After a spell in Portugal, the family moved to Switzerland where they remained for the rest of their nearly six decades of exile.Victor Emmanuel made his priorities plain enough when he chose as his wife a Swiss skiing champion of modest origins but the heir of a large biscuit manufacturing fortune. The family’s real estate [...]

“Although people go to rural Var for the tranquillity, it’s very much part of the Riviera,” he says. “St Tropez, Cannes and Nice are all within easy driving distance, although I never went to St Tropez in July and August. During those months you need to be there by 9am and leave after 7pm, otherwise [...]

The World Class Start programme, run by the Amateur Rowing Association and Sport England, is identifying individuals who have the physical potential to make it, even though they might have no rowing experience”Those athletes have a few years to learn the sport,” said Sophie Mackley, editor of Rowing & Regatta. “They’ve had advantages that none [...]

The committee added that it was astounded by the number of penalty charge notices which were issued but later cancelled. In 2003, this amounted to 20 per cent of the 7.1 million notices issued, a far too high a proportion which indicated that the system was malfunctioning, MPs said. The report said lines and signage [...]

The same firm’s offer of 7-2 against Ruud van Nistelrooy being the first player in the match to be booked for diving appeals more than Hernan Crespo on 4-1.. If Argentina can perform as spectacularly as when defeating Serbia & Montenegro 6-0, the 11-10 on offer about them beating the Netherlands will look a steal. [...]

At least two people are also known to have contracted vCJD, the human form of mad cow disease, from transfusions, and other patients have also been infected with hepatitis.The National Blood Service now has stringent testing and screening procedures, and says that the risk of being infected is now very low (one in 900,000 for [...]

Up to four more five- to 15-year-olds can travel for £1 each. Consider giving children a set sum to spend on ice cream or in the gift shop, rather than running the risk of being held to ransom. Taking packed lunches will enable you to avoid expensive food outlets.* The obvious way to get to [...]

He loathed much about modern Britain, the “violence, mugging, the effect of permissive legislation introduced by the Labour government, abortion, relaxation of censorship, the homosexual Bill, all that lot”. He campaigned strongly for the reintroduction of capital punishment and for stiffer penalties for criminals and was a vigorous opponent of both the IRA and industrial [...]

He is recognised as the finest player France has produced, eclipsing Michel Platini, and the world’s best since Diego Maradona. But why? What makes Zinedine Zidane so special?
The answer, say the men who should know, is a rare blend of talent and attitude.. The other contender for comeback of the year is their [...]

I guess it goes back to the days of disguising inferior cuts of meat – the gentleman’s club equivalent of the fish finger or fried chicken, I suppose.The recipe has been altered over time – I’ve even seen black truffle included – but this is pretty close to the original. Strain the soup through a [...]