Table of contents for 13-May-2021 in Chat

Aged 31, Jessie watched her first film, had her first haircut and visited her first pub. Her story of finding freedom is just one of the gripping tales we’ve got in store for you this week (p10). Molly’s hubby’s wedding surprise had everyone in tears (p30) and Zara-Lucy made her childhood dreams come true against all odds (p37). There’s the best of supermarket fashion (p12), veg-packed recipes (p40), and tips on health (p21) and beauty (p49). Plus if you watched the Night Stalker doc on Netflix, check out p54 for the chilling details it didn’t show… Stay safe and well this week.…

GEORGE at ASDA All sizes 8-24 STYLE TIP Expensive-looking accessories will instantly elevate even the simplest of outfits. NUTMEG at MORRISONS All sizes 8-22 STYLE TIP Be the best-dressed guest this summer. Team this gorgeous linen dress with metallic sandals and statement earrings. F&F at TESCO All sizes 6-22 STYLE TIP This pretty pastel co-ord is a hero buy! Universally flattering, it looks fab dressed up or down. TU at SAINSBURY’S All sizes 8-24 STYLE TIP Disguise lumps and bumps with a printed midi skirt. Wear with a denim jacket for easy weekend wear. REAL REAL WOMEN • REAL FASHION •REAL BEAUTY Find out more about our commitment to REAL women womanandhome.com/real…

Last December, the court found Elena Belaya and Elina Sushkevich not guilty of murder and they were acquitted of any crime. Five of the eight jurors agreed the baby had not been injected with a drug that caused his death. Elena Belaya said afterwards that she ‘swore the Hippocratic oath’, referring to an oath made by medics to uphold ethics. She added, ‘I did what my medical duty told me to. Everything that was done that day, we did to save the life of the child and his mother. ‘My competence and professionalism prompted me to act this way and nothing else. I always knew and believed that I was innocent and that the jury would be on my side. Although the state prosecutors did everything possible to prove the…

Contact-lens safety Are you guilty of wearing your contact lenses in the shower? New research has shown that you could be putting yourself at risk of i developing serious eyesight-damaging infections.* A study surveyed 78 contactlens wearers to determine the risk factors for developing contact-lens related microbial keratitis. This is an infection of the cornea - the eye’s outermost lens - and usually begins with redness and pain in one eye. If left untreated, it can lead to blurred vision and a scarred cornea. Researchers found that not removing lenses before showering was a major cause of infection. This is because shower heads can be a breeding ground for bacteria that can get under the surface of a contact lens. Health hack If you want to reignite that spark with…

Molly Vazey, 29 Whacking the baseball to the other side of the field, my boyfriend Chance, then 19, darted from base to base. ‘He’s got a home run!’ the tannoy announced over hundreds of screaming fans. It was August 2009 and Chance’s last baseball game of the summer. Cheering him on from my seat, I was so proud. Childhood sweethearts, we began dating in 2007. With his shaggy brown hair and athletic physique, Chance was certainly easy on the eye. But it was his drive and ambition that I found most attractive. Baseball had always been Chance’s passion. He hoped to turn professional one day, had just been awarded a baseball scholarship for university that September. And even though it would mean us living a three-hour drive away from each…

Beverley Piddington-Parr, 59, Leigh, Lancashire Wrapped in a cotton blanket, looking up at me with her big, blue eyes, baby Bethany couldn’t have been more beautiful. ‘How could anyone even consider giving you up?’ I cooed. At just a few weeks old, her parents decided to put her up for adoption. Bethany had Down’s syndrome, you see. The midwife had confirmed it when she was hours old. It’d come as a huge shock. Her parents didn’t think they’d cope. So she’d been referred to a social worker, and now, as a foster carer, here I was. Me and my husband Ian, then 51, were picking Bethany up from the hospital to take her home until she was adopted. Ian and I already had five adult children of our own. And…

