Not only is it a travesty that the 99 ice cream cones are regularly priced at over 99p, but it turns out that the 99 cone you’re chomping on might not even be the real deal.

New research by Cadbury has found that 60% of Brits are unaware that their Cadbury Flake 99s may not actually be made by Cadbury – meaning they’re not actually have an ice cream with a Flake on top, but with a flaky chocolate replica.

What a travesty.

70% of the people surveyed also think that their Flakes are Cadbury branded even when they’re not – and wouldn’t even consider that they may be faked.

If you take the legitimacy of your Flake very seriously, we’re here to save your summer ice cream by telling you how to look out for a real Flake.

According to Cadbury, the key attributes that make up real Cadbury Flake 99 include an ‘irresistible crumbly texture that melts in the mouth’ and strong notes of cocoa that coat the mouth in a chocolatey Cadbury taste.

A Cadbury Flake will taste exactly like a bar of Dairy Milk… just in flaky form.

One other thing that can help you spot whether your Flake is real is whether it can withstand the heat. If it’s real, it’s heat-resistant so that it won’t melt into the ice cream.

If not, expect a creamy, chocolatey mess.

Debby Soetan, Research and Development Manager at Cadbury, says: ‘Due to a secret in chocolate processing, Cadbury Flake 99s are likely to withstand the heat and maintain their delicate flavour better than other chocolate, and not melt or break too easily.

‘So, even when they’re served from a hot ice-cream van during this scorching summer, a real Flake 99 should look and taste as good as ever.’

You’ll also notice Flake bars don’t melt in the microwave, if you fancy doing your own melting-based experiments.

Just in case the above information wasn’t enough, a ‘team of heroes’ created by Cadbury have also begun the mission to rescuing the UK from a fake Flake.

The ‘Flake squad’ (yes, really), will be dressed in the iconic Flake wrapper colours of purple and yellow and will be scouring UK seasides on a mission to investigate ice creams across the country and ensure fans are getting the real crumbly, chocolatey Cadbury Flake.

So basically, if you’re buying a 99 this weekend, look out for a bunch of people in brightly coloured suits.

Of course, if you’re buying a 99 cone and suspect your Flake isn’t the real deal, it’s not truly a tragedy. A fake Flake isn’t poisonous or evil, it just might melt a bit.

As long as it tastes good, there’s no issue. A stick of chocolate wedged in your ice cream can only be a wonderful thing.

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As you’re scouring for Instagram for the latest hotspot, while simultaneously searching for a good deal to top up your tan this summer holiday, it’s unlikely that you’ll be thinking about your grandparents.

Taking Grandma Linda or Pops might understandably not be top of the list, when you’re just trying to count how many days you have to detox before you get tastebuds popping with the first zing of magherita.

But actually, I can’t recommend building in some time to get  your grandparents out of the house for the holiday.

When you’re older, there’s so much to consider, whether it’s the journey that’ll be an issue or even insurance, which can suck the life out any fun when planning the next travel destination. It’s easier to stay at home.

Maybe you’re as guilty as I am, popping by the grandparents’ home when you get a spare day from work, which is once or twice a month (if you’re lucky). When ailments come into play, the elderly – while they may have lovely homes – they can be restricted to only a few changes of scene throughout their week. Home, their kids’ homes, Tescos, doctors. Repeat.

That can be un-stimulating for people at any age, so short breaks, if manageable gives people something to look forward to.

Planning a getaway with your grandparents can sound daunting, especially when they do have ailments. But there’s plenty of short break options to quite literally get them out of the house.

I took my nan to Devon this year, just for a couple nights and it was everything I could have hoped for.

I rarely look at the UK as a destination, because it’s so pricey and you can’t guarantee the weather, but websites like Boutique Retreats offers accommodation that caters for all needs. It’s not specifically for older people, but you’re able to single out what you need – the six-storey delight in Devon wouldn’t have been the greatest of choices for my family – but could be a stunning location for a honeymoon for example.

Cheyne Cottage was the perfect choice for our short break.

The Totnes home was decorated with quality finishes that you’d expect to find in a hotel – a marked difference from some of the properties that you might find on a site like Airbnb.

A welcoming basket crowned our arrival, with a bottle of wine, locally made biscuits and a fruit juice were just some of the items available. As you can imagine, my nan was delighted at such a treat. Let’s face it, most places offer some sort of package, but at Cheyne Cottage they’d looked for signature treats that we’ve since re-ordered.

I’d picked the property particularly because it had the downstairs en-suite room, meaning my nan could come and go as she pleased from her room without having to worry about any precarious steps.

The two bedrooms upstairs in the cottage were subtly kitted out with luxury linen from The White Company in both of the rooms – one a king-sized bed and the other a twin room.

The cottage boasted panoramic views of the garden, with doors that opened up to a closed garden. Handy, if the family dog is in tow – which ours was. You could relax with the doors open, without having to worry that the pooch was going to escape into the road or embarrass you in someone else’s garden.

One of the nearby towns was Brixham, which is renowned for its crab, so we made sure to hop out in the car and take a short drive. The tight country roads are not for the faint-hearted at all, and while my 89-year-old nan was unable to make the journey for the day trip, we were happy to leave her in the comfort of the cottage, with its scenic views. Perfect for an afternoon snooze.

The kitchen was well-equipped so that we were able to knock together a Brixham crab chowder for the family, with everything you could possibly want with an impressive array of pots and pans that I would be proud to house in my own kitchen.

As with most country locations, parking proved difficult, especially when taking an elderly member of the family. We had to work out the logistics to ferry back and forth. But, we kept that to a minimum – so once nan was in, she was in!

Keeping in mind, it was a family break based around my nan, we didn’t plan any pub visits or too many adventurous walks with the pooch, but Cheyne Cottage did have all of the options available nearby. Although watch the pub timings – as we did spot it was closed at certain times over the weekend.

