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Dad looked so old and infirm. But he was still a monster Suffering from crippling depression, I often self-harmed. My doctor prescribed me lithium to dull the agony I felt. But it turned me into a zombie. At the school gates, I’d be collecting the kids in a haze. As they got older, I confided in them. They deserved to know what had made me the way I was. Finally, in 2015, it was my youngest, Samantha, 18, who convinced me to finally go to the police. ‘You’ve got to do this for yourself, Mum,’ she said. ‘You deserve to be happy.’ She was right. I needed closure. Justice. So I gave a statement about everything to the police. Dad was arrested, but I was so anxious I couldn’t leave…

Stitch agony Q When I run, I end up with a terrible stitch in my side! Do I have to give up trying to get fit? Rowena, 41 A Stitches should stop as you become fitter. They could mean a lack of blood supply to your diaphragm muscle, or a full stomach stretching your diaphragm. Don't run right after a meal and when a stitch strikes, either run through it for a couple of minutes or stop and stretch. Calf pain QI get a pain in the back of my calf after walking about 100 yards. My doctor thinks it's my circulation. Sheila, 73 A Sounds like intermittent claudication, pain due to lack of oxygen in your leg muscles. The arteries have narrowed and treatment means stopping smoking, taking aspirin,…

By 9pm, I hadn’t heard back – it wasn’t like her... Me and my daughter Elizabeth were always so close, people said we were like Velcro. So being away from each other was strange when she went to Liverpool John Moores University in September 2015. But I was so proud of her studying Law. We always made time to call each other, though. And, at the end of November, Elizabeth rang with good news. ‘I met someone, we’re going out in a few days,’ Elizabeth, then 19, gushed. ‘That’s wonderful,’ I replied. She explained she’d met Thomas McDonough, 22, through mutual friends a couple of days earlier. ‘He seems really nice,’ she went on. ‘And such a gentleman. ‘You deserve nothing less,’ I said, thrilled she was happy. Later, I…

I knew he was saying goodbye, slipping away... Rubbing my bump with her tiny hands, my little girl Eva turned to me and smiled. ‘The baby will be here soon,’ I told her. Eva was only 2 years old and I was desperate to involve her as much as possible with my second pregnancy. She came with me to choose baby clothes and I taught her how to change nappies, using her dolls. We were expecting a boy. ‘I feel so lucky,’ I said to my husband Martin, 38. ‘I feel like we have it all.’ In a strange way, I almost felt like we were too lucky, and I was half-expecting something bad to happen. My labour, in February 2016, was difficult. But when our son Leo was born,…

Within hours, the cramps, sickness and diarrhoea hit me The plane sped down the runway and took off. ‘Egypt here we come!’ I beamed to my hubby Chris, 62. It was July 2015 and we were jetting to a five-star resort just outside Sharm El Sheikh for two weeks to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We’d spent ages surfing the web looking for the perfect beach resort, and my suitcase was full of new maxi dresses and swimsuits. ‘We’ll soon be sipping champagne by the pool,’ I grinned. When we arrived at the Reef Oasis Blue Bay Resort and Spa we were greeted with a cocktail. Great start! I thought. Only, when we got to our room and started unpacking, we noticed it was a bit shabby. Stains on soft…

Flopping onto the sofa, I flicked through the TV channels, my kids – aged 9, 3 and 1 – tucked up in bed. I loved being a mum but, with my hubby Peter, 29, in the Navy, they keep me very busy when he’s away! Then, during the ad break, I was reading Chat and came across a Chat Mag Bingo advert. It offered a sign-up bonus for new members when they deposited £10. I signed up and soon found the 90-ball Sapphire Bingo. Tickets were 10p each, so I bought some. Then a link game was coming up – one that’s played across several of the bingo rooms, where there’s a bigger jackpot. I bought some tickets, sat back to watch the game play out. Suddenly, my screen was…

