Table of contents for 02-May-2019 in Chat

She may be dying, but Samanda never felt more alive than when she was surrounded by loved ones – at her own wake! (p54). When Hazel’s hubby was found dead in a swimming pool, she was the prime suspect. Could the loving wife really be to blame? (p14). Vikki and Thomas were enjoying a blissful holiday, until they heard some news that would make Vikki question whether they had a future together (p6). Plus, we’ve the pick of the pastels to pretty up your wardrobe (p12), two very different ways with tinned salmon (p39), and 12 cool clocks from a fiver (p23). Hope you have a great time this week!…

NOT GUILTY This February, Hazel Spenceley was found not guilty of the manslaughter of her husband Peter. As she heard the verdict, Hazel closed her eyes, gasped, and cried tears of relief. Standing outside the Supreme Court after she was acquitted, she addressed reporters. ‘Thank you to everybody who has supported me, because I did not do anything to assist my husband. ‘He was the most wonderful man in this world,’ she said tearfully. ‘I’ve got to learn to live without him.’ When asked how the last few years had been for her, Hazel uttered just one word as she climbed into a waiting car... ‘Hell,’ she replied.…

Horrible gums Q My gums have overgrown and look swollen and red. Why? Maddie, Yarmouth A It could be a side-effect from drugs, like some pills for epilepsy or high blood pressure. If you're pregnant, that could be to blame, or you may have a gum infection. See your GP and dentist as, rarely, another cause is leukaemia. Old-age joints Q I can feel my joints creaking as I move. Could it be arthritis? Dorotka, Croydon A Not necessarily! Where two bones meet in a joint, their ends are covered in smooth cartilage. Creaking can mean this cartilage has roughened - sometimes due to arthritis, or simply due to age. If there's no pain, keep moving and do gentle exercise. What is AMD? Q I've been diagnosed with age-related macular…

Cindy Biddle, 43 I blinked hard, trying to take in the shocking news. ‘It’s been growing for a long time, possibly since you were 12,’ the doctor said. It was October 2015, and I’d just been diagnosed with a non-melanoma skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma. Growing up in the sunny state of Florida in the 80s, I was always outside as a kid. I asked for a mirror, thought I’d prepared mentally... Back then, the dangers of sun damage and the importance of sun cream weren’t well known. Even in my teens, I never applied SPF. The first sign I’d had was in summer 2014. I’d had a sore, dry patch around my left nostril on and off for a year. It was white around the outside, and hard…

Millions of us will see our water bills rise this month by about two per cent, pushing the average yearly bill to £415. Here's how to cut the cost… Save on a meter? The Consumer Council for Water advises if you live on your own, or have more bedrooms in your property than people, you may be able to save money by a having meter fitted. To get an idea if you could save, try using their calculator (ccwater.org.uk). Win, win! Saving water can cut bills for those on meters, and it can reduce energy bills for everyone - swapping your leisurely bath for a quick shower, means less water going down the drain that you've paid to heat. And when you're using your dishwasher, use the eco or economy…

Jeff Gifford, 55, Chester Tripping over a box, I sloped into the kitchen to make coffee around 6.30am. It was November last year – and, though I’d moved into my terraced house five months earlier, I still hadn’t finished the unpacking. Sort that later, I thought, getting ready for my job at a nearby printers. The truth was, it’d been a difficult year since separating from my wife. But my daughters – India, 24, Harriet, 22, and Libby, 16 – weren’t far. Libby visited often, had her own room. She’d keep me company as she did her homework on her laptop or played on her iPad. Our family spaniel-cross Mojo curled up at her feet. Every morning at 6.45am, I left for work. Didn’t arrive home until 5.45pm. I’d not…

Vicky McClure: My Dementia Choir BBC1 Line of Duty star Vicky McClure sets off on a deeply personal mission to show how music therapy can change the lives of dementia patients, and those who love and care for them. The actress, whose grandmother Iris had dementia, joins the University of Nottingham and specialists from the fields of medicine, music therapy and performance to form a band and choir made up of musicians and singers with dementia. She hears their stories as they rehearse and work towards putting on a very special performance Hostile Planet NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Bear Grylls is well-known as an expert on human survival, but for this new six-part series he’ll look at how animals cope in some of the planet’s most extreme locations. Using breakthrough camera technology,…