Cheyne Cottage offered a rare opportunity for my family, and a break away from my nan’s normal routine, which gave her not only something to look forward to but a place where we could make new memories – without being morbid, we won’t all be around forever – so spending quality time was the top of my priority and getting away for a short break with my nan – meant that we could do this.

If you’re thinking about taking an elderly member of the family away for a short break, there are a few things to consider. AgeUK helps answers a few of the questions here to help you plan a great holiday for the family.

Despite feeling like you could be vacationing forever, there is actually a point it starts getting a bit old.

It’s no secret that most of us probably plan meticulously to optimise the amount of time we can be on holiday (and of course, try to avoid those dreaded school holiday spikes).

Not that you need convincing, but travelling has uber benefits like on your mental health, helping you relax, detox, and forget about the distant realities of work.

But science says to get the most out of it, your holidays should ideally be seven to 11 days long.

Researchers at Finland’s University of Tampere said the reason behind this holiday length being the perfect time is work-related stress.

Though some people couldn’t be further from thinking about work, others start worrying about their tasks and responsibilities piling up back home.

If you only go on holiday for a day or two, you don’t have enough time to switch out of work mode.

If you’re gone for two weeks or more, you start to worry about all the work that’s not getting done while you’re away.

So to properly relax without being bogged down by work-induced stresses, you should take no more time off than just a bit over a week.

‘Vacations represent the longest period of temporary absence from work and may, therefore, constitute a more powerful respite opportunity than shorter rest intervals,’ said researchers.

‘Employees are often unable to recover sufficiently during short respites from work due to increasingly permeable boundaries between work and home domains, long working hours, working overtime and prolonged physiological activation as a result of preoccupation with work.

‘Our results showed that health and wellness rapidly increase after the start of the holiday and seemed to peak on the eighth vacation day.’

The study was small and only included 54 participants which means it may not be completely generalisable.

Respondents who took part were also aware of the study and therefore may have stressed over work commitments more than usual.

If you are planning a staycation or jetting off to the likes of Spain or Thailand, think not only of the most-cost effective length of time (you want to get your money’s worth after all), but also how likely your mind is to drift off to work.

You don’t want to be missing out on the fun and be glued to your emails now, do you?

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The bus is heading down the mountain.  I try to look out of the window but the vertical drop is proving to be a little too much for someone with vertigo.

My stomach feels like an army of butterflies have swarmed in and are marching up and down towards my throat, making my chest stop in panic.

Those pesky butterflies pop up again and again throughout my life. My heart rate increases. I get ringing in my ears, my head can go fuzzy. My stomach churns and my eyesight seems to get a little cloudy. And whenever the vehicle stops, I need to catch my breath.

I feel like I have been out at sea and it can take some time to regain my land legs.

Anyone can develop motion sickness. Caused by car, train or boat it’s a common disturbance of the inner ear that is caused by repeated motion.

Motion sickness tends to affect children from the ages of two to 12, pregnant women (although this must not be confused with hyperemesis gravidarum which is much more severe), and people who are prone to migraines.  People can be caught out from the movement of a car or turbulence in an aeroplane and the results can be horrific.

Nausea, vomiting, confusion, dizziness, panic and anxiety can all be experienced by those suffering from travel sickness.

Can anything be done that actually works?

I spoke with Arwen Bardsley, a wellbeing practitioner who delves into the broader and deeper levels of health. She’s also the founder of Evenstar Wellbeing.

‘I would recommend ginger essential oil,’ Arwen tells Metro.co.uk. ‘You can inhale it from a tissue or a car diffuser. You can also apply it topically behind your ear lobes or on acupressure points.

‘The best acupressure points to use for any motion sickness are on the inside of your wrists.

‘To find the right point, place 3 fingers on your wrist from the heel of your hand. The points are under where your forefinger lies, and between the two tendons that are really obvious when you clench your hand. Use your thumb or two adjacent fingers to apply firm pressure on these points, or apply ginger oil.’

My kids feel sick when in the back of the car and often complain of lack of air – keeping a window open where possible in a car helps (or, if you’re on a boat, heading up for fresh air).

DVD players, iPads and tablets seem to be a good idea to keep kids busy in the car and entertained but you would be much better off playing I Spy to have everyone looking out of the windows.

According to a study at the University of Minnesota, some games are more likely than others to cause motion sickness. Gamers playing in touch mode – using fingertip contact on the screen – were nearly five times as likely to get motion sickness than gamers playing tilt-control games, such as iPad racing games, that require the gamer to manually control the device. Step away from smartphones as well, grownups.

Medication can work really well for some people. Try the common over the counter suggestions from your pharmacist before heading to the GP for something stronger.

Let’s face it, anything is worth a try when suffering from the green faced lurgy.

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Is there such a thing as a ‘summer penis’?

Obviously yes, in that penises do indeed continue to exist during the summer months. But that’s not what people with penises are wondering about.

No. Those of the penile persuasion would like to know if the hot weather increases the size of their member, granting them a larger ‘summer penis’.

People have searched the term ‘summer penis’ on and off with the hot weather since the heady days of 2004 – although we can’t be sure everyone was searching the phrase for the same reason (remember back in the early noughties when you might attempt googling ‘summer penis’ for either porn or lols?).

Over on Reddit, men regularly flock to ask whether they’re imagining an increase in the size of their penis as the weather gets hotter.

The truth is, they’re not entirely imagining it. Penis size does increase as the weather gets hotter.

But it’s by such an inconsequential amount that you’d have to be doing some detailed daily penis measurements to even notice.

Think logically. When something is cold, it constricts and appears smaller – and that includes the penis. Just ask anyone who rushes to cover up in a towel after a dip in a chilly pool.

When something is hot, it swells and expands. Just as your feet get a little swollen and take up more space when it’s hot, the penis will puff up a tad, too.

Makes sense, right?

But this might only be apparent when looking at a flaccid penis, which can vary in size regardless of the weather. If you’re a grower rather than a shower, your penis could look larger because it’s at a different stage of arousal, not because it’s actually increased inside.

