Table of contents for 18-2021 in Best

The idea that the middle and working classes have ‘come from nowhere’ when they marry ‘above their station’ has always perplexed me. Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, can trace her father’s family back to at least 1364, to an English Knight – Harry Hotspur – who died in the Wars of the Roses. Her great-great-grandfather on her mother Carole’s side was a coal miner from County Durham. Her grandfather was a pilot in World War II. Her grandmother was at Bletchley Park and received the news that the Japanese had surrendered. To me, that is not ‘coming from nowhere’. My own family – the Wykeses – were servants at Althorp (the home of Princess Diana) for centuries. My grandfather ran away from Northampton to make his fortune in London at…

It’s been a tumultuous time, as far as relations between Prince Harry and his famous family are concerned – not least because of the huge hole left following the loss of Harry’s grandfather, Prince Philip. Now back in California with his pregnant wife, Meghan, and son, Archie, nearly two, following Philip’s funeral – it is unclear just how much, if at all, any rifts have been healed, following Harry and Meghan’s explosive interview in March with Oprah Winfrey, which left the Palace reeling. It was said that the Royals’ welcome back to Harry – the first time he had seen his family since quitting Royal life last year – was, perhaps understandably, a little ‘frosty’. Harry, his brother, William, and father, Charles, attempted to move forward with a face-to-face garden…

‘One of my pet hates is snobbery. It drives me mad. Don’t try to disguise it as taste, preference or knowledge, because it almost never has anything to do with that. Snobs are everywhere and the list of stuff they can get snooty over is endless. Coffee, wine, supermarkets, cars, food and most annoyingly, travel. But now we also have a rake (oops!) of garden snobs to contend with. These are the people that lust over the style of garden that often wins top prize at the Chelsea Flower Show, and is full of wildflowers and long grass. To me they just look a mess, like they could do with a good mowing. In fact, I love everything the snobs hate. The stuff they think belongs in your gran’s old…

‘Esther, you go over there and twirl,’ instructed my little sister, Rebecca. ‘I’ll stay here and do the same thing.’ I was 21 months older but that didn’t stop her taking charge – or me following her directions. A natural leader. Rebecca was full of fun, confidence and imagination. She loved putting together dance routines, making fancy dress costumes out of anything close to hand and creating new games in our shared bedroom when we were supposed to be asleep. We looked similar and were always together, so people often mistook us for twins. But our close bond didn’t stop her ushering our younger sister, Sara, into our gang when she came along when I was five and Rebecca was three. Our parents, Jacqui, now 60, and Jeremy, 62, worked…

HOW IT WORKS 1 What you eat affects how you look and our Glow-Up Diet contains some of the best skin foods there are. Take fat – the right healthy fats (from avocado, nuts, oily fish and olives) give skin a glow from within that even pricey moisturiser can’t match. 2 Then there’s protein which your hair and nails need to grow – if you’re not taking in enough of this, your body will use what you do take in on vital tasks like repairing cells, which will slow down how fast your hair and nails grow. 3 B vitamins are also essential for hair and nail health – and they’re found in wholegrain bread, rice and pasta so don’t ditch the carbs. And add Marmite for an extra B…

Not all heroes wear capes - take activist, author and presenter Katie Piper, who was burned and left blind in one eye following a vicious acid attack organised by an ex-partner in 2008. Just weeks ago, she underwent her 400th operation, an eyelift op. But with an indomitable spirit, she has not only rebuilt her life, but forged a hugely successful career. Now mum-oftwo Katie has donned a cape for fun, to back the campaign for National Superhero Day, in aid of children’s charity, Caudwell Children. The 37-year-old – who has daughters Belle, seven, and Penelope, three, with her husband of five years, carpenter Richard Sutton – opens up on the potent power of positivity, and the everyday heroes who inspire her… Katie, are you enjoying life returning to semi-normal?…

TERRIFIED OF DAUGHTER’S SECOND COVID JAB My daughter is 22 and was given the AstraZeneca jab early because she is asthmatic. It’s mild, not chronic, but we can’t think why else she was asked. I am now terrified for her to have a second one, when others her age are being advised not to get it. Lisa, Harpenden DR HILARY SAYS: The joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JC VI) would currently recommend that your daughter should complete her vaccination course, even though her first dose was the AstraZeneca vaccine. This is because it will already have given her 60 to 70 per cent protection from catching Covid-19 or transmitting it. A second dose will give her even better protection against severe disease. Whilst mild side-effects such as a sore…

1 Get set to prep When it comes to tackling the spring cleaning, think of your house like a cake – start from the top and work down. Choose to do a section each day. If you live with others, involve them, it shouldn’t all rest on your shoulders. Divide the house up into sections and make a plan. Open the windows to make the house cold, as this will make you work faster to warm up. Use a 10-track playlist as a timer and choose upbeat music like you’re going on a run. Put your phone on airplane mode so there are no distractions whatsoever. 2 Be clever with cloths Avoid cleaning crosscontamination – Marigold Let It Shine! Microfibre Cloths, £2.99, come in four different colours so you can…

