Table of contents for 18-Feb-2016 in Chat

Amber’s story will shake you to the core. The man who said he loved her left her so utterly broken she didn’t expect to live. But, somehow, she found not only the strength to survive and finally shop the evil sadist, but the courage to share her story. Amber, I salute you. And to Jacqueline – another victim of the same despicable monster – be proud you helped get this thug locked up. The rest of us must learn from their hell – violence is never OK. Brutal, controlling scumbags like Donald Jeffrey should be fed a diet of utter despair. Better folk than I will try to forgive him. Me? I hope he rots in hell.…

He wasn’t on a mission to populate the world or to make money… It was a bolt from the blue. ‘I want us to have a baby,’ my girlfriend Gemma Berry, 26, smiled nervously. It was June 2014, and we’d only been together four months. I already had five kids, aged 4 to 13, from a previous relationship. But we were happy, in love, and Gemma had always dreamt of being a mum herself. ‘Well, what’s one more?’ I grinned. ‘Let’s do it.’ But, as a lesbian couple, there was just one thing missing… Opening my laptop, I started an online search for sperm donors. And we soon realised finding an anonymous donor through a licensed clinic or sperm bank was very expensive. ‘We can’t afford that,’ Gemma said sadly.…

Toe troubles Q I have awful corns on my toes and walking is agony. What's the best way to treat them myself? Paulette, 46 A Corns are areas of thick, hard skin that appear where skin is repeatedly rubbed. This can be due to deformed toes rubbing against shoes, or because shoes don't fit properly. Corn plasters from the chemist can help, but it's best to find shoes that fit, and see a chiropodist. Head bang Q I was falling asleep when my head exploded! At least, I heard a sudden bang. Although it didn't hurt, do you think I should be worried? Lisa, 43 A Let me guess - you're suffering from stress! It sounds like exploding-head syndrome, usually the result of anxiety or fatigue. Nobody knows what it…

Morrisons Minced Beef & Onion Pie, 150g, 64p The finely ground meat has a strong onion flavour and has a good peppery tang. Heat this up for a hearty lunch! Asda Minced Beef & Onion Pie, 550g, £2 With a higher proportion of filling to pastry, the filling is moist and juicy with a good meat-and gravy flavour. With crispy, shortcrust pastry, this pie cuts into four portions. Tesco Minced Beef & Onion Pie, 150g, 65p This one-serving sized flaky-pastry pie may not be packed with filling, but it tastes good! With large pieces of mince in tasty gravy, all it needs is a bit of brown sauce! NEW Alpro Coconut Cuisine, £1.49, Tesco Enjoy delicious, guilt-free curry, korma and laksa with this coconut-based alternative to cream. Only 9 per…

Serves: 12 Prep: 20 min Cook: 25 min 250g self- raising flour 2tsp baking powder 100g unrefined golden caster sugar 250ml almond milk 160g smooth peanut butter 100ml nut oil For the frosting: 100g smooth peanut butter 50g cocoa 200g unrefined icing sugar 1tsp vanilla extract 70ml almond milk Desiccated coconut, to serve 1 Preheat oven to 160C/Gas 3 and line a 12-hole muffin tin with cake cases. 2 Mix flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl. 3 In a separate bowl beat together almond milk, peanut butter and nut oil until smooth. Make a well in centre of dry ingredients, pour in liquid, and stir to mix. 4 Spoon mixture into cases and bake for 20 min, then set aside to cool. 5 To make frosting, beat…

After a colleague recommended Quido, I quickly joined up, too. ‘It’s like an extra search engine you have to go through to shop online,’ they said. It seemed like a no-brainer to me. And, as soon as I started using Quidco, I saw the benefits. I’ve booked holidays through Quidco, and received around three per cent cashback. The extra cash has been useful spending money for my holidays! It’s fantastic for insurance, too. My car insurance was my best cashback bonus. I got a huge £50 for it. Home insurance pays out well, too. No matter what I need to buy, I’ll always go through Quidco now. I spend a lot on toiletries, so it’s great for that. All I have to do search for shops like Boots to get…

Despite the medication, her seizures became more frequent From the minute she could toddle, my daughter Nikey was adventurous. She always wanted to be doing what her older sisters, Ceri and Jaimi were doing. Bright and bubbly, with blonde hair and blue eyes, Nikey was the apple of me and her dad Pete’s eyes. But, the day before her seventh birthday, she was getting ready for school when she froze, looking up at the ceiling making a clicking noise. ‘Stop messing around,’ I said. Then I realised that something was wrong. Eventually, she snapped out of it and I called the doctor. ‘I think Nikey’s had a seizure,’ I explained. She’d never had anything like that happen before. ‘Keep an eye on her,’ the doctor advised me. The next morning,…

