Table of contents for 01-Oct-2020 in Chat

Sarah Richardson, 24, Nuneaton Stretching my arms over my head, I awoke to the familiar sounds of my grandparents’ house. They were pottering about while my mum Alison, then 49, chattered away happily. And in the background of it all, I could hear the shrill sound of the kettle boiling. It was December 2011 and I was soon up, dressed, and downstairs for a cuppa, too. But as the day continued, that whistling sound I heard never went away. In fact, for the best part of the next month, it never waivered. Some days, it was really loud and distracting. Other times, it was easy to ignore. But whether I was putting on headphones or cleaning my ears, the noise was always there. Finally, at the end of January 2012,…

Chocolate tortes This flourless chocolate torte is the richest, gooiest most delicious dessert out there! SERVES: 14-16 PREP TIME: 15 MINS COOK TIME: 45 MINS • 510g dark chocolate, broken into squares• 250g butter, cubed• 6 large free-range eggs, separated• 200g golden caster sugar• 1-2tbsp cocoa powder, to dust• 23cm (9in) tin, lined with baking parchment 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. 2 Place the egg yolks and sugar into a large bowl and whisk them together with an electric mixer for 5 mins, until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Then stir through the melted chocolate. 3 In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold through the chocolate mixture. 4…

Aries 21 March-20 April You work with many different people and make your words and ideas easily understood. You’ll find your communication skills reach management’s ears. Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May You like routine and to know where you are with everything. By going slowly on the romance front you’ll find that all underlying situations will be revealed. Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June Your partner’s preoccupied with their own projects, while you want to go out. Invite a friend out, chat to friends online, anything to avoid pestering your partner. Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Your workload is heavy and demanding, at the expense of your own needs. Take up running or swimming. If you…

Dear Lottie, From an early age, I dreamt of being an author, always had my nose stuck in a book. But I never thought I could make a career out of it. So I went into a banking job, a world away from creative writing. Me and your dad Julian had your siblings, Millie in 1999, and Josh in April 2002. And after you were born in January 2007, I decided to start my own consultancy business. ‘I can have my career and still be around for every school play and sports day,’ I beamed to your dad. You’ve shown me what success really means I thought I could have it all. That was until you were diagnosed with epilepsy in February 2009. On a good day, you had around…

The Britannia Bridge carries the A55 and a railway line over which strait? The number next to the clue tells you which line the answer’s in. We’ve put a section in to start you off! There may be two Across answers in one line. Down words fill themselves in. The shaded squares spell out the prize puzzle answer. WIN £150 Puzzle 3 1 The Pit and the _, Edgar Allan Poe short story 3 Auction item • Drain 5 American coin • Informal conversation 7 _ Atkinson, actor • _ Weeks Notice, 2003 film 9 Not wavy or curly Your answer:…

Appy & healthy Struggling with hot sweats, mood swings and insomnia? Download Balance, a GP-approved app that will support you through menopause. Use it to record symptoms, track changes and tweak your sleep, nutrition and exercise. (Free, Android/IOS) Swap and see Munch your way to better health by swapping your usual muesli mix for new Lizi’s Super Muesli. Four breakfast blends to boost your well-being, they’re packed with vitamins C, B6, B2 and zinc, as well as natural ingredients such as turmeric, barley, hemp, maca powder and quinoa. (£4, Waitrose) Suffering from ‘maskne’? Yes, mask acne is now a thing. According to a report, 83% of health-care workers in China suffered skin problems on the face during the coronavirus peak, and globally, chin, nose and cheek flare-ups have increased with our…

Produced by Timbaland and released in 1996, what was the name of rapper Ginuwine’s debut single? Solve the crossword, then read down the yellow squares. The yellow shaded squares will spell out the competition answer. ACROSS 1 Wreck-It _, 2013 Disney film (5) 4 Pinch (3) 6 Symbol (4) 7 Lucy in the _ with Diamonds, Beatles song (3) DOWN 1 Cook in the oven (5) 2 Breathing organs (5) 3 Jump on one leg (3) 5 Writing fluid (3) WIN £50 Puzzle 13 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