Zara-Lucy Whitehead, 23, Harpenden Walking into class, a familiar tingling sensation rippled through my stomach. Sitting at my desk, my belly felt numb. ‘You OK?’ a friend asked, noticing me grimace. ‘Fine,’ I shrugged, forcing a smile. It was 2011, and aged 13, this wasn’t the first time I’d experienced this odd feeling. I thought it was just period pain. Only, sometimes I felt it in my legs, too, travelling up my back. At home, I switched off my worries. Flopped on the sofa to watch my favourite film, The Princess Diaries. Daydreamed of having my own glitzy crown like Mia, the main character. One day… But the numbness slowly spread around my body. I’d always been sporty, but I began opting out of netball, lacrosse and gymnastics. The doctors…

Beauty writer Emma North shares her favourite eye creams The Inkey List Brighten-I Eye Cream, £8.99, cultbeauty.co.uk If you suffer from puffy under eyes that leave you looking exhausted, apply this brightening, soothing eye cream. The light-reflecting particles combat darkness and the cooling, metal applicator will get rid of water retention. Garnier Organic Lavandin Anti-Age Eye Cream, £9.99, Boots This organic eye cream contains nourishing vitamin E, argan oil and lavender essential oil to smooth fine lines and replenish dryness. Go for this one if your main concern is crow’s feet or smile lines. Avène Eau Thermale Soothing Eye Contout Cream, £10, Boots If you feel your eyes are too sensitive for eye cream and they water at the thought of it, give this cream a try. It’s fragrance free…

• Richard Ramirez was influenced by a family member who was also a Vietnam war veteran. It’s believed that his relative showed Ramirez images of him abusing and killing women during the conflict. Ramirez was also present when the family member fatally shot his own wife. • Growing up in Texas, it’s reported that Ramirez was beaten by his father, who was a former Mexican policeman. Ramirez would sleep in a local cemetery to escape the violence, and began smoking marijuana at the age of 10. • Ramirez briefly worked at a Holiday Inn, where he’d enter guest rooms and steal from them while they slept. He was fired when he attempted rape. • During his trial, Ramirez was overheard talking about smuggling in a gun and shooting the prosecutor. A metal…

£25 for any photos that we use on Picture Perfect. They must not have been sent to any other publication and you must include written permission from a child’s parent/s or guardian/s. Post to Picture Perfect, Chat, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP, or email chat_magazine@futurenet.com Unfortunately, we can’t return photos without a SAE. And please don’t forget to include your full address and a contact number.…

THE BIGGIE How does veteran actor Vanessa Redgrave like to relax? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the three-word prize answer. ACROSS 11 Capital of Ireland (6) 12 Crude, uncivilised (9) 13 Unattractive (4) 14 Game played with a stick with a net on the end (8) 15 Prickly plants (5) 16 Root vegetable (6) 17 Culinary plant with long red stems (7) 18 Horror writer (7,4) 20 Put up with (5) 22 Self-employed (9) 24 Garden ornament (5) 28 One-fourth (7) 29 Synthetic material (7) 32 Tune (6) 34 United (8) 36 The Queen’s late sister (8) 37 Cautioned (6) 39 More ferocious (7) 40 Oscar-winning film, Goad Will _ (7) 45 _ Jenner, Kendall’s sister (5) 47 Star sign represented…

Sara Ranstead, 29, Kilmarnock Walking into my local chippy, I nodded at the bloke serving. ‘Coming right up,’ he winked. Being a regular, I didn’t need to utter a word for staff to dish up my usual macaroni and fish suppers. For years, takeaways had been the staple diet for me and my husband Stephen, then 29. We worked long hours, me in admin, him as a nurse. So after moving in together in 2015, we gorged on takeaways five nights a week for convenience. Chinese, Indian, McDonald’s, Burger King. Ready meals or frozen pizzas the rest of the time. At £400 a month, it wasn’t cheap. But it wasn’t just my bank balance taking a beating. My body was, too. By 2017, the weight of my 5ft 1in frame…

