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She has long been a committed campaigner on the subject of domestic violence. But it has only recently been revealed that Queen Camilla has what could be a personal reason for being so engaged with the problem. Her own family history is blighted by it, with her paternal grandfather having been revealed as a violent man who launched an attack on his pregnant wife. The reports, recently retrieved from files in the National Archives, paint a picture of a man who, despite his aristocratic status, was an immoral thug. Philip Morton Shand, had married Edith Tippet, Camilla’s grandmother, in 1916. On 17 August that year, the couple were at home in their mansion flat overlooking Battersea Park when Morton attacked his wife, who was then four months pregnant. Official divorce…

Knocking on the front door, I waited patiently for the homeowner to allow me access to the property. I introduced myself as a crime scene examiner working under Scotland Yard, explaining I was there to gather evidence after they’d been burgled. ‘Oh,’ the man said, taken aback. ‘I wasn’t expecting a woman…’ It was the early 1990s and I’d had that comment a few times since training as a fingerprint officer with the Metropolitan Police back in 1987. It was a job I loved and not one that I’d ever imagined myself making a career out of. Originally, I’d been working as a lab technician when I’d seen an advert in the Daily Mail asking for new recruits. With nothing to lose, I’d applied and had a proficiency test and…

She’s had her fair share of happy endings in the romantic film roles she’s played – but tragically, Sandra Bullock’s real-life love story is far from a fairytale. The intensly private American actress, 59, lost her partner of eight-years, Bryan Randall, last week to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – a progressive neurodegenerative disease. ALS causes nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to stop working properly, and it’s known in the UK as motor neurone disease (MND). The Lost City star’s family revealed the devastating news in a statement. ‘It is with great sadness that we share on August 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS. Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him…

ISN’T A YEAR DOWN UNDER TOO MUCH? My daughter, who is 21, has graduated from uni and is saving up money to go off travelling – she’s planning on working in Australia and will be away for a year. To be honest, I am absolutely heartbroken at the prospect of not seeing her for that long. She is my only child, and not only will I miss her dreadfully – but I will be worried sick every single minute. I don’t want to clip her wings but do you think I should tell her how I feel and ask her to go for a shorter time? Sammy, Bristol I know this is hard for you – both my daughters spent a year abroad – but I think you have to…

Looking at my family sat around our dining room table, I couldn’t help but smile. ‘Mum, this is delicious,’ my daughters Sonia, now 39, and Marianne, 33, beamed. It was March, and I was making Pastitsio for my family – a traditional Greek baked macaroni pasta dish with mince and béchamel sauce. It always went down a treat and was something I’d learned from my Greek husband’s mum Maria, while I’d lived with her. The smell of the dish always took me back to when I was 22 and had lived in Benitses after meeting my husband, Costa. Despite the language barrier, cooking became one thing to unite me with his family… In June 1977, I went on a two-week holiday to Corfu with my friend Glynice. I’d just quit…

Ben and Laura’s annual trip to the Greek islands had been following much the same pattern since they’d married 11 years earlier: Laura would always bring roomy tops and comfy trousers for going to the beach or lounging by the pool, ready to strip off to her bikini when ready. Sometimes, before they left the hotel room, she would ask Ben half-jokingly, ‘Does my bum look big in any of this?’ To which he might reply, ‘Depends on the angle. You can hardly see it at all when you’re lying down.’ Then he’d wink and add something clumsily supportive such as, ‘You know you’d look good in a potato sack, just like Marilyn Monroe.’ She did get it. No sane bloke was going to render an unfiltered opinion to the…

BLACK TRUFFLE & OLIVE OIL, M&S, £3.50 If you love truffle (that’s most of us, no?) you can’t go far wrong with these incredibly moreish hand-cooked crisps from M&S. If you want to pair with a dip, we’d recommend a plain houmous so you don’t lose any truffle flavour! ★★★★★ MCCOY’S EPIC EATS CHIP SHOP CURRY SAUCE FLAVOUR, £2.25 (CURRENTLY £1.75 CLUBCARD PRICE), TESCO These delicious crisps pack a mighty flavour punch. The curry sauce is top tier and tastes exactly like what you’d get in your local takeaway! ★★★★ SENSATIONS KING PRAWN COCKTAIL, MORRISONS, £1.25 Extraordinarily bold & tangy, this is flavour fit for a king! If you’re a prawn cocktail fan, you’ll probably finish the whole bag in one. ★★★★★…

