more decorating and this Phil gets dizzy on a stepladder…

I get to meet him at some point, right?’

‘Of course. And thanks again for the offers, but I’m not quite as helpless as you imagine. I was living on my own before I took you in, you know. And Phil’s one of the good guys.

Like you. Doubt you’ll need to duff him up at any point.’

He nodded. Nice of her to pretend it would be a fair fight between him and a prop forward.

He was on the verge of recommending she didn’t leave her facial hair remover cream lying around, then reflected, each to their own. He-man Phil probably left the odd dislocated toe lying around.

‘Thanks for putting up with me all these months, sis, as well as putting me up. Love ya.’

‘Same here. Perhaps after we’ve ordered,’ she added, a twinkle in her eye, ‘you’ll tell me all about her? If you’re going to meet Phil, it’s only fair I get an intro to the woman of the hour.’

Ha, no flies on big sis.

Before he could answer, she’d raised her glass. ‘All in good time, though. Here’s to moving on, but always being there for each other.’

He clinked his glass against hers. ‘I’ll definitely drink to that.’

PICTURE: GETTY

best for FICTION

e s a c d l o c

s e l i f THE CRIME:

A trail of bodies, souvenirs taken from the crime scenes and a murderer taunting the police. Who terrorised Wichita for three decades?

The Victims (L-R): Joseph Otero, Julie Otero, Kathryn Bright, Shirley Vian Relford, Nancy Fox, Marine Hedge, Vickie Wegerle and Dolores Davis

? t i n n u d o h W Read our cold case file and see if you think the police can catch the killer…

THE CASE: For years, a spate of unsolved violent strangulations baffled the police and terrified the residents of Wichita, Kansas.

And with no clues or firm suspects, those years stretched to decades…

It started on a snowy day

Four members of the Otero family were slaughtered

BY LOUISE BULGIN

in January in 1974, when the bodies of a young family were discovered. Joseph Otero and his wife Julie, then 34, were strangled in broad daylight along with children Josephine, 11, and nine-year-old Joseph Jr. Tragically, it was the couple’s 15-year-old son, Charlie, who discovered his parents’ bodies when he returned from school.

‘It felt like physically having your chest ripped open and your heart pulled out,’ he recalled years later. ‘Life changed instantly.’

Charlie and his younger siblings, Danny and Charlene, survived the massacre because they were at school.

Three months later, as the police continued to investigate, the body of Kathryn Bright, 21, was found

– bound with cord, strangled and stabbed. Her brother, Kevin, had been shot, but miraculously survived.

‘I played like I was dead and he left,’ he recalled.

Like the Oteros, there seemed to be no reason why the two siblings had been targeted in their home.

But the twisted murderer didn’t stop there. It fact, the killing spree was only just beginning…

In October, the murderer sent a letter to the authorities.

‘It’s hard to control myself,’ he wrote. ‘You probably call me “psychotic with sexual perversion hang-up”. The code words for me will be “bind them, torture them, kill them, B.T.K.”’ And so, he became known as the BTK Killer…

In March 1977, another young mum-of-three, Shirley Vian Relford, was murdered in her home. She’d been strangled.

Remarkably the children were unharmed. The killer had left

them alive but motherless.

Who could be committing these violent killings? The only clue the police had was that the perpetrator was removing items from the crime scene – most typically, a driving licence.

In December that same year, 25-year-old Nancy Fox was strangled to death with her belt in her own home.

Then, the trail went cold – for seven years…

In April 1985, Marine Hedge, 53, disappeared from her home, before being discovered along a dirt road eight days later.

Although the MO differed, as Marine wasn’t discovered at her home, she had been strangled and a pair of knotted tights were found near her body.

This was enough for the police to suspect her death was the work of the same killer…

The next victim, a woman named Vicki Wegerle, 28, was found strangled in her bed in September 1986 – again, her two-year-old son was left unharmed but motherless.

Her death had all the sickening hallmarks of the notorious serial killer.

Police had been baffled in the Seventies

In 2004, BTK wrote to a newspaper

In a renewed effort to finally catch the killer, the police investigated each death, pored over the murder scenes and followed every lead, yet the killer still evaded justice…

In 1991, 62-yearold Dolores Davis was abducted from her home and her body was discovered 13 days later under a bridge. Her hands, feet and knees had been bound with tights and she’d been strangled…

Thirteen years passed, before a letter was sent to the local newspaper, The Wichita Eagle.

‘The only clue was that the killer was removing victims’ driving licences’

THE SUSPECT On the surface, it seemed highly unlikely that Dennis Rader could have committed such heinous acts. Born in March 1945, he’d been raised in Wichita, Kansas, and served in the US Air Force in the Sixties.

He’d married a woman named Paula in 1971 and they had two children – Brian and Kerri.

The loving husband and

father was also a respected member of the Boy Scout movement and high up in his church – even serving as president of the congregation.

He collected stamps.

On the face of it, he’d be the last on the list of potential suspects. If it wasn’t for the floppy disk…

As the police looked into his background, they discovered he’d had a job at

Metadata on a floppy disk was a huge clue

Chillingly, it included photos of Vicki’s murder, as well as a photocopy of her missing driver’s license.

BTK was taunting the police in a clear power game.

From then, the killer sent various correspondence – a poem, a letter, and even a box which he sent to a news channel that sickeningly included a Barbie doll acting out the murders and another victim’s driving licence.

ADT Security Services, installing security alarms in local homes between 1974 and 1988.

Had he used this time to work out how to successfully break into homes? Could this really be the killer?

After obtaining a search warrant that allowed police to compare DNA from his daughter, Kerri, with DNA found at the crime scenes, an answer seemed finally close at hand. Did the police finally have their murderer?

The same news station also received a postcard that led them to a note reading: ‘Can I communicate with floppy [disk] and not be traced to a computer? Be honest.’

