The talk at Royal Ascot

The message for anyone planning to go to Royal Ascot on a whim later this week is simple. And, sadly, it involves ditching the plans or haggling with touts.
Ascot PR chief Nick Smith reports that Thursday is a sell-out, while house full signs are up for the first time for Friday's card, too.
"We have Silver Ring tickets for tomorrow at £18, but Thursday and Friday are complete sell-outs with around 75,000 people expected," said Smith.
Berkshire police intend to "manage touts who are acting unreasonably or persistently causing a nuisance," but those who slipped the net were expecting brisk business at £200 per pair of grandstand badges this afternoon.

Hats are simply grand

And if you spend that much to get in you might consider splashing out on something from one of two huge marquees selling items from the Royal Ascot collection.
Fancy a ladies' hat from the Siggi collection? That'll be £750 madam. But even that pales when set aside what certain top hats can fetch. Believe it if you can, but the right topper can fetch up to 10 grand.
"They are reconditioned pure silk hats, which date back to the Edwardian era," says a spokesman. Better have two, then.

Suzi's stunning insight

Meanwhile, fashion followers were keenly awaiting the debut of Suzi Perry in her new role as the BBC's style guru for the week.
Ms Perry has been booked "to provide analysis on what is in and what is definitely out". But The Talk has a few words of advice for Suzi. In, as always, is using the word "stunning" a minimum of 50 times a day.
And out, without any doubt, are those tight leather trousers you like to wear.

Gangsters in net threat

The combination of Royal Ascot and Euro 2004 has provided a betting bonanza that is irresistible to villains.
Eastern European gangsters threaten to crash the websites of internet bookies unless they are paid around $30,000.
They sent this memorable recent threat to Blue Square bookmakers: "Your website has the large incomes. We not make of evil to anybody, it is only our work. Good luck!"