Daily Post

Rich Pickings ; Food&Drink Ian Parri On a Chef Who has All the Ingredients He Needs On His Doorstep

ANY chef would tell you the essence of good food is fresh produce, and you can't get any fresher than picking it yourself from the garden and popping it in the pot. John Williams, head chef at the award-winning Bodysgallen Hall Hotel on the outskirts of Llandudno, is more fortunate than most. In addition to his team of 10 chefs, he has the support of head gardener Robert Owen and his own team when it comes to selecting fresh fruit, herbs and vegetables - and that hardly without venturing out ...

Wales: Saturday Thought

WE all know that when we walk along the Oxford Street of any of our large cities all our actions on our perambulations are scrutinised by hundreds of cameras. The other day I read that security cameras are about to be augmented by security microphones that will also enable our conversations to be recorded.

Chocolate Pithiviers (Serves Four) ; Food&Drink

for the creme patissiere 250ml milk

Spill the Beans ; Food&Drink Secret to the Perfect Chocolate Pud

CHOCOLATE... I could write about how it's made, where cocoa beans grow and are processed, the number of Mexicans employed to pick the pods or how rich it is in calcium. But let's be honest, what you're really interested in is how delicious it is, how sumptuous and how wickedly seductive. And how at the time you will not give a fig how you are going to feel after you have eaten too much of it!

Wine Notes ; Food&Drink

SCANNING the shelves for bargains I sometimes reckon certain original prices have been somewhat inflated to seduce shoppers into picking up best buvs. It's guaranteed the big holes in shelves are where these cheap buys have been snapped up. I try to look for the slightly unusual, particularly areas or grape varieties less well known.

Maxi Magic ; Fashion the Dress About to Sweep the Floor This Summer

BARELY-there hemlines have made all the fashion headlines so far this season, but a new summer staple on the block is going to great lengths to buck the leggy trend. If you're not keen on parading your pins, the floor-sweeping maxi is set to be this season's statement piece. Paris Hilton, Kate Moss, Ashley Olsen and Milla Jovovich are all celebrity converts to maxi magic. Here's what's on offer for fans of the ultra-long dress...

Clwydian Skyline ; Days Out Weekend Walk

Where is it? In the Clwydian hills between Mold and Ruthin.

Walk Wales in Just a Day ; Days Out

EVER fancied walking from one side of Wales to the other in a day, taking in some of the most beautiful scenery whilst raising money for charity? If the answer is yes, then the Rotary Across Wales Walk on Saturday June 23 is the opportunity you have been waiting for. It is designed for all ages and fitness levels with four different starting points, ranging from 42 to eight miles.

Week in Erddig ; Gardening

MANY of the plants we have been growing for the summer display are now ready for planting out, but the pansies on the parterre are looking so good it would be a pity to pull them up before the bank holiday. So, this week we have spent most of our time on mowing lawns, tying in shoots on climbing plants, some hedge cutting and chipping the branches from the tree we had to fell in the garden recently.

Crop Flop ; Gardening Do Disease-Resistant Plants Really Work? By Hannah Stephenson

VEGETABLE gardeners whose crops have in the past been decimated by diseases are always on the look-out for varieties labelled "disease-resistant". But do they actually work?

Choisya Ternata (Mexican Orange Blossom) ; Gardening

What to Do This Week ... ; Gardening

Thin out annuals and vegetables sown earlier Feed established lawns

Island of Love ; Travel Sarah Batley Basks in Luxury in the Shadow of Aphrodite's Rock

CYPRUS is the island of love, so it seemed only natural to head there for our wedding anniversary - except we had our teenage daughter and her slightly older cousin in tow, as it was also school half term. But it turned out to be fine, for our choice of accommodation, the Aphrodite Hills Resort, was able to cater for every taste and age.

Late Deals ; Travel

LAKE DISTRICT Cumbrian Cottages (01228 599 960) offers seven nights' self-catering in three bedroomed sandstone cottage sleeping six from June 2 from pounds 390 - saving pounds 100. BATH Macdonald Bath Spa (0870 400 8222) offers overnight B&B for pounds 165 (Sun-Thurs) and from pounds 245 (Fri-Sat) until June 30.

Flight Offers ; Travel

NEW YORK Airline Network (0871 700 8630) offers business class Silverjet flights ex-Luton for pounds 999 in special summer sale. MANCHESTER-LARNACA www.lastminute.com (0870 443 9902) offers Cyprus Airways returns from pounds 191 until Dec 31.

Family: Box Clever ; How to Make the Tv Educational for Kids

DON'T let under-threes watch TV, say the experts. But what do you do when you need a few minutes to yourself, to make an important phone call or just get a meal ready? Should parents ration how much time their children spend in front of the screen? For many it doesn't seem damaging to let a youngster enjoy their favourite TV show, especially when there's a growing number of programmes made with them in mind.

Family: Dvds Must Be Won

WE have three sets of five new Sain DVDs up for grabs. They include Boby Bildar - Cynlluniau Bob (pounds 12.99), featuring an extended episode plus three new stories and interactive jigsaws. A favourite for more than a century, Muffin the Mule and his crazy friends find that every day is full of adventure in 10 new episodes in Myffin y Mul - Seren Wib (pounds 12.99). And children's favourite Noddy, originally created by Enid Blyton, returns for six new adventures in Nodi a'r Pecyn Rhyfedd (po...

Family: According to a Recent Documentary On C4

ACCORDING to a recent documentary on C4, Britain is becoming the most foul mouthed nation in the world - makes your chest swell with pride doesn't it? I was not a bit surprised at this information because I've suspected as much for many a long year. I don't know when the rot set in but I do know for certain foul language was never common parlance in the 1960s. Back then the f- word was considered to be an awful word and quite beyond the pale.

Overheard

Sharon Osbourne is fed up with going under the knife in a desperate bid to look youthful. Now she says it's too painful to subject herself to any more cosmetic surgery. The 54-year-old X-Factor judge has had everything from a boob job to a tummy tuck and bottom lifts.

Even Bigger Brother Is Back ; Davina Mccall Reveals Why She Is Relishing the Show's Return

It's bitchy, brash and, let's face it, downright bonkers. Yes, the outrageous reality show Big Brother is back - with more audacious, although as yet unnamed, housemates set to strut their stuff in the latest specially constructed house in Elstree, London. Back on the Big Brother bandwagon are Dermot O'Leary with daily magazine show Big Brother's Little Brother, and stalwart Davina McCall who'll be taking the hot seat for the launch, eviction shows and live finale. She'll also be hosting bran...