An erect penis, however, has its own maximum size, when the spongy tissue of the penis is entirely filled with blood. Its maximum capacity won’t increase just because it’s warm outside.

What might happen, though, is that you’re more likely to reach that maximum size in the summer months.

Urologist Dudley Danoff told MEL Magazine: ‘In ideal conditions, in a warm environment, and with appropriate stimulation, assuming arterial factors are in order (no diabetes, or old age, or neuropathy [nerve damage]), warm weather will help you achieve maximum filling.

‘It’s more likely to be filled to the max in the summertime than wintertime.’

But as we mentioned, it’s pretty unlikely that your erections have been so significantly under the full capacity of your penis that it would dramatically increase with the heat – we’re not talking an additional few inches, but just a very slight swelling.

A change in flaccid size might be more noticeable, but you’d have to be regularly checking your penis to be aware of standard fluctuations throughout the day.

Essentially, hot weather could, in theory, make your penis a touch bigger, but you’d have to be analysing it quite closely to notice. And really, why bother?

A giant penis is not necessary for sexual pleasure for you or your partner, and a few millimeters extra in girth or length is unlikely to affect your sexual performance in any way.

The intense scrutiny of penis size is just another form of unfair body standards designed to make us all feel rubbish. It doesn’t actually matter, and obsessing over your penis size, even by celebrating apparent growth, will likely give you a complex of never feeling big ‘enough’.

You don’t need to know the exact size of your penis dependent on the season, just in the same way that measuring the circumference of your stomach after every meal probably isn’t a healthy choice – bodies fluctuate, there’s no ‘right’ number or size, and learning to embrace your body at any size is likely a better use of time than measuring your body parts and comparing them to some unrealistic ‘norm’.

Summer is a hotbed for body-related insecurities already, from the pressure to look toned in a swimsuit to worrying about chub rub and tanlines. There’s really no need to add penises to the mix.

Stay chill, focus on all the joyous parts of summer that aren’t your dick size, and swap that measuring tape for an ice cream.

Oh, and if you do notice a significant, drastic increase in the size of your penis during the heatwave, that’s not cause for celebration. Head to your GP and check that the intense swelling isn’t a symptom of something more sinister. Bigger isn’t always better.

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Italian photojournalist Alessia Mamo has been criticised widely for his pictures for World Press Photo depicting Indian children in front of fake food.

His idea, ‘Dreaming Food’ is about food waste around the world but the fact that he used impoverished children for the shoot was considered unethical and exploitative, with some branding it ‘poverty porn’.

In the images, the youngsters are seen covering their faces as they stand in front of a table laden with western food like spaghetti bolognese and roast chicken.

Though the photographer has since deleted his Instagram account, World Press Photo said they would not be deleteing the images.

As India is often used as a backdrop of artistic and creative exploration, we asked some Indian people about their thoughts on the issue.

Nina, student:

‘I wouldn’t personally term the photographs “porn” in any sense, I think that term has too many sexual connotations.

‘I don’t agree with foreigners/tourists taking photos of poor people in their day to day surroundings. Surely poverty is not meant to make good art…we should try to eliminate it rather than merely capture it.

‘Of course, these photos are a way of raising awareness but the process in itself makes the concept of poverty quite unique which it is not, it’s the norm throughout a large part of the world.’

Suhash, journalist:

‘One cannot deny the ground realities that both social and economical inequalities are rising in our society, and what he has written in his introduction – the statistics and data – are by and large correct.

‘A large part of indians are not just dreaming about food, they also dream about secure shelter, education, and an average citizen life, so I don’t think the photographer was trying to stereotype Indian poverty.

‘I was not annoyed by it, I looked at it as a metaphor consciously used by the photographer, that the fake food was creating “a visual disharmony” in the pictures.

Sutirtha, documentary photographer:

‘What struck me at the first glance was the form or the visuals. The covered faces, pastoral backdrops and the “fake food”.

‘The photographs in this story have attempted to draw a comparison between the food waste in the West and the crisis in our country. In doing so, it has translated the statistics into visuals, without any regard for the intrinsic human values of the people photographed.

‘They are stripped off their agency and dignity and reduced to mere props to visualise these stats. Also, the idea of staging fake food in front of starving children for the sake of art is cruel and abusive from a humanitarian perspective.

‘What the work fails to do is explore, understand and seek the meaning of the economic and geopolitical complexities that the statistics represent. This does not engage the viewers in a conversation regarding the crisis and does nothing for the people who have been photographed.’

Nainika, activist:

‘The white gaze has long been a problem when it comes to how Indians are portrayed in the media.

‘These images reflect the white man’s gaze and need to make India look poor and, by comparison, make himself look profound and superior, it’s exploitative, racist, and downright disgusting.’

We asked World Press Photo for a comment and this was their reply: ‘We see ourselves as a platform that affords photographers the opportunity to share stories of their making and choosing, we don’t have detailed comments on the substance of the public debate.

‘We are striving in an array of programs and initiatives to have more diverse accounts of the world with different perspectives. We hope, therefore, that those with constructive comments on the series, and there are many such contributions, will continue to debate how better representations can be achieved.’

What are your thoughts?

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Fashion Nova is selling some questionable cover up sheer trousers that don’t actually cover anything up.

The trousers were advertised on the fashion retailer’s curve Instagram, where they’ve received lots of comments from confused shoppers who don’t really understand the point in them.

The sheer trousers come with ruffles on the side and are made using polyester and spandex.

They don’t sound that bad, do they? Well, they get worse.

The wide leg trousers have cut outs for your bum cheeks and your upper thighs.

The model posing in them wears them with a swimsuit, so we’re guessing this is more beachwear.

The bum cut outs don’t look all that practical – or comfortable, and they’re far too long to wear on the beach without tripping over in the sand face first.

It’s a no from us, and the people on Fashion Nova’s Instagram post agree.