On 16 February 2005, the killer did indeed send a purple floppy disk to the police.

Within the metadata, investigators were able to find two clues: the words ‘Dennis’ and the ‘Christ Lutheran Church council’. It didn’t take long to narrow down the search…

Dennis Rader appared a model citizen

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e s a c d l co

Aged 60, Rader pleaded guilty to the slayings

s e fil

!

S YE

Dennis Rader was arrested on 25 February 2005 and quickly confessed to all 10 charges of murder, describing each killing in detail, yet showing little emotion or remorse. It was clear that he’d had disturbing sexual fantasies and thought nothing of taking someone’s life. His reign of terror had finally come to an end.

The FBI discovered tights, underwear, rope, duct tape and cord in Rader’s shed, as well as a false-bottom space in the hallway of his home. Inside, he’d stored drawings and newspaper clippings about BTK.

During the court case, Rader pleaded guilty and, aged 60, was sentenced to 10 consecutive life terms with a minimum of 175 years. But it was of little comfort to the families of the victims.

Beverley Plapp, the sister of Nancy Fox, said: ‘This man needs to be thrown in a deep, dark black hole and left to rot.’

Steve Relford – who let Rader into his home when he was just six years old and watched him murder his mother, Shirley Vian Relford – fought back tears as he said, ‘I’d just like for him to suffer for the rest of his life.’

Finally, Rader apologised to the families. ‘I know the victims’ families won’t ever be able to forgive. I hope, somewhere deep down, eventually, that will happen.’

We think he’ll be waiting a long time for that day to come.

Now 76, Rader continues to serve his sentence in solitary confinement at the El Dorado Correctional Facility in Butler Counter, Kansas.

His sordid crime spree was part of the Netflix series Mindhunter and his daughter, Kerri Rawson, released a book, A Serial Killer’s Daughter.

‘My mom and I have both said, early on, if we had known,

‘This man needs to be thrown in a dark hole’ 66 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

Family members of BTK’s victims can’t forgive the killer

we would’ve gone screaming out the door, running to the police,’ Kerri said.

‘It’s not like you’re going to sit there and make dinner for the guy after finding out he’s murdered 10 people. [We] didn’t know we were living with a psychopath. They’re really good at hiding… I mean, my mom lived with him for 34 years, and 90, 95 per cent of the time, he was a good, loving father and husband.’

His wife Paula was granted an emergency divorce from the killer and there’s no doubt that he affected, if not ruined, the lives of his own family, as well as those of his victims.

PICTURES: ALAMY, GETTY, PA, OXYGEN.COM

Daughter Kerri says she had no idea

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S S E R STOP P

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best for ANIMALS

BE A MARINE QUEEN Even if you don’t live near the sea, you can do plenty to save the ocean. Here’s how: WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT THE OCEAN? ‘Healthy, functioning marine ecosystems are essential for regulating the climate, producing oxygen, food and medicine, and supporting global economies,’ reveals Emily Baxter, Senior Marine Conservation Officer at North West Wildlife Trusts.

WORDS: HELEN PIKE PICTURES: GETTY, INSTAGRAM

ON THE BEACH: + Keep it clean: Millions of tonnes of rubbish end up in the sea each year, with devastating consequences for wildlife. Take your rubbish home, or consider joining a local tidy-up event. Visit nationaltrust.org.uk to find your nearest one.

+ Sea Safe sun cream is one of the most important items to use (beach and beyond!). Make sure you’re buying an ocean-friendly product that doesn’t contain oxybenzone and octinoxate, which can be toxic for marine wildlife.

AND OFF THE BEACH: + Buy ocean-friendly food: Choosing local and sustainable fish can reduce demand for rare or overexploited species.

Read the label carefully; look for ‘responsibly sourced’ on the front.

Some supermarkets, including Sainsbury’s, have an RSPCA

We sea life ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MARINE LIFE certification mark on packaging for farmed fish found in rivers and lakes, like trout and salmon. + Avoid buying fashion that harms fragile marine ecosystems, such as jewellery

made from coral reefs. + Carbon dioxide is making our oceans more acidic and devastating coral reefs. Walking, cycling and eating less meat are all ways to reduce your footprint.

M Want to support further? Visit wildlifetrusts.org to find more information about their marine campaigns.

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PETS AT HOME

CAMERA SHY

Taylor Swift’s cat, Meredith, is arguably just as popular as the country and pop star, to the extent that the 31-year-old, pictured here with her other cat Benjamin, addressed concerns on Instagram as to the feline’s absence. ‘Meredith really hates her picture being taken,’ she admitted. Cameras away, everyone!

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Marine Conservation Society Reusable bottle, £15, FatFace

. . . w e n s ’ t a h W Make eco-conscious shopping choices Tote, £18, kindbag.co Made from 18 old plastic bottles

Beach towel, £30, mcsshop. org.uk

your stars 24 July – 23 August New demands and expectations in life will require Leos - including Vogue and Don't Cry For Me Argentina singer Madonna Ciccone - to make an exciting and interesting diversion from their usual path. But experimenting with different roles will be like a breath of fresh air and bring positive change to the Summer.

SCORPIO 24 October – 22 November You want to get a move on. You’re tired of being stationary and letting the grass grow under your feet – there’s a growing need to be active and occupied. There are many lovely surprises in store for you and if you are single you might soon be enjoying a delicious and exciting fling with someone from afar.

AQUARIUS 21 January – 19 February Life is looking good. Your confidence and optimism rise to the surface. You intuitively know things are going to get better and you’re looking forward to a happier future. The support and understanding you are giving to those who need it will help them go a long way. You can be an agent for positive change.

TAURUS 21 April – 21 May Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, allow your feelings to flow naturally. Romance could enter your life in an unexpected or hidden way. You might discover you have a secret admirer, or a developing friendship will lead you to realise there is a deep emotional link between you which is more romantic than platonic.

