Table of contents for 14 July 2022 in Chat

Lockdown seems a long way off now but you’re still sharing your amazing stories of that strange time. When Kate was stuck at home then, she made a discovery that reunited her with her first love (p10). And Orla and Agnes’ lockdown adventures really made us smile (p58). If you have a story to tell, we don’t care if it happened a while ago. We just want to hear it! Get in touch at the address below. Have a great week, PS If you’re entering the puzzles online, this is the link to use: comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Jennifer Hannigan, 29, Fife Opening the door, I gazed into a pair of dark eyes. The man smiling back at me was someone I’d got to know pretty well recently – but this was the first time I’d met Stuart Murray in person! Three months earlier, I’d joined an online dating site. I’d been single for months, was nervous making a profile. But when Stuart, then 29, messaged me, and our chats flew back and forth, I was glad I had. He seemed genuine and the truth was that I was falling for him. But, not wanting to rush, I’d resisted arranging a date. So at the start of 2016 my sister Laura, then 18, suggested inviting him over to her house for food, in case I needed moral support.…

Kate Baer, 50, Guisborough, North Yorkshire Seeing the bundle of letters fall in front of me, I felt my heart thud. It was November 2020, and we were in lockdown. To cheer myself up, I’d decided to put up my Christmas decorations early, but as I rummaged around the wardrobe looking for fairy lights, I’d come across an old box I’d not looked in for years. ‘Guenther’s letters,’ I said, my heart pounding. Bound with a 90s scrunchy, I’d had these letters for decades. Guenther was my first love, the one who’d got away. And reading through his letters on that grey lockdown day, familiar feelings flooded back. It was August 1989 when we’d first met. Then 17, I was on holiday with my mum Sylvia in Devon. Popping into…

She was a young woman on the cusp of a wonderful future. Yale University graduate Annie Le, 24, worked in a research lab at the prestigious university’s medical school. Hardworking Annie, originally from California, loved her job. She was also looking forward to marrying her fiance Jonathan Widawsky in a romantic ceremony on Long Island, New York. The young bride-to-be had everything to live for. But on 8 September 2009, the petite scientist – 4ft 9in tall and weighing only 6st 3lb, vanished. Her disappearance was totally unexpected, out of character – her wedding was just five days away. She should have been taking care of last minute arrangements; enjoying the excitement every bride feels before her big day. With her family and friends growing increasingly worried, the police launched…

Help! I keep dribbling Q When I stand up after a wee, another dribble of urine comes and wets my knickers! Can I stop it? Blessing, Southwark A This post-micturition dribble, as it’s known, is more common than you’d imagine, particularly in men. However, it can also happen in women and means that after a wee there’s some urine left in the urethra, the tube from your bladder to the outside, which dribbles out when you stand. Usually the cause is weakness in your pelvic floor muscles, often the result of age or childbirth. Sometimes you can stop it with a trick called double voiding, which simply means relaxing after a pee, waiting a few seconds and then peeing again. Pelvic floor exercises to restore strength and tone in your…

OVER TO YOU Can you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p5. There’s £20 for every one we use! This week’s puzzle was compiled by Michele McGuire, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire ACROSS 1 Move wings up and down 2 Path 3 Parts of a play 4 Compass direction DOWN 1 An imperfection 2 String to tie shoe 3 Insects from a colony 4 An irritant WIN 5 x £20 Puzzle 6 Your answer: HALF & HALF The first use of the socialist red flag as a symbol of working-class solidarity is said to have been in which country during an uprising in 1831? Cross out a letter in each square to get a grid filled with words. The uncrossed-out letters in the…

ARROW WORD The courtiers Voltimand and Cornelius appear in which Shakespeare play? 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. WIN 2 x £500 Puzzle 10 Your answer: 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. WIN 2 x £30 Puzzle 11 Your answer: WORDSEARCH In Indian cuisine, which food takes its name from the Hindi for ‘slap’ or ‘flat’ The answer is the one missing from the grid. CHAICHAPATIDHANSAKGHEEJALFREZI KOFTALASSIMASALANAANPANEER RAITAROTISAMOSATANDOORIVINDALOO WIN £40 Puzzle 12 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn…