One person said: ‘Dude. I love your clothes and all, but those are not even pants.’

Someone else wrote: ‘I’m done with the internet for tonight’.

And we’d have to agree. Time to log off Instagram and head into an actual shop to try on our beach clothes.

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A guy has become an Instagram sensation thanks to artwork created out of his favourite books.

James Trevino spends up to three hours gathering each book from his personal collection and carefully placing them side by side to form his masterpiece.

He creates the images using different shades and colours of books that he has previously read, to form emblems from films, TV series and cartoons.

In the past, he’s created work inspired by Harry Potter, the Marvel films, Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Pokemon and Star Wars.

The 24-year-old photographer’s home library is massive. He’s collected more than a thousand books and aims to continue to purchase them to both read and use in his Instagram photos.

James, from Romania, says a lot of his time, patience and preparation goes into arranging his pieces in order to produce the perfect shot.

He said: ‘I get my inspiration from movies, cartoons, TV series, animes.

‘I like the mythology based ones – because I am a mythology geek.

‘My passion is reading and writing – that is why I am doing this in the first place.

‘At first I posted simple pictures of whatever I was reading – then the photos got more and more complex.’

James will also regularly create landscapes out of books which appear to show him sunbathing by a pool, or acting as a magician.

They’re said to measure up to the same scale as his body.

It will take James around half an hour to physically capture the photographs, which are taken in his bedroom, snapping around 20 shots for each concept.

James also said he will often get his friend to climb on top of a chair with a camera to get the best angle for the photograph, and that the camera is often around two metres away from James’ body.

In addition to running his popular Instagram page, James co-curates My Book Features which is another Instagram page sharing photos from book lovers around the world.

He says: ‘I love having philosophical debates on different subjects on my page.

‘Nothing is more fun than a good debate.’

Take a look at some of his work below.

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Aldi is selling the most expensive steak cuts in the world for super cheap.

The supermarket has revealed you’ll now be able to find its Specially Selected Wagyu Sirloin Steak and Specially Selected Wagyu Ribeye Steak on its shelves for just £7.99.

Just to put into perspective how amazing that is, some Wagyu steaks can cost up to £500 per kilo. Madness.

While the steaks aren’t new – Aldi previously sold them before, only for them all to sell out – you’ll want to get down to your local Aldi ASAP to try them, as they’re Specialbuy, which means once the shelves are empty, they’ll stay that way.

The steaks are inspired by the famous Japanese Kobe Wagyu, which is seriously expensive.

It’s known for its distinct marbling of fat which melts as it cooks, making a really tender steak.

Aldi’s Ribeye cut is marbled with more fat than most steaks, meaning it offers a more intense flavour, while the Sirloin cut has a smaller amount of fat, making it slightly denser.

But obviously, the difference in the steaks doesn’t matter all that much – as they’re cheap enough to buy both and trial them over a couple of nights.

Complete with chips, mushrooms, onion rings and a tomato, of course.

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This heatwave is having a major effect on all of us.

We went quickly from jubilantly celebrating and drinking in the streets to complaining constantly about the tube, the dying grass, and everything else that comes as a consequence of this country actually having some sunshine for once.

But while the Vitamin D will mostly be having a positive effect on our general wellbeing, we may also find that we’re getting drowsy in the sun.

If you find yourself yawning before 3pm after a long day of laying out in the park, you’re not alone. Many of us start to drop off after spending too much time in the sun – especially if we’re not used to it. If you’re wondering just why that is, here are some of the reasons.

You’re dehydrated

Even if you’re just lying around, the increased heat will cause you to sweat and your body will lose important fluids and salt. It’s really important to keep an eye on – a slight dehydration is normal, but it can get really serious.

What can I do about it? Keep on top of it. Even before that drowsiness and the telltale headaches kick in, you’ll need to be drinking way more water than usual.

Top up your salt levels with delicious snacks and keep a 2L bottle of water right by your side to replace all those precious fluids. And if you start to really feel worse for wear, head down to A&E.

You’re drinking more

When the sun comes out we all take it as an excuse to neck as many tins of Kopparberg as our body will allow. We’ll start earlier, drinking constantly throughout the day – that’s bound to have a tiring effect, especially if we don’t drink enough water.

What can I do about it? If ‘just drink less’ is simply not an option for you, then at least be smart about it. Drink plenty of water in between tins and try to start as late as possible to avoid that mid-afternoon hangover.

You’re doing more than usual

What was a normal day for you in winter, if you can cast your mind back? Most of us spent October to April trudging to work, barely getting through the day, and then coming home only to watch TV for five hours before sleeping. In the summer, though, the possibilities are endless. After work BBQs! Pub gardens! Tennis! No wonder you’re knackered.

What can I do about it? Not much besides missing out on wholesome summer activities to go home and sleep. Just make sure you take care of yourself, eat plenty, drink water, and get enough sleep.

Your body is working hard

When you’re in the sun, your body goes through tons of changes.

Tanning, increased vitamin D, better moods, slight swelling, marginally bigger willies apparently. All of those changes are hard work as your body tries desperately to regulate its core temperature, so you can’t blame it for getting a bit sleepy.

What can I do about it? Just take good care of your body, it’s trying its best to keep everything chill during this unprecedented actually good summer. Make sure to get plenty of rest and stay hydrated and well fed.

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A maravilloso slice of Mexico has come to the coolest corner of Leicester Square this month with a Frida Kahlo-inspired Mexican brunch.

Leicester Square Kitchen is hosting the vibrant bottomless brunch, accompanied by a massive Latino soundtrack that will turn your average Saturday morning into the party of the summer.

A pisco sour or Margarita will be there to welcome you before the bottomless prosecco comes out – but this brunch is far from all about the drinks.

First course is small plates-style from the counter (yes, you can have as much as you like) and includes sea bass ceviche, heritage tomato ceviche, tostaditas of shredded crab and spicy ginger mayo or smoked tuna with tequila-lime mustard, and salads of avocado and corn or crispy duck and pomegranate with papaya.