My gorgeous black Labrador Roxy, 4, curled up next to me as I settled on the sofa for a game of Chat Mag Bingo. ‘I think Roxy’s a bit lonely,’ I said to my hubby Graham, 47. Sadly, we’d lost our older Lab Misty that summer. Christmas was coming up, though, and with the family coming, getting a puppy was on hold. On Christmas Day, we had our three kids – 25, 23 and 13 – our two grandkids and my parents. After everyone had gone and our youngest was in bed, Graham and I flopped on the sofa, and I decided to enjoy a few games of Chat Mag Bingo. I was playing 75-ball bingo in Lounge, and I won a game… ‘I’ve just won £160!’ I said. There…

I’d make sandwiches and leave them in the bins Craning my neck to look out the shop window, I spotted him. ‘He’s out there again!’ I said to my husband Norman. He joined me at the window and we watched as a man rummaged through a bin across the street. It was spring 1975, and Norman and I had a little bookshop in Gloucester. Recently, we’d noticed this man rifling through bins – particularly the one outside the local chippy. ‘He must be hungry,’ I said. But the man was smartly dressed, clean and tidy. He didn’t look like a homeless person. And seeing him rifle through the rubbish bins for food broke my heart. I knew he must be desperate so, one day, I decided to approach him. ‘I’d…

What I loved Being treated to a manicure. I felt so glamorous! I fear it may become addictive... What hacked me off The idea that I could be being spied on through my telly. Yikes! This time the world's really, really gone mad… What made me laugh A mate reminding me that the tingly, funny feeling you get when you like someone (yup, in THAT way) is just common sense leaving your body. Ain't that the truth! Hope you hang onto your thinking self this week!…

Judge Daniel Williams said that he was limited in his sentencing powers, as he could only hand down what would have been the maximum sentence at the time Alan Davies committed the offences. He said, ‘This court must have regard to the totality of your offending and the totally ruinous effect you have had upon the victim. Had you been dealt with such offences committed more recently, this court would sentence you for multiple offences of rape and assault by penetration.'…

Keep it peeled   If a candle is too large to fit into your candlestick, you can use a potato peeler to shave off layers of wax until it gets down to a size that'll fit. Anna Hammett, Neston Ribbon ready Keep ribbons from inside tops and gifts, as they can be used to jazz up and colour-coordinate ornaments. Emma Phillips, Fife Non-stain drainer   To stop your drainer getting stained, place kitchen towel under it, and replace as needed. Celia Salter, Cowplain Cat’s great!   Turn a recycling bin into a cat toilet! Simply cut a gap in the lid so that the cats can get in and out easily and don't kick their litter all over the floor. Lucy Robinson, Bristol Making your mark Attach pretty stickers onto…

I hated missing out on time with my daughter I was pregnant with my daughter Amelia, now 10, when doctors picked it up. ‘Your kidney function is getting weaker,’ a consultant explained. Further tests revealed it was due to my Type 1 diabetes. I’d been diagnosed with the condition when I was 11. My pancreas wasn’t producing insulin, which controls blood sugar, and I had to inject myself daily. Though in recent years, I’d not been managing it so well. My husband Mark, 49, and I ran a livery farm for horses. I was always busy. I kept forgetting my injections. Which meant my blood sugar levels were all over the place. It’d made me sick, exhausted, and my eyesight was suffering. And now, poor management had taken its toll…

Asda Italian Chicken & Chorizo Tortelloni, 300g, £1.38 The super smooth filling in these is mainly ricotta with a little chicken and chorizo, so try serving with a spicy tomato sauce. Sainsbury's Smokey Chorizo Tortelloni, 400g, £1.50 With a filling that's mainly chorizo, not surprisingly these have a strong flavour. Just drizzle with oil and serve with grated Parmesan. Morrisons Chicken & Chorizo Tortelloni, 300g, £1.50 The right balance of flavours makes this our stand-out favourite. Ideal for a fast, tasty mid-week supper. NEW Aero Heavenly Mousse, 170g, £1.79 This large pot is full of fluffy mousse, with rich swirls of caramel sauce and sprinkled with chopped nuts. Choose from salted caramel or milk chocolate.…

