Table of contents for 07-Jan-2016 in Chat

My husband Wayne, 42, pulled a bouquet of lilies from behind his back. ‘For my sweetpea,’ he said, grinning. ‘All these years together,’ I teased. ‘You’re still an old romantic!’ I didn’t know where the time had gone. I’d been a single mum to Kayleigh, 4, when I met Wayne at a local disco. Next thing, here we were, almost 20 years on, also proud parents to Jordan, 18, and Jack, 17. And very happily married to each other. Still head over heels! Our lives revolved around family. Days out, meals together, movie nights. When Kayleigh had her own daughter Lacey in November 2010, Wayne became a soppy grandad. Plus, he’d even set up his own scaffolding business working with Jordan. ‘I’m so proud of my family,’ Wayne would say.…

Gazing lovingly into Wayne Varndell’s eyes, I’d never felt happier. ‘I will,’ I beamed. As we were pronounced husband and wife, Wayne, then 40, pulled me in for a kiss. It was a simple wedding ceremony in August 2008, a year after we’d met. I’d meant my marriage vows with all my heart. I’d just met a new mate, too – Leanne Priddis, then 20. We were both support workers in a psychiatric unit, working on the same ward, and Leanne was a right laugh. As time passed, we grew closer. I was a mother figure to Leanne, and she’d pop round most nights. Wayne and Leanne often went outside for a cigarette together, and I was glad they got on. Then, in late 2013, Leanne started seeing someone. ‘He’s…

Serves: 4 Prep: 20 minCook: 45 min 3 cooking apples8 sticks of rhubarb1 knob of butter, plus extrafor greasing75g brown sugar2tsp cinnamon200g digestive biscuits50g hazelnutsCream, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas 4. 2 Peel and core apples, and trim rhubarb, removing any stringy parts. Chop apples and rhubarb into small pieces. 3 Grease an ovenproof dish, then layer fruit in dish and dot with butter. Sprinkle sugar then cinnamon over fruit. 4 Put biscuits into a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Mix crushed biscuits with hazelnuts, sprinkle over fruit and then bake for 45 min, until crumble is golden and crisp. Serve with cream.…

Itchy feet Q Why are the soles of my feet itching? Keisha, 29 A If you're superstitious, it means a journey is ahead! Otherwise it could be a skin condition such as eczema, psoriasis or fungal infection. Use moisturiser, avoid trainers and if it began with new shoes, an allergy may be blame. Your GP can rule out rare causes such as diabetes. Saggy neck Q I look good for my age - except for my scraggy neck! Help! Stella, 57 A Turkey neck isn't easy to treat. Exercises can tighten weakened muscles and restore shape, but won't help much with wrinkles or fat under your chin. ‘Neck-lift' surgery to remove excess skin, tighten neck muscles or remove fat with liposuction might prove better, but pricey! Painful bum Q I've…

Jamie Oliver Lovely Lentils, 250g, £2.30 Slow-cooked with lots of veg to give them a stew-like consistency. A tasty alternative to potatoes, rice or pasta. Sainsbury's Green Lentils, 250g, £1.50 These have a dry consistency, so we heated them up in a pan, added a little water and stirred in handfuls of baby spinach just before serving. Merchant Gourmet Puy Lentils, 250g, £2 Two portions of perfectly cooked, moist lentils - to eat cold, stir into soup or heat through in the microwave. Try with sausages and grilled tomatoes! Arla SKYR Yogurt, 85p  Yogurt, 85p Made from skimmed milk that's low in fat, high in protein and has reduced sugar. The latest flavour comes with blueberry and elderberry compote.…

I’d been suffering with the sniffles for a few days. Bunged up, unable to sleep, coughing up phlegm – it was grim! ‘You should go to the doctor,’ my husband Andy, now 45, said in April 2015. ‘It’s just a cold,’ I insisted. Fit and healthy, having lost 3st on Weight Watchers, I’d then completed a 70-mile triathlon in California back in July 2013. I still went to the gym regularly, as well as doing boot camps and spinning classes. That’s when I wasn’t running around after my gorgeous kids Daniel, 5, and Anna, 4! So I wasn’t about to be floored by a common cold. Yet, a few days later, I was feeling no better, so took Andy’s advice. Two days on, my GP prescribed antibiotics. ‘Don’t take them…