Mains are served from the grill and designed to share. Lamb cutlets with red anticucho are succulent, tasty and arrive sizzling hot on a stone – turn and take them off when they are done to your liking.

Stone bass with crushed Andean chill lime sea salt is delicious, lightly spiced with perfectly crispy skin.

Top of our list (just taking it from the sensational lamb) is the seared 28-day-aged 6oz rib-eye steak, with cumin, garlic and coriander. One of the most flavoursome pieces of steak we’ve had in some time. If that had been buffet style, we would never have left.

What we didn’t try, but wished we had: Corn-fed chicken with garlic, oregano and aji amarillo; seared robata tenderstem broccoli, charred kale and shimeji mushroom anticucho, served in hot clay pot.

Mains are served with Mexican-spiced rice with cilantro and lime and chilli-salted black beans.

Pudding is a selection of three to share – you’ll be hard pressed to pick your favourite. Without spoiling any more of the surprises, the theme is very much light, fresh and fruity: lime, coconut sorbet, berries and mango.

Oh – and it’s all beautiful and highly photogenic. Even those who are so over food photos will find it hard to resist a snap.

We added a few Modelo beers to take us back to sunny days in Mexico City. If we hadn’t, the bill would have come to £50 per person with a Pisco Sour or Margarita and bottomless prosecco.

The Clasico option is £35, with the welcome cocktail only. For £60, you can upgrade the full experience to champagne instead of prosecco.

Expect to see people dancing as the DJ brings out every Latino classic you’ve ever loved and many to add to your playlist.

Shazam at the ready…

The brunch comes as part of the hotel’s partnership with the V&A, where the hit new exhibition Frida Kahlo: Making Her Self Up is on until 4 November. The brunch runs from this Saturday 28 July and every second Saturday until 3 November.

From £35/£50/£60 per head from 12.30pm – 4.30pm.

Find it at Leicester Square Kitchen, 31-36 Leicester Square, WC2H 7LH. Telephone 020 7666 0902 or email reservations@leicestersquarekitchen.co.uk. Visit leicestersquarekitchen.co.uk for more information. 

Meghan Markle’s sunglasses stole the show as she embraced the scorching sunshine at the Polo today.

The 36-year-old turned up to the Sentebale Polo 2018 match at the Royal County of Berkshire Polo Club on Thursday. to support her husband Prince Harry, who was playing.

And while she was avidly watching Harry on the grass, all eyes were focussed on Meghan’s outfit – most notably her sunglasses.

She looked effortlessly casual in a stunning Carolina Herrera denim dress.

But it’s her cat eye sunglasses that are likely to be the piece that fans scramble to snap up before they sell out.

The shades are by American fashion designer Tom Ford and the good news is, they’re on the affordable spectrum, if you’re the type to splash a couple of hundred on a pair of sunnies.

You can get your hands on the exact same pair of sunglasses – which are called Tom Ford’s cat-eye acetate and gold-tone sunglasses – for £220.

And they’re still in stock online now, so hurry!

If £220 is too much to protect your eyes, however, high street chain Accessorize do a virtually identical pair of Honey Premium Cat Eye Sunglasses for a mere £15.

Meghan’s Carolina Herrera dress is somewhat more pricey, at £2,357.

Meanwhile, her clutch bag is by J. Crew and costs a bargain £88 – definitely affordable if you want to snap some of Meghan’s style up.

Meg completed her look with nude Aquazzura stilettos which cost £500.

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Exactly 100 homeless people were given disposable cameras to capture life on the streets of London.

Stunning photos were taken over five days, showing Brits watching the football and making the most of the hot weather..

Now, 20 photos have been chosen as finalists to be voted on by the public to get a chance of getting into the 2019 MyLondon calendar.

More than 200 pictures will go on sale at an exhibition in the Spitalfields Arts market for a week on Monday.

The project is now in its sixth year and participants in the project have earned more than £150,000 from selling their photos.

They were taken for the annual MyLondon project which now has similar schemes to help homeless people in other cities

Take a look at the 20 photos chosen as finalists:

Dr Michael Pritchard, executive director of The Royal Photographic Society, has supported the project, which has been run by social enterprise Cafe Art, since it started in 2013.

He said: ‘Café Art has found an innovative way to use photography to support and empower the homeless to change their own lives for the better’.

Cafe Art Director Paul Ryan, 52, said: ‘The project has been very successful in helping give participants a sense of self-worth by giving them confidence they are able to go further.

‘There’s a range of photographers – some people are still sleeping rough, others are in hostels and others have been rehoused.

‘It’s a simple project – we produced a calendar and it sells like the Big Issue with the money from it funding the project.

‘It gives people self-esteem so they can go ahead with their lives – being homeless is something that is stressful and people lose confidence so this is a way of getting it back but it’s also that they can earn money for their creativity.

‘We have people involved in the project who we can now employ so the money we raise from this can go back into it.

‘This year we’ve got a lot of photos of flags.’

Paul adds that through the photos, he saw anti-Brexit marches, the People’s March, and a lot of English flags and Union Jacks.

He continued: ‘I like one of a dog wearing a Union Jack scarf and shades. It was taken in the People’s March.

‘The project has inspired other projects around the world and we have connected Fujifilm with partner projects in many cities, including Budapest, Sydney, New Orleans and Toronto.

‘This year we helped set up MyBrighton & Hove and their calendar will launch at the same time as our one in October.’

If you’d like to go and see the photographs in person, the exhibition runs from Monday 30 July to Sunday 5 August in Spitalfields Arts Market from 10am to 5pm.

The market is also providing space for artists who have been homeless alongside being offered mentoring by regular market traders.

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A woman who’s obsessed with the 1950s has quit her job to become a housewife for her husband.

With her collection of 50s dresses, antique brooches, elegant hats and dainty gloves, Jemima Collins, 28, has recreated the forgotten era.

