Table of contents for 17 - 2022 in Best

Asked by a laughing Richard Madeley if she could really see cleaning shirkers in the dock, she replied: ‘I can, actually. We take our relationships to the law courts on many issues. ‘You may laugh, Richard, but I am going to give you a new power tool – a mop.’ Richard did laugh. And so did I. Dragging men (or women) into court for not doing their share of the chores? I am with the 80 per cent polled, who deemed it was nonsense! That said, there is lots to make you smile in the week’s issue of best, including our guide to street parties for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee starting on page 63. Now that is a woman worth celebrating – let’s just hope Ms Dunlop is planning a…

HOW IT WORKS Did you know successful slimmers often have one thing in common? They’ve all followed a diet that’s increased their fibre intake. Sure enough, it seems that foods containing fibre such as wholegrains, beans, fruit and vegetables, have helped countless people slim. So how exactly does it work? We’ve long thought that fibre was diet-friendly because it often contains less energy, but it’s big in bulk – so it helps fill us up on fewer calories, leading to weight loss. But now studies show fibre also helps control appetite-regulating peptides associated with increased satiety and reduced food intake. So say hello to your new best friend – fibre! How it works ● Our seven-day meal plan (opposite) includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and one snack a day. You can…

SHOULD I GET MY SON A BLOOD TEST? My 19-year-old son has always loved sweet treats, but he’s started getting old cravings back. He’ll eat an entire large chocolate bar in one sitting, then crash and fall asleep for hours straight after. Then he’ll wake up and want more sugar, and the cycle repeats. When he was younger, I wouldn’t allow this but he’d shake if he didn’t get his chocolate! This calmed down as he got older, but I’m noticing it again. Could this be diabetes? He’s otherwise healthy, sporty and enjoys healthy foods. Carol, County Antrim DR HILARY SAYS: No, this is not diabetes, although the symptoms of shaking when he craves sugary things and sleepiness after having them are similar to the results of treatment for diabetes.…

Loose Women star Christine Lampard has a figure to die for, and an equally dazzling smile – but it’s not just genetics and a heart of gold that have women across the nation girl-crushing over the Northern Irish beauty. With her latest Spring 2022 clothing collaboration with UK fashion brand Wallis – from chic tailoring to elegant skirts and timeless, everyday styles – Christine has said she wants to help women everywhere ‘feel their very best’. Here, we take a look at how the TV star became such a fashion icon and let you in on some of her style secrets, after catching up with the glamorous 43-year-old at her latest clothing launch… Usually lighting up our living rooms on a weekday lunchtime on chat-show Loose Women – or stepping in…

Individual Sausage and Egg Pies These pies transport well, so are ideal for outdoor dining or in lunchboxes. Hands-on time: 30min Cooking time: About 40min Makes 12 7 small eggs450g pack sausage meat1tbsp wholegrain mustard2 spring onions, finely chopped1tsp dried mixed herbsPlain flour, to dustAbout 1kg shortcrust pastry 1 Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add six of the eggs. Simmer for exactly 6min. Lift out of the pan with a slotted spoon and run under cold water to cool quickly. Set aside. 2 In a large bowl, mix together the sausage meat, mustard, spring onions, mixed herbs and some seasoning. Set aside. 3 Preheat oven to 220ºC (200ºC fan)/mark 7. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll out two-thirds of the pastry until…

ARIES 21 March – 20 April A few odds and ends in work and medical matters remain unresolved. You will want to have these cleared as soon as possible. Old routines and outdated methods may not work anymore. A fresh approach will help break through barriers. Once you and a partner reach an agreement, your love life can only get better. Are you single and looking for love? Romance could blossom between you and someone you meet at a sporting event or contest. A strange situation at the weekend will need careful handling. This is one of those times when you should trust emotion more than logic. TAURUS 21 April – 21 May Your plans are unusually adventurous. A lack of time in the past has prevented you from looking…

KILLER THRILLERS The Daughter Liz Webb Allison & Busby, £16.99 (May 19) With her dementia-sufferer dad nearing the end, Hannah moves back home to care for him, but with her drinking out of control, she can barely look after herself. Yet she’s determined to solve the mystery of her mum’s murder. Deftly plotted. The Last to Disappear Jo Spain Quercus, £16.99 (May 12) A picture-perfect setting, but the story of this atmospheric thriller is deeply sinister. Alex travels to a luxury Lapland resort, where his sister, who was working as a guide, has been found drowned. His suspicions that her death was no accident begin to grow. ROMANTIC READS One Good Thing Alexandra Potter Macmillan, £14.99 (May 5) After her husband leaves her, Liv impulsively moves to a small town…