Teens aren’t exactly known for being early birds. But, on the morning of 13 October 2015, my youngest daughter Amelia, 13, was the one waking me up first thing... ‘My face is really itchy,’ she moaned, pointing to a red mark on her right cheek. Strange… Looking more closely, I saw there were two small puncture marks there. ‘It looks like a spider bite,’ I said, frowning. Amelia was a deep sleeper. A spider must have crawled onto her face in the night and taken a munch without her realising. Poor Amelia! We weren’t too scared of the bugs, but it wasn’t nice to think of one crawling all over you and sinking in its fangs! I went onto the NHS website to see what I could do to help.…

43 Not sure which bingo game to play… Check out the Games Lobby. It lists all the bingo rooms, the jackpots you can play for , cost of the tickets and even the number of people playing. Select the room in which you'd like to play , and, once you've bought your tickets, you're ready for the next game . The numbers on your cards will be mark ed off automatically . 1 How to join in the chat rooms... It's easy to join in - there's a little bo x at the bottom of your chat screen. Simply type a message , then press Enter or click Send to see your message automatically appear above. Don't be shy - the chat…

Capricorn 22 Dec - 20 Jan It looks as if an old argument is going to kick off again - but is it really worth all that time and effort? You can’t alter what happened - and, anyway, it was a long time ago, and what’s done is done. Worse, the future will repeat the past unless one of you has a change of attitude. So, who goes first? You do! Lead by example. • Call 0905 817 0699* for more Aquarius 21 Jan - 19 Feb You feel this is an awkward moment. Maybe you should come back another time? No, you shouldn’t - this is as good a moment as any. You’re here, and you’ve already made a start - so finish what you set out to do.…

I’ve become a little bit obsessed by the idea of achieving a Guinness World Record. After several unsuccessful attempts, I’d finally found a record I felt I could nail. I just needed to take a minimum of 106 selfies in three minutes – then The Rock’s record would be mine. All mine! ‘How hard can it be?’ I asked myself, phone firmly in hand, arm up, the lengthy queue out of focus… Believe me, I’d practised, too. A Guinness World Record was definitely in sight. Plus, it was 12 November – Guinness World Record day. And our lovely adjudicator’s name was Fortuna. All good omens, I decided. I’d even planned my tweet bragging to The Rock how I’d smashed his record. And smash it we certainly did… With three goes,…

Dean Doggett, Jamie Leyshon, both 26, and Kylie Thomas, 25, all denied murdering Wayne. Witnesses described how they’d attacked my hubby when he’d stepped up to defend his son. Even when Wayne was on the ground, they’d kicked and stamped on him. Jordan bravely gave evidence, describing his dad’s last moments. ‘He was out cold and there was blood everywhere,’ he told the jury. As well as his fatal brain injury, Wayne had bruises and soft-tissue damage to his head and face, patterned by shoe prints. Sickening. During the course of the trial, Doggett and Leyshon admitted a lesser charge of manslaughter. Thomas admitted violent disorder for the lesser part she played in the attack. She was given a 12-month sentence, while Doggett and Leyshon were both sentenced to eight…

My heavily pregnant French bulldog Roxy waddled into the kitchen. She looked up at me with her big, brown eyes, her belly looking bigger than ever. ‘Are you sure she’s just having four puppies?’ I asked my daughter Amy, 18. ‘Yes, Mum,’ smiled Amy, stroking Roxy’s soft, brown fur. ‘French bulldogs only ever have small litters.’ A few weeks later, we took Roxy to our vet’s for a Caesarean. Amy went in with the vet and I drove home. Five hours later, she called. ‘Mum,’ she cried. ‘Roxy’s had 12 puppies!’ ‘She can’t have!’ I gasped. Roxy was only tiny herself. Where had she put them all? And, more to the point, where were we going to put them?! I imagined my house turning into something from 101 Dalmatians .…

