Table of contents for 5 September 2024 in Chat

Welcome to this week's Chat… Can you imagine anything fancier then living on a luxury cruise ship? Serena did just that, but she soon found a downside to such a glamorous existence (p38). Five words: all-you-can-eat buffets. She boarded as a trim size 12 and by the time she finally disembarked, she was 5st heavier! Who can blame her – I'd be the same in the face of all that yummy food. Better turn to the light and speedy recipes on p40 then. Tasty dinners all under 500 calories! Have a great week,…

First I heard the front door slam, then a cheery voice call out. ‘Aloha!’ my son Tony, then 30, called, bouncing into the kitchen. ‘Stick the kettle on.’ It was 2015 and, despite being a dad of six, my Tony always found time to visit his old mum, to fill me in on how the grandkids were, catch up on gossip. The eldest of my four children, he looked out for us all. ‘You won't believe who my new next-door neighbour is,’ he said. ‘Nick!’ ‘You're kidding,’ I cried. Nick and Tony had been best mates since meeting as teenagers. Back in 2000, when Tony was 15, I'd moved the family from Northern Ireland to Grantham. Tony had made friends easily and, with his strong accent, was often nicknamed ‘Irish’.…

By what acronym – also an English adjective – is the Network Coordination Centre, the organisation that allocates internet addresses in Europe and the Middle East, known? To find out, solve the puzzle… The three answers in this puzzle read the same across and down. The clues are given, but not in the right order. Read down the shaded squares to spell the prize answer. WIN 5x £20 Puzzle 3 SETTLE EXCELLENT KEYBOARD Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

My wife Grace wrapped her arms around me and our newborn. ‘She's beautiful,’ Grace smiled. It was April 2020 and I'd just given birth to our daughter Magnolia. Only, with the UK in COVID-19 lockdown, Grace, then 32, had to leave us at St Peter's Hospital, Chertsey, at midnight. In the early hours, without Grace, I felt strangely numb. Breastfeeding was a struggle and Magnolia cried non-stop. When she finally settled, I was terrified that she would stop breathing. True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK Too wired to sleep, I watched films on my phone, but it felt like the images were shooting from the screen. I also had a non-stop tune in my head, Fabulous, Baby! from Sister Act. And I didn't feel hungry or thirsty, only nibbled on a biscuit when…

Consisting of 21 pages plus ads and an introduction from Herbert Morrison, what was first published in 1931 and sold for one penny a copy? To find out, solve the puzzle… Add a letter anywhere in each of the boxed-off words to fit the clue, eg, Express gratitude = TANK + H = THANK. Write the added letter in the space provided. Read down the added letters to spell out the prize answer. WIN 2 x £25 Puzzle 9 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Which company, founded as Microtel Communications Ltd in 1990, became the youngest ever company to enter the FTSE 100 index after its public listing in 1996? Unscramble each group of letters to discover six colours. Now fit them across the grid and you'll spell out the answer to the question. 1 QUIT EUROS 2 PRUE LP 3 ROMANO 4 AL NERVED 5 DIG ION 6 REV LIS WIN £75 Puzzle 17 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Greek salad with orzo Enjoy a taste of the Med with this filling take on the classic salad. SERVES 4 PREP 20 MINS COOK 10 MINS ● 150g orzo ● 100g broad beans ● 1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthways, seeds removed and chopped ● 200g cherry tomatoes, quartered ● 1 red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced ● 200g feta cheese, crumbled ● Handful mint leaves For the dressing: ● 1tbsp red wine vinegar ● 2tbsp olive oil ● 1tsp dried oregano 1 Cook the orzo in a pan of boiling, salted water for 9 mins. Drain and rinse under cold water, drain again. Meanwhile, cook the beans for 4 to 5 mins in boiling water, drain and, when cool enough to handle, pop them out of their skins. 2 Put…

30 Aug-5 Sep 2024 Aries 21 March-20 April At the beginning of this month, the New Moon is in an Earth sign, helping you to bring order to chaos and to ground your ideas with a practical plan. ● Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Now the Sun is in a fellow Earth sign, you're more able to get things done. Remember that ‘done’ is better than ‘perfect’, to help overcome procrastination. ● Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June With Mars in your sign for just a couple more days, it's prime time to tap into this fiery energy to finish tasks and tie up any loose ends with determination. ● Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July You're…