They liked having abuse screamed in their faces I watched in fascination as the leather-clad woman whipped a man on his knees. ‘Surely he can’t be enjoying that,’ I whispered to my mate. ‘You’d be surprised,’ she winked. I was 19 and at a fetish night at a local club. For a while I’d been intrigued by BDSM, which involves erotic activities that include bondage, discipline, domination, submission and masochism. Open-minded, I didn’t find it weird or intimidating. Quite the opposite, in fact! Out of curiosity, I’d started going to fetish nights at clubs. I’d watch on in amazement as women trampled all over men in stilettos. The guys seemed to love it. ‘Would you like to whip me?’ one man asked. I shook my head, scared I’d hurt him.…

It was November 2014 and I was enjoying a game on Chat Mag Bingo. I was playing my fave – the 90-ball bingo in Emerald – when suddenly… My name and a jackpot amount popped up – £1,250! I loved playing bingo. I’d played my whole life, going to the bingo halls with my mates when I was younger. Then, a few years ago, I’d started playing online at home, and loved how easy it was. And now I’d won big! ‘Amazing, Mum,’ my son Marek, 60, grinned. I’d moved to the UK from Poland years earlier, but I still had lots of friends and family there. So I took myself on a six-month holiday to visit! Back in the UK, I’d enjoy playing bingo of an evening while watching…

I’d won the progressive jackpot of £19,958! Every Sunday, my sister Kelly, 37, and I would leave our hubbies looking after the kids, put our glad rags on and hit the bingo in the city. We had a right laugh! But it was a long way to travel and, over the years, we stopped. ‘I play online bingo instead now,’ Kelly told me one day. ‘It’s great fun, and I’ve already had a few wins,’ she grinned. ‘You should try it.’ So I did. And it was fun! The chatrooms were full of players talking about life as the games played. ‘This is really sociable, just like when you go to the bingo hall,’ I said to Kelly. Plus, it was convenient playing from my own home. My favourite time…

4 Hire a bike Take a gentle ride in the valley, go off-road, or, for the hardcore, nothing beats the Big-5-Bike Challenge. Think five mountains and pure, free-ride adventure! 5 Eat out Tuck into the local Kaiserschmarrn at one of Saalbach's 40 fabulous mountain huts. These fluffy shredded pancakes, sprinkled with icing sugar and served with a local berry puree, are nothing short of delicious! 6 Meet the locals This area is known as the home of Lassig (roughly translated ‘laid-back'), and the friendly locals are always ready to tell you about their many traditions, including when the Krampus and Perchten come out to play in December…a great reason for a return winter visit! • For information on Useful stuff  the area, where to stay, what to do, eating out…

Aries 21 March - 20 April Would you like champagne, or will lemonade do? You’re letting cash worries spoil a romance, but there’s no need. Love works through the heart, not the wallet - and if your partner feels the same, lemonade’s fine. Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May You get a chance to back out of something you agreed to earlier, but may now have doubts about. It won’t cost you anything and you’re within your rights, so do it while you can. You’ll feel a lot better. Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June Is this the end of the affair? In the short term, yes, but in the long term, no. Circumstances beyond your control mean…

I kept waiting to feel the urge to cover up... Everyone knows that no funny business can go on As soon as we arrived at the beach, I jumped out of the car and stripped to my bikini. It was a boiling-hot day in the south of France, and I was dying for a cooling swim. ‘Race you to the water,’ I said to my boyfriend Ben, 46. But as I started to run towards the shore, I was stopped dead in my tracks. Half the people on the beach were completely starkers! There were couples sunbathing, friends playing ball games – all of them naked, and acting like it was totally normal… I thought my bikini was pretty skimpy, but I suddenly felt overdressed. I looked at Ben,…