TAURUS 21 April – 21 May Taureans such as Mamma Mia! and The Good Wife actress Christine Baranski, and legendary American crooner Frankie Valli, will find that focusing on the bright side of life makes them very popular. Devoting time to a hobby, sport or exciting adventure would be a welcome change of pace. LEO 24 July – 23 August An unexpected dilemma early in the week will force you to look at your life and relationships from a different angle to normal. However, having too many diverging paths to choose from makes it hard for you to focus on what is really important in life. Deciding on your priorities is the first thing you need to do. SCORPIO 24 October – 22 November Be open to new experiences and…

When I was two-and-a-half years old, I was playing hide-and-seek with my sister, Sheila, then four. My mum, Maureen, told us not to go in the bathroom – she’d put a bowl of hot water in there. We often had power cuts, so she did it just in case for our bath. Only, in my excitement, I’d forgotten. Hiding behind the bathroom door, I could hear Sheila coming. The door was pushed open, causing me to stumble back… ‘Aah,’ I cried, tumbling into the pot of scalding water. My parents heard my screams and came running. I’m hazy about what happened next. I think my mind has blanked it because of the unbearable pain. My dad, Eddie, ran my scorched skin under cold water. Chunks of my flesh fell off.…

Rachel could still recall the moment in all its devil-may-care clarity. Her solo week in Rhodes was meant to have been a blokefree, restorative tonic after being dumped by Louis. OK, there had been some mild flirting here and there – ‘I’m the first to admit that,’ she told her flatmate Emma back home – but a fleeting romance with a stranger had not been on the cards. ‘He approached me in the hotel bar on my last night. I’d had a couple, to be fair, so when he suggested a midnight drive along the coast in his Mini Moke—’ ‘His what?’ Emma interrupted ‘A sort of Jeep. He’d hired it for the week. I know, I know, I behaved completely out of character.’ Rachel chewed her lip. ‘Which was…

EMMERDALE Kim agrees to babysit sickly Millie despite her confused state of mind, but realises she’s in no fit state to look after her. Manpreet checks in on Millie and prescribes some antibiotics but soon after, Kim collapses, leaving Andrea a garbled voicemail before losing consciousness. Kim comes to and finds Millie in the throes of an allergic reaction. Jamie comes home and is aghast at Millie’s condition. Later, a raging Andrea turns up to forbid Kim her from seeing Millie again. Later Gabby gives Kim a baby scan picture, but is unsettled when Kim refers to the scan as ‘my baby’. EASTENDERS As Honey comforts Janet after her shoot, Estelle comes over and asks for permission to go on a date with Billy. Another mother approaches Honey and makes…

It’s gearing up to be a Summer of staycations – but thanks to A Place in the Sun, we’ll be enjoying sunshine and dreamy holiday homes. After pulling in more than a million viewers daily during lockdown, the hit Channel 4 property show is back for a new series. And nobody is more excited than hosts Jasmine Harman, Scarlette Douglas and Laura Hamilton… JASMINE HARMAN, 45 ‘17 years has flown by!’ Congratulations! Seventeen years on A Place in the Sun! It’s gone by in a flash but when I think about everything I’ve done and that’s changed in that time I realise it’s a long time. Tell us about meeting your cameraman husband [Jon Boast, 41]… I met him on my first shoot after the pilot. It was a slow-burner,…

1 MAKE MINE AN ALPACACCINO! Three fluffy new residents arrived at London Zoo during lockdown. And the zoo, which is now welcoming visitors, called on the public to choose names for the trio of alpacas… thousands voted, so here they are – meet Cookie, Cuenca and Alpacaccino! Sofia’s classic animal print looks great, while Susanna and Charlotte add funky shades 2 Who wowed the crowd? These stars have given animal print a new season makeover. Sofia Vergara, 48, keeps it classic with a neutral print and tailored finish, while Susanna Reid, 50, has got the blues in this easy-wearing frock from Sosandar. For true wow factor, look at Charlotte Hawkins, 45, whose pink and red Next shirt dress oozes Summer style. 3 SHE’S SPINNING AROUND… …not on wine, but success!…

Amid all the sorrow and solemnity of the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral at Windsor last week, there were many moments of particular poignancy. The glimpse of his hat and gloves in his carriage, the sight of the black-clad Queen alone in her pew – and the pain on Prince Charles’ face. Charles is a man who has not only lost his beloved ‘Papa’ but must now feel the weight of the role as the most senior man of the family weighing heavily on his shoulders – not to mention the furore surrounding his son, Harry, and the scandal around his brother, Prince Andrew. How lucky, then, that there are some calm and dependable female members of the family on whom we can all draw strength – Princess Anne; Camilla, Duchess…

