307 mini mag

good to know
Why it pays to have a
credit card
Make sure you get the most from your money every time you spend
By Sarah Pennells
When used sensibly, credit cards can be a shopper’s best friend,
as you get useful legal protection if there’s a problem and the
shop won’t help, and they’re a better option than a debit card if
you’re worried about fraud. But which card should you choose?
Cashback
and reward
credit cards
0% interest
on purchases
cards
Cards for
travel fans
to use abroad
Cards to help
build your
credit record
Balance
transfer
cards
Cashback and reward
credit cards give
you money or points
every time you
shop with your card.
The reward points
may be linked to a
supermarket, or give
you travel miles.
M&S Bank’s Reward
Plus card gives you
one point for every
£1 you spend at M&S
and one point for
every £5 you spend
everywhere else. All
M&S credit cards give
you preferential rates
on travel money you
buy at M&S using
your card.
If you’d
prefer cashback,
the American
Express Platinum
credit card gives
you 5% cashback
for the first three
months, then
1%. But beware,
some shops
don’t take
Amex cards.
You can get interest-free
shopping for two years
or more if you pick the
right card. Post Office
Money’s Platinum card
charges 0% interest
on purchases for 28
months, but you have to
apply for it online.
If you don’t want
to apply online,
Sainsbury’s Bank has a
similar card (also 0% for
28 months) – and there’s
a bonus of earning
Nectar points on
your spending.
Regular credit cards
charge a fee every time
you use them abroad
– typically up to 3%.
You’ll also get charged
for taking cash out
on holiday.
But some cards
– like the Halifax Clarity
credit card – don’t.
There are no fees if
you use it for spending
abroad and no fee to
take cash out – but you
will pay interest.
If you have a bad, or no,
credit history, a credit
builder card may be
useful. It charges a much
higher interest rate and
the credit limit is set low.
You must pay it off in full
each month to improve
your credit rating.
Barclaycard Initial
credit card charges
interest at about 34.9%
APR, but that should
be reduced after
12 months’ payments
on time.
Balance transfer cards
let you move unpaid
balances from your
credit card(s) to one
that charges 0%
interest. You normally
have to pay a balance
transfer fee of between
1% and 3%. Make
sure you pay off the
balance before the 0%
deal runs out.
Tesco Bank’s
Clubcard balance
transfer card charges
0% interest for 32
months, with a fee
of just 0.99% on
balances you
transfer in the
first 90 days.
n All information
correct at the
time of going
to print
pics: alamy stock photo
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The original
Princess
of Style
With a fascinating
new BBC
documentary
on the Queen’s
younger sister
just out and TV
series The Crown
returning soon
we take a look at
one of Princess
Margaret’s greatest
passions... fashion
With her trademark cigarette
holder and right, Helena
Bonham Carter striking a
similar pose in the Netflix
drama The Crown
The Princess
shows off a
sweetheart
neckline in
the Fifties
By Katharine Wootton
Decades before
the outfits of
Diana, Princess
of Wales, were
filling the
fashion magazines, there was
another icon of style in the
household of Windsor.
Princess Margaret’s
dazzling fashion sense and
tumultuous life captured the
attention of the world. Today,
16 years after her sad passing,
interest in the Queen’s sister
is again at a height, partly due
to the hit Netflix drama, The
Crown. Back for a new series
later this year, actress Helena
Bonham Carter will take
over the role of the Princess
in her middle years. At the
same time the BBC has
recently shown a two-part
documentary called Princess
Margaret: The Rebel Royal,
exploring how her life and
loves influenced the times
she lived in.
Unlike her sister who
was expected to maintain a
diplomatic image, all while
showing her support for
British designers, Princess
Margaret was held by no
such boundaries. And she
took full advantage of that.
So when the French
fashion house Dior created
the New Look in 1947, with
its cinched-in waists and
long full-bodied skirts,
Margaret immediately
became almost the poster
girl for the look.

news nostalgia
Margaret was
a regular at
Dior’s fashion
shows and even
hosted the 1958
presentation
of Dior’s winter
collection
(pictured right)
overseen by
a young Yves
Saint Laurent at
Blenheim Palace
Margaret poses for birthday
portraits wearing her
beloved Dior at ages 21 (left)
and 26 (above)
She loved the femininity
of the silhouette shape
and even referred to the
Dior dress she wore for
her 21st birthday, with its
off-the-shoulder sleeve,
applique bodice and
decadent, layered skirt,
as her ‘favourite dress of
all time’. Where Princess
and later Queen Elizabeth
wore clothes that were
practical and fit for the
occasion, Margaret loved to
experiment with fashion.