VIRGO

24 August – 23 September New friendships will bring some exciting opportunities. A male friend or colleague could help you further a personal ambition. Divide your time between work, friendships and romance this week. No matter what your partner might say, you need to find time for projects you can do on your own.

LIBRA 24 September – 23 October There’s something bothering you and although you don’t like making waves, it's the time to clear the air. There’s no need to worry about upsetting someone.

They will be glad to have this chance to get their feelings out into the open. If you 're married or soon to be, there are some important issues you need to discuss.

SAGITTARIUS

CAPRICORN

23 November – 21 December A trip that was put on hold could be back on your schedule again. You might enjoy planning a holiday with the family especially if you get to visit new places of interest. Persuade a loved one who always takes a lot of luggage that this isn’t necessary. You will all be much happier, travelling light and feeling free.

22 December – 20 January You have either spent a lot of time on your own contemplating your situation or this is what is needed now to help you gather strength (emotionally and physically) and re-evaluate your life. You know it is time to make some changes and this has got to come from you for you are in charge of your own life.

PISCES 20 February – 20 March It will be a relief to be able to discuss recent misunderstandings in a calm way. You will appreciate the effort others are making to patch things up between you.

Very soon all will be resolved, and you can turn your attention to your love life and other friendships. This will deepen bonds of affection that already exist.

GEMINI 22 May – 21 June Trust your hunches in romance and in your close friendships for they will be incredibly accurate. Now that you are getting out more, your popularity rating is starting to dart up the scale. You will be enthusiastic about an interest you can share with others and you’re likely to play a major role in this project.

ARIES 21 March – 20 April Your closest relationships are the most important thing in your life, and you will be making these a priority now. Loving feelings well up inside you and you will want to find an outlet for your passion and deep emotions. Don’t be surprised if you develop a passion for painting, carpentry, cooking or gardening.

CANCER 22 June – 23 July Developing a healthy way of coping will be your first step out of a difficult situation. For this you may have to accept the help of a professional or of a strong-minded friend who is willing to come down hard on you every time you show signs of starting to stray. This might also be a good time to join a support group.

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PICTURES: BIGSTOCK

LEO

For the week 10 – 16 August with Russell Grant

best for CELEBRITY

For Janet Street-Porter, the best send-off is no send-off at all, as the star reveals that she doesn’t even want a funeral…

‘I don’t care, I’ll be dead!’ he takes a nononsense approach to life, so it should come as no surprise that when it comes to death, Janet Street-Porter has an equally matter-offact view.

But Loose Women viewers were still surprised to hear the presenter, 74, announce that she doesn’t even want to have a funeral.

Sitting on the panel alongside Kaye Adams, Linda Robson and Gloria Hunniford, when the subject of end-of-life ceremonies came up, Janet declared she wasn’t interested, saying : ‘No, I don’t want anything at all. I don’t want a funeral.’

‘Why not?’ Gloria asked her, to which Janet replied: ‘Why bother? I can’t see the point.’

Linda then chipped in: ‘It’s about a celebration of your life!’

‘Oh well you can have a party here,’ Janet suggested, as Linda cheekily quipped: ‘We will, don’t worry!’

But Janet was adamant she wants a no-fuss send-off – or, in fact, no send-off at all ‘I don’t care, I’ll be dead, When I kick the bucket, send me to the funeral home. I can’t bear the idea of having a family funeral… not that I have any family left.’

Gloria Hunniford, 81,

WORDS:DEIRDRE O’BRIEN PICTURES: ITV, SHUTTERSTOCK

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however, took a very different view, opting for a more traditional approach.

‘I know exactly what I think I’d like at my funeral. I want all the flowers, I want all the people there, I want the whole works.

‘I like the thought of having a bit of make-up and dressing quite nicely in something, and I’m going to have my phone with me just in case and a charger fitted in the coffin!’

Gloria went on to explain that her family often have open caskets at funerals, and she might do the same, saying: ‘A lot of people don’t like the thought of open coffins, but personally, in my family, everything is open-coffin.’

Janet then piped in, suggesting that Gloria’s open casket could even go on TV. ‘Gloria, why not have a coffin in the studio?! The first one of the Loose Women to go to the other side,’ she joked.

Loose Women fans were in hysterics at Janet’s wishes and took Twitter to comment.

‘Janet makes me die #LooseWomen,’ one person wrote, But bearing in mind Janet has previously not ruled out living to 140, it will hopefully be a long time to wait for the sad non-event.

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Gloria may opt for an open casket

‘II can’tt bea ar the idea of a fa amily funeral’’

best for CASH ADVICE

1

Planning time away this Summer? These simple steps could help protect your home from burglars…

DON’T OVERSHARE If you’re planning a trip away, don’t overshare, no matter how excited you are. ‘When you post about being on holiday, you are essentially advertising that your home is empty,’ explains Sarah Martinez, an online safety expert at Get Safe Online. ‘A cyber-criminal can then find out your address from other online accounts and pay your home a visit.

And if you’ve ever posted a picture of your house, you’re making the pieces of the puzzle easier to put together.’

2

DON’T INVALIDATE INSURANCE As well as alerting potential burglars, oversharing on social media could invalidate your home insurance policy, meaning you’d be unable to make a successful claim if there were a break-in.

‘Home insurers expect you to take “reasonable care” when it comes to home security,’ Helen Chambers, from price comparison site MoneySuperMarket, cautions. ‘Examples of not doing this would be leaving a window open or a door unlocked at night. Another could be advertising your absence. If you do this you could find your insurer reducing the pay-out or even not paying out at all.’

Join our campaign and get your finances sorted at hearstmagazines.co.uk/ ffbest for money-saving tips and brilliant advice on being financially savvy.