Opening the letter, I read the words of gratitude. The note thanked me for writing my book, The Psychopath. It had given clarity to this woman about her own relationship. I was pleased that my story had given her hope. I understood how she felt, as I’d been manipulated, lied to… In 2000, a single parent to my one-year-old daughter, Robyn, I’d started online dating. That’s how I’d met Will Jordan. Tall, dark and attractive, he’d sent me open and seemingly honest messages. He’d been left infertile by childhood mumps, but he adored kids. He was originally from America. He seemed like a real gentleman, taking me to museums, the theatre and out for meals. He was brilliant with Robyn too. I’d never expected to fall in love, but I…

A laughter line or two is a sign of a life well-lived, but crepey skin, shadows and wrinkles etched into skin long after you’ve stopped smiling are less amusing. However, there’s plenty you can do to wake up your eyes and age-proof them. 1 DEAL WITH PUFFINESS Although this can be associated with thyroid and kidney problems, puffiness can also be the result of excess alcohol, fatigue and water retention. Chill a couple of spoons in the freezer and hold them around the eye area to kick-start circulation. Next, press the area around your ocular bone (eye socket) with your middle finger. Hold for four seconds, then move your finger along 1cm at a time until you’ve completed a circle. Must-have: Skyn Iceland Brightening Eye Serum, £30 (M&S), soothes, reduces…

Walking along the beach, it felt good to finally be out of the house. When restrictions had lifted briefly last Summer, my husband, Marek, now 42, and I took a trip to Hayling Island, off the coast of Portsmouth, with our kids, Mischa, now nine, and Tommy, 18 months. I wanted to get some family photos, and Marek snapped away as I cradled Tommy in my arms and Mischa tore around in the pebbles. We’d been looking forward to this moment for weeks. But when Marek showed me the photos, I wanted to cry. The size 18 pink dress I was wearing hugged me in all the wrong places. I wished I’d worn something different. In all honestly, I wanted to hide. I felt like I’d ruined our first family…

THE CRIME: A decade of burglaries, rapes and murders – 87 victims. Then suddenly… nothing. Had the Golden State Killer died? THE CASE: California was a dangerous place to be in the Seventies and Eighties. Houses were being broken into, women raped, people killed. Police were on the lookout for three independent criminals who were terrorising the public. In the mid-Seventies, Visalia – a small city in central California’s valley – was under attack by a burglar. The person, who quickly became known as ‘the Visalia Ransacker’, would break into houses, go through belongings, even eat in the kitchens. Bizarrely, he would ignore valuable items, preferring to take something personal to his victim – a photograph or earring, maybe. Between April 1974 and December 1975, it was believed he’d committed more…

We’re giving one lucky reader the chance to win a Summer wardrobe from Damart, worth £300! Embrace the Summer months in style with Damart’s latest collection, which features everything from block colours and dreamy prints to denim staples and neutral essentials. With a variety of styles and shapes from cropped trousers and longline skirts, to flowing dresses, you will find a piece for any occasion. Ranging from sizes 10-28, your new wardrobe will have you looking on-trend and feeling great no matter what your Summer entails! HOW TO ENTER ONLINE: Save money by entering online at hearstmagazines.co.uk/best1821 by 14 May 2021. PHONE: Call 0901 027 2730 by midnight on 14 May 2021. Calls cost 30p per minute, plus your telephone company’s network access charge, and will last no longer than…

SUMMER BBQ, AMAZON MUSIC Throw some pop hits on the barbie with this fabulously upbeat Amazon playlist. From Take That to Lily Allen and, of course, George Michael, what more could we want for a feel-good soundtrack in the sun?! SUMMER HITS OF THE 80S, SPOTIFY Songs of the Eighties that got you singing and dancing all Summer long can be found on this Spotify playlist – featuring Whitney Houston, Madonna and The Pointer Sisters and many more! Who can think of a better line-up?! SUMMER CHILL, ALEXA OK, so you will have to have an Alexa device for this one, but for those of you who do, this plays all the current tunes that will totally chill you out. Definitely one for the chart-lovers.…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES Use the anagrams, straight, cryptic, quiz and picture clues to solve the crossword. When completed correctly, the pink squares, reading top to bottom, left to right, will reveal the answer to the question below: How many solo top 40 hits has PICTURE C notched up in the UK charts? (3) This is your prize answer. Enter by using the numbers at the top of the grid or at hearstmagazines.co.uk/bestcross1821 ACROSS 1 What does a philatelist collect? (6) 4 Which French coastal resort hosts a famous international film festival every year? (6) 7 Farmhouse cooker (3) 8 ANAGRAM TREESO 9 Othello’s destructive antagonist in Shakespeare’s play – or Jafar’s treacherous parrot in Disney’s Aladdin (4) 10 The whole nine…