Samanda Ford, 59, Beccles, Suffolk How would you tell your own kids that you’re dying? We all know that, eventually, we’ll have to say goodbye to the ones we love the most. Yet, many of us approach each day as if we’re immortal. When, actually, we should be appreciating the here and now. Making the most of the present, because it’s a gift. After learning in October 2017 that I had incurable colon cancer, I didn’t shed a tear. And, gathering my tribe of four kids together, I wanted to teach them that death isn’t something to fear. ‘The doctors are going to do their best to fight it, but there’s no cure,’ I told them. Of course, Demelza, 42, Tristan, 38, Ryan, 26, and Travis, 19, were all devastated.…

Buzzing! As summer approaches I'm trying to encourage bees and insects into my garden. I made some simple bee and insect houses by filling two pretty mugs with bamboo sticks to help the little insects to thrive, they also look really nice too. Lynne Newton, Spennymoor It’s a wrap!  Keep your unruly spring-back garden hose neat and tidy by coiling it onto an old rake propped up against the wall. Carol Gasan, Tiverton Snap happy  Keep paperback books from getting bent in hand luggage by wrapping two elastic bands across the  length and width of the book. Barbara Champion, Durham Newsworthy  If your suitcase has been left unused for a while, the week before you're due to head on holiday, stuff it with newspaper to get rid of stale odours.…

I can’t get it down! Q After sex last week, my erection wouldn't go for over an hour, and it really hurt! What's wrong? Sam, Prestonpans A It might a be a side-effect of drugs, including cocaine, cannabis, some impotence treatments or antidepressants, or a blood problem like sickle-cell disease. If a wee, shower and painkillers don't work within two hours, then go to A&E, or you risk damage to your penis. Write to Dr Martin Edwards at Chat, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP. Or e-mail chathealth@ti-media.com Sorry, he can’t reply personally.…

Aries 21 March - 20 April You’re up to the job. You’ve done it before and know what to do - until you find it’s all changed. New techniques, new technology. Don’t try to make the old ways work - learn the new ones. Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May Getting to the bottom of something is always tricky. The stars suggest it could take another three months. Decide for yourself whether it’s worth that much effort. If it isn’t, then let it go. Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June It’s one of those lovely times where you and a mate can do each other a favour and both end up better off than you were before. Don’t…

Q  I always feel more confident when I’ve got a tan but I hate the marks fake tan leaves on my towels and bedding. Are there any smudge-proof tans? Andrea Delmeida, 49 A Clear self-tanners are the answer. You don’t actually need your tan to be tinted for the tanning ingredient to work. A dye-free formula will, therefore, help minimise staining on clothes and bedding without compromising on a golden glow. The one downside is you’ll have to be even more thorough when it comes to blending as there’s no guide colour to ensure even application. Once your tan has developed, you can help save your towels (and prolong your tan!), by patting skin dry, rather than rubbing. Q I wish I could make my lips look a little fuller…

Coronation Street Will Leanne stand by Nick? When Wayne’s report was stolen, Imran wondered if Nick was behind the theft as the document implicated him in the Underworld disaster. When Toyah strips the beds in the flat they share she’s stunned to find the report under Nick and Leanne’s mattress. Nick insists it must have been planted and takes it to the police, but they arrest him and suspect he damaged the roof for financial gain. Nick says he’s innocent while Toyah tries to convince Leanne he’s lying. Who will she believe? Emmerdale Jamie Tate’s car crash arrival! Kim’s been trying to track down her estranged son Jamie with the help of Rhona, and there’s good news for her this week when the vet tells her that he’s coming to…

Darling Cameron, You entered the world in December 2012, and I still remember that feeling... Seeing you for the first time, feeling your skin against mine. Your dad Adam, 25, and big sister Morgan, 3, were besotted, too. You breezed through your newborn tests. And we couldn’t wait to get you home. The first few weeks, you cried all night – but during the day, you were an angel. ‘He’s always sleeping!’ your grandparents smiled. ‘That’ll change,’ I laughed. But at 6 weeks old, you still weren’t opening your eyes much. One day, you did, as the sun shone through the living- room window. What’s that, catching in the sunlight? It was a yellow dot on your right pupil. Searching online, I was terrified. Feared that it was a tumour.…

Vikki Fisher, 23, Bolton When I agreed to meet friends for drinks in June 2014, I didn’t expect to meet the love of my life. It was the height of the summer and everybody was in good spirits. Beer in hand, outside in the sunshine. But a cheeky smile caught my eye. The handsome stranger was the friend of a friend, and my cheeks burned red as I nervously introduced myself. ‘Nice to meet you, Vikki – I’m Thomas,’ he grinned, peering at me with his gorgeous green eyes. I felt uneasy about him going to his ex’s We flirted all night before Thomas and a few friends came back to mine for another drink. From that moment, we were inseparable. Cute and charming, he had me laughing constantly. We…