Sally Nugent is one of the best-known faces on the BBC, rising at the crack of dawn to present BBC Breakfast along with John Kay and Carol Kirkwood. Formerly a sports reporter for the BBC, she began her career as a reporter on Radio Merseyside. While at Breakfast, she recorded a documentary with the rugby league player, Rob Burrow, who is living with Motor Neurone Disease, which won documentary of the year at the Sports Journalists’ Association Awards. Here, Sally, 52, tells us why what happens in Vegas with Carol Kirkwood stays in Vegas, how Dan Walker makes her giggle, and the dream guests she like to see on the BBC Breakfast sofa. Hello Sally – how are you? Really good, I’ve just been on holiday to Spain, it was…

‘HOW TO GET RID OF PORES’ …is the number one most-asked beauty question on Google. If they seem to be getting more troublesome as you get older, you’re not imagining it. Between age 25 and 50 they can double in size, becoming more visible. We cannot shrink or close them, only minimise their appearance. Here’s how. ● What are pores? A normal part of our skin, they are actually minute sweat glands – tiny openings to hair follicles – and each one produces natural oil helping to maintain healthy skin while protecting against infection and dryness. The average adult has five million on their body with approximately 20,000 on their face alone. Their size is determined by factors like genetics and sebum levels. ● Why do they get larger? The…

Honey Mustard Chicken Burger Next time, why not replace the chicken breasts with 500g of turkey breast mince? Hands-on time 30 min, plus optional chilling. Cooking time about 15 min. Serves 4 FOR THE BURGERS • 4 skinless chicken breasts, roughly chopped• 1tbsp wholegrain mustard• 1½tbsp runny honey• 75g fresh white breadcrumbs• 1 medium egg• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon• 1tbsp olive oil TO SERVE • 3tbsp mayonnasie• 3tbsp half-fat crème fraîche• ½tbsp lemon juice• ½tbsp wholegrain mustard• 4 floury white baps• Gem lettuce leaves• Tomato slices To make the burgers, whiz the chicken in a food processor until it resembles mince, then empty into a large bowl and mix in the mustard, 1tbsp of the honey, the breadcrumbs, egg, lemon zest and plenty of seasoning. Divide the mix…

WORRIED ABOUT MY SUNBURN Hilary, I’ve got very fair skin and have just come back from a holiday where I suffered quite bad burns - despite putting on SPF 30. Is there a way to make it heal quicker? I’m also panicking that I’ve significantly raised my risk of skin cancer. Have I? Hannah, Loughborough DR HILARY SAYS: If you have very fair skin which is more vulnerable to sunburn, I would recommend going forward that you always use sunscreen with an SPF of 50. You will still get a degree of tanning but you will be more protected from aging skin as well as the dangers of sunburn itself and a higher risk of skin cancer in the future. Acute sunburn is best treated by cooling the skin in…

Standing in a Dutch bar called Mario’s in Moraira, Costa Blanca, someone immediately caught my eye. Tall, dark and handsome, I assumed the man ordering a drink at the bar must be from the Netherlands. Yet he started chatting to someone I knew, and I realised he must be English. It was July 1995, I was 25 and had been working in Spain as a dancer and choreographer for a while. It was sociable, lively and fun, but I wondered whether – at some point – I might have to think about growing up a bit. Although that was the furthest thing from my mind that night. Especially after seeing this gorgeous man! Turning to my friend, I grinned. ‘I bet you 2000 pesetas we’ll be an item by the…

She’s been married for almost 25 years and has never been happier. And it seems Linda Lusardi’s lasting love could be down to having strict rules at home. Linda, 64, and husband Sam Kane, 54, tied the knot in 1998 and have gone from strength to strength ever since – but Linda said that’s because they both know there are certain boundaries they would never cross. During a recent fiery debate on ITV1’s Good Morning Britain, the actress and model argued that it’s inappropriate to point out if your partner has put on weight and she’d be heartbroken if Sam ever did it – or vice versa. ‘Everybody’s body changes and if you had a husband telling you every time you put on weight, they’d be telling you every month…