How to keep your home safe

5

PROTECT YOUR HOME ONLINE If you do want to use social media to tell friends that you’re in the pub or on holiday, there are things you can do to protect your home and possessions. ‘Make sure your social media profiles are set to private so only your friends can see what you post,’ Sarah advises. ‘Avoid using the location and check-in features and try to save holiday posts until after you’re home.’

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WORDS: EMILIE MARTIN PICTURES: GETTY

3

GET A VIDEO DOORBELL If you’re in the market for a video doorbell, try the Ring Video Doorbell 2. It costs less than £90, and you can use it instead of a wired doorbell or using its rechargeable battery. You can view motion that’s been recorded via the app when you’re away from home and you’ll be alerted as soon as it detects movement outside your home. This can provide peace of mind when you’re away as you can check your car is still safely on the drive and you’ll see if anyone has been loitering on your doorstep or looking through windows.

4

INSTALL SMART LIGHTS Smart lights with away modes will turn lights on and off at random instead of sticking to set times every day. This can help keep your home safe as, if your house is being watched, burglars could get wise to there being a set pattern.

The Philips Hue smart lighting system is the best that the Good Housekeeping Institute has tested, but a TP Link bulb is a cheaper alternative.

‘Forty years? It’s gone in a flash...’

Ex-Spandau Ballet frontman Tony Hadley on country life, how timesflies and why his partying days are far from behind him… ony Hadley is looking great and is desperate to put those lockdown days firmly behind him. The former frontman of Eighties icons Spandau Ballet, he’s preparing for a mammoth UK tour of solo material, but also the biggest Spandau hits – from Gold to Through The Barricades. The very likeable Londoner talks about getting out on the road again, living in a 16th century cottage in the Buckinghamshire countryside with wife Ali and daughters Zara, 14, and Genevieve, nine (Tony has three grownup children from his previous marriage), and his belief in ‘giving the people what they want’…

T

Tony, we hear that you’re in top form…

Well, I started off thinking this pandemic thing would last a month or two, phoned Majestic Wine, got a big order in… Then as a family, we started doing PE with Joe Wicks. We kept going – now it’s hardcore, workouts five days a week. We have a gym in the garden, I go running, do weights and can drop and do 30 press-ups!

You want to be in shape for that big tour…

Exactly, match fit for running around that stage – especially festival stages, they’re big. I’m

Tony at a ball with his wife Ali

making sure all is tickety-boo, having medical checks. I’m 61 now! I’m working on my voice, too – lots of shouty singing to get my chops oiled up.

You once said you’d ‘never leave London’, but here you are in your country idyll…

Ha! Yeah, a couple of villagers christened our place ‘Hadley Towers’ when we moved here.

We took the plunge a few years back. My wife, Ali, is a country girl. She’s grown up with horses and living in London wasn’t necessarily the best. One day she said, ‘How’d you feel about living in the country?’ So we gave it a go.

And it’s worked out!

Yeah! Ali’s biggest fear was to hear me after six months go, ‘I’m a Londoner, I’m getting carbon monoxide withdrawal…’

But you know what? I love it, my kids love it – there’s an incredible sense of freedom here and I’m back and forth to London – I was in the West End having dinner with my three oldest kids the other evening.

The vibe’s brilliant.

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The countryside must have been a saving grace in lockdown, though…

Oh, it was. A lot of people in the city found it tough, I know my daughter Toni did – she was stuck in a little flat in Tottenham. Here, we can walk out the door and we’re literally in the middle of these beautiful fields, breathing in country air.

That was a lifesaver. One word, though – home-schooling…

Were you home-schooling your daughters?!

I tried! I was attempting long division and my nine-year-old was like, ‘Daddy they don’t do it like that anymore, that was the olden days…!’

Ali worked with our little Genevieve. Zara, the 14-yearold, was pretty self-contained on the laptop. It was intense.

And for the kids not seeing nanny and papa and their friends? Thank God that’s in the past!

Martin and Gary Kemp with Tony

Tony still loves life on the road

E R I F K C 3 QUI S N O I T S QUE

Tony and his dog at their country home

Your tour next year celebrates your 40 years in music, doesn’t it?

Yes, 40 and a bit more. It’s gone too fast. This is the first proper UK tour I’ve done in years. We’ll be playing all the Spandau hits, as well as some solo stuff. I’ve seen artists deny their past – it’s crazy. Can you imagine if I said, I’m not going to do True, Gold or Through the Barricades? I’d be strung up!

But they’re songs that have stood the test of time…

Yes, and I’m a great believer in giving people what they want.

They want to be emotional – remembering, that was our wedding song or that song got me through a bad time in hospital. But it’s nice to introduce new stuff. We get young people coming too, singing every word to Gold.

Good music has a habit of coming around again.

Will there be less late nights on the road, this time?

No! You’ve got to live a little.

Me and my guys, I call them The Fabulous TH Band, we have a lot of fun. When you’ve

If you hadn’t gone into music, what would you have loved to be?

An orthopaedic surgeon. I love biology. I can watch open heart surgery and not flinch.

Describe your happy place?

With my family in a restaurant in Majorca, with the sun shining, having a wonderful dinner.

done a great gig, it’s the best feeling to have a few drinks and unwind together. On tour, earliest we’ll go to bed is about 2am. Then you wake up, have a cup of tea, a shower and you’re off to the next venue. Some artists hate that life – I love it.

What would you tell the young Tony Hadley?

Even now, Ali tells me I’m too trusting. My mum used to say the same. I embrace people’s better nature. I’ve been caught out a few times, and people I’ve taken into my trust haven’t been… so nice. My advice to a younger Tone would be, don’t be so accepting of everything and everyone. Other than that, I’m the same bloke I was when I signed a record deal at 20. I’ve got the same mates and a few more. I still go down the pub with them, I’m just one of the guys.

What are your big career highlights?