Jemima, who quit her job as a government worker, is married to 29-year-old engineer Jack. The couple live in Brisbane, Australia.

Jemima is so obsessed with the 50s lifestyle that she’s taking time out from her criminology career to take pride in leading the true lifestyle of a 1950s housewife.

Although she admits she attracts lots of inquisitive stares from people curious about her fashion sense, she doesn’t care what others think.

She said: ‘I love being a housewife. People might say that I’m going against feminism but it’s entirely my choice.

‘My husband and I have traditional roles in the home. My job as a housewife is to look after the home and he goes out and works.

‘It might not be for everyone, but it is what works for me. It’s totally my choice and it makes me happier than I’ve ever been.

‘I’ve always been really drawn to that period of history, and I adore the fashion from the 1950s.

‘I take great pride in what I wear, and it makes me feel amazing, beautiful and confident when I’m dressed in my vintage clothes.

‘People will often stare at me when I’m walking down the street or having coffee in a café. They probably haven’t seen anyone dressed like me very often as it’s so different to what other women my age will wear.’

Jemima got rid of all her ‘modern’ clothes after losing 30kgs (4st 10lbs) – including all her jeans, crop tops, yoga pants and hoodies – so she could start afresh with a collection of classic vintage pieces from a long-gone era.

And her clothes weren’t the only thing to get an old-fashioned makeover, with Jemima collecting timeless antique pieces and traditional homewares to beautify her home.

She said: ‘I didn’t always dress like this. I used to be really overweight as a teenager. I was close to 100kg (15st 10lbs) and didn’t have any sense of style – I just dressed in whatever I could to cover up the parts of my body I didn’t like.

‘I’ve now lost over 30kg (4st 10lbs) and feel fantastic. When I lost the weight it was amazing, but then I had to figure out what my fashion sense really was.

‘When I walked around the shops, all I could see was this modern fashion and none of it appealed to me.

‘I tried lots of different clothing styles, but I kept getting drawn to the 50s fit-and-flare dresses. I love that silhouette.

‘Online shopping really opened this world of vintage fashion up to me. I couldn’t believe the incredible pieces I found.

‘They often have deceased estate auctions online where they just sell a lot of the possessions from someone who has passed away. You’ll find loads of amazing vintage clothes and accessories that you just can’t find anymore, like brooches, gloves and hats.

‘Second hand stores are always a great place to find old-fashioned pieces too. But I try and keep my shopping at a minimum, and only buy things that I know I will wear.

‘My oldest piece I own is a dress from the 1940s. I absolutely adore it, and it’s amazing to be able to breathe life back into it.

‘Now I have less than ten outfits I really love, and they’re all vintage or vintage-inspired pieces. I don’t own any jeans, crop tops, yoga pants or hoodies.

‘It feels right. I feel like I’ve found myself and like I was made for this era. I’ve never felt better.’

Jemima said she takes pride in being a good housewife – and although it may appear to ‘go against the women’s liberation movement’ it is entirely her decision.

She loves dolling herself up every morning no matter where she is going – and enjoys making each day ‘extra special’ by sipping her tea from a cup and saucer, while setting her dinner table with fancy vintage china every night.

She said: ‘I love the simple pleasures of using a cup and saucer instead of a mug for my tea or setting the table with the fancy china collection. It’s makes every day a bit more special.

‘I also have doilies all over my house, which you don’t really see anymore. But I love them.

‘I really believe in the psychological element of fashion. What you wear totally affects how you feel and sets the tone for the entire day.

‘I get dressed up every morning in my vintage dresses, and pop on my pearls and lipstick because it makes me feel confident and beautiful. I love wearing my hats and gloves too, it’s fun and it makes me happy.

‘People will see me and say ‘where are you going? Who are you all dressed up for?’. But the point is that I do this entirely for myself. I don’t care what others think.

‘A lot of older people will come up to me and tell me they had a dress just like mine when they were younger or tell me how much they admire my brooches or hats. It’s incredible to think I’m keeping that era alive for them.

‘Even if I’m just staying at home all day or running a few errands at the grocery store, I will always make an effort with my appearance because that is what makes me feel good.

‘It’s something that has been lost over time, which is a real shame.’

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Rihanna’s makeup line Fenty Beauty could do no wrong it seemed; the brand went from strength to strength for its inclusive range of colours and for championing diversity.

And earlier this month she added a new line Moroccan Spice which many were excited about.

But a lot of people felt the new line featuring an eyeshadow palette, ‘flyliner’, and a primer was part of a range that was essentially ‘Orientalist’

In the promo video, models – none of whom were Moroccan – were used, accompanied by vaguely Arab music, and even a camel was shown in the desert imagery.

The names of the new products also irked a lot of otherwise content customers; Souq it 2 Me, Nuts n Dates, and Shisha Smoke.

Such imagery and perceptions are stereotypical of middle eastern and north African culture and many felt the brand should have at least included Moroccan models or attempted to be more authentic.

Writer Ruqaya Izziden felt the campaign was appropriation. Writing in The New Arab, she said: ‘The Moroccan Spice does nothing to acknowledge true Moroccan culture. Instead it cracks cheap puns that betrays Fenty’s lack of understanding or research on North Africa while benefiting from the on-trend Arabian imagery that clearly lacks any input by Moroccans.

‘In fact, Fenty Beauty isn’t even available in Morocco. If taking advantage of (inaccurate) Moroccan imagery for commercial gain is not appropriation, then I don’t know what is.’

A lot of people on social media defended the singer’s line. One wrote: ‘An orientalist uses and manipulates culture in an attempt to distort and create a power differential between themselves and the other. In this context, “Moroccan Spice” isn’t a politically motivated tool. it’s a spice’.

While another wrote: ‘There are black people in Morocco… have you stopped to think that maybe one of the models have a Moroccan background. You seem to think that Moroccans only look “Arab”.’

