Money

😚🤬🤮 The 12-bedroom country estate with private access to Windsor Great Park is for sale for an eye-watering £32m. The property is called Bishopgate House and boasts all the luxuries that befit a neighbour of a queen, including 34 acres of land. It also has an indoor swimming pool, a floodlit tennis court, and several stables. And there is a outdoor play area with its own tree house. The sale of the opulent property is being handled by Rokstone Estate Agents.

😚🤬🤮 As the nation gears up to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, here we shares 70 facts about how our finances have changed during her reign. When the Queen succeeded to the throne in 1952 a pint of beer cost 9p, the average property cost £1,891 and the basic rate state pension was £1.63 a week for a single person.

😚🤬🤮 This Ford Capri is set to sell for a new record price when it goes under the hammer next month. The prototype RS3100 was bought for just £1,500 in 1972 - the equivalent of £21,000 in today's money - and has been retained by the owner ever since. Experts believe it will meet its pre-sale estimate of £60,000, which would be almost £5,000 more than the record figure paid for a Capri at auction.

😚🤬🤮 The former chapel in Cheshire is being sold via auction with a guide price of just £50,000, but it will need much more spent on it to transform it into a comfortable home. If you prefer the idea of buying a church that has already been converted, we take a look at three other former chapels that are ready to move into. Pictured (clockwise from left) are: A converted church in Yarmouth, a converted church is in Kew, a former chapel in Cheshire that needs converting and a converted chapel in Salisbury.

😚🤬🤮 Many small businesses face difficult months ahead as huge energy bill increases add to a cost of living crisis hitting their customers just after the pandemic. That makes saving money where you can essential. We look at some opportunities to do so.

😚🤬🤮 My father passed away in August last year and all the money due to the estate has been collected, with the exception of £56,986 from a Clerical Medical endowment savings bond. Until the proceeds are received, I, as executor, cannot wind up the estate. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.

😚🤬🤮 As executive chairman of JD Sports, among the most successful of UK retailers, Peter Cowgill (pictured) has led a charmed life. In these days of fussier corporate governance, shareholders have been willing to look through Cowgill's accumulating missteps on the grounds that he delivered handsomely.

😚🤬🤮 Peter Pritchard is being replaced as chief executive from the start of next month by Sky TV's former head consumer officer Lyssa McGowan after four years in his role, during which time the company has transformed into a retail giant. Its latest annual results showed total group revenue for the 53 weeks to the end of March climbed 15.3 per cent from the previous year to £1.32billion, thanks to customer numbers soaring by another 1.2 million.

😚🤬🤮 It was confirmed last week that an exceptionally rare 1950s Mercedes-Benz (pictured inset) had sold at a top-secret auction in Germany for a world record fee. Not only is that the most amount of money someone has ever paid for a vehicle at auction, it's among the top 10 most expensive items to go under the hammer in history. Here's our rundown of the most valuable motors sold when the hammer dropped in auction rooms, featuring seven Ferraris, two Mercedes and an Aston Martin...

😚🤬🤮 Inflation in the UK officially reached the highest level in 40 years in April, at 9%, and economists warn the worst is still yet to come. While the rate of inflation is expected to fall eventually, it will remain above the Bank of England's 2% target for some time, with the central bank not expecting normalisation until some time in 2024. The question is could it be stubborn and stick around longer or surprise by falling faster?

😚🤬🤮 The estate charges for our home have risen sharply from £6,000 per year in 2018 to a bill for £16,068 annually now. Can we challenge these and if so, what is the best way to do this. Legal expert, Stephen Gold, an ex-judge, helps a reader with a question about how they can fight back against estate charges that have almnost trebled.

😚🤬🤮 NS&I will increase the Premium Bonds prize fund rate from 1 to 1.4% boosting the chances of its 21m savers bagging a monthly prize.The odds will change from 34,500 to 1 to 24,500 to 1. The number of £100k prizes will rise from six to 10, and £50k prizes from 11 to 19.

😚🤬🤮 After energy, property is the investment sector with the most planet-saving power, says Becky O'Connor of Interactive Investor. It currently accounts for more than a third of carbon emissions, she explains. Meanwhile, a large part of the sustainability challenge for the industry is correcting mistakes of the past. So what are the most promising areas to invest in, and how do you get exposure?

😚🤬🤮 Winning a huge sum of money on the lottery may sound like a dream, but experts warn a sudden windfall could create problems of its own, at least in the short term, Once winners know they have a winning ticket, Camelot - the parent company of the lottery - provides them with a dedicated winner's adviser.

😚🤬🤮 Buying a property that needs some work is often seen as a great way to secure a bargain. But aspiring renovators may want to consider new research which suggests it will usually end up costing more in the long run. While buying a fixer-upper can be a cost-effective way of climbing the property ladder, the sheer cost of bringing such a home up to standard will often see homebuyers pay more overall. The cost of carrying out home improvements is up 23.5% in a year, according to online tradesperson directory Checkatrade's latest figures.

😚🤬🤮 UK banks have been largely overlooked and unloved by investors in recent years amid a period of poor performance. Over the past decade the FTSE All-Share has delivered a total return of 99.6% while the UK banking sector has eked out a paltry 17.5%. Should investors reconsider as interest rates rise or will inflation and the cost of living crisis scupper chances of a turnaround?

😚🤬🤮 The proportion of EVs rescued by the breakdown assistance company for being 'out of charge' has halved since 2020 as motorists become more accustom to the requirements of running a car powered entirely by batteries. Edmund King, the motoring group's president, says the theory that EVs run out of battery 'doesn't match reality' and shouldn't put people off switching from their petrol and diesel cars. And in a passing dig at the combustion engine, he says older diesel cars will soon be looked at 'the same way we now think about smoking on the top deck of a bus'.

😚🤬🤮 In lockdown, our neighbours took ownership of a very lively dog. When I'm playing out in the garden with my toddler, it becomes over-excited and starts jumping up the fence with force. I'm pretty certain the whole thing will go soon. The fence is on the right-hand side, and I know that means it is our responsibility. But can I argue that the neighbours need to pay for it, or at the very least, insist they foot half the bill?

😚🤬🤮 Choosing the right DIY platform is crucial but a wealth of choice and a variety of charges can leave investors scratching their heads. We pick some of the best. We pick some of the best. We also highlight why investing in an Isa makes sense, as it should protect your hopefully growing investments from tax forever.