Players are happy to have a good natter Bingo has always been my favourite hobby. That’s why I joined Chat Mag Bingo some years ago. A regular at a local hall, I’d always had a fun night out, but, with a young daughter – now 15 – a busy job and my partner working nights, it wasn’t always so easy now. So I found that playing bingo online was just perfect for me! After a busy day, I could come home, catch up with my daughter, cook dinner for the family and tidy up – before settling on the sofa for a few games. ‘It’s so social, too,’ I told my partner. The chat rooms were always full of other players happy to have a good natter. It’s such fun…

Edith Graham, 50, from Houston, Texas, says, ‘The other ladies call me “Curly Fries” because of the shape of my 21in nails. I guess it's in the genes, like curly hair. I used to sing in a band, and often got mean comments that my long nails were disgusting. So I decided to grow them to extremes, as a way of sticking two fingers up at the critics.' Lena Cole, 59, from Dallas, Texas, says, ‘I used to be a chronic nail-biter. Then, 35 years ago, I decided to grow my left thumbnail, just to see if I could. Then I grew the other nine. Now they're between 12 and 19 inches. I love being in the Real Nail Qweenz. It's comforting to know there are other women with extremely…

What I loved Snatching a few days in Spain with very good mates (and their Airedale terrier, Gus). Lucky, lucky me! All I had to do was eat paella, glug vino and snooze. I know, I know… What hacked me off That you couldn't all come with me! What made me laugh Finding a 3ft light sabre behind a radiator! Honest! Only just got round to painting the spare room months after I moved in and - lo and behold! - there it was. Will, with regret, be handing it back to the previous owner… Hope the force is with you this week!…

Although I'd finally got away. I lived in fear, always looking over my shoulder When I first met Donald Jeffrey in spring 1994, he’d do anything for me. But, within six months, he’d completely isolated me from my family and friends. And then the beatings started. At first, it was slap here, a punch there. Donald made sure that I had no-one to turn to, and shame stopped me speaking out. Any little thing would set him off – jealousy, not getting his own way. And if I said no to sex, Donald would violently rape me, so I’d just lie there, take it. In 1996, I fell pregnant with twins. Donald seemed excited. Maybe he ll change, I thought. But, instead, the beatings only got worse. I was desperate…

While women get their barnets chopped, their other halves have a few pints in the pub! The idea came to me in a lightbulb moment… ‘Let’s open a pub that doubles as a hairdresser’s,’ I suggested to my fiance Kieran Redmond, 28. Sounds daft, but I was convinced it’d prove a hit! Kieran already worked part-time in a local pub, and I was hairdressing in a salon. Both of us wanted a challenge. And what better than setting up our own business, combining our two loves? Beer and barnets! ‘Let’s do it!’ Kieran agreed excitedly. We’d been together for four years, since meeting through mutual friends at a local pub. ‘We’re destined to pull pints together,’ I joked. Our new pub would be one of a kind, selling craft ciders…

The condition can cause eyes, lips and tongue to swell Getting ready for bed, I felt something itchy on the back of my leg. When I looked, I found a pink, raised rash. I didn’t think it was anything to worry about. But by morning, it’d spread to my belly and back. Lumpy and itchy, it wasn’t pretty! I Googled my symptoms and it sounded like hives or a heat rash. When I called my mum Flora, 64, she agreed it was probably harmless. But worried the rash might spread, I went to see my GP. She said the rash looked like an allergy and prescribed antihistamines for it. But two weeks later, last January, it’d spread to my neck, chest and cheeks. To rule out hepatitis and HIV, my…

Fighting through dense bamboo and banana plants, I wiped my brow. I could easily have been in the depths of a jungle. This was thirsty work! So I went to put the kettle on. ‘Tea’s up!’ I called to my hubby Keith, 66, soon after. I laid out a fresh pot and some cups on the wooden table. Sat supping a cuppa, sun beating down, I grinned. ‘This is the life, eh?’ I asked. But we weren’t in some far-flung corner of the globe. This tropical hideaway is our own back garden. And it all began with a single palm tree. Keith and I love unusual plants, but never intended our collection to grow… And grow! When we bought our home 23 years ago, it needed work. The surrounding plot…