Few stars have commanded stage and screen like the hypnotic Helen McCrory. She shone, in every role. And so, the entertainment world was left reeling on Friday 16 April when, via a statement on husband Damian Lewis’ Twitter account, it was revealed that such a vibrant light had gone out. Helen McCrory had died from cancer. She was just 52. Helen had kept her illness a secret from everyone but family and close friends. Damian, revealing his wife died peacefully at home, surrounded by a ‘wave of love’, wrote, ‘She died as she lived. Fearlessly. God we love her and know how lucky we were to have had her in our lives. She blazed so brightly. Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you.’ One of the greatest…

WHAT IS IT? Tipped to be one of the hottest skincare ingredients this year, Cica is a skin saviour for sensitive, dry and irritated skin. It’s actually just a nickname – the technical name is ‘Centella asiatica’ or ‘tiger grass’, an anti-inflammatory leafy herb that’s been used for years in traditional Chinese medicine. WHY SHOULD I USE IT? Safe, gentle and a K-beauty favourite, it’s packed full of amino and fatty acids, vitamins and beta-carotene – all the good stuff your skin needs. No matter what your skin type or concerns, Cica could probably help you in some way. Science backs its efficacy and, even better, it won’t break the bank. WILL IT SUIT ME? • To firm, repair, or soothe skin, it should be on a must-use list. •…

MY PARTNER’S HEALTH-OBSESSED My partner of 12 years lost his best friend seven months ago to cancer – he was only 53 years old. It was absolutely tragic. But ever since, my other half seems to be obsessing about his own health, to an unhealthy degree, and I’m sure the two are connected. Every other day he seems to be in a panic about a cough, or a twinge – and I feel it’s spiralling of control. I’m not sure he’d get help if I suggested it, though – you know what men can be like. What do you think, Vanessa? Miranda, Liverpool Your partner has had an almighty shock, poor thing. He’s been so jolted by loss and panic he’s all over the place. Worrying himself silly about his…

The Temerlins’ daughter enjoyed a gin and tonic, tea in a mug and the odd cigarette. Nothing too odd about this, until you realise their daughter, Lucy, was a chimpanzee. An animal raised as a human – by two psychologists – as part of a radical, some would say cruel, experiment into ‘nature v nurture’. The tale begins in January 1964 when Dr Maurice Temerlin, a professor at the University of Oklahoma, and his wife Jane ‘adopted’ Lucy. ‘She was born at a roadside zoo in Florida,’ Maurice said at the time. Jane went to collect her when she was only two days old. ‘The mother was fed with some Coca-Cola spiked with a strong tranquiliser and when she fell into a deep sleep, the baby was taken from her…

HAMMERED BY WHERE YOUR HOME IS RUTH: The more I look out of my car window, the more sympathy I have for Jackie McCormack, whose new-build house backs on to the A446 in Warwickshire. It was shiny, full of mod cons and for £350,000 there was probably a reasonable expectation from Mrs McCormack that the developers couldn’t possibly have put it on the market unless it was soundproofed properly. But alas, no. And Mrs McCormack won’t be alone. It seems developers will build on any free bit of land and there will always be somebody who pays the price. But be aware as I, too, have too often found out – you get nothing for nothing. I remember viewing a tiny new one-bedroom flat and pointing that there was no…

THE INBETWEENERS MOVIE E4, 9pm, Friday For the inner teens in you, now that their final year of school is over, friends Will, Simon, Neil and Jay are off to Crete for a holiday. Hoping to get as much sun, sea and the rest as possible, the boys quickly find more trouble than they had bargained for! RIDE ALONG 2 Channel 4, 11.05pm, Friday A smart sequel to the action buddy movie. James is back, taking Ben along to pull the plug on a drug racket involving businessman, Antonio Pope. However, the two have little time to expose the crime. With Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999) BBC One, 11.35pm, Friday If you’re partial to a horror, don’t miss this. Three students decide to go into…

TOMATO AND PESTO TART Preheating a baking sheet ensures your tart gets a golden base. Make sure it is a flat or rimless baking sheet so the assembled tart easily slides on to it. Hands-on time: 10 min Cooking time: About 25 min Serves 4 Flour to dust500g block puff pastry4tbsp fresh pesto1 red pepper, cut into 2cm chunks250g cherry tomatoes, cut in half1 courgette, quartered lengthways and chopped into 1cm chunks½tbsp olive oil50g pine nuts¼ small bunch basil, leaves picked 1 Preheat to 220°C (200°C fan)/mark 7. Put a large flat baking sheet into the top third of the oven. 2 On a floured piece of baking parchment, larger than the baking tray, roll the pastry out to about 30.5cm x 28cm. Trim away excess to neaten edges and…