So many. The obvious ones, Band Aid, Live Aid, a couple of years ago playing in my own right at the Royal Albert Hall with an orchestra, singing My Way – I’m a massive Sinatra fan, so that was spine-tingling. Meeting my heroes... I’ve met three of the Beatles, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison; Elton John; Rod Stewart (what a top bloke!); Freddie Mercury and all the Queen boys...

I’m very lucky. I’m still getting paid for what was a dream.

M Tony Hadley’s 40th Anniversary Tour 2022 is on sale now, tickets from Myticket.co.uk Which book do you recommend to others?

The one I loved as a kid and bought for all mine – Stig of the Dump!

It’s such an adventure.

WORDS: SHELLEY SPADONI PICTURES: GETTY, INSTAGRAM, SHUTTERSTOCK

Instagram/tonyhadley

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This week’s mustsee TV 1

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An epic three-part series to kick off your weekend, charting the rise and fall of the infamous Boleyn family – a story of love, sex, betrayal and intrigue, told from the family’s unique perspective.

Thomas Boleyn – the patriarch – is determined to elevate the family name.

His ambitions for his three children will take them to the very heart of the Tudor court – where King Henry VIII would fall for his eldest daughter, Anne – and her fate was sealed. Fascinating!

Cute animal alert! The fly-on-thecage-wall documentary returns, with more stories about the adorable inhabitants of Chester Zoo! The keepers suspect Marjorie the Malayan tapir may be eating for two, while James Bond the macaw is put into quarantine to ensure he does not have the disease that killed his partner, Miss Moneypenny. And the tiny but mighty golden mantella frog family is in need of a breeding boost…

The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family

The Secret Life of the Zoo

BBC TWO, FRIDAY, 9PM NEW SERIES

UP G N I M O C

2

CHANNEL 4, TUESDAY, 8PM NEW SERIES

MEMORIES OF A MURDERER: THE NILSEN TAPES, NETFLIX Coming to Netflix next week, on 18 August, prepare for your blood to run cold as you listen to Britain’s most notorious serial killer, Dennis Nilsen, confessing to the killing of 15 people in 1983. Over five years, he picked up vulnerable young men, lured them back to his home and strangled them.

But how was he able to get away with multiple murders?

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P CATCH U

COOKING WITH PARIS, NETFLIX Paris Hilton is turning the traditional cooking show upside-down. The American socialite is not a trained chef – but with the help of her celeb friends (including Kim K) she navigates new ingredients, recipes and appliances. Inspired by her viral YouTube video, Paris takes viewers from the shops to the finished spread.

3

Alex Polizzi: My Hotel Nightmare

CHANNEL 5, THURSDAY, 9PM NEW SERIES

3

For five years, straight-talking Alex Polizzi has helped people turn around their failing hotels. Now, she’s trying to open her own with her mother, Olga. But what should have been a six-month project soon becomes a struggle as they are forced to deal with spiralling costs – and a global pandemic.

4

Ambulance BBC ONE, THURSDAY, 9PM NEW SERIES

The BAFTA-winning series returns to Merseyside, and the country is in lockdown as crews book on for the day shift.

In the Regional Operational Coordinating Centre, plans are under way to tackle the immediate threat to life being posed by Storm Christoph, adding yet more pressure to a service already battling the peak of Covid-19.

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The Kennedy Who Changed the World

Big Soap Story

T E E R T S N IO T A N O R O C In the cafe, Abi confesses to Bernie that she can’t see the point in a garden for Seb as he knew nothing about gardening and it’s merely virtue signalling, as far as she’s concerned.

When Abi sees the huge mural of Seb that Nina has painted on the wall of the memorial garden, she’s horrified and finds it deeply insulting. Elsewhere, Tyrone calls Fiz and explains that Alina is living in constant fear – so it might be best if they move into No.9.

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BBC TWO, FRIDAY, 11.05PM

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This is the incredible story of how one woman, from America’s most famous family, changed the world through sport. Bill Clinton, Nicole Scherzinger and more reveal how JFK’s sister, Eunice, inspired by a family tragedy, began the Special Olympics over 50 years ago.

EASTENDERS A loan shark threatens Ben, as Callum and Vi see the commotion and Callum wants to know what’s going on. Later, Ben sees his dad about to leave for France and explains his money troubles, asking for help – but Phil refuses. At Walford East, Vi is gossiping about Ben’s money problems, carelessly telling Kathy, whilst Kheerat listens in. Meanwhile, a nervous Mila and Iqra await news from the meeting with Kioni’s social worker, hoping that Iqra’s outburst hasn’t jeopardised things.

THEY DID WHAT?!

The axe fell on the set of The Only Way Is Essex – with 10 cast members fired, including longstanding stars Chloe Meadows and Courtney Green! The move came after TOWIE bosses confirmed the next series would focus on a ‘smaller group of cast members’. Ouch!

EMMERDALE Aaron is sceptical when Liv claims she can stop drinking whenever she wants. Mandy warns Liv to stay away from Vinny, motivating her to try to quit the booze. Meanwhile, April is thrilled when Marlon gives her back her phone, promising not to use social media – but she is soon tempted.

Marlon is stressed about affording the birthday celebration April deserves, whilst she despairs after discovering more hurtful comments online, Cathy has a suggestion on how to handle it… but will it work?

Watch thing!

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This Way Up BEHIND THE SCENES WITH best Aisling Bea’s hit comedy series, co-starring Sharon Horgan, returns. In the forthcoming series, viewers can expect more bittersweet, sister-related shenanigans, including illadvised trips to infra-red saunas, and possibly another duet… to give the people what they want! Here, Irish beauty Aisling, 37, tells us why series two is the tonic we need right now…

Congratulations on the success of series one and your breakthrough talent BAFTA win in 2020! How

‘I was knocked off my bike the day we won a BAFTA!’ did it feel, and did you expect This Way Up to resonate with viewers the way it did?

