The Lady Magazine

15 September 2017

Dear Reader, It seems inconceivable that our cover star, the utterly gorgeous Dame Judi Dench, is now in her early 80s, not least because she looks like a women several decades younger. But she couldn’t care a jot. Possibly the least vain woman in a youth-obsessed industry, she recently found love again with a man she has taken to calling her ‘chap’. A wonderfully old-fashioned term of which I am sure most readers would thoroughly approve. In her latest film, Judi plays the ageing Queen Victoria who develops a loving, platonic relationship with a young Indian ledger clerk – it is an inspirational story of triumph over needless social obstacles. Devoted Winnie-the-Pooh fans will remember that our favourite little bear faced different kinds of obstacles: usually the stairs or a honey pot with a narrow top. This week, we are delighted that the family of EH Shepard has allowed us to reproduce many of his original drawings while also revealing the true story of this marvellous illustrator’s friendship with the writer, AA Milne. It was a partnership that nearly never happened. Imagine a life without that naughty bear? Talking about naughty little creatures, Miss Darcy Bustle, our office dog, has finally returned from her holidays with a bag full of snaps and a cheeky look on her face. Did she have a good time? It certainly looks like it. She returns just in time to discover the truth in our ‘whodunnit’, Murder in the Yoga Class… Until next week, best wishes, Sam Taylor, Editor