SAVING MY DAUGHTER 2.15pm, Channel 5, Friday If you love a thriller of an afternoon, this one is a must-watch! A law student tries to start a new life with her baby after being sexually assaulted. After thinking she’s finally rid of her dark past, all is not what it seems… MY HUSBAND’S EVIL TWIN 2.15pm, Channel 5, Thursday A woman worries that her husband’s behaviour has changed and is no longer the loving, caring man she first married. But, is he really her husband? (The clue’s in the title!) KILLER NANNY: A NANNY NIGHTMARE 2.15pm, Channel 5, Wednesday A complicated character goes to care for the children of a family who are hiding their own dark secret. Is it the nanny we trust? Or the peculiar family? Find out…

1 FLOWER POWER It’s no surprise that actress and model Linda Lusardi got a whole host of likes on her recent Instagram post, for this stunning snap of a friend’s pooch, Bambi, rocking her fabulous flower crown for Spring! Anyone else have head-gear envy and dreams of Summer festivals?! 2 Who wowed the crowd? Performers from the theatre world sparkled for this year’s Oliviers. Beverley Knight, 49, went asymmetrical in a sheer Rami Kadi frock, while Les Mis actress Samantha Barks, 31, took the plunge in a Tony Ward number. Meanwhile, Kara Tointon, 38, opted for a sleek dress by Thom Laurence. Beverley Knight, Samantha Barks and Kara Tointon brought a touch of class in stunning sequin frocks 3 LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER… Mia Threapleton, daughter of Oscar winner Kate Winslet, is…

The minute I laid eyes on Mick, I knew he was special. He was always smiling, had a glow around him – and he was gorgeous. We’d met in sixth form, and I was immediately drawn to him. It wasn’t until I saw him in a nightclub one evening that we shared our first kiss and quickly became inseparable. We’d spend hours talking, go to the pub and he even played me one of his band’s singles. ‘I’m the bass player,’ he told me. They had a record deal, but our relationship grew serious quickly. Even when we weren’t touching, there was electricity between us. It was intense – and scary, as we were only 17. After six months, despite loving each other, we split up and Mick toured with…

Step into Spring with Charles Clinkard and be in with the chance of winning one of four gift cards worth £100. Renowned family footwear retailer Charles Clinkard offers comfortable and quality footwear for all ages. Whether it’s fashion-forward flats, off-duty trainers, or adventure-ready shoes for children, their Spring/Summer 2022 range offers something special for the whole family. To enter, see right. HOW TO ENTER ONLINE: Save money by entering online at hearstmagazines.co.uk/best1722 by 6 May 2022. PHONE: Call 0901 027 2719 by midnight on 6 May 2022. Calls cost 30p per minute, plus your telephone company’s network access charge, and will last no longer than two minutes. Charges for mobiles may be higher. Phone line closes at midnight on 6 May 2022. If you call after this time, you will…

Arriving home after a stressful day at work, I kissed my husband Andy, and knew immediately how I would unwind. For most people that might involve flopping onto the sofa or pouring a glass of wine. But for me, it meant going to our spare room and marvelling at my shoe haven. There, on bespoke shelves, my 120-strong collection of quirky high heels were lovingly displayed. Seeing them instantly lifted my spirits. ‘Better?’ Andy asked. ‘Much,’ I said, smiling. I often joked that I was the Carrie Bradshaw of Kent with the most colourful and unique footwear collection in the county but, as a child, I was the opposite of flamboyant. Painfully shy, I’d had to force myself to chip into conversations. I’d always loved shoes and like most little…

1 ULTIMATE MULTITASKER Rimmel London Magnif’eyes Blush Edition £4.79 (amazon.co.uk) There are 12 tones with a mix of finishes here from cool pinks to coppery browns – and although it’s made for eyes, mix a few shades and use a brush for highlighting, contouring, blusher or bronzer! 2 REFRESHINGLY MINTY Catrice Cosmetics Pro Slim Hint of Mint Eyeshadow Palette £9.95, (justmylook.com) There are 14 shades ranging from the palest mint green to a sparkling deep emerald with a dash of gold, to tones of terracotta, cream and chocolate. With metallic, shimmery and matte finishes, you can conjure up colour combos to make your eyes sparkle. 3 HANDBAG MUST-HAVE 17. Eye Shadow Palette 040 Greens £5 (boots.com) Those of us who have a soft spot for 17 make-up (and remember it…