My partner’s so lazy QI work full-time from home. Meanwhile, my partner of three years works part-time. I could do with help around the house, but he prefers going down the pub. That’s why his ex-wife threw him out! He’s divorced, but is friends with his ex because of the children, who are in their 30s. I think he’d go back to her if she let him. To be honest, I can’t see a future for us. He’s so lazy I wonder if I’d be better off on my own. What do you think? Teresa, 61 AIt’s brutal, but I need to be frank. You’re definitely better off alone and aren’t getting any support at home. The ex-wife isn’t your problem. It’s time to call it a day and tell him…

As rotten as I felt in that hospital bed, it was the shame and fear that was overwhelming. I was at risk of a heart attack, the doctor explained. I hung my head as the doctor urged me to give up the junk food and fizzy pop. Gorging on takeaways and guzzling fizzy cola wasn’t just hurting me, it was affecting my whole family. I could leave my little boy without a mum – and for what? A sugary drink and pizza? It wasn’t worth it. ‘No more excuses, I’m going to change,’ I vowed. I signed up to WW classes from my hospital bed. Back home, armed with insulin to treat my diabetes, I poured the cola into the sink and threw out the chocolate bars. I went cold…

Lindsay Bagshaw, 49, Lowestoft Unpacking the boxes in our new house, I looked over at my partner Shaun, then 51, and smiled. It was March 2019 and I couldn’t wait to share a home with him and my daughter, Rosie-May, 17, and son, Elliott, 13. It didn’t bother me if we argued over the dirty dishes, or if Shaun left the toilet seat up… I was smitten, and I couldn’t wait to start this new, exciting chapter. We’d known each other for over a decade, from around town. But in spring 2018, I started to see him as more than an acquaintance. Shaun was laid back, and funny. A hard worker, dedicated to his job on an oil rig, and a great dad to his kids. Qualities I held in…

Q How can I keep my skin looking young after I turn 50? Marie, 49, Sheffield A Your best chance of keeping great skin is to turn to products that encourage anti-ageing. When we mature, reduced collagen production in the skin causes wrinkles and fine lines. Try using a moisturiser like L’Oréal Paris Collagen Wrinkle De-Crease Re-Plumping Day Cream, £12, to plump the surface of the skin and keep it looking youthful. You could also look at combatting pigmentation issues, such as sun spots, that may have appeared with Olay Regenerist Luminous Skin Tone Perfecting Serum, £29.99, containing niacinamide, a potent ingredient to even out skin tone. One of the most common side effects of ageing skin is dryness so keep skin hydrated with hyaluronic acid, the ingredient that’s famed…

Sharon Louch, 49, Welling Walking across the garden, I marched to the small shed that my son had turned into a bedroom. Jay, 18, had wanted his own space. And since the cabin had electricity, I didn’t mind him moving himself in there. Only, that morning in December 2018, I’d arrived home from my partner Kevin’s house and found my clothes dryer broken in the kitchen. Now, as I opened the cabin door to ask Jay what on earth he’d done, I found he wasn’t alone. Jay’s friend Michael was snoozing on the top bunk bed. And on the bottom bunk lay Jay and a girl I’d never seen before. Already annoyed, I snapped at him. ‘I didn’t let you sleep out here to bring girls home,’ I said. ‘Sorry,…

WIN £1,001 Puzzle 5 What links US actor Ed Norton and football pundit Gary Lineker? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 1/51/60 TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor (5,8,6) 4 Name for crushed potatoes (4) 6 Eddy Grant song, _ Avenue (8) 13 Snake or tortoise, for example (7) 14 Gin and vermouth cocktail (7) 15 Push gently (5) 16 Employment (4) 17 Heavenly messengers (6) 18 Mediterranean island (6) 20 Level and regular (4) 21 Organ located in the chest (5) 22 Says something that’s not planned (2-4) 25 Look similar to (8) 28 Assault (6) 30 Father Christmas’ nickname (5) 32 One who makes statues (8) 34 Part of the eye (6) 35 Put together…