In December 2016, Hazel and Peter Spenceley were at home in Perth, Australia, packing for a cruise holiday around Indonesia – set to depart the following day. It was the trip of a lifetime for the husband and wife, aged 80 and 79. The happily married couple were well liked locally and they seemed to live a peaceful existence. But the night before their holiday, on 20 December, neighbours were alerted to an incident at the Spenceley home. Hazel was shouting, ran from the house for help. And, as neighbours flocked to the scene to help, Peter’s lifeless body was pulled out of the water of their swimming pool. Around his waist had been a bag filled with weights. As one neighbour tried to resuscitate him, Hazel was hysterical. ‘He…

Wrapping a tea towel around the handle of the kettle, I struggled to lift it. ‘These blooming fingers,’ I cursed, frustrated. My fingers were aching and my joints were swollen. Small tasks around the house, like making tea, were now almost impossible. I’d noticed my symptoms first in the early 2000s. My hands were so sore. Tasks like changing gear in a car became dangerous. ‘Maybe we should think about changing the car,’ my wife Teresa, then 54, said. I’m proud, didn’t want to admit there was a problem. But I knew she was right. So we switched to an automatic and I gradually found ways around things. But I was gutted. So I asked my GP for help. He examined my joints, took my age into account. ‘You’ve got…

I smell awful! Q I'm pregnant and my body odour's worse, but so is my husband's! How's that possible? Rachael, Richmond A Pregnancy increases blood flow to your skin, and pregnancy hormones can stimulate sweat and vaginal fluid, which may alter your smell. But your sense of smell is often heightened in pregnancy, too, so it could be you're simply more aware of odours. Weak bladder Q I've started leaking wee. Is there something I can buy without seeing my doctor? Angie, Dover A You can buy pads, but see your GP to rule out anything easily treatable, such as an infection. Treatment depends on the cause - often urge incontinence due to an overactive bladder muscle, or stress incontinence, due to weak pelvic muscles.…

Q Wow! How did you become so body confident? A I've always been a confident person, but it's thanks to Stuart really - he's allowed me to stay that way no matter what size I am. Q Do you think you’re naturally attracted to slimmer men? A I don't have a preference. For me, a good personality is the most important thing, regardless of how big or small a person is. Q Has your size ever negatively affected your sex life? A Absolutely not! Stuart and I have always had a great sex life. My size doesn't put him off - if anything, it's got better as we've got older! Q Would you ever lose weight if Stuart asked you to? A No, only for the sake of my health.…

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2014: Killed in the classroom On 28 April 2014, Will Cornick, 15, stabbed his teacher in the back and neck at Corpus Christi Catholic College, Leeds. Ann Maguire, 61, died from her injuries. Cornick then sat back down at his desk and said ‘good times'. In November 2014, at Leeds Crown Court, the judge said Cornick, by then 16, had shown a ‘chilling lack of remorse'. He was sentenced to life in prison, and must serve at least 20 years. 1999: A professional hit? Host of TV's Crimewatch Jill Dando, 37, was shot and killed on the doorstep of her west London home on 26 April 1999. Local man Barry George was jailed for her murder in 2001. But a retrial in 2008 found him not guilty. The…

Sally Hansen Color Therapy Nail Polish in Aurant You Relaxed, £6.99 With built-in nail nourishers, this coral is a must as the sun comes out to play. Kiko Smart Nail Lacquer in Rosy Nude, £2.50, kikocosmetics. co.uk We love this soft peachy-pink for its quick-dry formula and jelly-like shine. Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Nail Enamel in Jokers Wild, £7.99 A muted orange looks great against a tanned complexion, real or fake. Essie Nail Polish in Lovie Dovie, £7.99 This creamy pink suits every skin tone, with an elegant, understated effect. Barry M Under The Sea Nail Paint in Sea Turtle, £3.99 With just a hint of shimmer, this is a gorgeous turquoise.…

Amanda Crowley, 48, Swansea Sitting at the bar, I raised a pint of Guinness with my friends. ‘Happy birthday!’ It was July 2007, seven months since I’d opened The Cricketers pub in Swansea. Business was booming. Always rushed off my feet, I usually worked late at weekends. But tonight I was the one being served, as I celebrated my best friend’s birthday. I still had to close up, though, and meet my pals in town later. I lived above the pub with my then-partner of five years. After catching a taxi into town, I waited outside the club for all the girls. But, after half an hour with no response to my calls or texts, feeling tired, I flagged a taxi to take me home. That’s my last memory of…