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Fay Maschler

quote With a single dessert and just two glasses of wine our bill was kept in check - but the effort of doing so was not much fun quote

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Andrew O'Hagan

quote This is a film with beautiful performances and a visual style that urges you towards reflection quote

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Henry Hitchings

quote Although the first half of Kwei-Armah’s production is pacy, funny and intelligent, the energy level then drops off quote

Seize The Day

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Squiz, Islington

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An Education Theatre

Joe, London

quote I saw this last night and can't remember the last time I was so moved in the theatre. quote

This Much Is True Restaurants

Hiroshi Sugiyama

quote I have been to many of London's so-called best Japanese restaurants and none have been as good as the food that I've had at Aqua Kyoto quote

Aqua Kyoto

Sharon: 'Queen's got real X Factor'

By Metro Last updated at 08:52am on 15.02.07

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Sharon Osbourne meets the Queen at Buckingham Palace

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The Queen was joined by Sharon Osbourne and the head of the Ann Summers high street sex shop chain yesterday at a celebration of the country's top businesswomen.

Other high-profile guests at Buckingham Palace included Sarah Doukas, the founder of the Storm model agency, designer Cath Kidston and Karren Brady, managing director of Birmingham City FC.

The Duchess of Cornwall, the Princess Royal, the Countess of Wessex and the Duchess of Gloucester were also there. The event came two years after the monarch hosted a women of achievement reception.

X Factor star Osbourne said she chatted to the Queen about her corgis. 'I was talking about when you have a lot of little dogs and they play very rough,' she added. 'It affects their joints.'

Jacqueline Gold, of Ann Summers, said: 'The Queen looked at my badge... and the twinkle in her eye meant it was obvious she knew who I was.'

Gold, who once attracted a complaint from the Palace when she advertised a sex manual with a picture of the Queen, added: 'It's 2007... It would be inappropriate if I had not been invited.' The Queen quizzed Doukas on the size zero model debate.