Teenaged singer Wendy Rene signed for Stax in 1964 and retired in 1967. This tiny window produced a handful of supreme garage-soul songs, with "After Laughter" later sampled by Wu-Tang Clan and covered by Alicia Keys.

This week I've been eating...Longhorn rump steak

I am not religious. I am not a militant secularist. I think Richard Dawkins talks a lot of sense, but then when I hear the Archbishop of York sermonise, I find it easy to get behind him, too. I even find myself in vigorous agreement with the speaker on "Thought for the Day", wishing that I could be similarly beatific. (Although when I fail to locate my glasses and I'm already late for work, and the dog still needs walking, I discover that I'm some distance from Godliness.)

1. Gordon Ramsay's Health Infusion Grill

Afghan food features Turkish, Middle Eastern and Indian flavours. Now, its diverse dishes can be enjoyed here, as Charlotte McDonald-Gibson discovers.

I was invited to Buckingham Palace recently to help the Royal Chef prepare for a reception ahead of the Queen's visit to Australia. My brief was quintessential Australian dishes, and I would probably have been deprived of my citizenship if I'd made anything other than pavlova for dessert; it's virtually our national dish (although New Zealanders might disagree!). Lamingtons also made the grade on the night – perfectly bite-sized chocolately and coconutty mouthfuls, instead of the doorstops that I remember fondly from the local baker.

Not since Mike Bartlett's Cock, so to speak, have I been so exhilarated by a new play premiered at the Royal Court's Theatre Upstairs. 

Serves 4

Kelner's View

Make the most of the great outdoors - AKA the park or your patio - with a table that’s large, small, folding or even fitted with a built-in barbecue...

Summertime, and the scent of sizzling sausages fills the air. But outdoor cooks need helpful accessories to ensure the food is tasty and safe. Here is our pick.

The thing is...

The Met Office warned the Government that the start of this winter would be "exceptionally cold" but did not immediately inform the public.

I am such a fool. On reflection, what I should have done was reach across, grab it, snaffle it out in my trouser pocket and take it home to flog on eBay. David "Bumble" Lloyd’s pork steak, I mean. It’s not as if he wanted it.