MODEL PRISONER Bad boy Jeremy Meeks shot to fame when his police mugshot (below right) with blue eyes and chiselled cheekbones went viral. After serving his time for firearms offences, he was snapped up by a modelling agency and has just appeared at New York Fashion Week! NUTTY NOBBLER! We've heard of guard dogs…but guard squirrels? Joey the squirrel from Idaho, USA, is being hailed a hero after the crime-fighting critter attacked a burglar, causing him to flee. Furry feisty indeed! CUCUMB-OO-ER! An usher at a cinema in Sydney made a surprising find while cleaning up after a screening of Fifty Shades Darker - a cucumber! Did someone fancy a healthy snack while watching the steamy sequel? Or… Actually, we don't want to think about it.…

If I refused to go up to bed, he would threaten me In the playground, my classmates gathered around a little girl. ‘I can’t believe it,’ she squealed. ‘So gross!’ Listening in, I realised what was going on. She was saying how she’d accidentally walked in on her dad, naked in the bathroom. ‘I saw his willy,’ she cringed and our classmates laughed. I couldn’t join in the teasing. Tears forming, I ran to the loos – and broke down sobbing. I was filled with shame. I’d seen my dad’s willy so many times. And it wasn’t funny at all. There was a time when I’d never have dreamed my dad Alan would hurt me. I was his only daughter, a real daddy’s girl. But when I was 7, something…

My first thought was that it looked like a giant nose! Popping open the can of cola, I took my first sip. It was 8am and I’d just eaten two slices of buttery toast and a few choccie biscuits. Now I was washing it down with my favourite drink. I started my day with a cola, and ended my day with one. There were also another three or four cans in between. Now, though, as I got dressed for my admin assistant job, pulled on my ‘fat uniform’ – a baggy top with a baggy cardigan – my heart felt heavy. All my eating and drinking came at a price. I was only 27 and I weighed 25st, crammed myself into size-24 clothes. I’d started piling on the weight when…

I peered inside – saw Riley being thrown around violently As I pushed the vacuum over the upstairs carpets, I made a mental list of everything I had to do. Clean the kids’ rooms, peel the veg, get the meat in the oven... And that was all before my mother-in-law Rose, 79, arrived for lunch. It was a Sunday morning in November last year and my hubby Aaron, 41, was picking up Rose while our girls, Sophie, 12, and Sasha, 11, were at the cinema with my brother Andrew, 42. I’d left our two boys, Freddie, 7, and Riley, 5, chilling out downstairs five minutes earlier. Now I was in full-on cleaning mode. Being a mum of four is a full-time job for anyone. But little Riley needed extra care.…

Serves: 8 Prep: 20 min Cook: 1hr 335g dark chocolate 110g ground hazelnuts 60g ground almonds 6 eggs 280g caster sugar 1tbsp strong coffee 110g sieved apricot jam 1tbsp double cream 55g unsalted butter Whole hazelnuts, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas 4, and grease and line a 20cm cake tin. 2 Melt 225g chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. 3 Toast hazelnuts and almonds on a baking sheet under a hot grill. 4 Separate 4 eggs. Whisk 2 whole eggs with sugar until thick. In another bowl, whisk remaining egg whites to stiff peaks. 5 Stir coffee, nuts and melted chocolate into egg-yolk mixture, fold in egg whites, pour into tin and bake 30 min, then cover and bake 30 min more. Leave…

Judo joy I enjoyed reading about Nicole's gallant girl Amy (9 Feb issue). What an amazing story. Amy's been through so much, including an eight-hour open-heart operation. But just look at her now - she won a bronze medal in the Pre-Cadet British Judo Championship. She's truly an inspirational little girl. You go, Amy! Bethany Webb, Aberwheeler Capri done… Alcohol should be served in Capri-Sun pouches. Then, when you can no longer get the straw in the hole, you know you’ve had enough! Ryan Webber, Little Neston Why not get in touch! See page 4 for details on how WE PAY CASH Student groans! earning that debt-ridden L youngsters are going straight from university to the dole queue was alarming. They worked hard to earn degrees, and would’ve once…

