News about Sarah Bernhardt

A prestigious chocolate firm that had royal warrants from the late Queen and the Queen Mother has had to remove products from shelves over a major health scare involving peanuts. Prestat, based in Piccadilly, in London 's West End, was founded in 1902 by legendary master chocolatier Antoine Dufour, the inventor of the chocolate truffle. Amongst the oldest and most exclusive of British chocolate brands, Prestat is a long-standing supplier to the Royal Household. As well as the two queens, its fans have included Princess Diana , Sarah Bernhardt, Sir John Gielgud, Dame Peggy Ashcroft, Stephen Fry , Adrian Lester and Lord Mandelson.

Romance and gardens have been inextricably linked ever since Medieval squires courted damsels in flowery bowers. With midsummer nearly upon us, this is the perfect time to make our outdoor spaces more romantic.

What flowers in June, has large blooms in shades ranging from salmon pink to deep cerise and canary yellow, and is often sweetly fragranced? Not the ubiquitous rose, but the peony, a plant that has been revered by Chinese peoples since ancient times. Peonies have fallen out of style in recent years, perhaps because they only have a short blooming period, making them less popular in garden centers. If you plant one in your garden, the chances are that it will reward you with a stunning annual display in midsummer. Peonies can withstand winter temperatures that drop below 40 degrees. They actually do better after a long cold spell.

TOM LEONARD: Elinor Glyn, a novelist, invented the 'It Girl,' and is often credited with inventing the Hollywood sex scene. Despite the fact that her later life resembled one of her books' more improvable plots, Glyn - author Hilary Hallett of Inventing The It Girl - began as a respected member of the Home Counties landed gentry who was largely insecure about her passionless Edwardian marriage, expressing a great deal of sexual apprehension.