★ SUPPORTING ANIMAL SHELTERS Mayhew Animal Home saw a 74 per cent increase from January to May this year in requests from cat owners to give up their pets*. If you can’t adopt or commit to a regular charitable direct debit, there are other options: • Give a gift: Feed an animal for a day for £5 at shop.themayhew.org • Shop for charity: Visit charity.ebay.co.uk to raise funds for your chosen animal charity by buying or selling goods. • Donations: Check a charity’s website for what they do and don’t need. For example, Battersea can’t accept certain items including shampoos, collars and travel crates. • Get crafty: Find guides at battersea.org.uk on how to make toys as part of the charity’s Made in Battersea series. ★ HOW TO HELP DOGS ON…

THE OTHERS Friday, BBC Three, 9.55pm Who doesn’t love this creepy classic?! Grace (Nicole Kidman) moves into a new house with her two photosensitive children in Jersey. When inexplicable events occur, she starts to believe her house is haunted… THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 Friday, BBC Three, 10pm For the Twi-hards out there! After consummating her marriage with Edward, Bella realises that she has become pregnant with a child that is half-human, half-vampire. And the unborn child has enemies in the outside world… RIDE ALONG Friday, ITV2, 9pm Fancy a giggle? This film will deliver. Ben, a security guard, is in love with police officer James Payton’s sister. In order to win his future brother-in-law’s heart, Ben rides along with him on a 24-hour patrol trip to Atlanta…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Nestled in the French Alps in Haute-Savoie, elegant Megève, with its gorgeous alpine architecture, is situated in the hollow of the Mont Blanc massif, making it perfect for lovers of the great outdoors. It may be a mecca for skiers in Winter, but this picturesque town, complete with cow bells tinkling in the distance, is wonderful for families over the Summer, too, with activities and culture galore – as well as a variety of restaurants and bars to enjoy local French dishes and ‘vins’, while you rest those weary feet… INSIDER’S GUIDE Accompanied by my eight-year-old son, Jesse, I did wonder how much there’d be to do in a ski resort in Summer. The answer? So much, it’s hard to pack it in! We recommend a go on…

One of the famous singing Nolan Sisters – alongside Anne, Denise, Maureen, Bernie and Coleen – as well as an actress and TV personality, Linda Nolan revealed her cancer had spread to her liver in 2020 (the original cancer was in her breast) and that it had spread to her brain earlier this year. But her bubbly personality means she prefers to talk about ‘living with’ more than ‘dying from’. Here she opens up about how she’s doing from her home in Blackpool… Hi Linda, what have you been up to today? I’ve just come in! It was my great-niece Roma’s birthday. She’s eight, she’s my sister Maureen’s granddaughter, so Denise and I popped in to see her. I’ve also had lunch with my counsellor. Every day, I try to…

‘I don’t know about you but I’m sick of being treated like an idiotic five-year-old who has to be protected from anything and everything and told what to do for every minute of the day. But then again, not even five-year-olds need all that, do they? On London public transport there’s no respite. “CARRY A BOTTLE OF WATER!” No! “KEEP YOUR BELONGINGS WITH YOU!” As opposed to what, give them to a random stranger? “IF YOU SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL, REPORT IT!” Like what? A man with three legs?! More annoying are the warnings before TV shows, especially old ones. All channels do it, but streaming service BritBox is the worst offender of these anti-offence, trigger-prevention statements and every time I hear one I’m triggered by it! Last year Only Fools and…

Sitting with my friends, I listened as they swapped tips about their favourite plastic-free shampoos and nodded along, but I was the odd one out – completely clueless. Discussing the best deodorant bars, I didn’t let on I’d never even seen one. As a mad-keen super-scrimper, with years of budgeting for every penny for me and my twin girls, I was convinced eco-friendly products were out of reach. My partner Phill, now 59, was another avid, frugal bargain lover. Yet my daughters, Melissa and Emily, 24, had long been fans of ethical, environmentally friendly brands. If I’m honest, despite my aversion to spending, I was starting to feel a tinge of guilt for doing nothing to cut down on plastic use and waste. It seemed I wasn’t the only one,…