Thank you! It felt like a very amazing moment. On the morning of the BAFTAs, I had been knocked off my bike and felt lucky to be DOLYH VR LW GHþQLWHO\ SXW WKH BAFTA into perspective. The awards were virtual due to lockdown, so I won watching LW LQ P\ VOLQJ DQG ÿLS ÿRSV in the garden with a few pals, and it ended up feeling far more special as a result.

Describe your character Áine in three words…

Funny, dreamy, speedy.

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There are some joyful and simultaneously thoughtprovoking moments. What is your favourite memory, on or off-screen?

Truthfully, shooting the show in the Winter during a national lockdown was LQFUHGLEO\ GLIþFXOW RQ PDQ\ levels, but one moment I remember laughing my head off was with my brilliant make-up designer Lisa Kennedy, who also did series one. She kept me sane during the shoot.

There’s a karaoke scene in one episode, what’s your go-to song?

Well, even though

... AND OUT

PREDRINKS...

GIN…

UNKNOWN Channel 5, Tuesday, 11.05pm Rugged Liam Neeson excels in this thrilling action flick. Four days after a car accident, a biochemist wakes up to realise that an unknown person has taken his identity. Perplexed and suffering from memory gaps, he sets out to discover the truth…

I wrote it in, I strongly believe that professional performers should not do karaoke and that it should be left to terrible singers, to have their one night in the spotlight. But needless to say, since series one aired, I do not mind throwing out a bit of Zombie [by The Cranberries] when pushed.

What do you hope viewers will take away from series two?

Truthfully, I hope if you have had a rough lockdown or year, I hope you feel seen, I hope you feel hopeful and like it is worth battling through and giving it a go.

All episodes are available on All4.

THE HOUSE ON THE HILL Channel 5, Thursday, 2.15pm Horror films in the afternoon are always a sensible idea! After years in a mental hospital, Megan goes home to visit her brother. But he’s vanished and no one in town remembers him ever existing. Is Megan losing her mind? Creepy.

Need a zesty start to the evening? This Bluecoat American Dry Gin is full of citrus and sherbet lemon flavours to give your night the kick it needs. £31.95, from masterofmalt.com – stick a candle in the stunning blue bottle after you’ve finished, and you’ve got yourself a winning ornament.

DRINKS WITH THE GIRLS!

BUBBLY…

VINO…

Go for gold! This Prosecco Doc Brut from M&S is to be enjoyed well chilled, either as an aperitif or to complement posh crisps, finger food and canapés.

Perfect for a night with the pals. £15.

Freixenet’s pretty pink Italian Rosé is a subtle, refreshing wine with a palate of red cherries and strawberries… perfect for those Summer nights before you hit the town! Grab yourself a bottle for the girls, at £10.50 from slurp.co.uk

ICONIC PLAYLISTS AUDREY HEPBURN, SPOTIFY Breakfast at Tiffany classics such as Moon River, Holly and many more gorgeous songs are here for Audrey fans to enjoy, on this dreamy Spotify playlist.

MECHANIC: RESURRECTION E4, Tuesday, 9pm Strap yourself in for this thrill-ride, starring Jessica Alba and Jason Statham.

Arthur, a contract killer, is forced to assassinate three men and make the deaths look like accidents by his arch-rival, who kidnaps his girlfriend and threatens to kill her.

BEST OF ELVIS PRESLEY, AMAZON MUSIC Favourites from the King of Graceland, Las Vegas and rock ’n’ roll curated by Amazon’s best music experts. Elvis ain’t dead!

MARILYN MONROE, SPOTIFY A playlist inspired by the classic movie star, featuring some of the songs that Marilyn genuinely loved, including The Very Thought of You by Frank Sinatra.

WORDS: DANIELLE SOUTHWOOD PICTURES: AMAZON, BBC, CHANNEL 4, CHANNEL 5, DARK CASTLE ENTERTAINMANT, GETTY, ITV, NETFLIX, SPOTIFY, SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT

FILMS TO WATCH

‘Violet has no filter - my mum was just like her!’

TV veteran Gwen Taylor talks about her ‘spiky’ character in EastEnders, missing hugs from her grandsons and her impressive collection of terracotta pigs (no, really!) f you recognise Gwen Taylor, it’s because she’s done a lot of pretty great telly in her long career. No stranger to soaps, the 82-yearold has appeared in Corrie, Heartbeat and Gwen felt like also in hit Eighties the new girl in sitcoms, Duty Free Albert Square and A Bit of a Do. Joining EastEnders earlier this year, as Callum for EastEnders and I was thrilled Highway’s no-holdsto get this role. It’s become a new barred grandmother challenge in my life, and when you Violet, an outsider get to the age when you’ve done attempting to find her a bit of everything, that’s really true place in Walford, important. It keeps all the bits in Gwen says: ‘I like the air of your body and brain going. I’m mystery that surrounds alive again! her.’ Here, she opens up What was your first day on about feeling star-struck set like? when she first arrived I hadn’t felt like the new girl for in Albert Square, home a long time! But everyone was life with her playwright husband, Graham Reid, and why she’s not retiring any time soon…

I

Gwen, how do you feel to have joined EastEnders?

Unbelievably happy. I’m quite an ancient crone, so… I’d come to terms with not touring theatre shows any more as it was too exhausting, and I wondered – what’s next? My agent put me up

Keeping an eye on on-screen grandson Callum (Tony Clay)

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so sweet, and the family I work with most of the time, Stuart, his brother Callum and partner Rainie, we became a ‘family’ almost immediately, they made me so welcome. And you’re bumping into people like Phil Mitchell, as you walk along the corridor…

I was a bit star-struck for a couple of days!

What attracted you to the role of Violet Highway?

The idea of playing an older woman who’s a bit… outspoken.

