Innehållsförteckning för July 2025 från Platinum

“So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good night... I hate to go, and leave this pretty sight,” sang the von Trapp children in The Sound Of Music. But leave I must (and yes, I’ll probably use that song on Instagram with a round up of all my covers). Having edited not one but two – and for a time, three! – magazines over the past two years, I’m relinquishing Platinum so I can focus purely on Top Santé, which I’ve edited for a decade. I’ve truly loved Platinum and its broad spectrum of topics, but the workload has been relentless – and when the schedule changed so both press days fell on the same day, it added that extra bit of pressure. With a young son who still very much needs…

Staying healthy, to the best of your ability, is massively important at any age. We don’t know what’s around the corner. Bad health could affect any of us and so I’ll always do as much as I can to stay healthy for as long as possible. Unfortunately, a lot of people who are older, and who are not healthy, have made lifestyle choices that haven’t improved their lives. We have one life and it’s not selfish or self-obsessed to be health conscious. It’s our duty to everybody who depends on us to look after ourselves to stay as healthy as we can for as long as we can. What we eat is one of the biggest problems. You should look at food and think, “Is this going to improve or…

There are a rare brave tribe of women who fearlessly step out to face the world attired in a kaleidoscope of vibrant colours and wildly unique outfits every day. I am perpetually in awe of these women whose style is flamboyant, wild and audacious. But this spirited approach to dressing is, and always has been, too outré for me. Most of us are likely to tread a more subdued, subtle and conventional approach to dressing. But perhaps there is a middle path: taking a pinch of that zest and infiltrating it into our more restrained low-key style. The chances are that weaving a jolt of colour into your existing wardrobe may add a freshness to older items. And if we can’t have a few valorous moments as we age, then…

By my mid-30s, I had almost given up on my dream of becoming a competitive racing sailor. After becoming the youngest person at the time to get my sailing qualifications at the age of 19, I’d already sailed 150,000 miles around the world by the time I was 22. But it’s fair to say I spent the first 16 years of my sailing career bouncing around, always looking for a door to open so I could break into ocean racing. Growing up in a landlocked county with no sailing community around me, I got all my inspiration about round-the-world races from magazines. At the time, there was the Whitbread Round The World Race, and all I saw was men doing it. But it never occurred to me that I couldn’t…

You’ve waited all year for your summer holiday. The heat on your back, the sea sparkling ahead, sand between your toes. You’re finally abroad – and this is the moment to drink like a local! From beachside tavernas in Greece to Spanish pintxos bars, wine is part of the rhythm of daily life. And the best bit? It doesn’t need to cost too much. A simple carafe of house wine, paired with something just-caught or just-picked to nibble on is often the highlight of the trip. In Greece, Assyrtiko is a standout wine for me – and many sommeliers now cite it among their favourite whites. Age-worthy, complex, brilliant with food – I love it from its home island Santorini, but Crete and mainland Greece are doing a great job…

Adele Parks MBE is the author of twenty-four bestselling novels, including number 1 Sunday Times Bestsellers Just My Luck and Lies Lies Lies and Kindle number 1 First Wife’s Shadow, a twisty story about a woman newly in love with a widower and metaphorically haunted by his first wife. Out now in paperback. Adele has sold over 5.5 million books in the UK editions and her novels are popular all over the world. She is dedicated to spreading the love of reading and is proud ambassador of The National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency. Keep in touch with her via X @adeleparks or instagram.com/adele_parks. IN THE FAMILY WAY by Laney Katz Becker (£16.99, HarperCollins) Ohio, 1965. Every Tuesday a group of suburban housewives meets to play cards, and share…

ADELE PARKS MBE Bestselling author Adele rounds up her top new reads, plus an extract from one of her novels. DR DAWN HARPER Author and GP Dawn on how to manage blood sugar levels and avoid diabetes. VALENTINA HARRIS Cook and author Valentina’s three recipes for al fresco summer eating. JANE MOORE Loose Women presenter Jane is bewildered over the cost of her mum’s care home. SUZY GLASKIE The health coach says volunteering not only gives to others, but can be a boost for you too. DOTTIE MONAGHAN Platinum’s beauty editor shares her favourite products for luscious lashes. LOUISE MINCHIN The TV presenter and author on finding a new passion at the climbing wall. NICK HAMILTON Gardening guru Nick checks off his list of outdoor jobs for July, with tips…

My mother has always been one of life’s savers for a rainy day. Even in her eighties, she’d insist on taking two buses to visit a friend because the fare was £20 cheaper than a direct train. ‘Mum, spend your money on making your life easier. That’s what it’s for,’ I would plead. But no. She was a war baby and frugality is her default setting. Five years ago, macular degeneration started to affect her eyesight and this, along with banks’ increasing use of new technology, led to her asking me to take over her finances. It proved a fortuitous decision because, shortly after I gained power of attorney, she was diagnosed with dementia. At first, she moved in with me. But the lack of a ground-floor bathroom, her irritation…

When I was a young girl, I would spend hours playing dress-up with my mother’s clothes. Growing up in Pretoria, South Africa, there wasn’t a lot of high fashion on offer, but that didn’t stop me trying to create some of the looks from Cosmopolitan and Fairlady magazines I’d save up to buy each month. As we get older, our lives become driven by routines and function, so naturally there is less time to play dress-up. But that changes for you now. There are lots of ways you can get outfit inspiration: Instagram, friends, magazines, observing a stylish passerby, to mention a few. Where you get your fashion inspiration from doesn’t matter, what’s important is that you get some, as it’s going to help you to create new and fresh…

