The Island leisure

Fergie and Andrew fall in love again

Bear on the bone served up in oldest cook book

'The Happy Wizard'

Fergie and Andrew fall in love again

The couple, who divorced in 1996, are once again sharing the master bedroom at Sunninghill Park, the marital home in Surrey which Fergie returned to once she learned the Prince had become besotted with BBC researcher Henrietta Peace.

Even more surprisingly they are spending nights in London staying at Buckingham Palace where, according to a reliable member of staff, they also share a bed.

Confirming the gossip, a royal courtier admits the Queen had made it plain to her favourite son that she does not approve of the peculiar arrangement.

‘Her Majesty has reminded Andrew of what happened before, what made him end the marriage,’ the courtier says.

According to the staff member, Prince Philip was aware that his son had rekindled the flame with Sarah when he told a journalist recently that Sarah was odd and that he deliberately avoided her.

‘I think it is certain that neither the Queen nor her consort come into contact with Miss Ferguson when she is staying under their roof. It is a very large building and the Duke of York’s quarters are not close to Her Majesty’s,’ the courtier adds.

Nevertheless, from the windows of her apartment, the Queen would no doubt have seen Andrew and Fergie strolling arm in arm.

‘It’s blatant when they’re outside,’ the staff member says, ‘they cuddle up like newlyweds.’

The news spells an end to Fergie’s intimate relationship with balding Count Gaddo della Gheradesca, whose Tuscan estate at Castagneto Carducci, near Livorno, has been a home away from home for her.

The wealthy (and married) nobelman has hinted that he is in love with the Duchess, but no one who knows Fergie believes that his passion was reciprocated.

Andrew was angry about his ex-wife’s earlier extra-marital affairs with the Texan oil baron’s son, Steve Wyatt, and his friend, balding entrepreneur Johnny Bryan. However, he showed remarkable tolerance of Fergie’s relationship with the Count, even though she was living under his roof and leaving their daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, at home for her Tuscan trysts.

A leading British celebrity, who has asked not to be named, says he was at a recent dinner party attended by the Yorks.

‘I think you can safely say they are in love again, although this time they seem to be playing it cool,’ revealed the source. ‘I believe Andrew cares deeply for Fergie and, in the past, has tried to hold on to her against the odds. Nevertheless, the Duchess’ rekindled romance with her former husband will shock Italian society circles who were expecting an engagement between the red-headed beauty and the aristocrat, more than 10 years her senior.

The Count, who spends his time playing cards, strolling through his castle’s grounds and hunting wild boar, met Fergie when she was on the rebound from an affair with Austrian tennis ace, Thomas Muster.

Fergie mastered Italian and many culinary skills to please Gaddo, fuelling speculation in Italy that they would marry.

Meanwhile, Henrietta Peace was by no means the last love in Andrew’s life before turning back to his wife. In January he let go of the former model Heather Mann a South African-born beauty, after Fergie expressed her disapproval.

Ironically, Fergie had introduced him to Heather to get a previous love, wealthy public relations girl, Aurelia Cecil - loathed by Fergie - out of his life.

Then Miss Mann blotted her copybook by letting slip that Andrew told her his father disapproved of Fergie living under the same roof. At that time the Duchess was more interested in her Count than her Prince but her pride was hurt.

According to the courtier Prince Charles has said that his brother recently ‘joked’ that he and Fergie might remarry.

Now Fergie’s public relations consultant, Kate Waddington, is denying speculation that her client is pregnant with twins, although none of those inquiring have made the Andrew connection.

Life for Fergie has always been complicated, but even she could not have foreseen this stunning twist of events.

Courtesy -New Idea

Bear on the bone served up in oldest cook book

One of the world’s oldest known printed cookery books, with 300 recipes in Latin, including ones for bear and left-over hog, is to be auctioned today. It is expected to fetch up to £6,000.

The book, De Honesta Voluptate, was written in the late 15th century. It was a best seller among the upper classes and scholars.

Its 93 leaves are bound in calf leather over wooden boards and capital letters drawn in manuscript head each section of gothic lettering. There are the remains of two brass clasps.

It is a guide to what 15th century man and woman should eat to remain healthy and prevent illness, suggesting that readers should "eat well, perhaps frugally".

Dominic Winter, a specialist book auctioneer, who is handling the sale, in Swindon, Wilts, said: "The book is of enormous historical significance for the fascinating information about diet.

"It discusses at length the quality of a large variety of meat, fish, fruit and vegetables and outlines the manner in which they ought to be prepared and served.

"It is the first cookery book to be printed and it is about maintaining a healthy diet rather than just recipes."

The first half of the book discusses the nature and cultivation of food, while the second half reads like a cookbook, with recipes for dishes based on their medicinal properties.

A recipe for bear advises that it is "not like any other quadrapede" but the head is "incredibly good to eat".

Another section is understood to suggest that cannabis be taken if the reader is stricken by plague.

The book was compiled by Bartholomaeus Platina, an Italian physician influenced on the principles of health by classicists, ancient poets and Arabic ideas.

His book ran to three editions at Cividale, Italy, in 1474,1475 and 1480. None of the first two is known to have survived. Only 20 copies are known of the third.

'The Happy Wizard'
Ladies’ College, Colombo presents
"The Happy Wizard" on July 8th, 9th and 10th at the College Hall

"The Happy Wizard" is a gently satirical fairy tale written for family entertainment; but it is a fairy tale with a difference as it is both traditional and unconventional. The royal hero breaks with tradition in that he has the failings of an ordinary young man, the heroine is a radical, the ‘baddie’ is a likeable villain and his opposite number -the fairy - is a graduate of a most unusual university. The adventures of these and other characters are manipulated slyly by the Wizard - semi retired, whose absent minded magic produces extraordinary results.

The play is presented by the senior students and is directed by Romany Parakrama - a past pupil of the school. The Wizard is played by Sabeena Mohideen who won best supporting performance in the Royal College Interact club inter-school drama competition 1998 and was placed runner up 1999 .

Other members of the cast too were involved in productions of " Darkness" and " A kind of Justice" which were placed first and second in the same competition for the years 1998 and 1999 respectively.

Ladies’ College is well known for its English theatre productions, which have ranged from musicals such as "Gypsy Princess" and "Joseph" to the Greek tragedy - "Agamemnon" and comedies such as "The Importance of being Earnest".

In the theatre tradition of the school, all technical aspects will be handled by the students. The backstage crew is well experienced in their own right, having carried off the award for best stage management at the Royal College Interact drama competition for three years in succession. The box plan opens at Ladies’ College on June 21st.