1 Preheat oven to 200C/ Gas 6. 2 Cook 200g dried Puy lentils in boiling water for 25-30 min, until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. 3 Meanwhile, scrub 4 whole, raw beetroot, cut into wedges, place in a roasting tin and toss in 2tbsp oil. Roast for 15 min. 4 Add 200g baby plum tomatoes to beetroot, and roast for 10 min, then mix into lentils. 5 Whisk 2tbsp olive oil with 4tbsp white-wine vinegar, 2tsp Dijon mustard and 2tsp horseradish sauce then toss into salad with a big handful of roughly chopped parsley. Season to taste before serving. Serves: 4 Cost per head: £1.15 LIFE! DEATH! PRIZES! For more foodie bargains, visit www.lifedeathprizes.com and click on ‘best buys’…

Essence The Gel Nail Polish in Fame Fatal, £1.60, Wilko Amazing quality and really glossy. Use with your usual topcoat for extra staying power. Top tip: Always file nails in the same direction, instead of back and forth, to avoid breakage. Avon Gel Finish Nail Enamel in Fire Cracker, £7, avonshop.co.uk Base, colour and top coat in one - a great-value, high-shine polish. Top tip: To keep nails healthy, apply cuticle oil twice a week. New Look Pure Gel Longwear Polish in Red, £3.99, New Look Dries in natural sunlight, with no need for a lamp. Two coats of colour and one of top coat give a strong colour that lasts all week. Top tip: For best condition, use a nail strengthener once a week. Sally Hansen Miracle…

1 Enjoy city life. Milan is the capital of the Lombardy region of Italy, and global capital of fashion and design. But that's only a snippet of what it has to offer… And the Hilton's stylish DoubleTree hotel is just 10 mins from the city centre by tram. 2 For the footy! So my first stop was the San Siro football stadium, which AC Milan shares with its rival, Inter Milan. The €14 tour is a must-see for footy fans! 3 Shop in style! If sport isn't your thing, don't worry, you won't be short of things to see, do and buy in Milan. Visit the glamorous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. Or maybe that should be window shop? Built in 1867, its claim to fame is being home to the planet's…

Bring back the singalong Do any other Chat readers miss the days when there was always a piano in the pub? People would get up and sing, everyone joined in. Great fun! Max Nottingham, Lincoln Single or double? My sister mentioned to a colleague that she’d like to try going on holiday by herself. ‘My friend’s always said she’d like to try holidaying on her own, too,’ she replied. ‘Why don’t you both go together?’! Maria Horne, Liverpool Come on in We find this doormat helps our guests not to get their hopes up! Russ Griffin, Bristol Photo of the week Aww! I just love this picture of my hubby Tony with his newborn granddaughter Cassidy. Mandy Norris, Northallerton • All contributions to Chat must be original, not copies or…

Aquarius 21 Jan - 19 Feb When’s the best time to make a new start, or to leave the past behind? It’s hard to tell, but you’ve got an idea and the skies look positive. So it could be the time to reveal it. Not sure? Tell trusted friends and see what they think. • Call 0905 817 0700* for more Pisces 20 Feb - 20 March Your heart’s leaping with delight, yet on the outside, you’re being cautious. Why? Because you know from experience that something unforeseen could happen. As you’ll see, your instincts are right - but all will end well. • Call 0905 817 0701* for more Aries 21 March - 20 April You’re working hard and doing well and everybody thinks you’re wonderful. Is that good?…

Shaking with fear, I didn't even dare to beg for mercy. His face twisted into an evil grin… Stepping out of my flat, I spotted an old friend. ‘Donald Jeffrey,’ I gasped in surprise. My heart raced. I’d not seen Donald, then 38, for 10 years! There’d always been chemistry between us but, way back, I’d had a partner, so we’d lost touch. Only now, in May 2008, Donald had moved in nearby. ‘Pop over for a cuppa,’ he said. We became an item, quickly moving in together. Kind and caring, Donald showered me with compliments. And, on New Year’s Eve 2009, we got engaged. ‘You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted to marry,’ he said. Only Donald soon became controlling. I’d always been faithful, but he’d get paranoid when…