Prince Philip’s recent memorial at Westminster Abbey in London was a poignant occasion, with even the usually stoic Queen Elizabeth getting watery-eyed at her late husband’s emotional service. But something that didn’t go unnoticed by viewers (and photographers) was the heart-warming affection between Kate and William’s daughter – Princess Charlotte, six – and the Duke’s cousin, Princess Beatrice, 33. While Harry and Meghan live overseas in California with Charlotte’s cousins – Archie, two and Lili, 10 months – it wouldn’t be far-fetched to imagine their family bonding time had been spent elsewhere – like with William’s cousin, Beatrice, her husband, Edoardo, and their seven-month-old baby girl, Sienna. We take a look at the moments that show the cousins’ sweet bond and, despite the age gap, their shared similarities……

It was 8.30pm on Saturday night and I was clearing out the spare room (oh, the excitement of it all!) when my WhatsApp pinged. ‘You on a date?’ it read. ‘Well, it wouldn’t be a very successful one if I had time to text you,’ I replied. ‘True,’ Mr Darcy admitted. ‘I’m eating an Aero and watching TV. Might have a Milky Way next…’ ‘I’m drinking wine – on my second,’ I answered honestly. ‘Hope that’s glasses, not bottles,’ he joked. Oh dear. Neither of us are doing very well at this, are we? Saturday night and not a date between us. Remember Mr France from my last column? Well, he disappeared. Stopped texting or calling. ‘Maybe he choked on a bread roll,’ Mr D offered helpfully, only half joking…

I almost walk straight past her on the way to duty-free. I’m thousands of miles from home. I shouldn’t run into anyone I know and yet here she is, after all these years. ‘Fee!’ Her face breaks out into a grin. ‘What on earth are you doing here?’ ‘On my way to Sydney,’ I tell her. ‘Visiting family.’ I pause, blinking to make sure she’s real, that the hours of travel and the long airport wait haven’t combined into a hallucination. ‘And what about you, where are you off to?’ ‘Here.’ She spreads her arms out. ‘I live here now. I’m supposed to be travelling home but the delays…’ The smile fades. ‘Mum’s not well. She’s in hospital.’ ‘I’m sorry.’ The words flow automatically from my tongue, but I do…

After two jabs, a booster and a couple of years of evading it, the old corona finally got me. Exactly where and when she snuck into my system I shall never know. It may have been on a train while I removed my mask to eat a sandwich? It may have been in a hotel steam room or sauna? All I know is that it coincided with the most agonising tooth pain. I was gigging up in the north east, finishing off the last dates of my tour and staying in the same spa hotel for the duration. The hotel had a pool, and I was swimming daily, trying to get rid of my sciatica (or is it gluteal tendinopathy?), but instead of feeling better, I was knackered and my…

THE GREAT ESTATE FESTIVAL, CORNWALL The Great Estate Festival is bursting with fun for all ages, from cabaret shows to workshops, magical trails, gorgeous glamping and the Manic Street Preachers! From 2–5 June. Get tickets at greatestatefestival.co.uk CORNBURY FESTIVAL, OXFORDSHIRE After 17 years, this festival goes out with a bang, courtesy of Ronan Keating, The Waterboys, James Blunt, The Darkness, Altered Images, The Christians, Mica Paris, Magic Numbers and more! Taking place 8–10 July, see cornburyfestival.com ROCHESTER CASTLE CONCERTS, KENT Across the four nights of 6–9 July, four acts perform in the stunning surrounds of this historic castle. Take your pick of Human League, The Specials, James Blunt and Cameo. Head to www.rochestercastleconcerts.com if you’re interested! MUST-HAVE MUSIC! LOFI MINNIE: FOCUS DIGITAL ALBUM Disney has released a new album of…

Last week, in Belfast, the World Irish Dance Championships celebrated 50 years. It’s a competition that was won back in 1975 by a ‘young fella’ (as the Irish would say), named Michael Flatley. His drive to put Irish dancing on the map had begun. He is now the competition’s biggest supporter – and its most famous competitor. Despite not taking up a jig until the age of 11, not least because ‘there were a lot of pretty girls in the class’, Michael was soon wearing hand-made kilts by a woman named Nancy Tighe (by a strange coincidence, the mother of our ed-in-chief’s cousin) and being watched by her daughter, also called Nancy, a former competitor herself, and her friend Ellen Cunningham, an Irish dance teacher in New York. Michael won…