After hearing five days of evidence, the jury deliberated for 12 hours before reaching a conclusion. ‘There is rarely direct evidence of the operation of the human mind, but you may infer a person’s state of mind by the surrounding circumstances,’ Judge Michaela Murphy said. Eventually, Noah Gaston was found guilty of murder. When the foreman gave the verdict, there was an audible sigh of relief heard from the gallery where Alicia Gaston’s family sat. Noah rested his head on the table before he was escorted out of the court by a guard, shaking his head as he left the courtroom. ‘I’m trying to protect my family,’ Noah said as he passed through the exit. Alicia Gaston’s family left the court together before her sister-in-law Amy Ouellette made a statement to…

Tidying up down there Q I have horrible skin tags around the inside of my vagina. My GP says they’re what’s left of my hymen. Can I get rid of them? Wendy, south London A Your hymen is the membrane that lies across the entrance to your vagina as a child. Tampons, sex, fingers or even everyday activity cause it to break, leaving some ragged remains. Childbirth often tears it further, leaving a ring of skin tags, the medical name for which is carunculae myrtiformes. The way your hymen tears and the pattern of remains it leaves, varies from one woman to another, but tags and other remnants are normal and harmless. Very rarely, an operation is needed to remove part of the hymen if it doesn’t tear completely, but…

KILLER DUO JAILED The two men who brutally murdered Fusilier Lee Rigby in the middle of a busy London street were jailed in February 2014. Michael Adebolajo, then 29, was given a whole-life term and Michael Adebowale, then 22, was jailed for a minimum of 45 years. The killers drove into Lee as he walked near his barracks in Woolwich, southeast London, on 22 May 2013, before hacking him to death. They told passers-by that their actions were in response to the killing of Muslim soldiers by British troops. BANK ROBBER UP IN SMOKE Having fled Barclays bank at Piccadilly Circus, London with £1,000 in cash, Teslim Adedibu yelled, ‘I’ve got all the money!’ But as he did so, on 12 May 2014, a crimson dye exploded over the cash…

3 ways to… get organised and save money Suspect you’re paying over the odds for car insurance, but never manage to shop around for a better deal? Or been charged a late payment fee because you’ve forgotten to pay a bill? Then it’s time to take action. Here’s how to get started! 1 Make a list Write down all the things which will save cash, but you haven’t done yet, such as finding a cheaper phone deal or making a weekly budget. Then get your diary out and plan which tasks you’ll tackle each week. Tick them off one by one as you complete each job, which will motivate you to keep going! 2 Know your dates Mark important dates, such as when your insurance is up for renewal, on your…

Urban Myths SKY ARTS Mark Addy is set to step into shoes of comedian Les Dawson when the comedy series returns. He’ll appear in a bizarre tale written by Inside No.9’s Steve Pemberton, which will tell the story of the time Les spent in Paris during the 1950s. Riviera SKY ATLANTIC When the glitzy drama returns for a third series, look out for new cast member Rupert Graves. He joins Julia Stiles to play Georgina’s charismatic new ally Gabriel Hirsch, as the pair attempt to unravel a conspiracy involving stolen artworks that takes them from Venice to Argentina. Rick Stein’s Cornwall BBC2 The celebrity chef will share some secrets from the place he calls home in his upcoming new series. In each episode, he’ll be going off the beaten track,…

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Chat winners issue 27, (2 July 2020) £1,001 CASH S Smith, Swindon. £1,000 CASH A Hardy, Nuneaton. £500 CASH J Coughlin, Bolton; V Dudman, Basingstoke. £250 CASH L Jackson, Burntwood. £150 CASH P Hansom, Jarrow. £100 CASH H Stanway, Bridgend; C Petrie, West Gorton; J Morgan, Cardiff; W Martin, Glasgow; P Clark, Skewen. £60 CASH M Staff, Boston. £50 CASH P Worthington, Glossop; R Peterson, Oldbury; A Rees, Treharris. £30 CASH E Feather, York; T Baillie, Wellingborough; G Steven, Middleton; S Williams, Hilldene; L Oliver, Rickmansworth. £25 CASH M Jefferson, Peterlee; M Wright, South Shields; M Johnson, Heckmondwike; S Church, Bexleyheath; J Hassell, Sutton Coldfield; G Leigh, Maidstone; L Perrett, Radstock; P Taylor, Cannock; J Muff, Wyke. Anyone from your town in the list this week..? PUZZLE 2 810 PUZZLE…