FILL ME IN The cactus wren and saguaro cactus blossom are official symbols of which US state? 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. WIN £100 Puzzle 14 Your answer: CIRCLE TIME What is the last name of the US actor mother of Henry Wolfe, Mamie Gummer, Grace Gummer and Louisa Jacobson? Complete the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters CAT EAR EFT ELM LEI LET TEA TWO WAS YES 4 letters COWS EACH EELS ELSE SCUT STYE WASP 5 letters COPSE LAYER PUPIL 6 letters CHEESE CREDIT CREEPY CUPFUL PUPPET TATTOO 8 letters EXTREMES WIN £100 Puzzle 15 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to…

3 ways to… BAG CHEAP RAIL TICKETS If you’re going on a train journey, these tips you could save £££s 1 Plan ahead Train companies typically release their advance train tickets around 12 weeks before the departure date (some even earlier). Don’t miss out by setting up a ticket alert online with the rail company you’re planning to travel with or at thetrainline.com. Then buy tickets as soon as they go on sale. 2 Break it up You might also save if you buy two or more tickets that break the journey into sections. For example, instead of buying one ticket from London to Newcastle, it can be cheaper to buy one ticket from London to Darlington and another from Darlington to Newcastle. It’s called ‘split-ticketing’ and you don’t need…

LETTER of the week! Q What fragrance should I buy at the duty-free shop? Gill Paffett, Birmingham A Your sense of smell links to your memory, so to keep those summer vibes going long after you get home from holiday, it’s nice to change up your fragrance when travelling somewhere new. Plus, nothing gets your holiday started like browsing through the perfumes at duty-free. If you’re heading somewhere tropical, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Lychee Lime eau de toilette, £25.45 for 100ml, World Duty Free, blends a fruity cocktail of Mexican lime and Egyptian geranium to surround you with exotic scents. Especially for travel, the pocketsized Dior J’adore Roller-pearl Eau De Parfum, £33.75 for 20ml, World Duty Free, is perfect for summer nights out. It is floral and feminine with base…

Chat winners issue 15 (14 April 2022) £1,001 CASH J Hall, Stockton-on-Tees £1,000 CASH S Sanden, Bridlington £500 CASH D Roberts, Norwich L Vine, Hailsham £250 CASH S Brown, Manchester £150 CASH J Carpenter, Lytham St Annes £100 CASH J Credgington, Northampton C Coleman, Cardiff C Harvey, Rugby C Harrison, High Peak V Spencer, Truro £60 CASH D Thomas, Dursley £50 CASH J Pearmain, Solihull M Hyde, Huddersfield A Kimber, Portsmouth £30 CASH S Jopson, Wigan R Mayes, Watford D Routledge, Carlisle A Priday, Newport M Rees, Cardiff £25 CASH B Totten, Livingston D Kirk, Hucknall J Webster, Leeds R Dickenson, Liskeard C Hicks, Bristol Y Huxstep, Luton K Carr, Christchurch L Kemp, Salisbury R Campbell, Hartlepool Chat PUZZLE 1 28552 Chat PUZZLE 2 LARGE Chat PUZZLE 11 2 1…

We pay £25 for any photos that we use on Chat To Us! Get in touch! EMAIL chat_magazine@futurenet.com POST Chat, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London, W2 6JR Find us online at facebook.com/ChatMagazine LOCAL HERO WORDS: VERONIQUE HAWKSWORTH. PHOTOS MUST NOT HAVE BEEN SENT TO ANY OTHER PUBLICATION AND YOU MUST INCLUDE WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM A CHILD’S PARENT/S OR GUARDIAN/S. UNFORTUNATELY, WE CAN’T RETURN PHOTOS WITHOUT A SAE AND PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR FULL ADDRESS AND A CONTACT NUMBER…