My nose diagnosis Q My nose is constantly blocked and my GP says I have polyps. What are they? Karen, Ripon A Polyps are fleshy swellings inside your nose that are usually the result of an allergy such as hay fever, asthma or from repeated infections. They usually occur in both nostrils and a polyp on just one side, or which has a bloody discharge, should be checked to rule out the rare possibility of cancer. But most polyps are harmless, though they might cause a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, and a loss of smell. Treatment usually means shrinking the polyps with steroid nose drops or a spray, but larger polyps might need an operation, usually keyhole surgery through your nostril with no need to cut your skin. If…

TWISTED TEENAGER Troubled Ipswich girl Lorraine Thorpe, 15, spent two days torturing, beating and killing vulnerable Rosalyn Hunt, 41, in August 2009. With Paul Clarke, 41, she broke the woman’s ribs, burnt her hair, whipped her with a chain and sliced her skin with a cheese grater. Afterwards, the violent pair beat and smothered to death Lorraine’s dad, Desmond Thorpe, 43. In August 2010, both were found guilty of the murders. Thorpe was jailed for a minimum of 14 years. Clarke was found dead in his cell five years into his minimum 27-year sentence. A DEADLY AFFAIR In December 2017, ex-Royal Marine Stephen Searle, 64, called 999 to say he’d killed his wife. ‘I’ve been a very naughty boy,’ he told the call handler. The ex-UKIP councillor had killed his…

FILL ME IN What is the name of the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer. Your answer: WIN £100 Puzzle 14 CIRCLE TIME The name Margaret derives from the Ancient Greek for what? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters AGE AGO BIB BOA CAR JOB LIE RAN RUE 4 letters BORN CUBE PEAR RAGE SING SPUN 5 letters BATHE EIGHT ELECT EXACT 6 letters BAZAAR BICEPS EXPECT RABBIT 7 letters JUGGLED OVERDUE WIN £100 Puzzle 15 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Myth: Children with Down’s syndrome are more loving. Beverley says, ‘I laugh when people say this. As far as Bethany is concerned, I’m lucky to get a cuddle and a kiss! She’s so independent and too busy playing and having fun to stop and show me affection!’ Myth: People with Down’s syndrome can’t live independently. Beverley says, ‘I have every faith Bethany will lead an independent life and, even at 8, I make sure she watches and helps me cook and clean. She’s part of a big family, so there’ll always be plenty of people around to help her when, and if, she needs it as an adult.’ Myth: Raising a child with Down’s syndrome is hard work. Beverley says, ‘Parenting is hard work, whether a child has a learning…

Sending my application off for the Miss University UK pageant in London, I was still plagued with worries. My body was still experiencing numbness. Would I be able to walk the catwalk? What would people think of a model with MS? But I was determined to reclaim my life. My dreams… And, in October 2018, as I walked the catwalk wearing a stunning dress, all my fears fell away. Belting out Rise Up by Andra Day for the talent round was incredible. In the end, I was a runner-up. But I left the pageant feeling totally empowered. So I started applying to modelling agencies. Signed up to more pageants. A few months later, I won Miss Nottingham and then went on to the final of Miss Midlands. Finally, I had…

Sneaky vegetable beef burgers Indulgent delicious burgers with enough vegetables hidden inside to provide kids (and parents) with two of their five a day! SERVES: 4 PREP TIME: 15 MINS COOK TIME: 10 MINS • 45ml olive oil • 2 onions, sliced For the patties: • 2 carrots, peeled and grated • 1 parsnip, peeled and grated • 1 large courgette, grated • 400g beef mince • 1 egg Toppings: • 4 cheese slices or some Cheddar cheese, sliced • ¼ iceberg lettuce, shredded • 2 vine tomatoes, sliced • 4 sesame seed buns • Mayonnaise and ketchup (optional) 1 Fry the sliced onion in a pan with half the olive oil until golden, then remove. 2 While onion is frying, grate the peeled carrots and parsnip and grate the…