She opted for halter necks,
where her sister chose
more modest necklines,
and explored detail,
textures and sumptuous
layers upon layers of fabric
when Elizabeth preferred
something plainer.
Even in their wedding
dresses – both designed by
Norman Hartnell – there
were differences between
the two iconic outfits.
Margaret opted for a fitting,
shapely gown with a crisp
V-neckline and Poltimore
tiara, on trend for her Sixties
nuptials, compared to the
Queen’s demurer gown of
the Forties.
Dresses generally, though,
were clearly where Margaret
was most comfortable,
as she was regularly
photographed in a collection
of glamorous ballgowns,
matched with jewels, a fur
stole and her trademark long
cigarette holders. In evening
wear, the dress that really
caught everyone’s eyes was
the pink one-strap gown
with the diamond necklace
that she wore on her 26th
birthday in 1956, while
her day wear was equally
striking, such as the polka
dot dress she wore with
cat’s-eye sunglasses to the
races in Jamaica in 1955.
Moving into the Eighties
and beyond, Margaret
favoured big, bold colours,
proving that just like her
personal life, nothing was
ever beige in the world of
Princess Margaret
On the beach,
at a gala, at the
races, Margaret
always picked an
outfit that differed
from the royals’
choices, a subtle
curveball that was,
perhaps, a tiny rebellion
against the forces that had
controlled everything in her
life, down to the man she
married.
In the Seventies,
Margaret’s style entered
a new chapter as her
clothes took a tropical turn,
seemingly in response
to her regular holidays in
Mustique in the Caribbean.
She even embraced the
Seventies kaftan look, allying
herself more with the hippy
movement in a way the
Queen could never do. Going
into the Eighties and beyond,
Margaret favoured big, bold
colours, proving that just like
her personal life, nothing was
ever beige in the world of
Princess Margaret.
Interestingly, though,
it was this final chapter of
Margaret’s fashion story in
which she picked brightcoloured
two pieces for royal
engagements that she most
closely matched the fashion
choices of her sister who
has always favoured bold
block colour ensembles.
These sisters, previously
so divided in their fashion
choices, were now seemingly
in harmonious sartorial
agreement. But whatever
she wore, throughout her
life Princess Margaret proved
herself a master of elegance,
never looking less than
pristine, even during the
long period of illness before
her death, making sure that
upon her passing in 2002
she was remembered then,
and now, as the original
princess of style.
n Princess Margaret: The Rebel
Royal is available to watch on
BBC iPlayer
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PICs: getty images, Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo,
rex/shutterstock, netflix/sophie mutevelian

‘My secret to tr
As This Morning celebrates its 30th birthday,
presenter Phillip Schofield reveals what
makes him happier than anything else
He’s one of the most wellknown
and best-loved
faces on TV and could
easily spend most nights at
showbiz parties, but that’s
just not Phillip Schofield’s cup of tea. His
favourite thing is something we can all
relate to – cosying up on the sofa of an
evening with his nearest and dearest,
and watching a film or TV programme.
“My happiest moments are when my
wife, Steph, and I are at home with our
daughters, Molly (24) and Ruby (22), all
watching a movie or a TV show,” he says.
‘That, to me, is bliss.”
Do they watch the shows he presents?
“My interactive game show Five Gold
Rings is on at the moment and when
the girls are at home we do play as a
family,” he laughs. “I’ll let you in on a
secret now – Steph plays it online with
Declan Donnolly. When the show is on,
I’m normally tweeting and retweeting
pictures that people have posted, but Dec
will WhatsApp her and say, ‘Did you get
that one? What’s your score?’”
