Table of contents for 45-2020 in Best

This Sunday, members of the Royal Family and the government will attend a service at the Cenotaph, alongside representatives from the Armed Forces, to lay wreaths in honor of the fallen from every conflict. The Royal Marines buglers will sound The Last Post and the nation will stand in silence for two minutes, as we should. But it’s the living soldiers who need our help the most, such as Paul Minter (read more on page 34) – who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder – and the many veterans who will take part in a march past the Cenotaph on Sunday. So, please, buy a poppy. But also consider donating to Paul’s charity or help our friends at the Not Forgotten, who are celebrating 100 years of helping Heroes such as…

This year has been hard for everyone, but the nation’s hearts have gone out more than once to presenter Kate Garraway, who has worn her heart on her sleeve so often this year. As the 53-year-old continues to hope for a miracle recovery for her husband, Derek, still gravely ill from the after-effects of Coronavirus, she’s been dealt yet another painful blow. Since he was hospitalised, Derek’s parents have not been allowed to visit their seriously ill son – and now toughening restrictions have ended the possibility. ‘Kate was prepared for this to happen but it’s still a blow,’ a source said. ‘Now any chance that his parents will see him before Christmas has all but vanished.’ With Derek in a London hospital and his parents shielding in Chorley, Lancashire,…

Filling out the form for my new driver’s licence, I smiled at my new name. Mrs Terri Herrington. I’d just married my beloved husband, Bryan, in September 1995 and we were still in our honeymoon phase, totally besotted with one another. Looking at the box for organ donation, I asked Bryan whether he was on the national register. ‘I don’t think so, but I want to be,’ he replied thoughtfully. We chatted about how important it was to give someone life after death, and both decided to tick the box to become organ donors. Thinking nothing more of it, I sent off the forms and Bryan and I began our life as a married couple. We had our son, Drake, now 21, in June 1999 and then Payton, now 16,…

BILL’S ANIMAL MAGIC Bill Bailey is providing fantastic entertainment – he and Oti tell a brilliant story and I think he has really captured the hearts and minds of the nation. His quickstep was fabulous. If I was going to give him marks purely for entertainment, it would be 10, but as we know – that is not what I’m there for! MAX SAYS IT WITH FLOWERS I heard Max George gave flowers to all the women after the first show! What is he like – too smooth! But to be honest, he’s a really lovely guy – and it is not his fault he is so beautiful. That’s what we’ve got this series – gorgeous girls, good-looking guys – and celebs brimming with character. Something for everyone! POPPING THE…

BANG! As I heard the noise, my heart started racing and my body tensed. I had to fight the impulse, so long ingrained in me, to throw myself to the ground. My eyes searched the supermarket until I found the source of the loud noise – a little boy had run his mum’s trolley into a shelf. ‘Relax,’ I told myself. ‘This is normal. It’s what they told me would happen.’ Ever since I was eight years old, I’d been desperate to join the Army. I’d watched a programme and it looked exhilarating – running around all day and being part of a team. Back then, of course, I’d never even heard about mental health or thought about the impact putting yourself in such dangerous situations could have. So, in…

Salmon, sweet potato and lentil roast Great flavour combos – and a smashing change from a traditional roast. Serves 4-6 Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 40 mins PER SERVING: 596-398 kcals, 13g-19g fat, 2g-3g sat fat, 47g-70g carbs 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and chopped2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced2tbsp olive oil (or rapeseed oil)Handful of fresh thyme leaves4 salmon fillets250g pack ready-to-eatPuy lentils (warmed in microwave for 2 mins)Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1 Preheat oven to gas 5/190ºC (170ºC in a fan oven). Add sweet potato, fennel, red onions and garlic to a large roasting tin, season well and toss with half the oil and half the thyme. 2 Put in oven and cook for…

In my wardrobe, I once had over 100 cardigans – almost all were black. As a size 28 and 21st 5lbs, I relied on them to hide behind. And they weren’t the only things I hid behind. I also had a good line in jokes at my expense to stop anyone getting in there first. If someone took a photo, I’d quip, ‘You’ll need to take a few panoramic shots to get me in!’ But inside I was crying. It was a photograph that first made me self-conscious. I was 12 and on holiday with another family who had two boys. Mum wanted to photograph me in a new bikini she made me wear. I didn’t want to, but she snapped anyway and the boys laughed. I can still hear…

