The Lady Magazine

15 January 2016

Dear Readers, Leo Tolstoy famously wrote: ‘Nothing is so necessary for a young man as the company of intelligent women.’ So I am sure he would be delighted to see that our cover this week features James Norton, who cuts a fine figure as the dashing Prince Andrei in the new TV adaptation of Tolstoy’s epic novel, War and Peace. After all, this magazine’s readership excels in intelligent women, all of whom would be willing, I’m sure, to listen if the young Mr Norton feels in need of a sympathetic female ear. The other person I know you would gladly lend your time to is the redoubtable Guy Tweedy and his fellow campaigners at the Thalidomide Trust. Despite more than 50 years passing since this horrific scandal, which left over 2,000 UK-born babies with life-changing disabilities, there are still questions unanswered. Was this the last Nazi war crime? And will the people responsible be brought to book? It is also 300 years since the birth of Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown, a gardener who single-handedly provided more soulsoothing vistas than any other before or since. This week there is the chance to choose from 10 exquisite places to visit. In a week when we are also encouraging you to give your mind and body an MOT , what could be nicer than a stroll through some of England’s finest landscapes? Until next week, best wishes Sam Taylor