Five Gold Rings was recorded a few
months ago, leaving Phillip and ‘TV wife’
Holly Willoughby time to prepare for
the 30th anniversary of This Morning,
which falls on October 3. From the 1st,
the flagship show will host special guests,
items and surprises throughout the
week. In addition, BAFTA will honour
This Morning with a special award
and tribute event in recognition of its
continued success. And on October 2,
at 7.30pm, ITV will air a documentary
called This Morning – 30 Unforgettable
Years, telling how it became a national
institution. Narrated by Joanna Lumley,
it features landmark moments from its
archives, including its first transmission
from Liverpool’s Albert Dock. Presenting
duos Holly and Phil, Richard and Judy,
and Eamonn and Ruth will all appear and
18 YOURS n EVERY FORTNIGHT

exclusive star chat
true happiness’
will be joined by some of ITV’s biggest
stars, including Amanda Holden, Bradley
Walsh, and former TM presenter Fern
Britton. Simon Cowell, Charlotte Church
and David Gandy will reveal how the
show gave them their breakthrough
into show business, while Hollywood
heavyweights Hugh Jackman and Kate
Winslet also feature.
“I first appeared on This Morning in
1998 and only went in as a Friday deputy,”
says Phillip. “I never intended to go fulltime.
As any show, it’s had its ups and
downs, and different bosses who’ve had
varying ideas about the way in which
they want it to go. The show has changed
and adapted quickly, and has always been
great fun.”
Phillip sees himself as a custodian of
This Morning. “It’ll always be Richard and
Judy’s show, although I think I’ve been
doing it longer. But if ever I were to leave,
someone else would step in and it would
continue. This Morning is like the galleon
of TV. It sails on, so I would like to thank
the viewers for being so loyal.”
What are his most memorable
moments from the show?
“There are so many,” he replies. “But
more recently, the difference and impact
our Project 84 campaign had in raising
Happy 30th This Morning!
awareness of male suicide and mental
health was phenomenal. That was one
of our best campaigns. If we were to
add up all the letters, or messages This
Morning has received from people who
have said, ‘You’ve just changed my life’ or
‘You’ve just saved my life’, then it would
be thousands. As a show, we are always
adapting and moving with the times, and
the fact we are winning awards for our
mental health work or for the support
‘I thrive on plans going
out of the window. I
actually quite like it
when we’re left wondering,
what’s going on here?’
Phillip and Steph, with
daughters Molly and Ruby
A few of the show’s most memorable moments
n Husband and wife Richard Madeley and Judy Finnegan present the very
first show from Albert Dock, Liverpool, on October 3, 1988, promising
‘something for all the family’. This Morning moved to London in 1996.
It was felt the show needed to be in the capital to attract big names,
plus, according to Richard, ‘shoppers would sometimes wander onto
the set during filming wanting to know where Habitat was!’
n Richard oversees the first live examination for testicular cancer on
British TV.
n During the Fern and Phillip years (2002-09), the two were famous for
being helpless with laughter while on air.
n Guest Katie Hopkins and Holly Willoughby come to verbal blows
over the former’s prejudice against certain children’s names.
n After success at the 2016 National TV Awards, Phillip and Holly
appear in their glad-rags from the previous night.
we have shown the LGBT community,
makes me so proud. But there are also
so many funny moments I remember.
The time Holly and I were dragged all
over the place by our Guide Dogs in
training, the time Holly was laughing and
slowly crouched down beside me to try
to control herself! I thrive on stuff going
pear-shaped or plans going out of the
window! I actually quite like it when it’s
a little bit ‘Woah, what is going on here?’
It’s like a beam of focus. Sometimes your
focus is at a normal level and that’s your
usual presenting style and other times it
changes a gear and you think, ‘Right, now
we have to really centre ourselves here’ to
cope with whatever it is.”
Holly’s taking leave of absence from
This Morning this autumn to stand in
for Ant McPartlin and co-present I’m A
Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here with Declan
Donnelly. Would Phillip continue if she
were to leave for good?
“I can’t say what I’d do
until it actually happened.
Whether I’d decide to
stay or go, whether there
was another ‘TV wife’
out there to take Holly’s
place permanently. She
would, I have to say, be
extraordinarily difficult to
replace.” As indeed would
you, Phillip.
n This Morning celebrations
start on October 1.
n The Unforgettable
Years is on ITV at
7.30pm on October
2. Five Gold Rings
is on Sunday
evenings
19
words: Alison James. PICs: rex/shutterstock, itv

take a trip
From squirrels to stags, nothing beats the thrill of
seeing wildlife thriving in its natural habitat
– many of which can be found right here in the UK
By Gabrielle Albert
Best breaks
for
wildlife lovers
Sealife sightings
in Norfolk
Norfolk is easily the best place for seal spotting.
