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The Essentials: 10 Questions ; Sion Evans, Manger of the Harbour Club at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Liverpool

Philosophy of life: Have the most fun you can, be thankful for the life you have and love your friends and your family as they are always there for you. Idea of happiness: A loving partner and family. Biggest regret: Never haveregrets, as it's easy to have them with hindsight and at the time it seemed like a good thing to do! Best advice ever given: Alwayscommunicate with your customers before they communicate with you. Most memorable moment: Finding out I was having a baby! Ideal weekend: A ...

The Essentials: Ice Cream Memories

DO you remember enjoying an ice cream cone as a child? Was the dripping cone an occasional treat enjoyed on trips to the seaside or did the ice cream van make regular trips past your house? Reminiscing about the past with friends, family and those with similar memories has always been an enjoyable way of whiling away the hours, but now there's evidence to suggest that it also does you some good.

The Essentials: Bathrooms

The Essentials: Westlife

Esther Wltm -- But Who Dare Date Her? ; Esther Rantzen Is Laying Her Private Life Bare for Reality Tv, Writes Sarah Waterfall

REALITY and make over shows are pretty standard TV fare these days. What's not particularly usual is to find a well-known TV face taking part in what tends to be very revealing television.

A Family Home in Victorian Elegance ; Sally Jones Views a Family Home in Freshfield

LOCATED in a prestigious residential area, this Victorian detached residence is an ideal family home. The accommodation briefly includes a Victorian-style entrance porch, entrance vestibule, hall, two front reception rooms, dining room with study off, beautifully appointed kitchen/diner, conservatory, utility room and granny flat on the ground floor. The granny flat contains an en-suite bathroom. At first floor level there are four bedrooms, three with ensuite, and a separate shower room.

Finding a Man Wasn't so Easy ; Sarah Waterfall On How Esther Rantzen Is Learning to Live Again

REALITY and make over shows are standard goggle-box fare these days, but what is more unusual is finding a well-known on-camera face taking part in very revealing television. Enter former That's Life's front-woman, Esther Rantzen.

Overheard

KYM Marsh, who shot to fame on ITV's Pop Idol when she was recruited for the successful but short-lived band Hear'Say, is regretting having had a tattoo on her arm. It's fine when she's not working but can be a distinct inconvenience when she is.

Wipedout: A Whole Generation of Brave Young Men ; Gareth Bicknell Talks About One Terrible War with One Famous Soldier Who Experienced Another's Horrors First Hand and Lived to Tell the Tale -- Just

THERE was nothing great about the so-called Great War, says Falklands hero Simon Weston. Except that is, for the sacrifices made by the millions who lost their lives during the war that was supposed to end all wars, and the many more whose lives were blighted by permanent injury or mental scarring after the conflict.

Batchelor, Boy! ; He's Young, Good-Looking and Got a Great Job. Is That All? Asks Gareth Bicknell

WITH boyish good looks, an athletic physique and a much sought- after job in the money-spinning world of television presenting, Alun Williams is definitely a "catch". Alun, from Rhuddlan, was named the second most eligible single man in Britain back in April after strutting his stuff in front of 1, 000 adoring women at the Company Magazine Bachelor of the Year Awards.

You Said It . . . Quotes of the Week

He gets abused in the street all the time. One old man tried to batter him with his walking stick" -- Jacqui Jobson, whose husband Howard is a John Prescott lookalike. I dreamt I was being chased by this wild beast. When I asked someone what it meant they said it was about running away from my own power" -- Actress Joely Richardson.

Soapbox . . . ; (Week Beginning Monday, August 2)

NEIGHBOURS (BBC1) Toadie returns to Ramsay Street, but Sindi keeps her distance after deciding not to compete with his memory of Dee. Lyn warns Susan about the dangers of falling for Tom, but she ignores her friend and tells the priest how she feels about him. Izzy's plot for Karl to diagnose her pregnancy appears to work. EASTENDERS (BBC1) Den refuses to make amends with Chrissie and leaves Ian in no doubt about his chances with Kate. Pauline takes the ageing Lothario to task about his treat...

People: Movie Prince Seeks a Fresh New Direction ; Will Smith Is Done Saving the World. Now He's Looking Forward to His First Romantic Lead and Making More Music.

JUST when you think you've seen all there is to see of the prolific Will Smith, he proves there's plenty more to whet the appetite, particularly for his legion of female fans. The multi-talented star is set to get pulses racing with his latest movie I, Robot, opening on August 6, which features his very first nude scene.

Food & Drink: Anglesey Angle to Old Favourite

I FIRST made these fritters when I was an apprentice in Cambridgeshire at the Old Bridge Hotel in Huntingdon. In those days, they were made from Gruyere cheese alone and we served them with a cooked tomato sauce. They were served on the informal terrace menu and they were very popular.

Food & Drink: Wine

FASHIONS come and go and it's no different with wine. Chardonnay was the star of the show a few years ago, but now it seems to be on the wane to such an extent that anything but Chardonnay is what we want. It's all a fad, of course, because Chardonnay makes some of the best wines in the world. The dissatisfaction is probably the result of a glut of rather samey Chardonnay, that has left people looking for something a bit more interesting.

Antiques: Life and Times of a Comic Genius ; Christopher Proudlove Looks at the Legacy Left by Edwardian Artist Harry B Neilson

A COUPLE of weeks ago, I wrote in passing about eccentric Edwardian artist Harry B Neilson -- the man who painted those charming watercolours of foxes dressed as hunts men riding foxhounds. As far as I was concerned, the artist was something of an unknown. I said I intended to learn more about him and added that I would appreciate hearing from any reader who could help me give Harry his rightful place in the roll call of gifted local artists whose lives and work should be memorialised.

Antiques: Animal Magic That Bemused and Delighted in Equal Measures

Harry Neilson's ability to put animals in human poses and situations was uncanny. This, coupled with his skill as a draughtsman, makes his sketches and watercolours both compelling and enduring. No one is better equipped to explain the phenomenon than Harry himself. The following was probably used as a foreword to one of his children's books.

Homes: Great Outdoors ; Gabrielle Fagan Looks at the Endless Possibilities -- From Cheap to Chic -- For Outdoor Entertaining

THERE'S something special about summer entertaining. You can be spontaneous and offer friends and family an easily-prepared salad and chilled drinks, so without any trouble, meals become occasions. That relaxed, attractive informality should be reflected on the table. In the summer, you can have fun with table settings, and inexpensively make them the star of the show.

Homes: Aristocratic Flagship ; Abigail Hughes Is an Admiring Visitor to the Grandiose Glascoed Lodge in Bodelwyddan

I MAGINE being the king -- or queen -- of your very own castle. Flying Wales's flag -- or perhaps even a flag bearing your family crest -- from a turret overlooking rolling countryside and seascapes. Or simply taking time out after a busy day by climbing up to the top of the turret and enjoying the views with a glass of wine.

Books: Turn Rabbit Food Into a Thumper of a Meal

SUMMER without salads would be as likely as strawberries without cream. But there's no need for them to be predictable or boring and those who simply regard them as food fit only for dieters or rabbits should stand by their salad bowls and get ready for a surprise. There's such a huge variety of exciting ingredients and zingy flavours to choose from nowadays that salads need no longer be relegated to the sidelines of the meal.