Tucking up my son Noah, then 16 months, in bed, I kissed his head. ‘Sweet dreams,’ I said. His little sister Darcie, then 6 weeks, was asleep. ‘Peace at last,’ I laughed to my husband Daniel, 28. But, next day – in May 2013 – I woke to Noah screaming. He’d been sick over his duvet. And when I put him down to walk, he collapsed in a heap. Then I realised he wasn’t moving his body at all. We phoned our GP, who came out to us. He said Noah had a virus which would soon pass. But one day on, Noah’s body began to spasm and his eyes shook uncontrollably. ‘I’m taking him to hospital,’ I said. At Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Noah had an MRI and CT scan.…

Your favourite brands work with QUIDCO! Getting fit, eating healthier and sprucing up your wardrobe doesn't always come cheap, but with Quidco, you can earn cashback every step of the way to a new you. From Weight Watchers' subscriptions to new bikes from Halfords, gym equipment from Argos to workout fashion from the likes of Nike, Adidas and Reebok, there's always cashback available! You can even earn on your health-kick essentials from all the UK's top supermarkets, and health-and-beauty products from popular stores such as Boots and Superdrug! Quidco users earn an average of £280 each year, earning money back when they shop online, in-store and via mobile. So how does it work? 1 Simply browse the offers available on Quidco, then click the retailer link and make your purchase…

How I lost it! At a party , I overhead a guest say , ‘At least I'm not as big as Karen!' I'd been deluding myself for years. I was a slim child, but after being bullied at school, I started comfort eating. When I went to uni in Manchester , homesick, I turned to food. Then I found the Curry Mile and, by my mid-20s, I was a size-28 and had high blood pressure , joint problems, polycystic ovary syndrome , and risked developing diabetes, too. In 2008, I joined Scottish Slimmers, and lost over 8st in nine months. Since then, I've had surgery - twice! In January 2010, I had a full tummy tuck, breast augmentation and uplift. They also took away nearly 2st of loose skin. I…

Treaclemoon Dusted Cocoa Heaven Bath And Shower Gel, £2.99, Tesco Pure bliss in the tub thanks to the delicious-smelling, indulgent gel! Soap & Glory Calm One Calm All Bubble Bath, £6, Boots A stress-battler - this contains body lotion for a real pampering treat. Carex Gentle Moisture Bath Cream, £2.99, Superdrug Perfect for the whole family, this helps to keep normal and dry skin nourished and clean. Good Things Spa Manuka Honey Nourishing Bath Soak, £3.49, Superdrug With sweet almond oil and shea butter to leave skin super soft. I love… Pink Marshmallow Bath & Shower Creme, £2.99, Boots Enjoy your fave sweets without the calories with this candy-scented creme.…

EastEnders Decision time! Alfie, Kat and Stacey all face big decisions about the future, while the Carters try to deal with the fallout of the shocking events of New Year’s Day. Emmerdale Oh, Gordy! Chas and Gordon are kissing in his steamed-up car and he tells her that he wants to take things to the next level. Plus, Cain catches Aaron self-harming and Ashley tells the kids about his dementia. Hollyoaks Vow renewal Maxine and Patrick renew their vows as poor Patrick prepares to die. Plus, it’s the week of Mac and Neeta’s wedding and while Neeta has a cabaret-themed hen do, Mac confronts Cindy, who goes into a real panic. YOU’D BE MAD TO MISS... War and Peace, BBC1 This is a very pacy and racy new six-part version…

Deep in the heart of southern India lies a remote, tropical village, home to around 2,000 families. It’s name is Kodinhi. To outsiders, Kodinhi doesn’t look any different to any other sleepy Indian village. At first, at least. But, tourists wandering the streets might start to think they’re seeing double. And not because they’re going mad, or have had one too many. But because Kodinhi boasts an abnormal number of twins. In fact, its twin birth-rate figures are astonishing. For every 1,000 births in Kodinhi, at least 45 are twins. Unbelievable compared to the rest of India, where the twin birth rate is four out of every 1,000. And it’s six times as many twins as the global average – a figure already boosted by the popularity of fertility treatment…