Q I keep hearing about different skincare ingredients like retinol and vitamin C, but I'm feeling a bit confused about what I should be using and when. Can you help with a simple routine I could try? Karen Wright, Carlisle We understand that in the world of beauty, there are a lot of so-called ‘hero ingredients’, so it can be overwhelming when it comes to choosing what's best for you. We would suggest starting your day with Q+A Niacinamide Facial Serum, £6.95, Holland & Barrett, as it is a great all-rounder for most skin types and works well at fighting off blemishes, calming redness and balancing a stressed-out complexion. Follow up with a brightening and softening shot of vitamin C with a light day cream like Garnier SkinActive Vitamin C…

As 11-yearold Shawn Hornbeck straddled his lime-green mountain bike and cycled towards his friend's house, he waved goodbye to his mum. The town of Richwoods in Missouri, USA, was small and quiet, and Shawn's parents trusted him to be out on his bike alone. It was 6 October 2002, and as Shawn pedalled along, he felt a shove to the back of his bike. As he pulled to the side of the road, a white truck stopped behind him. Behind the wheel of the vehicle was Michael Devlin, a pizza-shop worker. Devlin pulled a gun, told Shawn to get in the truck. ‘You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time,’ Devlin said. And in that moment, Shawn vanished. For Pam Akers, Shawn's mother, it was the beginning…

Dear Steven, There was a time when I was always called the same thing. Not Zara but ‘Steven's sister’. I hated it, but even as a little girl, I grudgingly understood why. You were born with a liver condition called biliary atresia. And in February 2006, when you were 11 and I was 7, you went to hospital for your third liver transplant. The first two had happened before I was born. Both failed. Including when our mum Eira, then 33, gave you part of her liver. I'd only ever known you as poorly. It didn't stop you teasing me, making me laugh, but we couldn't play fight in case you got hurt. Transplant number three was a scary time. Docs had warned that most don't survive it. You did…

Faith Burke, Deal Janet Warrington, Crumpsall Sheila Gledhill, Preston We pay £25 for any photos that we use on Chat To Us! Anne Draper, East Barnet Kerry Jane Norris, Birkenhead Melanie Pikett, Lincoln Get in touch! EMAIL chat_magazine@futurenet.com POST Chat, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London W2 6JR Find us online at facebook.com/ChatMagazine…

WIN £1,001 Puzzle 4 What do actor Zendaya and singer Jennifer Lopez have in common? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the six-word prize answer. ACROSS 1 Gown (5) 4 Group of actors (4) 6 Assesses the dimensions of an object (8) 13 City in north-west England (7) 14 Small glass balls (7) 15 Confess (5) 16 Country, capital Baghdad (4) 17 Summer month (6) 18 Gesture (6) 20 Pistachios, for example (4) 21 Suspends (5) 22 Painter (6) 25 Having a beat (8) 28 Journey by air (6) 30 Child's magazine (5) 32 Having the most weight (8) 34 Anxious, unsettled (6) 35 White long-necked bird (4) 38 Scrubs (6) 39 Running contests (5) 40 Shriek (6) 43 Nicolas _, Con Air actor (4) 44 Next to (6) 45 Chemical element with the symbol N (8) 48 Additional (5) 49 Heavenly messengers (6) 51 Part of a…

Is she self-harming? Q My 15-year-old daughter was helping me with chores and I noticed lots of very thin lines/cuts on her forearms. How should I approach this? Louise, Newbury A If you think your daughter is hurting herself, be understanding and talk to her privately. Show her that you care and want to help. Listen without judging and let her share her feelings. It's important not to blame or shame her. You should also encourage her to get professional help from a therapist who knows about self-harm. Offer to help her find one, and go with her if she wants – your GP might be a good place to start. Remember to respect her privacy and keep everything confidential. Can I skip my smear? Q I'm a 28-year-old virgin…

There was a swish and a swoop of colour across my lounge, then a bundle of feathers landed on my shoulder. ‘Who's a pretty boy, then?’ a voice chirped. ‘You are, Chewy,’ I smiled, scratching my beloved cockatiel's head. It was May 2024 and Chewy had lived with me and my husband Paul, then 55, for five years, since being a tiny chick. Cheeky and friendly, he could mimic our speech. Even whistle a tune. He adored his cage mate Sophie, another cockatiel. A right pair of love birds! We'd leave their cage open so they could stretch their wings, fluttering from room to room. But they always stayed indoors. Only, days later, our neighbour rang the doorbell, needing help. Dashing out, we forgot to shut the front door. Back…