Collagen – it’s the elixir of youth. This protein forms netting – like a mesh fence – within the dermis, to give skin the strength and resilience to hold everything in place. But with age, our supplies dwindle and skin loses its youthful appearance. Most of these changes coincide with the menopause. Depleting oestrogen levels also hit collagen production. Sun damage, pollution, smoking and sugar all play a part in a loss of elasticity and tone. The good news is that skin is a renewable organ, so you can slow down the ageing process. There isn’t one magic formula, but using a combination of diet, skincare, lifestyle changes and clinic treatments can help beat the sag. TIGHTEN UP WITH SKINCARE Manage your expectations! There are no miracles in a jar.…

Sweet Potato, Cauliflower & Peanut Curry An easy curry that uses ingredients straight from the freezer with no need to defrost. The depth of flavour comes from using a stock cube and peanut butter as the base. Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 30-35 minutes • 4 tablespoons any oil• 250g frozen chopped onions• 1 tablespoon dried garlic granules• ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes• 2 tablespoons frozen chopped ginger• 400g can coconut milk• 2 heaped tablespoons peanut butter• 10g vegetable stock cube, crumbled• 500g frozen cubed sweet potato• 500g frozen cauliflower florets• 1-2 tablespoons cornflour• 300g (about 6 × 50g balls) frozen spinach• 1-2 teaspoons sugar• Salt and freshly ground black pepper• 2 × 250g packets microwaveable basmati rice, warmed, to serve 1. Heat the oil in a pan over…

TOP TIP! Be bold and embrace jungle print bedding for a totally tropical vibe…

Dearest darling Ben, I know this is a touchy subject. I realise I have to be up at 3.30am for my Radio 2 Early Breakfast Show and you don’t. I understand it would be a wrench to tear yourself away from a show or a dinner or even a premiere halfway through the fun just to sit in a taxi or tube and keep me company on the way home. I can’t deny, either that I’ll be charging up to bed the second I get through the front door. The problem is that when I leave – always before the grand finale and the delicious dessert – and sit on the bus hurtling home alone, I feel like a miserable 60-year-old Cinderella! Putting the key in the lock and stepping…

Imagine the excitement of a singleton when an email pings on your computer with the title ‘Eligible’. Hoping this was a reply from one of my new online dating sites – fingers crossed, from a widowed heiress to a vineyard who’d taken a liking to my profile pictures – I excitedly pressed click. Turns out, the only thing I am eligible for is the Covid booster… Online dates aside, the other way to meet a potential mate (increasingly rare) is to randomly meet a woman in the real, nonvirtual world. And so it was last week, after I was invited by a friend to a birthday lunch at a very swanky private members’ club, the kind of establishment that if you have to ask the price of the wine, you…

If there’s one thing every gardener needs, it’s patience. Waiting for produce to grow can feel endless. Purple sprouting broccoli, for example, can take a good eight months to reach fruition, while asparagus beds take years to take hold! This isn’t the case for everything, though. While crops won’t grow overnight, there are some that have a shorter growing period. 1) CRESS Time from sowing to harvest*: 7 days Sow: any time It’s pretty hard to prevent cress from sprouting. You can even get away with growing them on damp kitchen paper, too, although a tray-sized dish of compost is ideal to produce enough to supplement your egg sarnies! They’re so delicate, swap your watering can for a spray bottle to help keep the seedlings moist, not drenched. 2) LETTUCE…

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…

MAZE Find the path through the maze without breaking through walls. Start from the entrance arrow and end at the exit arrow. Dot to dot Starting at dot 1, complete the picture by joining the dots in numerical order. You can then colour the image in! Wordsearch Flowers Look for the 10 flowers hidden in the wordsearch puzzle. The words will run down and across. There are no words that run backwards or on a diagonal. BLUEBELL CROCUS DAFFODIL DAISY LILAC LILY POPPY ROSE TULIP VIOLET Love kids’ puzzles? Find it! books each contain 25 things for children aged 5-7 to find in the world around them along with fascinating facts and mind-bending puzzles – perfect for keeping children entertained and to minimise screen time! To order with a 30%…

THE AFTERLIFE… Do the spirits ever tell you where they are? It would answer the eternal question of where do we go when we pass… Cathy LEE SAYS: Spirits do tell us where they are, but we are only allowed to know a little bit about the spirit world. They tell us they are not in pain and are happy where they are! There is a special way to connect with us on the earth plane. Being a medium, people wouldn’t understand what we see and how we connect. Whilst I am in meditation, spirits do show me how beautiful the spirit world is. GIVING OFF BAD ENERGY? Are you always able to detect somebody’s energies and auras? Or are some people too ‘closed off’ for you to glean that?…