Most people did receive the latest line positively and praised the brand for its glittery earthy tones.

We’ve reached out to Fenty Beauty for comment, and will update this article if we hear back.

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Have you ever wanted to be just completely and utterly alone on holiday?

Well, if you fancy taking that to the extreme, you might be up for Shipwreck Lodge, accommodation built just for that purpose by African travel experts Natural Selection.

Shipwreck Lodge is for people who watched Lost and thought actually, that seems alright, maybe that’s how far from the office I need to be to be relaxed.

Located in Namibia, Shipwreck Lodge is in the remote north western region and is designed to resemble the shipwrecks that litter the Skeleton Coast. It’s the only luxury accommodation within the National Park, a spooky place with dunes, plains, and bleached whale bones amongst over a thousand ships.

The accommodation itself is stunning and well worth the trip, but the surrounding area isn’t as desolate as you might think. It’s home to a wildlife habitat that includes endangered species like the desert elephant and brown hyena. Here you can also find the only other viable lion population in Namibia outside of the Etosha National Park.

Worried you’ll get bored? You can hang out with the animals, climb the dunes, visit the Clay Castles, go fishing, explore, see the local flora and succulents, then come home and enjoy wood-burning stoves and thick blankets to keep out any chill.

If you’re interested in staying at Shipwreck Lodge, check it out here and see more photos below.

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If a regular sauna was a bit too relaxing for you, have you tried the dizzying combo of vertigo and being really hot?

This ‘sauna gondola’ is apparently one of Finland’s most important contributions to the world, and it’s definitely a weird one.

The world’s one and only cable car sauna will start at the top of Ylläs Mountain and take people down in a 20 minute tour – in a special sauna gondola lift.

It takes 3-4 people at a time, and the rest of a 12 person group can wait for their turn while enjoying another sauna, showers, fireplace, and an outside jacuzzi.

The cost is pretty steep – 1350 euro for a two hour experience – but it’s something you’ll find nowhere else in the world. They take reservations one week in advance ideally but occasionally have shorter notice.

The Ylläs 1 Gondola is completely unique, and if you’re not scared of heights, you might really enjoy swaying and taking in the sights while sweating it out.

Find out more about the ‘sauna gondola’ and book tickets on their website.

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A studio flat in the former home of the only journalist to win the Victoria Cross has just gone on the market for £950 per week.

Yes, nearly £1,000 a week for a studio flat is a lot of money. But it’s been described as one of the finest available thanks to its stunning original features and recent refurbishment.

At £50,000 per year, it is also one of the most expensive – costing around the same as a six-bedroom farmhouse in the middle of the Surrey countryside.

Regardless, the property has been described as the ‘perfect pied-a-terre’.

The first floor of the apartment has an open plan living and dining area, a guest shower room and a modern kitchen which can be partitioned via the glass and aluminium pocket doors.

The mezzanine floor, which overlooks the living space, has the bedroom, walk-in wardrobe, bathroom and a library.

The apartment at Lancaster Gate, near Hyde Park in central London, was once home to Alexander Murray, the Eighth Earl of Dunmore – Viscount Fincastle – who was a war correspondent with The Times in the late 19th Century.

Viscount Fincastle, an Old Etonian, worked as a war correspondent at the same time as he was a lieutenant in the British Army while posted in India from 1895-1897.

During the fighting at Nawa Bali, in Upper Swat, Viscount Fincastle and six men went to the rescue of Lieutenant R. T. Greaves, who was lying disabled after he was shot.

The brave soldiers, who were under heavy and close fire, went to rescue Lieutenant Greaves but during the operation the injured officer was shot again and killed.

Viscount Fincastle was the first journalist to publish his dispatches from the campaign – beating a young Winston Churchill.

His heroics were honoured with the Victoria Cross. He went onto fight in the Second Boer War in South Africa and later received a Royal Victorian Order for services to the Prince of Wales.

He died in 1962 aged 89 and remains the only journalist to have been awarded the Victoria Cross.

Viscount’s old property has now been put up for rent with Kay & Co for £950 per week, which works out at £49,500 per year and makes it one of the most expensive studio mezzanines on the market.

Sarah Bikhit, marketing manager at Kay & Co, said: ‘This apartment is visually stunning and is a prime example of space being cleverly utilised, as it has extraordinarily high ceilings and full height windows which allow light into the open plan living area.

‘The high specification, luxury finish leaves nothing to be desired making this apartment the ideal bolt hole or pied-a-terre.’

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Although I come across as a massive cynic, deep down, I wonder if somewhere out there is the perfect match.

Then I came across him. Eyes the colour of chocolate, he looked like he was in decent shape, and his picture radiated kindness. I pictured us lounging around on my sofa, grabbing a drink, and going for walks in the park.

But I never got to find out if he was the one because Muffin’s damn owner didn’t bother to reply to my message.

Yes, you heard that right: owner. I’m not referring to a dominatrix app: I’m talking about BorrowMyDoggy, which I decided to try instead of Tinder.

Tinder isn’t quite the devil everyone makes it out to be, but it can whack all the optimism of dating out of you. First, there are the profiles themselves ranging from a list of do’s and don’ts like the person is ordering off Uber Eats to frankly unacceptable pictures of someone in a gimp mask.

Once you match with someone reasonable, there’s a game of chicken to see who messages first. This follows no discernible logic or reason: you have a melee of people who message, don’t message and even if you manage to exchange a few texts, don’t get cocky – it can fizzle out faster than a wet firework.

After two months of re-entering the Tinder stratosphere, I was ready to leave.

Not just exhausted by the stop-start nature of messaging, it was a combined effort of a mammoth week in which a guy asked if I wanted to go swinging (and no, he didn’t mean the playground in Victoria Park), a divorced guy who cancelled our first date because he wasn’t over his ex, and the final straw, an opening line that said: ‘You look hot, like Pocahontas.’

Like a lot of people on Tinder, I don’t know what I want. I wasn’t up for a full-on relationship, but I knew I was done with this type of fleeting, lacklustre interaction.