Lucky Key! Check out our lucky charm... Place a right-hand finger on the key, close your eyes and the luck could flow. We can't wait to hear if it works for you! This reader has been lucky... I held my finger on the Lucky Key last week and I won five times at the bingo on Monday night. And then I won four times at the bingo on Wednesday night! Thanks, Chat ! Maureen Fardy, Leeds I so miss my boys Dear Tony, Sadly, I've lost two sons. My first was physically and mentally handicapped and, despite the doctors' prognosis, he lived to 41. My other son was 61 when he died last year. I've got three kids left. I'd never have dreamed that any of my children would go…

Fastest time to eat a Chocolate Orange: 1 min 16 secs Or not… At the 1 min 16 sec stage, I was still only a few chunks in. When I caved, there was at least half a chocolate orange left! Fastest time to eat a jam doughnut with no hands and without licking lips: 11.41 secs Again, 11.41 secs had been and gone as I struggled to take a second bite. And I licked my lips. My defeat was hard to swallow... Most Ferrero Rocher chocolates eaten in one minute: nine I scoffed four - just! Do not under-estimate how dry they are… Fastest time to eat a Ferrero Rocher chocolate with no hands: 8.04 secs Seriously, if you figure out how the current record-holder did it, let me know!…

When I first met Jamie Leyshon at a friend's party, he was only 19, and I was 30. I thought we'd just have some fun, but he was so charming, I was soon in love. But, on 4 February 2009, I finally realised what Jamie was really like. His friend, Dean Doggett, had just lost his dad, and I tried to comfort him. ‘Things will get easier,' I said. But Dean shook me away, his face flaring with rage. Jamie, and another of his friends, Lee David Glen, glared at me, too. I hadn't meant to offend Dean. I was trying to help. I apologised and took myself off to bed. A short time later, after I'd fallen asleep, the three of them attacked me. They took it in turns…

What I loved Cauliflower. No, really! It's making a comeback. Try it lightly steamed, topped with crunchy bacon bits and drizzled with olive oil… Ha! Who needs MasterChef?! What hacked me off My piriformis. Didn't know I had one till it started really, really hurting. Sympathy, please! And if you still don't know - it's a muscle in the bum… Ouch! What made me laugh Being told not to jog on New Year's Eve…in case the ice jumped out of my drink… Here's to a heartwarming and happy 2016. Cheers!!…

MY CUTE BABY PIC Her new jacket is so furry - and my 1-week-old daughter Shelby so little - she looks like an extra from Monsters Inc ! Stacy Gibson, Kidderminster Fun of the fair Giddy up! As you can see, my son Connor’s favourite fairground ride is the roundabout. Lisa Stuart, Warlingham Little Miss Contrary Oh, dear! My daughter Scarlett, 2, is having one of those days. You know the sort – when you wear the dog’s collar as a hairband, stick out your tongue instead of smiling… Jodie Taylor, Cheltenham Braid in Heaven Our daughter Lia, 4, with a stylish new, hairdo - and she was more than happy to show off her latest look for the camera! Stephanie Herfield, Belfast Feeding time ‘More, please!'…

Spinning my younger sister Christine around the dance floor as the band played at Dreamland amusement park in Margate, I was having the time of my life. We worked as machinists in a clothing factory all week, so I really looked forward to letting my hair down on a Saturday night. It was 1955, I was 20, and Christine was a year younger. We had our whole lives ahead of us. ‘If only the boys would come dancing,’ I said, breathless. Our boyfriends Leslie and Bob were best friends and more like brothers. We all loved hanging out together, but no matter how much Christine and I begged, the boys refused to come dancing with us. Instead, they’d wait for us outside the ballroom and walk us home. But that…

In the bag Not sure that charging 5p for a plastic bag will help the environment. We still produce plastic bags. In the US, many supermarkets offer brown paper sacks. Paper is more easily recycled. Our aim should be to get rid of plastic bags totally, not just make them an added expense! Douglas Turner, Liverpool Helping hand I agree with Genna Burton that public loos should have automatic doors (We hear you!, 15 October issue). But I wish they didn’t have hand-dryers. I have delicate skin and can’t use dryers, as the blast of hot air is too hard. Public toilets should also provide paper towels for drying hands. Dorothy Chaffey, Hartlepool Real bargain At a car-boot sale, we couldn’t shift a thing. I told a fellow seller I…