She’s been everywhere, done everything and she’s spiky, she has no filter. She reminds me so much of my late mother – she was capable of saying exactly what she thought, without thinking of the consequences until she’d upset somebody! She’s got problems that aren’t apparent

With husband Graham Reid

No porkies, she loves collecting pigs of all kinds

Vera is one of Gwen’s favourite shows

yet… she doesn’t make too much of an effort, but she does want to belong.

Are there elements of her character you tap into easier than others?

There are echoes of me.

As you get older, you don’t think so much about what you’re saying.

I know that sounds ridiculous, but you sometimes feel a sense of ‘I’m going to say this. I’ve spent my whole life not saying this, but today I’m going to say it – I might not get the chance again!’

I understand that.

She’s fun, that’s for sure.

Do Covid restrictions change the experience on-set?

TV veteran Gwen Not being able was thrilled to take on another soap to hug my onscreen

family was horrible! To this day, we do the elbow bump – and lovey kisses through the air. I’ve never acted, for instance, to a pole with a tennis ball on the top, which I had to do! I was sat across the table from someone, and they had to take that person away for distancing reasons. I kept wanting them to draw a face on the tennis ball, but the crew resisted that…

Away from Albert Square, how have you fared since the pandemic began?

I have two gorgeous grandsons, who live in Northern Ireland [my husband is from Belfast].

They came to stay but it was so difficult – we had to keep our distance. We’ve had both jabs, but we were being careful.

When you’re hugged by two big gorgeous young men, it’s wonderful. I miss that.

Did you get used to being at home more?

I did, and to my nap in the afternoon – now I’m on-set, I can’t! But that’s my happy place, at home with Graham. He’s got a study at the top of the house,

sometimes I won’t see him all day.

But I know he’s there.

Is it true you have a collection of terracotta pigs?!

More than terracotta, I’ve got hundreds of them in tin, cardboard… As a little girl, my grandad used to keep pigs – real ones – and I was very fond of them. When Graham and I got married, people bought us soft fabric pigs as gifts. There are even flying pigs on one wall. Pigs rule in our house. But I like pigs that look like pigs – not pigs with sunglasses on, or wearing Bermuda shorts…

Are there enough older women on TV? There’s always been that cry, but I think we do alright, actually.

Just look at all the Dames, who are doing very well for themselves – Judi, Helen… and actresses like Brenda Blethyn, who is so wonderful in Vera. It’s one of my favourite shows.

Is retirement not in your vocabulary?

No. I’ve always wanted to be on-stage and take my bow, hang on to the curtains, drop to the floor and die – that would be the right way to bow out! I’m being facetious – but wouldn’t that be fantastic?! I’m just so happy to be working – especially after Covid, all that lying around at home. I’ve put on an enormous amount of weight. But with EastEnders, I feel thoroughly energised. It’s been a godsend.

M EastEnders continues weeknights on BBC One.

K C I U Q 3 : N E W G S N O I T S E U Q E FIR BIG TV GUILTY PLEASURE? The Repair Shop. It’s very moving, I watched it a lot in lockdown.

MOST EXPENSIVE PURCHASE? Our home – an old three-storey terrace in West Hampstead. My step-daughter lives upstairs and my step-son on the ground floor!

WHAT WOULD YOUR LAST SUPPER CONSIST OF? Ooh, roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, broccoli and lashings of gravy!

WORDS: SHELLEY SPADONI PICTURES: BBC, GETTY , ITV, SHUTTERSTOCK

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Take some time out, and unwind, with some feel-good Summer…

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If you need something to help keep your brain busy – look no further. Grab a pen and flex those intellectual muscles with these tantalising puzzles…

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an you find the barbecue words in the grid?

They will be placed only once and may be either horizontal, vertical or diagonal and go either forwards or backwards. There is one word listed that isn’t in the grid – can you work out which one it is?

BURGERS CHICKEN COAL CORN ON THE COB FAMILY FRIENDS FUN HOT DOG ICE CREAM KEBABS

MUSIC MUSTARD NAPKINS PAPER PLATES POTATOES ROLLS SALAD SANGRIA SAUSAGES SUMMER

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Each number must appear once in every column, row and 3x3 square. Now, off you sudok-go!

PICTURES: GETTY

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TURN OVER FOR MORE SOLUTIONS SEARCH ME Not hidden: Mustard

WORDWHEEL Answer: Dreamland Words that can be made from the wheel include: alarm, alarmed, alderman, amen, amend, arm, armed, dam, dame, demand, dram, drama, dream, dreamland, elm, lama, lame, lamed, mad, madden, madder, made, male, man, mane, mar, mare, marl, mead, meal, mean, medal, meld, mend, name, named, ram, realm, ream, remand

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All puzzles are kindly supplied by Richardson Puzzles & Games. To order their new Big Books with 30 per cent discount off the RRPs and FREE UK P&P, go to hive.co.uk/ richardson-puzzles to select your book and enter code BESTPUZZLES when prompted on the basket page.

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Love puzzles? an you fit all the 5 LETTERS DAISY flowers into the PANSY grid to complete the TULIP puzzle? Some words 6 LETTERS may initially fit in AZALEA more than one place, DAHLIA ORCHID but there is only SALVIA one way to fit all VIOLET the words together 7 LETTERS to complete the ALYSSUM grid. The solution BEGONIA is below.