After spending 18 months insisting that he was an innocent man, Raymond Clark III, 26, finally admitted strangling Annie Le, 24, in the Yale University research lab where they both worked. During a plea-agreement hearing in March 2011, Clark pleaded guilty to her murder and entered an Alford plea to the sexual assault charge. Under an Alford plea, a defendant maintains their innocence, but admits there is sufficient evidence against them to secure a conviction. Former lab technician Clark told the court that he took full responsibility for Annie’s death in September 2009, just days before her wedding but offered no explanation for his actions. During sentencing in June 2011, Clark sobbed and expressed his remorse, as her devastated family spoke of their unending grief, with her mum Vivian telling…

1 Sweat the small stuff Anywhere you sweat, your sunscreen slips off. No sunscreens are totally waterproof, although ‘water-resistant’ types offer more staying power. The backs of the knees are especially perspiration-prone. ‘The legs are the most common site on the body for melanoma in females,’ says consultant dermatologist Dr Anjali Mahto, spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation. 2 Protect ears Hair in a ponytail to keep cool? ‘The ears are a high-risk area, particularly for non-melanoma skin cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma,’ says Dr Mahto. Smear sunscreen all over them – not forgetting the rims, lobes and even inside the ear. 3 Get naked ‘Apply your sunscreen before putting on your clothes,’ suggests Dr Anita Sturnham, GP and skin specialist. ‘This will not only…

Mikaela Holzheimer, 24 Picking out a tiny sleepsuit with pretty pink bows, I felt a flutter of excitement. ‘This is adorable,’ I said, holding it up to show my fiancé. It was May 2019, and me and Jake, then 21, were expecting our first baby together. Our relationship had been a whirlwind. After meeting online two years earlier, we were engaged within a year. Soon after, I’d fallen pregnant. Both so excited, we couldn’t wait to start setting up home for our little one. At 16 weeks, we’d found out we were expecting a girl. We decorated the nursery, bought a carseat for that first precious journey home from hospital. Even picked out a name. Ariah. I couldn’t wait to become a mum. And now, at 27 weeks, I was…

Which island of the Inner Hebrides, whose main settlement is Arinagour, is the former home of Mairi Hedderwick, and the inspiration for the fictional island of Struay in her Katie Morag books? Solve the crossword, then read down the yellow squares. The yellow shaded squares will spell out the competition answer. ACROSS 1 Drink made from apples (5) 4 Elderly (3) 6 Not doing anything (4) 7 Superman’s nemesis, _ Luthor (3) DOWN 1 _ Martin, Coldplay singer (5) 2 Oddly amusing (5) 3 Fishing pole (3) 5 Movie actor, Jamie _ Curtis (3) WIN 3 x £20 Puzzle 13 Your answer TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

I can’t stop scoffing Q I’m not morbidly obese but I do have fat on me that makes me unhappy. I’m trying to exercise more, and during the day, I eat mostly fruit and veg. The problem is at night, I just don’t stop. I don’t even want to eat, but I can’t stop thinking about it and hate going to bed hungry. Do you have any tips? Sara, 33 A You need to get yourself into some healthier habits, sweetheart. You’re so used to eating snacks in the evening that now you crave them whether you need them or not. It sounds as though you’re not eating enough in the day, either. You’re starving yourself, so no wonder you have the night-time munchies. Start eating three nutritious meals each day…

Jenni Gretton, 34, Derby Arriving for another night shift at the vets, I was greeted by the usual barks and mews. It was September 2020, and working as a veterinary nurse, I saw all sorts of furry and feathered patients. I got to work, then in the middle of the shift, a police officer came in. ‘We’ve found a kitten, badly burnt,’ he said. I’d looked after plenty of animals with burns before, usually family pets with minor scalds. But when I saw this kitten, I gasped. It was worse than anything I’d seen before. His fur was covered in soot, the room filled with the stench of singed fur. A taxi driver had spotted the little creature hiding under a car, and the police managed to beckon him out.…

Aries 21 March-20 April Your wisdom has been gained through experience. Allow yourself to feel emotions and heal yourself once and for all. You are tougher than you realise. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May A neighbour asks for help with DIY. It takes a couple of hours but with Mars in your sign your determination shines through, and it’s great to have a catch-up. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June It’s good to anticipate problems when travelling. A friend backs your music or creative project, which helps you to save money in case of emergencies. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July You have a chance to spend more time with your partner. Why not…