We’re excitedly working our way through all the products that have been sent in for the 2025 Platinum Magazine Beauty Awards. Almost every day sees the launch of a new wonder product or tool, existing ones having a revamp, or an old forgotten favourite popping up again. At Platinum we never underestimate the importance that skincare, haircare and make-up play in our everyday life and how getting it right or wrong can affect our confidence and mood over the day. That is why I’ve put together an incredible panel of expert judges to bring their expertise to testing out haircare, skincare, make-up, fragrances and gadgets. And 2025 sees an even larger panel of experts but with some familiar faces. This year’s panel is made up of a group of Platinum…

There is no end to how honey can elevate flavour in food and beverages. Since ancient times, honey has been used to sweeten food and wine, to preserve foods from spoilage, and to moisten baked goods. A distinct, unique enhancement, honey, which continues to be used in every country, can be a healthier substitute for sugar. Its multitude of flavours will also enhance or even change the flavour of the foods it is paired with. Generally, darker, richer honeys will add a more distinctive flavour than light honeys. Also, honey is sweeter than granulated sugar, due to the fructose, requiring less for the same amount of sweetness. Honey pairs well with both savoury and sweet foods. Acidic, with a pH ranging from 3.4 to 6.1, it can tenderise meat, fish…

When you think of the Maldives, does it conjure up images of newlyweds? It does for most, but while it is indeed a romantic destination for couples, it’s not all adults-only resorts. Of the 240-or-so tourist islands, plenty cater for families including the Sun Siyam Resorts group of five Maldives resorts (one of which is adults only) including the relatively new Siyam World, which opened in 2021, with family fun right at the centre of their offering. Siyam World truly is an adventure playground for families and, since opening in 2021, has redefined the Maldivian holiday experience. The 54-hectare island – the largest of any Maldives resort – houses 470 villas, with a maximum occupancy of 1,300 guests, which dwarfs most of the islands. There’s also a huge range of…

SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 120 CODEWORD Each letter of the alphabet has been replaced by the same number throughout this grid. Use the decoded letters given to work out the identity of other letters and fill in the grid. The alphabet list and reference grid will help you to keep track of the letters you’ve decoded. WORDWHEEL You have ten minutes to find as many words as possible using the letters in the wheel. Each word must be three letters or more and contain the central letter. Use each letter once, and no plurals, foreign words or proper nouns are allowed. There is at least one nine-letter word. AVERAGE: 8 wordsGOOD: 11 wordsEXCELLENT: 14 words CELL BLOCK Fill the grid by drawing blocks along the gridlines. Each block must contain the…

I have only been climbing once in my life, and I absolutely loved it. I was invited by a hugely inspiring para-athlete, Anoushé Husain, to go to a climbing wall in North London as part of my book Fearless, Adventures With Extraordinary Women. When you watch Anoushé (who uses a wheelchair in day-to-day life) practising her favourite sport, it is mesmerising – she is as graceful and as strong as a ballerina. Her passion for climbing is infectious, and she persuaded me to strap myself into a safety harness and follow as best as I could in her footsteps to the top of the wall. Since that day I have always meant to go climbing again but never quite found the time. However, I was in Edinburgh recently and was…

Ten years ago, I wrote a book on weight management and type 2 diabetes. At the time of writing, experts were predicting that there could be as many as 5 million people in the UK living with type 2 diabetes by 2025. Here we are in 2025 and according to Diabetes UK, it is estimated that there are more than 5.8 million people living with diabetes in Britain today and 90 per cent of those have type 2, which is usually a lifestyle disease. Around about the same time as writing my book, I was working on Channel 4’s show Embarrassing Bodies and as part of immersive strands, myself and the two other presenters were put through various tests. It came as a huge surprise to me to be told…

As we move through midlife and beyond, many women find themselves asking, ‘What now?’. I see many women who feel lost and worthless after their kids have left home. They suddenly find themselves drifting without any clear purpose. Far from being a time of winding down, this chapter of your life can be your most vibrant yet. One powerful way to reignite your sense of purpose and wellbeing is by volunteering. Whether it’s pitching in at a local charity shop, serving food to the homeless, helping disadvantaged children learn to read, or mentoring a teenager, there are so many avenues to help others. And the person who benefits most could well be you! Volunteering isn’t just about doing something good in the world: it’s a wellbeing booster in its own…

Black pepper fritto misto I believe that if you’re going to bother with deep-frying, you might as well fry everything! Essentially translating as “fried mixed”, fritto misto transports me to the Amalfi Coast, and the joys of a glass of rosé and a plate of fried seafood. This makes a great dinner-party starter. I’ve gone with courgette and seafood, but you can use this batter to coat whatever you’d like to fry; try it with broccoli or even mushrooms. Serves 6 as a starterPrep 10 minsCook 15 mins ● Vegetable oil, for deep-frying● 25g plain flour● 150g raw peeled king prawns● 165g raw squid, cleaned, tubes sliced into thick rings and tentacles left whole● 1 courgette (yellow or green), sliced into half-moons 1cm (½in) thick● Small bunch of sage, leaves…

RHS HAMPTON COURT PALACE GARDEN FESTIVAL JULY 1-6, SURREY (RHS.ORG.UK) Packed with a huge array of stunning show gardens and floral displays, alongside talks, demonstrations and workshops, this annual flower show – which happens to be the world’s largest – is truly a plant lover’s paradise. With a selection of food and drink stalls, it’s the perfect place to gather inspiration for your own garden while enjoying a summer’s day out. This year’s festival theme is “Wonder” – expect feature gardens to be filled with whimsical plants, buzzing wildlife and imaginative designs!…