It’s not too late to get gleaming paintwork and grimefree grouting! And that doesn’t mean hours of exhausting polishing and scouring – we show you clever ways to give you the wow factor, leaving you more time for enjoyment! LOVE YOUR LOO Getting your loo in sparkling form couldn’t be easier, says TV presenter Aggie MacKenzie. ‘Sprinkle some scouring powder into the pan and let it soak. After a few minutes, take a cloth and rub around the pan, under the rim and around the hinges,’ says Aggie. ‘A couple of denture cleaning tablets left overnight will cleverly remove any stains in the bowl.’ So simple! For more tips, follow Aggie on Twitter, @AggieMacKenzie. GRIME-FREE GROUTING Gleaming grouting can transform your bathroom. Mix together bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar…

SNAP UP A SNACK! What’s Guy Fawkes Night without a Toffee Apple?! Order your very own DIY Toffee Apple Letter Box kit and bring the fun home! Easy to make and so delicious to eat… perfect for any spooky party, and complete with a family cooking activity for all to enjoy. For £8.15 each, on yumbles.com. CAMPFIRE CRACKLE… Why not bring the bonfire home this weekend? These campfire incense sticks are reminiscent of nights in the woods, in the glow of the wood fire, but you get to stay cosy inside (instead of braving the cold to attend a traditional bonfire night!). Containing 15 sticks from Lost In Scent – we think these are well worth the £8. See lostinscent.com and @lostinscent. POP THE BUBBLY! We all know prosecco is…

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 following question: PICTURE B took part in Strictly last year – but in what week were her and partner, Alja�, voted out? (5). This is your prize answer. Enter by using the numbers at the top of the grid or at hearstmagazines.co.uk/bestcross4520 ACROSS 3 It’s the bees’ ___!, expression (5) 6 Japanese sash (3) 7 Who is the eccentric and flamboyant amphibian in The Wind in the Willows? (4) 8 The Princes in the ___, phrase referring to the imprisonment and ‘murder’ of two theirs to…

It’s my secret weapon against menopause Jennifer Chadney, 51, is a dog trainer from London, married to Andrew, 60. They have a son, Anthony, 31. I got hooked on tap aged seven; it’s not as disciplined as ballet and you can throw yourself around with abandon. I continued into adulthood, until a cycling accident left me with torn ligaments. As years passed, I practised Pilates instead, but this April, I realised my foot hadn’t hurt for ages. Lockdown had just started and I’d had to stop working, so I missed my friends. It felt like the perfect time to take up tap again to cheer myself up. Joining an online class – streamed from Broadway in New York, no less – with 90 other tappers, I was giggly with nerves.…

HOW IT WORKS 1 It seems eating three to four calorie-controlled meals of around 400 calories each every day keeps your energy cells buzzing, slowing down ageing but helping to speed up weight loss. 2 Researchers at the University of California found a real connection between how ageing affects our body clock – not only in the way our skin looks, but also the rate at which it slows down metabolism over time, meaning you’re far more likely to pile on weight. A good body clock means good ageing and a low-calorie diet can help. 3 The way our cells process energy is key to helping us stay looking and feeling younger and by simply eating 30 per cent fewer calories every day, you can help boost metabolism, speeding up…

TOP TIP! To keep it in good condition, store in tissue paper and an airtight box throughtout the year.…

FINANCIALLY Fabulous Join our campaign and get your finances sorted at hearstmagazines.co.uk/ffbest for money-saving tips and brilliant advice on being financially savvy. 1 LOOK FOR REVIEWS If you purchase a product through social media, you’ll be clicking through to the retailer’s site. Always check reviews for the site you’re buying from, using both Trustpilot and Feefo. You should also check the URL that the click-through takes you to is not a scam or counterfeit website. ‘You should always research the website, influencer, or the company that you’re purchasing from,’ says psychologist Emma Kenny. ‘A good way to see if a website has a secure connection is checking it begins with “https://” as the “s” suggests it’s secure.’ If you click through to a retailer you recognise, compare the URL of…

DOES HE HATE ME OR WANT A DATE?! I’ve lived next door to the same man for a few years but ever since his wife moved out in January, he’s been knocking at my door once or twice a week – to complain! Either my car is parked too close to his, or I’m playing music too loudly… I can’t win. But, at the same time, he always seems to want to engage in conversation with me. My best friend thinks he might fancy me, but doesn’t know how to show it. He’s good-looking, if shy, and… I quite like him, too, I think. But how do I read the signs?! Louise, Stockport If you fancy him, I’d get moving. Your friend could be spot-on. By complaining, he’s doing the…