Home to Europe’s largest colony of grey and
common seals, its shallow waters and wide
beaches are perfect for these special creatures to
thrive. For the best views, head to Blakeney Point
Nature Reserve – a four-mile stretch of coastline
with a fantastic spectrum of wildlife, varying
landscapes, salt marshes and sand dunes. Take
a boat trip and watch large numbers of seals
lounging around. Visit between
November and December
and you may even see
adorable baby seal pups
shuffling along the sand.
n Beans Boats offers daily
trips to Blakeney Point from
£12. Call 01263 740505 or visit
www.beansboattrips.co.uk
Hawks in the Highlands
Scotland’s wildlife scene is amazingly vibrant and much of it can be
explored in The Cairngorms National Park. The breathtaking landscape of
high mountains, ancient forests, fields, moorlands and rivers provides an
important habitat for 25 per cent of the UK’s endangered animals, birds
and plants. Take your binoculars and head to the uplands where, if you’re
lucky, you can see buzzards, falcons, goshawks and (if you’re lucky) golden
eagles soaring around ridgelines in search of prey. With a careful eye, you
might also spot white hares, pine martens, wild cats, deer and badgers
– plus the UK’s only herd of wild reindeer which resides at Loch Morlich.
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Go nuts in
Yorkshire
Head to the heart of the Dales to
get close-up views of the rare red
squirrel. The Widdale Red Squirrel
Reserve in Hawes has a purpose-built
feeding area, which can be reached by
following the nine-mile Snaizeholme
Red Squirrel Trail, starting and
finishing at the Dales Countryside
Museum. The viewing area offers
great opportunities to see this
shy native species in its natural
woodland home. Autumn is
when they are most active,
gathering nuts and preparing
their drays for the winter. Keep
your eyes peeled and you can
also expect to see deer, rabbits,
other small mammals and
numerous species of birds.
Have a whale of
a time in Iceland
There are few travel experiences that have
the power to move people to tears – but
whale watching is one of them. The sight of
a whale’s fluke, or the sound of it spouting
water, can be a magical experience. Iceland
is the perfect location for seeing such a
spectacle, as its cold waters off the coast
play host to a diverse mix of marine life.
During the summer the shores become a
feeding ground for multiple species of large
marine mammals, giving visitors a chance
to observe these magnificent creatures
in their natural habitat. From April to
September, more than 20 species of whales
– including the orca, minke, humpback,
and blue whale – can be seen in the North
Atlantic and Arctic oceans on either side
of the island. Visiting in winter? Orcas and
dolphins are still around, but wrap up!
n Hauganes whale-watching tours
start from around £72
per person.
Call (354) 867 0000 or
visit www.whales.is
A stag do in
Somerset
Exmoor National Park has
been home to the regal red
deer since prehistoric times,
with more than 3,000 of them still
residing here today. Visit between
late September and November to
observe testosterone-filled stags charge
across the landscape, locking antlers to
defend territory during the rutting season.
Better still, book a seat on the Red Stag Safari for
an exhilarating off-road experience as a local guide
takes you deep into the moor to see these gorgeous
russet red animals up close. Soak up the combination
of spectacular moorland, rich oak woodland, clear
streams and dramatic coastline and, with luck,
you’ll also get to see buzzards, herons, kingfishers,
otters, foxes, hares and
semi-wild ponies on
your travels, too.
n Red Stag Safari tours start
from £38 per person. Call
01643 841831 or visit
www.redstagsafari.
co.uk
The sound
of whales
spouting
water can be
a magical
experience
– and Iceland
is the ideal
location to
see them
Go whale spotting off
the coast of Iceland and
you’ll be in for a treat
Animal antics
across the pond
For a close encounter with Yogi Bear, book a trip of a
lifetime to America’s Yellowstone National Park, which
boasts nearly 300 species of birds, six species of reptiles
and 67 species of mammals. Its lakes, valleys, canyons
and snow-capped mountains are truly awe-inspiring.
Take a wildlife safari and you’ll have the
best chance of seeing bears, wolves,
elk, moose and bison as well as the
legendary landmarks. The erupting
geysers, which shoot hot water as
high as 300ft, should not be missed!
n Brushbuck wildlife tours start
from £183 per person. Call (001) 307
699 2999 or visit www.
brushbucktours.
com
PICs: alamy stock photo
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