Charles Worthington Take Aways Sunshine Protect Salt Spray, £2.99 for 50ml, Boots Achieve effortless beach waves with this travel-friendly salt spray. Just a few spritzes will surround you with the fresh scent of the ocean while creating smooth curls and volume in the hair. The best part is that it doesn’t leave your hair feeling crispy. Barry M Fresh Face Fixation Setting Spray, £4.99, Boots Wishing your make-up could stay fresh all day? Then try this super spray. It locks make-up in place while an infusion of aronia berry and vitamin C brightens your skin and prevents it from drying out. We like using ours just before applying our make-up to prime the face flawlessly.…

She worked as a lifeguard, ensuring the safety of swimmers. But Sophie George, from Brighton, was far from an angel. In private, she had dark, sadistic thoughts. And woe betide anyone who crossed her… Aged 17, she met Adam Yiosese, 22, a student at the University of Brighton. The pair then enjoyed a casual fling. After graduating with a first-class degree, Adam found work as a railway engineer in London. They stayed in touch over the summer, but when the teen suspected Adam of hooking up with other women, she was furious. Intent on revenge, she grabbed a lined piece of paper and began scribbling a plan… On the evening of 9 October 2019, Sophie, then 18, asked Adam, then 23, to meet her in Brighton. When he arrived at…

NINA STEER, 55, FROM LOWESTOFT SUFFOLK, SAYS: My sighthound Rana was always a handful, but after my divorce, I was worried how I’d cope caring for her by myself. I didn’t want to give up on Rana, so I turned to Amanda, a local dog walker. Amanda was so reassuring when she came to meet Rana. Walking her with other dogs, Amanda helped Rana grow into a happier, more social pooch. Amanda is so helpful, she’ll even look after Rana when I have last-minute appointments, and gives me tips on how to safely build Rana’s confidence. To top it off, Amanda manages to fit her dog walking around being a full-time carer. I was anxious about looking after Rana, but Amanda helps me feel at ease. She’s worth her weight…

Fly’s the limit Our greenhouse was letting in flies and wasps, making it awkward for me to tend to my plants. Putting up an old net curtain solved the problem straight away. Cilla Sear, Caister-on-Sea, Norfolk It’s a cover-up! I bought a retro picture from a flea market, but unfortunately the frame was scratched. With a £1 sheet of butterfly stickers, I used a couple to hide the damage. Four pence well spent! Lorraine Smith, Rossendale, Lancashire Wheelie great Clearing out our shed, I found an old bike wheel. I decided to recycle it by decorating it with artificial leaves, flowers, tinsel, and cheap solar string lights, secured with tie wraps so they wouldn’t come off in the wind. Now it welcomes guests to my garden bar! Julie Jessney, Hull,…

What connects actors Geena Davis and Zoe Saldana? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the three-word prize answer. ACROSS 1 Navigation aid (5) 4 Tall grass that grows near water (4) 6 Unmarried man (8) 13 Grieved (7) 14 Playhouse (7) 15 Breathing organs (5) 16 Iron oxide (4) 17 Irritates (6) 18 Frightens (6) 20 Corrosive substance (4) 21 Looked after (5) 22 Deep _, 1998 film (6) 25 Tepid (8) 28 English county (6) 30 Author of Wuthering Heights, _ Brontë (5) 32 See 11 Down 34 Actor who played Ron Weasley, _ Grint (6) 35 Shove (4) 38 One or the other (6) 39 High temperature (5) 40 Parentless child (6) 43 Wagon (4) 44 Dried grape (6) 45…

Leona Burton, 36 True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK Taking in beautiful Mexico, I felt really lucky. Travelling the world with my husband Lee, then 34, and our five kids, I was living my dream life. It was April 2021 and, having set up my own business the year before, we’d decided to give up our settled life in the UK. It was bliss. Only, that May I woke up with a pain in my hip. I’d suffered from endometriosis – where tissue similar to that which lines the uterus grows elsewhere in the body – for years, and put the pain down to that. ‘Visit a doctor,’ Lee urged when the pain worsened. Sitting in a private hospital in Mexico, I explained my symptoms. Prescribed painkillers, I was sent home. The pain…