Stuck in a rut Q I'm struggling. I don't find joy in anything any more. I'm not as fit as I used to be, and I prefer staying in all the time when I'm not at work. I have a wonderful family and friends, but I avoid them and keep to myself. I even lie to avoid being around them. I used to be the life and soul of the party but now I feel like life is passing me by. Christina, 53 A I'm really sorry you're going through this, love. It sounds like this is more than just feeling a bit down. Speak to a medical professional to rule out hormone and other physiological issues. Your GP should be able to direct you to more support. Please reach…

3 ways to… spend less with apps From dealing with your cash to finding discount codes, see how they can help. 1 Make a budget You can use money management apps to help you keep on top of your spending. For example, with Snoop (snoop.app), you can connect a wide range of bank accounts and credit cards to your account, so you can see them all in one place. The app allows you to set budgets and review your finances by category and will send you personalised money-saving suggestions too. The basic version is free, while Snoop Plus, which offers additional features, is £4.99 a month. For more info, including about other budgeting apps, visit which.co.uk. 2 Save on food Download the Too Good To Go app and search for ‘Surprise Bags’…

The smell of gas hit me as soon as I walked through the door. Not again, I thought. Hurrying into the kitchen I turned off the hob. It was September 2017 and I was living with my mum Joan, then 83, along with my son Jacob, then 19. I found Mum watching telly in the living room. ‘You left the gas on again,’ I said. ‘Did I?’ she replied, puzzled. ‘I didn't use the hob today.’ This wasn't the first time. Working shifts as a dental technician, I was out every day. Jacob at school. I'd come home to find the gas on, the hob burning. One day Mum drank a glass of fabric softener, thinking it was fruit juice. She'd forget things we talked about. I worried constantly. Would…

E.l.f. Sun Boss Gloss, £7, Boots These new lipglosses will give lips a natural-looking tint that has plenty of shine, with the added bonus of SPF25. The formula has hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to keep skin soft. Attitude Super Leaves Moisture Rich Shampoo, £10.50, Amazon As well as being made of 97.8% natural goodies, including naturally derived sulphates, this quinoa and jojoba shampoo softens strands and brings back bounce to lacklustre hair. KIKO Gloss Supreme All-Over Liquid Glossifier, £12.99, kikocosmetics.com This clear and feather-light liquid sheen can be applied to cheeks, lips and lids for an instant dewy finish that doesn't feel sticky or heavy. Isle of Paradise Body Brilliantly Bright Body Cleanser, £15, lookfantastic.com Brighten dull skin with this radiance-boosting cleanser. It'll lather up nicely to leave limbs…

What's your favourite thing about yourself? The fact that since ‘retiring’ over 20 years ago I've become an author of local history books. All while caring for my autistic son and in spite of being widowed nine years ago, with no other family. Something most people don't know about you? I have button phobia! Also known as koumpounophobia, it's really rare and most people haven't even heard of it. It's definitely an unusual one. What's your earliest nice memory? Hop picking in Kent. As part of a huge group of East Enders who did the same every summer. Camping out, singing by the bonfires – it was lovely. WE PAY £50 to everyone we feature on this page! What's your guilty pleasure when it comes to TV? Does Bargain Hunt…

Gene Kelly received his only Oscar nomination for acting when he played a man with what profession in a 1946 film? 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 one-word prize answer. WIN £100 Puzzle 2 2 (Of a triangle) having two  equal sides 4 Weep • Pungent, sharp 6 Small bay • Funerary vase 8 Land alongside the oceans Your answer:…

Another night in, home alne with only my laptop for company. I opened it up and spotted a friend's Facebook post about a conversation we'd had that day. Men either look great on the outside but lack compassion, or they're so emotional you end up looking after them. Where is Mr Right? It was November 2014, and I was 34 and single. I didn't mind that my dating frustrations were now being broadcast to the world. It felt good to share. None of my relationships had worked out. I'd never felt looked after. I had a good job running an agency for motivational speakers, and lots of friends, and I took care of myself. Surely it wasn't too much to ask to find a nice bloke. Someone who'd run me…

Michael Chesna's dream was to join the police. And in 2012, after two tours of duty in the US Army, in Afghanistan and Iraq, that dream came true. By 2018, Michael, 42, was a sergeant, assigned to the traffic division of Weymouth Police Department. Though he worked hard on duty, he loved nothing more than going home to spend time with his wife Cindy, wrestle with his son Jack, then 4, and dote on his daughter Olivia, 9. Known among colleagues as a great family man and a great officer who always had a kind word, he was coming to the end of his shift on 15 July 2018, when two final calls came in. A woman had reported her white BMW stolen. Her boyfriend Emanuel Lopes, 20, was behind…