GETTING DOWN ABOUT LOCKDOWN The area where I live has gone into lockdown. Well it hasn’t, except it has. In an effort to make things clearer to all of us, it’s being called Tier 2 except it’s not by our local council. It prefers the term High Alert. That obviously is supposed to scare the bejaysus out of us – which it does me, but others will think it leaves plenty of wriggle room. And this is my whole point. The rules in England alone have been changed 18 times in recent weeks. Add to that the North/South divide, indecision, interpretation, interest pleasing, pandering to the electorate, trying to save the economy and jobs, and occasionally just getting the choices wrong, has led to many of us feeling confused and…

BIG HITTERS The Book of Two Ways Jodi Picoult Hodder and Stoughton, £12.99 When Dawn nearly dies, her thoughts turn to the English archaeologist she fell in love with as a student in Egypt. Is it too late for a second chance? Splitting Sliding Doors-style into two possible paths, this thrilling and complex story is one to lose yourself in. One August Night Victoria Hislop Headline Review, £14.99 Fifteen years after bestseller The Island, we revisit Plaka, the Cretan town across the bay from the true-life leper colony of Spinalonga. But, with a cure for the disease found, the residents return and the consequences are life-changing. Moving and engrossing. SPOOKY STORIES The Nesting CJ Cooke Harper Collins, £11.99 Troubled Lexi passes herself off as a qualified nanny to bag a…

Don’t let this rocking good brain teaser put you Under Pressure or you’ll go Radio Ga Ga. Geddit? Geddit?! Look for these Queen songs. All are hidden in the usual way, except one – which one? See if you’re right on page 81. A KIND OF MAGIC BICYCLE RACE BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY BREAKTHRU DON’T STOP ME NOW FLASH I WANT IT ALL I WANT TO BREAK FREE INNUENDO IT’S A HARD LIFE KILLER QUEEN ONE VISION SOMEBODY TO LOVE WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS WE WILL ROCK YOU SEARCH ME! SUDOK-GO! Fill the grid using the numbers from 1 to 9 only. Each number must appear once in every column, row and 3x3 square. Now, off you sudok-go! ALL SOLUTIONS ON THE NEXT PAGE FACE TIME Have a look at the motley…

Did you know? Legally, there is little mitigation for snatching a baby even if, as Dawn says, you are ‘crazy mad’ at the time. Any form of kidnapping is viewed as a crime. They’ve been friends for over 40 years, so it’s no surprise Dawn French confided in Jennifer Saunders about her motherhood fears when she adopted a baby. The comedian adopted Billie at two weeks old with ex Sir Lenny Henry, back in 1991. ‘I talked to Jen at great length because she had three girls. I said: “I hope I’ll connect with, and love, this child as much as a natural mum. ‘And she said: “Dawn, I’ve had three daughters and I don’t recognise any of them. They are all completely different and rest assured when this kid…

He’s a popular face on Good Morning Britain and has been working hard for months, giving viewers advice on the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. GMB’s medical expert Dr Hilary Jones, 67, who was awarded an MBE by the Queen last month, was even deemed a ‘hero’ by his proud wife of four years, Dee. So we couldn’t be more delighted to welcome the good doctor as a columnist for best from next week! Here, we talk to the softly spoken medic about these extraordinary times, and how excited he is to help readers with their health problems… Dr Hilary, it’s great to have you on board! Thank you! I’m looking forward to addressing best readers’ questions. There will be the straightforward ones, but also interesting ones that demand answers not necessarily found…

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1 THE LASH LOWDOWN What types of lashes can you get? Take away the confusion with our glossary: STRIP LASHES The easiest option for beginners. Flexible bands of lashes are secured to your upper lash line with a temporary adhesive. Some have black bands for added definition, while others are invisible for a more natural finish. INDIVIDUAL FLARE LASHES These are clusters of strands joined at one end. Apply them to fill in sparse areas, add more length or customise your look. EYELASH EXTENSIONS Unlike the other options, these can only be applied by a salon professional. Individual strands are applied to the lash line and secured with semi-permanent adhesive. 2 HOW TO APPLY FALSE LASHES Eye-opening and de-ageing, the effect of falsies is so positive, it’s worth adding them…