1 Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas 4, and lightly oil a 37 x 25 cm baking tray, then line with baking parchment. 2 Beat together 6 large eggs, a large handful each of chopped parsley and basil, and a crushed clove of garlic. 3 Pour mixture into tin and bake for 15-20 min or until cooked through. Leave to cool. 4 Once egg has cooled, spread on 225g lightly beaten, low-fat cream cheese, then scatter with 120g shredded, smoked ham, 70g shredded spinach, and 50g finely grated Parmesan. 5 Starting from a short end, roll up egg to enclose filling, and then, using a sharp knife, cut it into thick slices to serve. Serves: 4 Cost per head: £1.25…

There are so many fun bingo games to play at Chat Mag Bingo, whether you prefer to play in patterns on 75 ball, or you like the traditional 90 ball like the bingo halls, where you can win cash prizes on one line, two lines or a Full House – or our latest 80 ball where you cover all 16 numbers on your bingo card to win. • Whatever your game, you can sit back, join in the fun and let us dab off your numbers for you. *18+. UK only. Registration, deposit and wager required. T&Cs apply. www. chatmagbingo.com…

1. Visitchatmagbingo.com 2. Join with promo code CHATJ14 3. Deposit £10 and play games with £35!* Offer ends 30 April 2017 T&Cs: *New customers only. Registration required. 18+. UK only. Valid until 30 April 2017. Minimum £10 deposit. You must accept the welcome bonus and join using promo code CHATJ14 when you deposit £10 to receive £25 welcome bonus to play. 250% welcome bonus - max £100. Welcome bonus must be wagered four times before withdrawals (including, but not limited to, any cash winnings or deposits related to the applicable bonus) from your member account. Wagering requirements apply. The welcome bonus will expire within 30 days if not used in its entirety. Cash-out restrictions apply. See full T&Cs at www.chatmagbingo. com/terms . For…

I Googled it and froze as the results flashed up Driving to work as usual, I had a strange sensation down my cheek. It felt wet and painful. ‘Is my face bleeding?’ I asked my friend Jen. She glanced over from the passenger seat. ‘No, you look fine,’ she said. Weird... But my body had been doing strange things for years. At 17, my vision blurred, so I went for an eye test and the optician found inflammation at the back of my eye. But nobody could pinpoint what was wrong. Next, I’d had buzzing in my legs and feet. Like an electric current running through me. Doctors didn’t know why. So I just got on with life. Now I was 24, working as an accountant, and I’d had this…

She seemed distraught, and yet something was off... THE CRIME In August 2006, 3-year-old Marcus Fiesel went missing. His foster mum Liz Carroll claimed he'd been kidnapped. Someone knew what had happened to him, but the culprits turned out to be shockingly close to home. THE STORY When social workers placed Marcus Fiesel with foster carers Liz and David Carroll in May 2006, they hoped it would help him overcome his traumatic start in life. Three-year-old autistic Marcus had lived with his mum in Ohio. A lively child, he loved Bob The Builder , flowers and bubbles. But his mum wasn’t coping. In February 2006, Marcus fell from a second-storey window, and needed stitches. Three months later, he was nearly hit by a car after being allowed to wander the…

MUA Professional in Glamour Golds, £3.50, Superdrug Strong and sparkly shades - and such great value! Top tip: A dab of white on the inner corners of eyes gives them brightness. Maybelline The Nudes, £9.99, Superdrug This amazing kit has every shade you could ever need! Top tip: Wear matte colours during the day, and use the glittery ones for evening. Bourjois Quad Smoky Stories in Taupissime, £7.99, Boots Matte and sparkle in a neat compact make this great for your handbag. Top tip: Use light shades over the lid, and dark in the crease and outwards. Max Factor Smoky Eye Drama Kit in Sumptuous Gold, £8.99, Boots Create shimmery, smoky eyes with this luscious palette. Top tip: Use the dark shade along your top lashes as an eyeliner to…