The fire in my flat reached 600 degrees – melted off my skin It was just a normal day… On 14 April 2009, after a day at Norwich City College studying Professional Cookery, I headed to the pub for my shift. A quiet night, I spent most of the time chatting to my manager. ‘Why don’t you head home?’ my boss said at 11pm. On the way back, I called my mum Jackie, 42, to sort out plans for the next day. ‘Let’s try on dresses for your uncle’s wedding,’ Mum said. I couldn’t wait! I crawled into bed in the flat I shared with three others. We’d only been there a couple of months, but had quickly settled in. Dozing off, the next thing I remember was having terrible,…

In the UK, it's legal to make a private arrangement with a donor known to you or who you met through an introduction website, and who provides a fresh sperm sample in your home. It is, however, unregulated, and without the legal and medical protections you'd get at a licensed clinic. Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority licensed clinics conform to strict regulations: legal advice and support on hand, health screenings, and automatic waiver by the donor of parental and legal rights.…

He was on the ground clutching at his chest and gasping for breath The two of us leapt out of the car and raced through Worcestershire Hospital’s A&E department. I saw doctors and nurses everywhere, heard the beeping of monitors and medical equipment. And then we saw him. A familiar face in the chaos. The emergency medical technician (EMT) who’d been at the scene less than 20 minutes earlier. ‘Come with me,’ he said, leading me and my sister Louise, 29, into a side room. ‘Let’s get you a cup of tea.’ ‘I don’t want tea,’ I cried. ‘I want to know what’s happening with Dad!’ It was early evening on 17 June 2011. That afternoon, Louise had gone out to walk the dogs with our dad Colin, 61. But…

They had grandkids of their own and made us feel so welcome CALL THAT JUSTICE?! • Sexually assaulted while in his care • Social Services under fire • Paedophile jailed for 12 years but released after six. Heading inside the three-bedroom house, it all seemed a bit daunting. It was 1998, and at 6 years old, after being passed around foster homes and carers, me and my brothers were finally with a foster family… Patricia and Kenneth Morton seemed lovely. ‘You can call us Nana and Grandad if you like,’ Pat said. They had children and grandkids of their own and made us feel so welcome. I even had my own room! We quickly settled in and Grandad, then 48, would help me with my homework. He seemed kind, interested.…

It’s such a relief that our girl has recovered so well Like lots of little girls, my Daisy, 2, is horse-mad. It’s something that’s been passed down our family. I’ve got my own horse Sausage, which I keep at a local racing stables. My mum Zoe, 53 owns them. I often take Daisy and her sister Poppy, 1, with me when I go and help my mum out. One morning in June last year, I took the kids down to the stables to see Sausage. I kept an eye on the kids as I cleaned up Sausage’s pen and gave him some new feed. But, as I was locking up the feed room, I heard a groan. Thinking it was just Poppy making noises in her pram, I brushed it…

Table manners Look, Mum, I only spilled a few pieces! My son Marco, 2, is pleased with his latest attempt at eating dinner. Sara Slawycz, Manchester Sitting pretty Boy, I wish I had a chair as comfortable as my 4-month-old daughter Amy's - she never wants to get out of it! Pam Burton, Corwen, Clwyd Sink or swim  It wasn't the sun, or the sea, it was the sink! Our 15-month-old daughter Shola's favourite part of our holiday in Gran Canaria was her own personal hand-washing device! Nina Rees, Swansea…

I’d watch women on telly talking about their extreme lengths Slowly and delicately, I lifted the chicken wing to my lips, holding it between my fingertips. Yum! I paused. All eyes in the restaurant were fixed on me. It wasn’t my delicious fried chicken they were interested in – it was my fingernails. At 25in, they’re the second longest in the world – and longer than most people’s forearms! I started growing my nails 22 years ago. A trained nail technician, I’d watch women on telly talking about their extreme lengths. I wonder how long mine will grow? I thought. I started strengthening them with oils, and following other long-nailed ladies on MySpace for tips. Soon, my nails were 3in long! Then a guy called Herb sent me a message.…

ROAR AMBITION… The Borges family from Maringa, Brazil, share their home with seven pet tigers! They rescued two of the big cats eight years ago, and now they and their five cubs are very much part of the family. Wondering what you should feed a pet tiger..? Anything it wants! OFF HIS NOODLE? Russian Andrey Filin, 38, faces arrest if he’s ever caught driving without a knitted colander on his head. Why? Because Filan’s driving-licence photo features the strange headgear, which he claims is part of the attire worn by Pastafarians - members of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster… VINTAGE ROMANCE Meet super-cougar Marjorie McCool, 91, whose partner Kyle is 60 years her junior. Never mind that she’s old enough to be his great-granny, Marjorie boasts she and…