7-13 May Aries 21 March-20 April You’re feeling impulsive and are planning a surprise for your partner – a romantic stroll or a special meal. It’s time to embrace your feelings and let them flow. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Look out for bargain kitchen gadgets online. You love experimenting, so how about buying a baking device or pasta-making machine, then creating a tasty dinner? • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June There’s something magical in the air bringing out your romantic side. You are on a mission to woo your partner and make a deeper, long-term commitment. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July It’s time to give your social profiles a sleek redesign. It’ll…

TEXT Simply text CHATB followed by a space and your answer/s (spaces between answers please) full name, door number and postcode to 84988 Texts cost 50p plus standard network charge (maximum 160 characters per text). When you enter by text, you may in future get SMS marketing messages from Future plc and Chat. If you want to receive these, please end your text with OPTIN. Texting tips • Don’t put any spaces in an answer that has several words: eg: CHATISTHEBEST not CHAT IS THE BEST. • If the answer is a name, you need only give the surname: eg: CLOONEY not GEORGE CLOONEY. • You can use capitals or small letters, but don’t use any commas, etc. • Leave out answers you don’t wish to enter. INTERNET Join our…

My dearest Ava Rose, Discovering I was pregnant days before your big sister Maya’s first birthday, in August 2019, you were the perfect gift. At my eight-week scan, everything was ticking along nicely. Your dad Jay, then 30, and I were thrilled. But at the next one that October, the nurse spotted a cyst on my left ovary. ‘What’s that?’ I asked her, confused. My pregnancy with your sister had gone smoothly. The nurse explained it was a growth, quite common. It’d either shrink or need surgical removal. ‘What about my baby?’ I asked. ‘Everything should be fine,’ she said. It was a shock, but I tried to keep calm. Only, two weeks later, I struggled with agonising pain in my lower back and called the doctor. Tests showed the…

Jessie Shedden, 34, Cwmbran Lying in bed at 9pm on a Saturday, I listened to the hubbub of activity outside my window. Music, the smell of BBQs wafting, laughter. I wish I could join them. I wished I could enjoy carefree days with friends – but I had to be up at 3am for church and I had no mates. You see, I was the fourth generation of my family born into the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, formally known as the Exclusive Brethren. A religious order with 50,000 members worldwide. Aged 15, I lived in Yeovil with my parents and seven older siblings. But while our home looked normal outside, inside it was anything but. No TV, radio, computer, storybooks, posters or pop music. Banned for their ‘corrupting’ influence. I…

Lisa Greenan, 33, West Lothian The advice you need When you think of hay fever, you think of summer. Not for me - I can have flare-ups all year round. I first started suffering when I was 15. One school lunchtime, I hung out with mates by a wooded area. As I got back to class, my nose and eyes began to stream, my eyes swelled up, my vision went blurry until I could hardly see. Embarrassed and in shock, I sat with an ice pack on my eyes for the rest of the lesson. In the following years, I went to the GP countless times. As soon as flowers started to bloom in spring I’d react really badly. My nose would itch, my eyes swell, my throat become dry.…

OVER TO YOU Can you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p3. There’s £20 for every one we use! This week’s puzzle was compiled by Efrosyni Hobbs, Eltham, London ACROSS 1 Indonesian island 2 End of prayer 3 Basin 4 Small whirlpool DOWN 1 Foundation 2 Among 3 Let borrow 4 Very dark Your answer: WIN 5x £25 Puzzle 6 CHAIN WORDS Ray Fisher played which superhero in the DC Extended Universe movies? Get from Start to Finish, making words by joining two boxes together as you go, eg: SPI + LL, LL + … you decide! When you reach Finish, two unused boxes join together to give you the prize answer. Your answer: WIN £100 Puzzle 7 IN THE…

ARROW WORD The Kalevala is the foremost epic poem in the literature of which country? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer. Your answer: WIN £1,000 Puzzle 10 SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle and the numbers in the highlighted squares will give you the prize puzzle answer. Your answer: WIN £60 Puzzle 11 WORDSEARCH Which of these publishing terms translates into German as verzeichnis? The answer is the one not in the grid. AUTHOR BLURB CHAPTER COMMA CONTENTS COVER EDITOR IMAGE INDEX NOTE PAGE SENTENCE SPINE TITLE WORD Your answer: WIN…