To create a meaningful connection, I had been flirting with the idea of getting a puppy, but a combination of two factors put me off.

First, puppies are time intensive and would scupper any travel plans for the next 12 months. Second, my family staged a dog intervention because they were worried I’d get one without thinking it through. The intervention, unsurprisingly, was as palatable as a dry dog biscuit, but they did have a point.

So a good middle ground seemed to be BorrowMyDoggy, the service that connects dog owners with dog lovers who don’t have their own pets. You can do a meet and greet, take them for walks and even look after them while their owners are away on holiday. I would have my pick of the fluffiest dogs with none of the responsibility; we’d go for walks and fall in love.

Except, after signing up, things were getting a touch deja vu.

After not hearing back from Muffin, I got a bit paranoid. Was my profile picture a bit duff? No, I looked respectable – not the sort to dog-nap or let them prematurely off the lead. My profile also revealed I’d had experience with dogs before – I was a top candidate.

After feeling a bit dejected, I rallied internally and went back online. This time, Charlie caught my eye. Apparently, Charlie was a dreamboat and loved snuggling. He was partial to tummy rubs, and men pissed him off which to me, was a brilliant security device against catcallers in the park.

After sending a message to his owner, I went to Sainsbury’s and actually permitted myself to cruise past the dog aisle. One of those balls would be in Charlie’s imminent future, I was sure of it.

Except….I didn’t hear back, until six days later, when his owner asked if I had experience with dogs. I wanted to write: ‘have you even read my profile IT’S ALL IN THERE’. But instead I said yes, I do have experience, when can I meet him.

I can only presume Mary has broken her fingers since she hasn’t responded to my message. To add salt to the wound, I kept getting enticing ‘there are new dogs in your area’ – something Tinder does when it’s trying to trick you into opening it.

I clicked on it anyway, to find the same deja vu because the enticing new dogs were not enticing; they were also further away from my house than I wanted, all of which amounted to too much effort.

In the midst of this, Reena, who I had never so much as met, messaged me to ask if I’d want to look after her dog for a week. Basically the equivalent of a guy who can’t be arsed with the delicate dance of a date and just invites himself to your house to get down to business.

‘I’m afraid not,’ I replied, haughtily, ‘as myself and Mr Pickles are not acquainted with each other.’

Just as I was about to give up, I asked a friend of mine who I knew had success with BorrowMyDoggy. She said: ‘It was a bit like using a dating app, in as much as it’s a bit of a numbers game. I spent ages searching and perving on dog photos – I realised I definitely have a type, small and curly haired.

‘Then it was time to make my move. I copied and pasted the same opening line, complimenting on how cute the owner’s dog was and then asked to dog-sit. I got a few replies and then organised a dog date with Roddy, an adorable cavapoo puppy. I instantly fell in love and am hoping to organise another date soon.’

Inspired by this, I messaged the owner of Mr O as a last ditch effort. But this time, I wasn’t putting all of my puppies in one basket – I also switched on Tinder to see which I could organise sooner: a date or a dog meet-up.

In the coming week, I have a date with both of them, and it has made me think about my overall experiment. BorrowMyDoggy may share some of the characteristics of a dating app, from the unpredictability of messages to waggling gorgeous puppy pics to lure you in, but it’s also promising greater odds of a better connection.

Whichever dog I end up connecting with, I know it’s not going to be awkward, I won’t have to worry about it asking me if I like swinging or being stood up.

So for now, I know which of the two meet-ups I’m more looking forward to. (It’s the dog, of course it’s the dog).

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When I first saw the article about Lewis Bailey being banned from performing his drag routine at his school talent show, I was absolutely shocked. This turned to anger when his mum revealed that the school’s actions had ‘knocked his confidence to zero.’

The school’s reasoning being was that he is under 18 and it’s ‘not age-appropriate for either the learner and for the intended audience’. This is absolutely crazy.

Denying a talent within a talent contest is purely bizarre.

I feel it would have been beneficial to the young audience of Lewis’ school to show his act, as it would have opened their eyes to the world of drag and enabled them to learn the importance of someone’s individual creativity.

Everyone is different and you should be proud of who you are.

As soon as I read what had happened I approached Nathan Stone, The Creative Director of The MJR Group and the creator of DragWorld, and told him we needed to get Lewis at our convention, because I wanted Athena to be able to perform her routine in front of a safe and all-inclusive environment.

I reached out to Lewis directly with an invitation to Dragworld and he was overjoyed – this is an excellent opportunity for him to perform at the largest drag convention in the UK.

I was so pleased when he said yes, because I was concerned that his confidence would have been knocked to the point of no return.

The vibe within the room during last year’s convention was electric and we can only assume this year will be even more exciting!

I also revel in the irony that, by denying Lewis his drag and therefore, his individuality, the school have thrown him onto a path that may in fact lead to stardom.

Hopefully, his peers take encouragement from this and are nudged into embracing and celebrating who they are, no matter what others think.

Shortly after the school announced Athena Heart was banned from the talent show, eight other performers dropped out in protest.

As DragWorld is a popular event with a lot of media coverage, we consider it crucial that we project our positive message for our love of the world of drag.

Suppressing an individual’s creativity is unacceptable and we need this platform for those who have overcome adversity or prejudice, a place where they can shine.

This is all the more important during such a politically turbulent time.

Drag offers the opportunity to allow and celebrate freedom of expression and, due to the huge sense of community within it, DragWorld is the perfect place to do this.

I’m so pleased Lewis will have the opportunity to meet his idols such as Alaska, Courtney Act and Violet Chachki. He’ll even be slaying the stage alongside them in the catwalk finale.

Even though his school does not recognise the people who inspire him, it doesn’t make their impact on his life any less valid.

I’m really looking forward to Athena’s performance and I wish her the best of luck.

Click here to find tickets to DragWorld UK on 18 and 19 August.

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