Q I'm pretty fit and go to the gym, but recently I've been experiencing deep buttock pain that travels down the back of my thigh and into my foot, and now my heel is numb. What could it be? Lee, Somerset A The pain and heel numbness you describe are classic symptoms of sciatica – a condition where the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down the back of each leg, gets irritated. However, other conditions can cause similar symptoms, and it's important to see your GP for a proper diagnosis. Treatments may include physiotherapy, medication or surgery, depending on the severity and underlying cause. In the meantime, avoid activities that worsen the symptoms and try gentle stretching exercises. Applying heat or cold packs to the affected area…

Logging into my banking app, I transferred money into my savings. Just like every payday. It was September 2014, and alongside working full-time in retail, I also did some DJing part-time. I loved hyping up crowds at parties and nightclubs. But away from the decks, I was very sensible when it came to finances. So was my husband Paul, then 38, a landscape gardener. We'd known each other since secondary school, married in June 2014. We'd gone without luxuries like holidays to buy our home together in 2009. And while we had a credit card for emergencies, we rarely used it. Now, as we checked our joint savings account, I felt a flutter of excitement. ‘We're building up a nice nest egg,’ I said to Paul. And we knew what…

The historic Nabi Yunus mosque in Mosul, destroyed in 2014, purportedly marked the grave of which biblical figure, known as Yunus in the Koran? Solve the crossword, then read down the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 1 _ Elordi, Saltburn actor (5) 4 Adult male (3) 6 Vehicles for hire (4) 7 Timid (3) DOWN 1 Liquid from fruit (5) 2 Hairstyling tools (5) 3 Forbid (3) 5 Remains of a fire (3) WIN 4 x £20 Puzzle 13 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

One moment the sun was peeping over the horizon, the next it was high in the clear blue sky, making the waves below shimmer. And I was watching it all from the top deck of a luxury cruise ship. How was this my life? It was August 2021 and I had just set sail on my first 12-week contract on the ship, working as an on-board nurse. It was an exciting time in more ways than one. After years of yo-yo dieting, I'd managed to lose 2st on the keto diet. At 11st 7lb, I was finally happy with my body, and the size-12 bikinis I'd packed in my suitcase proved it. For the next three months I'd be helping holidaymakers as the cruise sailed around the Caribbean. But there'd…

WIN £500 Puzzle 18 The answers to all but one of these quiz questions can be found hidden in this wordsearch grid, reading forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally. To help you, we'll tell you that the answers are in alphabetical order in each section. However, one answer can't be found in the grid. This is your prize answer. NUMBERS 1 What is the surname of British actor Ben, who has starred in the films Murder by Numbers, The Truth About Cats & Dogs and The Dig? (7) 2 In several Old Testament books, including Exodus and Numbers, Canaan is described as a land ‘flowing with milk and _’? (5) 3 The Man-Machine, Autobahn, and Computer World (which features a track entitled Numbers) were early albums by which German electronic band?…

Chat winners issue 23 (6 June 2024) £1,001 CASH J Pulley, Droitwich £500 CASH S O'Neill, Hull J Dwyer, Stockport £250 CASH I Akhtar, Sheffield J Jones, Chester £200 CASH R Morris, Caernarfon £100 CASH M Davies, Neath B Hincley, Matlock S Peacock,  Bury St Edmunds £50 CASH E Baldwin,  Hemel Hempstead P Von Der Fecht,  Frodsham J Harrison, Alton N Roberts, Brighton A Wyllie, Liverpool J Emson, Sleaford £40 CASH J Reynolds, Spalding £30 CASH M McDougall, Kelso G Smith, Hayle £25 CASH J Atherton-Pusill,  Redruth J Bradbury,  Parranporth £20 CASH Y Martin, Gillingham L Barrows, Falmouth C Riley, Sandbach C McKenna, Coventry N Brice, Bristol MP Lockett,  Stockport D Morgan, Conwy K Leat, Bristol N Mackenzie, Killin E Srugiute, London K Hunt, Pontypridd M Bailey, Keighley A Walmesley,  Ellesmere Port L Dredge,  Stourport-on-Severn M Betteridge,  Leicester V Fellows,  West Bromwich P Hamilton, Wisbech J Ogley, Leeds P Halsey, Canterbury K Birch, Rye C Jenkins, Lichfield K Hearn, Rayleigh L Wade, Paignton E Summers,  Northampton Anyone from your town in the list this week..? ● Any material submitted to Chat must be original, not copies…