Caroline Atkins, 38, Milton Keynes Lying down naked, I stretched out, made myself comfy and began to relax. I wanted to look my best, so I’d booked a session on a sunbed in September 2019. I knew they weren’t good for me, but figured one wouldn’t hurt. In March, I’d come out of a five-year relationship and was now ready to flex my dating muscles again. Had a first date lined up in a couple of days with a guy I’d met online. I wasn’t a regular at the tanning salon – had only ever used sunbeds about five times, but wanted a special glow. After eight minutes, I manoeuvred myself up and reached for my clothes. Suddenly a sharp sting in my left boob made me grimace. ‘Ouch!’ I…

With research showing 37% of parents complain about mums and dads showing off about their kids, we’ve compiled a list of annoying comments “Is he walking yet? No? My baby started walking properly at nine months old. (Yes, and I’m sure they’d completed university and were an award-winning artist by the age of five, too…)” “He’s so gorgeous we’re thinking of signing him up to a modelling agency. (We get it. Every parent thinks their child is the most beautiful thing on the planet, but let’s be honest – most of them are not!)” “My toddler eats everything without argument. (OK – this is actually impressive. But who wants to hear about how a three-year-old scoffs down broccoli while you still have to pick out diced onion from the spag…

Natasha Gibbs, 37, Grays, Essex My friend emerged from the changing room in skinny jeans and a tight crop top. ‘What do you think?’ she asked, looking in the mirror. ‘You look lush! You have to get them,’ I replied. As she went to get changed, I shuffled over to the accessories and bags. Later, as a bunch of us went for a fast-food lunch, my mates were all laden with shopping bags. I was the only one empty-handed. It was the summer of 1999, and at age 15, I was a size 16. I was outgoing and if any bullies had something to say about the fact that I was bigger than my mates, I’d just ignore them. But on shopping trips like today, I wished I could join…

Katy and her husband Rob have what some may feel is a highly unlikely relationship. While Katy works as a teacher, Rob’s career in the porn industry as a sex coach and adult content creator couldn’t be more different! While she’s running around after little ones all day, her hubby’s job is purely for adult eyes only. Filming sex scenes with female colleagues, and videos with scantily clad women in bikinis, is all in a day’s work for him. But Rob was open about his occupation from the start, and luckily Katy wasn’t put off. ‘I actually knew that Rob was an adult content creator before I met him,’ Katy says. ‘At first I wasn’t sure I’d be interested, but all of that changed when I actually hung out with…

I set up a GoFundMe page, hoping that members of the public would feel touched by Fire Cat, as we called him, and donate. And in just six hours, we’d received over £2,000 in donations, enough to cover his vet bills! People really do care, I thought. By now a month had passed and I was taking care of Fire Cat at my home. Wearing a cone around his neck with no skin on his ears or nose, he was certainly an odd-looking family pet. But my son Jude, then 2, loved him, and the name Fire Cat stuck. Unable to blink properly, we were having to apply drops four times a day. When the time came around for his operation, I was nervous. What if it doesn’t work? I…

Nip+Fab Hyaluronic Fix Extreme4 Hydration Cleansing Cream, £12.95, Boots Get the ultimate moisture hit with this daily cleanser. Not only does it gently remove impurities, but four hardworking hydrators retain water both at skin level and under the surface, leaving a plump, refreshed complexion. Piz Buin Allergy Lotion SPF30, £8, Boots Rashes and flare-ups can really take the fun out of the sun, so this sun cream is a life-saver. It is formulated with everything the skin needs to protect it from harmful rays, while helping to prevent irritation. Autograph Powder Blush in Melba Blush, £10, M&S Add a flush of colour to your cheeks with this lovely powder blush. It comes in a neat compact fitted with a mirror for easy touch-ups when you’re out and about. Available in…

CLOSING DATE FOR ALL ENTRIES IS 26 JULY 2022 (Three days later for postal entries) TEXT Simply text CHATA followed by a space and your answer/s (spaces between answers please) full name, door number and postcode to 63333 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…