Our son Ellis was 2 weeks old before we were allowed to see him. There was bad news. ‘Ellis is very poorly, he might not make it,’ a social worker warned me and my hubby Mike, 38. Mike and I had decided to adopt Ellis before he was even born. But he arrived on Christmas Day, when Social Services staff were on holiday. It’d taken two weeks for our guardianship to be officially authorised. It was torture. By the time we were allowed to visit, he’d already had surgery to remove 23cm of his bowel and a colostomy bag fitted. Even then, doctors still only gave Ellis a 30 per cent chance of survival. ‘He’ll need life-long care,’ a doctor warned. Social workers gave us a chance to back out,…

We waited anxiously to hear our baby cry. Then realisation hit… After seven years together, Dawn and I had two beautiful daughters Aydia, then 2, and Karla, 1. Along with my son Joshua, 9, life was hectic, but happy. We loved being parents so much, we made a decision. ‘Just one more!’ we agreed. Dawn fell pregnant quickly with another girl! Though the scans were fine, in early February last year, I was working as a bus driver when Dawn was rushed to hospital with stomach pains. Thankfully, the baby was fine. But then, on 5 March – about three weeks before the due date – Dawn called me at work. ‘I’ve got some pain,’ she said. Sensing panic in her voice, I raced to the hospital to meet her.…

There’s nothing better than having a moment to yourself at the end of a jam-packed day. And, for me, one of the things that I like to do is to play a few games on Chat Mag Bingo. I’ll usually buy some tickets, and enjoy a few games. And, best of all, join my bingo friends in the chat rooms for a good catch-up. I love a good natter. It probably comes from having four sisters! In fact, there are a lot of women in our family… I’ve two daughters, five close female cousins, my sisters and our lovely Mum Patricia. Two of my sisters live abroad, but we make sure we get together when we can. And it’s always a giggle! Recently, we’d booked ourselves a spa weekend away.…

Land of the twins Before Kodinhi, another town laid claim to be twin capital of the world. Between 1972 and 1982, Igbo-Ora, a town in southwestern Nigeria, recorded an average of 45 to 50 sets of twins per 1,000 live births. Multiple births were regarded as a gift from God, and often wished for. Some researchers attribute the phenomenon to a diet rich in yams. Twin-incarnated? Twins Gillian and Jennifer Pollock were born in 1958. Two years earlier, their twin sisters Joanna and Jacqueline had been killed in a car crash. Yet, as soon as the girls were able to talk, they began to recount details of their sisters' lives and deaths that they simply shouldn't know. Were Joanna and Jacqueline reincarnated?…

1 Fry 8 pork-and-leek sausages in 1tsp olive oil until golden. 2 Break a cauliflower into florets and blitz in a food processor until pieces resemble rice. 3 In a large pan, heat 1tbsp olive oil and fry 1tsp each of turmeric, ground coriander and cumin, a finely chopped green chilli, 2cm piece of grated ginger and 4 chopped spring onions. Season and stir-fry for 1 min. 4 Add 1tsp olive oil, cauliflower and 2tbsp water. Toss together and cook for 5-10 min. Stir in 200g frozen peas and cook until piping hot. 5 Add chopped stems of a bunch of coriander. Serve cauliflower ‘rice' with sausages, sprinkled with coriander leaves. Serves: 4 Cost per head: 77p LIFE! DEATH! PRIZES! For more foodie bargains, visit www.lifedeathprizes.com and click on…

Awesome Otto! This mighty mutt from Peru skilfully skateboarded through 30 people's legs to bag his Guinness World Record. Barking, but brilliant! Un-four-gettable Japanese contender Kenichi Ito claimed his record by scampering 100m on all fours in 15.71 seconds – shaving 0.15 seconds off the previous record. Tight squeeze Parallel parking is tricky at the best of times, but Brit Alastair Moffatt bagged the tightest reverse parallel park - with just 34cm to spare, in a Classic Mini. See www .guinnessworldrecords. com  for more weird, wacky and wonderful feats. GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS 2016 Edition is available now, £20 RRP.…