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door that he finally gave in. By that time, he didn't have the strength left to argue with her. In no time at all, she was taking him along to the chemist's to get his prescribed antibiotics and then home to his unsurprised wife who sent him straight to bed.

When Molly told him, on the Thursday morning, that the walnut tree had been brought down during the night, Pelham hadn't been able to take it in. On Thursday evening, he had asked weakly about damage to the house, groaned thankfully when he heard there was none, and pulled the sheets over his head.

It wasn't until Saturday, when the antibiotics took effect, his temperature dropped and he got up, that he realised with a shock that the loss of the walnut tree had made a permanent difference to the appearance of the living-room. The Pelhams' large house stood in a sizeable garden, It had not come cheap, but even so Pelham had no regrets about buying it. The leafy garden had created an impression of privacy, Now, though, the storm had changed his outlook.

Previously, the view from the living-room had featured the handsome walnut tree. This had not darkened the room because there was also a window on the opposite wall, but it had provided interesting patterns of light and shade that disguised the true state of the worn furniture that the family had brought with them from their previous house.

With the tree gone, the room seemed cruelly bright, its worn furnishings exposed in all their shabbiness. And the view from the window didn't bear looking at. The tall house next door, previously hidden by the tree, was now there, dominating the outlook with its unattractive purple bricks and external pipes. It seemed to have a great many upstairs windows, all of them watching the Pelhams' every movement.

The Netball Captain

In our series on women in sport, Suzie Ellis went to meet England's netball captain.

Kendra Slawinski is captain of England's netball team. When I met her, she'd had a typical day for the weeks leading up to next month's World Championships: a day's teaching at a local school followed by a training session in the local supermarket car park.

I was surprised to hear about her training venue.

'Don't you get strange looks?' I asked her. 'I'm too involved in what I'm doing — concentrating on my movements and my feet — to see anything else,' she said. 'I might notice cars slow down out of the corner of my eye, but that's all.'

'My whole life now is all about making sure I'm at my absolute best for the Championships,' says Kendra.

 These are her fourth World Championships and they are guaranteed to be the biggest ever, with 27 nations taking part.

'We'll have home support behind us, which is so special,' she says. 'And it's important that the reputation of netball in this country should be improved. CfOZCZl A home crowd will have expectations and give more support. People will expect us to start the tournament with a good game.'

Their first game is against Barbados and it comes immediately after the opening ceremony.

 They have lots of ability.'

The England team are currently ranked fourth in the world. But, as Kendra points out, the World Championships will be tough. 'You have to push yourself to play each day, there's no rest between games as in a series. And you can still win an international series if you lose the first game.

In the fifteen years since she has been playing at top level, the sport has become harder, faster. On court, players are more aggressive. 'You don't do all that training not to come out a winner,' says Kendra.

 all friendlier after the game.'

Netball is also taking a far more scientific approach to fitness testing.

'It is essential that we all think and train like worldclass players,' says Kendra.

 I see my role as supporting and encouraging the rest Of the team. '

'From the very beginning, my netball career has always been carefully planned,' she says.

Doubtless she will coach young players in the future, but at the moment her eyes are firmly set on her last big event. As she leads out her team in the opening candlelight ceremony, she is more than likely to have a tear in her eye. Her loyal supporters will be behind her every step of the way.

A

B

C

D

But the Championships are different because there's only one chance and you have to be ready to make the most of it.

In fact, some of them help me with my speed and ball-skills training.

But once the final whistle blows, you become a different person.

So I took the decision some time ago that this competition would be the end of it as far as playing is concerned.

E

F

G

H

I'm on a strict timetable to gain maximum fitness for them.

As far as I'm aware, we have always beaten them, but they'll be exciting to play.

As captain, I think it's important that I have a strong mental attitude and lead by example.

As a result of playing here, there will be more pressure than we're used to.

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Style Merchants

Style informs every part of our lives today from clothes to interior decoration and accessories. Jo Foley provides a taste of the trends for this year's followers offashion.

              Ned Ingham• ress Designe                                       Grimson's fashion bags are handmade in the UK

The Grimson handbag is not simply a container Ned Ingham makes dreamy, romantic wedding the bags are full of glamour, whether fashioned dresses. 'People would do well to avoid the from the finest calfskin or the heaviest silk. A traditional, rather stiff dresses and the 'frilly' look in combination of chic and care makes a Grimson bag favour of much simpler styles,' he explains. Ingham something special. has been drawing and designing wedding dresses since he was a schoolboy. Then, at the age of 16, he enrolled at fashion school, where he gained the technical skills to cut and construct clothes. But you For over 20 years, Peter Little has taken his scissors do not have to be a bride to own an Ingham dress: to some of the world's top heads. Everyone who is he also designs long, classic evening dresses, given a anyone has had their hair styled by this man. 'Most fresh touch by up-to-the-minute colours and fabrics. women want real-looking hair and a style they can For the less adventurous, Ingham's designs include manage at home,' he says. So his approach is a a classic summer navy-blue suit, the centrepiece of novel one — to ensure that his clients never appear the Englishwoman's wardrobe for most of the 20th as if they have just walked out of a salon. But this century. But in his hands, it looks as new as carefree attitude and casual look does not come tomorrow. cheap — {250 for the first appointment, and there's a three-month waiting list. Trading on his celebrity, Peter has produced his own range of hairdryers and other styling equipment. Now, those who can't

Although she once worked for an art dealer, Sålly     make it to his salon can create their own styles back

Quail has had no formal training in jewellery- It was at home. only when she could not find an engagement ring she liked that she decided to design her own. The resulting enquiries encouraged her to set up as a designer in 1990. Now her pieces are sought out by

In addition to running her tiny shop, Penny Pratt is many stars of stage and screen. Her signature style a flower consultant for a large chain of IS large semi-precious stones set in gold to make supermarkets and provides floral ideas to a number magnificent necklaces, bracelets and rings fashioned after those worn in the 18th century. However, she top restaurants. All of this is good going for of someone who has no floristry qualifications and has recently begun to use the most precious stone of all — diamonds. ^Clt must reflect my age,' says 36- gave up her job as a teacher 10 years ago in order year-old Quail. 'I reached that moment tn every to do 'something different'. And her simple, yet incredibly modern, creations have begun to capture woman's life when she wants a diamond and that is when I began working with them.' every design prize in the flower business, which has helped her in setting up her own London Flower School. She has recently combined her skills on extremely successful lecture trips to Japan and the

Just four years after setting up in the fiercely USA. She says, 'Flower arrangements are much competitive fashion business, Lily Grimson, with simpler these days. Keep them simple but strong only an introductory course in art and design behind and don't have too many leaves — they are too large her, has had two of her creations selected for a and architectural. For wedding bouquets, whatever major design exhibition. Whatever the shape and your arrangement, the golden rule remalns: the form of her designs, they are never ignored. All of flowers must be of the same species.'