TOP TIP! Flip the reeds of your diffuser weekly to get the most out of the aroma and distribute the scent around the room.…

RAISE A GLASS… Craving a drop of red with dinner? Then consider a glass (or two) of pinot noir, as this light, fruity wine is easy to drink and goes perfectly with Summer foods or sipping with friends in the garden. While some come with a hefty price tag, we highly recommend the Cimarosa Pinot Noir, £4.99, from Lidl – cheers! SNACK SMART Simply Roasted Crisps come in under 99 calories, without compromising on taste! The brand-new duck & hoisin flavour will definitely hit the spot when those mid-afternoon munchies strike! Available from £1 per pack from Wasabi, Amazon.co.uk and Simplyroastedcrisps.co.uk PERFECT PATTIES! Stuck in a breakfast rut? Then consider picking up a pack of Slimming World Sausage Patties, £3.50 for six, from Iceland. These delicious patties cook in under…

Dragons’ Den businesswoman Sara Davies is exactly like she seems on screen. Friendly, funny - a little bit feisty, the 39-year-old crafting guru has made herself at home in the Den since joining her fellow tycoons back in 2019. And, after a successful stint on Strictly Come Dancing in 2021, the mum-of-two has landed another great gig – as a judge on the BBC’s Ultimate Wedding Planner alongside First Dates’ Fred Sirieix and wedding guru Raj Somaiya. The six-part series, currently on the box, sees a group of ambitious wedding planners going head-to-head to create a couple’s perfect nuptials – but there’s all the fireworks you can imagine in the lead-up. Here, the down-to-earth star tells us all about the show, her own wedding, why she wasn’t afraid to tell…

Nadia Sawalha warned her fellow Loose Ladies that she was ‘about to cry’ over her hubby, live on-air, in a recent episode of the ITV chatshow. The 58-year-old mum-of-two made a tough admission about a conversation she’d had with her spouse of 21 years – TV producer Mark Adderley – about ‘moving on’ with someone else, should the worst happen. Following the news that Barbara Windsor’s widower Scott Mitchell has found love again with former EastEnders actress Tanya Franks, the conversation began with host Kaye Adams asking the panel – Nadia, Denise Welch and Kelly Holmes – their thoughts on spouses moving on after a loved one has died. An emotional-looking Nadia then opened up about a conversation she has already had with her husband. ‘It’s funny how people can…

Walking into the restaurant, I smiled and waved at some familiar faces. It was June 1997 and I’d come to the same place in Marmaris, Turkey, where I’d been on holiday, a year earlier. I’d enjoyed myself so much and had eaten at this particular restaurant, every evening. All the staff had made me feel so welcome and I was glad to see many of them were still there. And I also noticed the new manager. The room was packed but when our eyes met, I felt a spark between us. He had olive skin, black hair and was absolutely gorgeous. ‘Hi, I’m Ergun,’ he said, when he came over. Like me, he was in his 20s and as we got chatting, I realised he was exactly my type –…

Do you have a story you’d like to share with our amazing army of best readers? We’re looking for real-life stories from women just like you and your friends – and will pay up to £250 for all those that make it into these pages. Stories can be funny, sad, emotional, inspirational – just like some of the examples on this page. The only rule: they must be true. Have you been on a diet that changed your life? Have you battled against tough times and come out fighting? Have you found love or happiness against the odds? If you – or a friend – have a story to share, whatever the subject, do drop us a line, with your contact details, a photo and a brief outline of your story –…

All of us, occasionally, feel we’ve got our lives wrong and that on some different parallel universe, just out of reach, we are living a better, richer, more fulfilled existence. As you get older, you occasionally feel that the opportunities for changing your future are narrowing, and you can’t help thinking, if you hadn’t done A, you might have been doing B by now. That maybe, somewhere along the way, you might have missed a turning. Last week, I was doing a tour warm-up gig in one of those rather idyllic places in the middle of the Oxfordshire countryside. You know the scene, all hollyhocks and converted barns and all-round enviable lifestyles, with double garages, outdoor barbecue areas and pizza ovens. The type of place that makes you doubt some…