Ghosted by my best mate Q My best friend of seven years has recently stopped talking to me, without any reason. We had a tiff, and I swallowed my pride and apologised, even though we were both to blame. Since then, she’s made excuses about being busy with her new job. But I just don’t buy it – and that’s no reason for zero communication from her. It’s like seven years suddenly stopped mattering. She won’t respond to any messages, and I don’t want to confront her because I know she’ll make out that everything’s my fault. What should I do? Lillie, 32 A It seems that you’ve done all you can. You can’t force someone to be friends with you. Don’t see it as a personal insult –though I…

3 ways to... haggle when buying a house If you want to negotiate on the price of a house but don’t know where to start, here’s what to do… 1 Do your research ‘Always do extensive research before you start negotiating,’ advises Rob Smith, head of behavioural finance at Barclays. ‘For example, check the prices similar properties in the surrounding area have sold for recently and also check how much similar houses in the area are on the market for. With this research in hand, you can go into negotiations with a strong and realistic offer, backed by hard data.’ 2 Set your limits ‘When house-hunting, it’s important to know exactly what you want out of your new property – and also your financial limits,’ warns Rob. ‘Estate agents may…

Lush Milky Bath Bubble Bar, £8.50, uk.lush.com Give your bathtime a sense of indulgence with this creamy, crumbly bubble bar. The uplifting scent of orange oil will fill the bathroom, while oat flour leaves skin feeling beautifully soft. No7 Beautiful Eyebrows Tinted Gel, £12, Boots This tinted brow gel tames unruly hairs, adds colour and creates the look of fuller brows in just a few strokes. It’s a game changer for those with sparse brow hairs wanting subtle definition. Green People Natural Rosemary & Prebiotics Deodorant, £11, greenpeople.co.uk For fresh-feeling underarms, try this natural roll-on deodorant. It’s super gentle on skin and won’t clog pores, so your body is still able to sweat, without the smell. Revlon Super Lustrous Glass Shine Lipstick in Beaming Strawberry, £8.99, lookfantastic.com A rosy-hued, glossy…

It was summer 1985 and all across Los Angeles residents desperate for respite from the heat had their windows thrown open, hopeful that, as night fell, the cooler air would bring relief from the sweltering conditions. Only, the windows weren’t just letting in a breeze. There was something – or someone – more sinister lurking in the shadows. As the city slept, the Night Stalker hunted his prey on the silent, dark streets. There was no pattern to his murdering, raping, and burglarising. His victims? That was anyone’s guess. So how do you go about catching a killer who doesn’t discriminate when it comes to race, age, gender or class, and whose weapons range from telephone cords and tyre irons to guns? That’s where Netflix series Night Stalker: The Hunt…

Chat winners issue 6 (11 February 2021) £1,001 CASH J Fowler, Sittingbourne £1,000 CASH J Haigh, Oxford £500 CASH A Holloway, Ferndown; L Pilkington, Leeds £250 CASH M McGraw, Erskine £150 CASH A Esplin, Didcot £100 CASH S Fitzpatrick, Horley; L Wheatley, York; L Morgan, Hull; W Cairns, Branston; M Pedley, Willenhall £60 CASH A Holt, Cambridge £50 CASH E Banham, Blackpool; B Curtis, Gosport; K French, Yarmouth £30 CASH G Adams, Andover; M O’Neill, Alexandria; C Driver, Huntingdon; A Esplin, Didcot; J Wilson, Sleaford £25 CASH M Hackett, Weybridge; D Wilson, Hornchurch; J Torrance, York; G Norris, Northampton; J Commons, Barnsley; J Lewis, Newport; R Thorpe, Barrow-in-Furness; S Seager, Kingsbridge; C Crudgington, Bilston Anyone from your town in the list this week..? Chat PUZZLE 1 5377 Chat PUZZLE 11…