FUCHSIA GAZANIA HEATHER PETUNIA 8 LETTERS ACANTHUS CYCLAMEN HYACINTH PRIMROSE 9 LETTERS BUTTERCUP HYDRANGEA

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KRISS KROSS best forr ST TAYIING IN N

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W i n E V E RY

Puzzles The answer will appear in the shaded boxes and this is your prize answer. Enter by using the numbers at the top of the grid or at hearstmagazines. co.uk/bestcross3321

TO ENTER, CALL 0900 100 0334 (65ppm)† 1

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DOWN 2 Electronic communication (5) 3 Alphabetical list in a book (5) 4 Go to bed (6) 5 Puzzling and obscure (7) 6 Totals up (7) 7 Poverty (11) 8 Dejected (11) 14 Fast musical composition (7) 15 Brazenly obvious (7) 17 Routed (anag) (6) 18 Firearm (5) 19 Spherical objects (5)

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ACROSS 1 Give in return (11) 9 Seventh Greek letter (3) 10 Simple song (5) 11 Lentil or chickpea (5) 12 Loosen up (5) 13 Send to a different place (8) 16 Expression of praise (8) 18 Insurgent (5) 20Inactive (5) 21 Remote in manner (5) 22 Sheltered side (3) 23Ghost (11)

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What is the name of the world’s largest active volcano?

The answer will appear in the shaded squares.

Phone and online entries open 10 August 2021 until midnight on 27 August 2021. Over 18s only. †Calls cost 65p per min plus your telephone company’s network access charge, and should last no longer than 2 mins. Service provided by Spoke (0333 202 3390). *For full T&Cs see below. We will use the information you supply to process your competition entry. For our privacy notice visit hearst.co.uk/privacy-notice.

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This crossword is kindly supplied by Richardson Puzzles & Games. To order their new Big Books with 30 per cent discount off the RRPs and FREE UK P&P, go to hive.co.uk/ richardson-puzzles to select your book and enter code BESTPUZZLES when prompted on the basket page. T&Cs apply.

One entry per household. Phone and online entries to reach us by closing date of 27 August 2021. Winners will be drawn at random from correct entries received by phone and online. Names and counties of winners available on request. No correspondence can be entered into. The editor’s decision is final.

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ANSWERS MEGA CROSSWORD

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Linda likens picturesque Looe to the South of France

place!

Sometimes, the best holidays happen on the spur of the moment, says Linda Lusardi. We took our two kids, Jack and Lucy (they were little then!), to Looe, a seaside town in Cornwall in 2014 on a whim. It was beautiful – it looked like the South of France!

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Cornwall really is the best of British. If you get the right weather, like we did, there’s nowhere like it. With miles of white sandy beaches, you could almost imagine yourself in the Caribbean!

Add secret coves, a fascinating smugglers’ history, stunning seafood restaurants at every turn, and you’ve got a sure-fire winner. It really is a reminder of the jewels we have to explore on our own doorstep.

PICTURES: BBC, GETTY, INSTAGRAM

Stopping off en route at Stonehenge

Linda with hubby, Sam

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INSIDER’S GUIDE There’s so much to do here, but what I remember most from this beautiful place is winding down and enjoying the simplest of pleasures. Take a bucket and go crab fishing (if you have little ones in tow, they’ll while away hours doing this!); enjoy fish and chips on the beach, then walk it all off by the sea’s edge. Take a boat tour (available from most of the major towns and villages), to enjoy those stunning views from a whole different vantage point.

Linda loved visiting the monkey sanctuary

The Cornish pasty - a local delicacy

best for ESCAPES GETTING THERE: Travel to Cornwall in five hours by train with Great Western Railway (call 0345 700 0125 for info), which offers the Night Riviera Sleeper Service from London Paddington to Penzance.

There are also direct trains daily from other major UK cities, see nationalrail.co.uk. You can also fly to Cornwall from airports across the UK with companies including Ryanair, BA and Aer Lingus.

STAYING THERE:

BEFORE YOU GO!

DON’T MISS Animal lovers will be fascinated by a visit to Wild Futures Monkey Sanctuary – it was certainly one of the highlights of our trip! Here, rescue monkeys that have been mistreated can live out their lives in safety and, of course, we get to visit the cute little things! Visit monkeysanctuary.org (tickets £9.50 for adults, £5 for kids). The centre is situated in picturesque Looe, our base – a lovely, quaint little fisherman’s town which is perfect for a day trip, or longer.

FOOD AND DRINK Cornwall is famed globally for its cuisine, with fresh seafood straight from local fishing boats. Try local delicacies like the Cornish pasty, Yarg (a cheese dating back to the 13th century), cream tea (here, the jam goes before the clotted cream!) and the saffron bun. If you want to push the boat out, there are 41 (41!) Michelin-starred restaurants here, including Rick Stein’s Café in stunning Padstow (rickstein.com) and Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen (outlaws.co.uk) in picture-postcard Port Isaac.

Jamaica Inn, Doc Martin, Fisherman’s Friends…

Cornwall has served as the picturesque location for so many films and TV shows! One of the most famous, of course, is Poldark, starring Irish hunk, Aidan Turner. If you want to get in the mood for Cornwall’s rugged, windswept beauty (and enjoy a bit of eye candy while you’re at it), it might be time for a binge on all five series of BBC One’s hit historical drama…

If you’re staying in Looe like we did, a fantastic option that won’t break the bank is the three-star family-run Portbyhan Hotel, which has a restaurant, lounge bar and rooftop terrace offering gorgeous views of the harbour. See portbyhan.com for more. Cornwall is full of gorgeous locations (stunning Polperro is just down the road) but it’s also a tourist trap, so book early to get the best deals.

A good website to start your search is visitcornwall.com.

Portbyhan Hotel offers views of the harbour

Instagram/portbyhan_hotel

THRILLS AND SPILLS Water sports are everywhere here – there’s plenty for those with a taste for adventure! We took our kids to The Zip at Adrenalin Quarry, the UK’s longest (and scariest!) zip wires.

Reaching speeds of 40mph, its twin parallel wires cross the depths of an old quarry, sheer cliffs on either side.

Not for the fainthearted, but fun! The quarry area is perfect for picnics, too. For more info, see adrenalinquarry.co.uk

The Zip at Adrenalin Quarry is great for thrill-seekers!

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