CAROL McGIFFIN THE WAY I SEE IT… Wise words from our feisty, fearless and funny columnist ‘I had better say this quietly but I can feel the wind changing and it appears to be going against the prevailing gale of scaremongering and resulting restrictions. Ordinary people like Rochdale granny Maureen (‘I don’t give a sod’) Eames and thousands of others are speaking out against the government’s continuing response to the Coronavirus. At last. For too long now, people have done as they were told, obeying the rules, reporting others who don’t, staying at home, wearing masks and generally acting as though they’re not human. As you might say for good reason back in March, when we were faced with what was purported to be the virus that would wipe out…

Some may have turned up their noses at TOWIE when it first graced our screens – and the cast members of the first ‘scripted reality’ series becoming famous for brand endorsements, club appearances and own-brand products. But you need only look at the stratospheric rise of Gemma Collins – who ditched a job selling cars to join the Brentwood-based show – to see that these guys are laughing all the way to the bank. TOWIE – which is celebrating 10 years on TV – is still adored by viewers, and it’s spawned some serious Essex kings and queens, whose fortunes are nothing to be sniffed at. Clearly, it’s a case of do put your daughter on the stage, Mrs Worthington… JOEY ESSEX Ever-entertaining Joey Essex is thought to have a net worth…

MRS HINCH Sophie Hincliffe is better known to her 3.8m Instagram followers as Mrs Hinch, and the former hairdresser, 30, aims to make cleaning fun, once famously saying: ‘I would prefer to clean than attempt to cook, or sew and buy baskets than go clubbing.’ Since the birth of son, Ronnie, now one, the clean lover has developed a new love of cooking and posts videos often with Ronnie, using Just Roll. She also gives all her cleaning products names – such as Minkeh for her cloth, Vera for her mop and Dave for her feather duster. She lets you in on her ‘hauls’ from bargain shops like Wilko, B&M and Poundstretcher and is well known for her love of cleaning product Zoflora, as much as her dog Henry.l Tried…

DISHWASHER RIDDLE In my humble opinion, a dishwasher is the most incredible labour-saving device ever invented. But have you ever noticed the length of its washing cycles? Mine, maybe like yours, has the following timing options: 32 mins, 1 hr 29 mins, 1hr 37 mins, 2hrs 3 mins, 2hrs 25 mins and 2hrs 44 mins. So my question is – why? Why such strange numbers?! Why 32 mins, not 30? Even my car doesn’t need 2 hours 44 to clean. Weird! FLY TIPPING I was brought up in a street where, right up until the Seventies, people scrubbed the pavement outside their front door. There was a pride in cleanliness. As my mother says to this day, ‘Soap and water doesn’t cost much.’ So, what sort of person flytips or…

Lucy’s heels clicked on the pavement like a metronome. She weaved in and out of the hordes of people, some milling, others marching, some on their own, others in laughing groups of friends, couples hand in hand. The noisy bustle of London was calming. It wrapped around her like a warm blanket. Here she was anonymous. Nobody knew anything about her. She could forget all that had happened and concentrate on savouring the sights and sounds, the smells from food shops and restaurants, Chinatown draped in banners of red and gold, music blaring out from an old radio tied to the front of a rickshaw as its driver scrolled his phone. She turned on to Paul Street and tried to ignore the cloud of anxiety that began to gather in…

SCORPIO 24 October – 22 November Scorpios like celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and Hollywood A-lister Emma Stone are very spiritual. They don’t need to change their belief system to respect and appreciate the philosophies of other cultures. Spiritual pursuits can, however, help strengthen their resolve. AQUARIUS 21 January – 19 February Recently you’ve been feeling as if you have been chasing your tail. Going round in circles is exhausting. The chance of an unexpected trip provides you with a perfect opportunity to break out of this pattern. New arrangements will have pleasing consequences. Things will start to change for the better. TAURUS 21 April – 21 May An invitation to attend an interview will make your confidence soar. You hadn’t expected to get this far. Now you have, don’t let…

Singer and TV star Jane McDonald rocketed to stardom in 1998 when she first appeared in the BBC One docusoap The Cruise, attracting over 13 million viewers. In the same year, her debut album went to Number 1 and stayed there for three weeks. Fast-forward to 2018 and Jane, now a national treasure, won a Bafta for her Channel 5 show, Cruising with Jane McDonald. Here, the 57-year-old explains how lockdown gave her time to write music and cosy up with her long-time partner, musician Ed Rothe… All the songs on your new album you have performed on your Channel 5 Cruising show – so presumably they picked themselves? Yes, but the funny thing was when the TV producers first suggested I sing at the end of each episode, I was…