Pretty fly

JOAN CRAWFORD’S career included more than 80 movies and an Oscar. She drew on life experience for her onscreen persona of a feisty woman striving to better herself, as her upbringing was tough. Born L

Laura London, 41, lives in north London and is a professional magician. I saw magic for the first time when I was eight and was instantly obsessed. After that, I spent all my pocket money on tricks. I

Mr Editor Clements allows me just 650 words for Full throttle. That’s a problem this month because John Fitch – racer, sailor, inventor, polymath – crammed so much into his very long life. Two years b

Thanks for coming in today, Bea,” said Jason, the commissioning editor at Bluestone Press, where Bea was interviewing for yet another assistant job. “We’ll be in touch.” “Okay, great,” replied Bea, fo

After suffering unimaginable loss, some feathery friends helped me to heal.

Lee Miller threw herself into life, dancing at Surrealist balls, taking fashion to Blitz-torn streets and dreaming up blue-spaghetti recipes, all the time intoxicating men and fighting inner demons, as Mary Miers reveals