Table of contents for 24-Nov-2016 in Chat

Despite everything, my heart went out to Will’s killer Police gave me a letter Gini had left behind. Please look after my animals… Goodbye and God bless. I felt close to her when I made the twice-daily pilgrimage to tend to her horses Cocktail and Bella. I took her dogs Polly and Alf on long walks while thinking of both my children. Notes and cards piled up outside Gini’s shop. She’d been so loved. I couldn’t stop blaming myself. But then a friend of the family visited. A dairyman, he told me something that offered comfort. ‘Sometimes cows will scream when in great pain, others will go away quietly to die. No warning. It can’t be stopped, it’s nature,’ he said. I couldn’t have prevented Gini’s death. Later that month,…

GUILTY! At Cairns Supreme Court, three presiding judges dismissed Andres’ appeal against his murder conviction. They said all the evidence pointed towards premeditated murder – and that Andres had acted in a calculated manner. He’d even stopped for a pink ice cream during his excursion to buy the acid. After the verdict, Andres said he’d take his case all the way to the Australian High Court in Canberra. Meanwhile, Li Ping’s grown-up son spoke of the devastation of losing his mum, whose cause of death would probably never be known – and who was unable to be buried because her callous killer hadn’t even left a body.…

Aldi Oakhurst Four Lamb Quarter Pounders, 454g, £1.69 Though these are quite pale in colour, they taste great. Plus, they cook straight from the freezer in just 20 minutes. Asda Butcher's Selection Four Minted Lamb Burgers, 340g, £2.50 These shrink while cooking, but with a good texture and flavour, they make a tasty change from beef burgers. Tesco British Four Minted Lamb Burgers, 454g, £2.50 This one, with a great, meaty texture and just a hint of mint, was our favourite. Serve in soft bread bun, with lots of salad. Delicious! NEW Soreen Toast Me's, pack of four, £1.30, Morrisons, Asda, Tesco Crisp on the outside with squidgy middles, enjoy these raisin-packed malty buns hot from the toaster.…

Serves: 8 Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 45 min 100g Trex, at room temperature, plus a little for greasing 100g caster sugar 3 large eggs, beaten Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon and 1 lime ½tsp vanilla extract 225g self-raising flour ¼tsp salt 1tbsp milk 50g icing sugar 1 Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4, then grease and line a 900g loaf tin. 2 Beat Trex and caster sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually add eggs, beating well between each addition. Stir in half lemon and lime rind and vanilla extract. 3 Sift flour and salt into bowl, then fold it in, stirring in milk to lighten texture. Transfer mixture to tin, level surface and bake for 45 min until risen and firm to touch. Test…

Having a famous dog became a running joke! Even though he was named after the famous actor and ex-footballer Vinnie Jones, my Doberman couldn’t have been more of a softie. He loved attention, always plonking his massive frame on my lap for a cuddle just like he did when he was a tiny puppy. But one thing Vinnie did have in common with his hard-nut namesake was a successful career in show business! It was June 2012, and I’d taken Vinnie out for a walk through the Epsom Downs with my mum Michelle, 48, when a lady approached. ‘What a beautiful dog,’ she cooed. We were used to it – Vinnie’s dashing good looks often attracted compliments. But we never expected what she said next... ‘Have you ever thought of…

Good Things Overnight Clearing Serum, £5.99, Boots Full of natural ingredients to soothe spot-prone skin while you sleep. Top tip: Change towels often to stop the spread of bacteria. Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Facial Wipes, £4.99, Amazon The charcoal removes impurities and the tomatoes protect your skin! Top tip: Don't squeeze your zits, it'll only make them worse! Clean & Clear Advantage Spot Treatment Gel, £4.35, Superdrug Great for targeting specific areas, this fights bacteria and reduces oil to clear your spots quickly. Top tip: Drinking water should help clear your skin. Formula 10.0.6 Pores Be Pure Mud Mask, £8.99, Boots Unclogs pores for skin that's less likely to develop spots. Top tip: Use a mask twice a week.…

Seeing double! I reckon my 2-year-old son Jacob is a dead ringer for radio and TFI star Chris Evans... What do you think? Jo Speller, via email In the stocks My daughter Darcy, 3, didn't believe me when I told her what would happen to naughty children if they didn't behave! Victoria Wilson, Mirfield Chillaxing... ‘Pass the remote, Dad!' My 7-week-old nephew Leo is such a chilled out little fella. He's definitely got us all wrapped around his little finger! Lindsay Matthew, Heywood…

Columbine Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold sought to leave ‘a lasting impression on the world', and carrying out the Columbine High School massacre, killing 12 students and a teacher, was their warped way of doing so. Dave Cullen seeks to explain how two seemingly good students could end up as a two-person army, intent on wreaking havoc and death. KILLING FOR COMPANY Not for the faint-hearted, Brian Masters' investigation of the Dennis Nilsen case seeks to get inside the mind of the serial killer who took young men back to his flat, killed them and kept their corpses for company. Written with Nilsen's co-operation, it also includes graphic pictures the murderer drew of his killings. HAPPY LIKE MURDERERS To explain the inexplicable. That's the task undertaken by Gordon Burn as…

The killer’s plot had more twists and turns than most blockbusters THE CRIME In May 2010, Daniel Wozniak was a community theatre actor with a wedding to pay for. He needed money, so he plotted to use his dramatic skills to pull off a gruesome double murder that would see him pocket thousands of dollars. But his performance was fooling nobody… THE STORY Struggling actor Daniel Wozniak, 32, was used to playing dramatic roles. But on a Friday in May 2010, he set out to star in his biggest yet, as the killer in his own real-life version of a Hollywood crime movie. Wozniak, from Costa Mesa, California, was set to get married to his actress girlfriend in late May. But with the escalating costs of his fancy wedding, plus…

What I loved A visit from our amazing astrologer! Bernard's been breaking our horoscope news to us for donkey's years now. And you know what? He's ALWAYS right! What hacked me off Still finding scary Hallowe'en eyeballs everywhere! Lurking in mugs, popping out of cupboards and even one watching me by my alarm clock. Eeek! What made me laugh Finding a bag of carrots at the bottom of my handbag… I reckon they'd been there at least a week! Hope you get a chance to veg out this weekend!…

An MRI revealed four inoperable moles in his brain Me and my partner Nikki Vanhorn, 33, both wanted kids, and to experience the feeling of childbirth. So, using an anonymous sperm donor, I gave birth to our twin boys Dominic and Patrick in 2008. Then, in 2011, it was Nikki’s turn to fall pregnant via a sperm donor. At the 20-week scan, we discovered we were expecting another boy. ‘He’s hairy!’ the sonographer told us. The scan also showed two shadowy marks above his eyes. ‘Looks like he’s scowling!’ I joked. But we were told it was no cause for concern. We’d planned on having Dominic and Patrick there at the birth of their baby brother. But, after a gruelling 72-hour labour, we realised it was best if they stayed…

Eardrop troubles Q I've been prescribed eardrops, but as soon as I put them in they run straight out again! Heather, 39 A Lie on your side and gently pull the top of your ear upwards, to straighten the ear canal inside. Put in the drops and stay there for three or four minutes, gently pressing on the flap in front of your ear-hole. Then repeat for the other side. Pill concerns Q I take pills for epilepsy, and have stated to experience mood swings. Could my meds be to blame? Cheryl, 50 A Depression, anxiety, irritability and aggression are rare side effects of some epilepsy drugs. Don't stop them, but talk to your GP. There are other possible causes, especially if you've experienced recent life changes. Your…

I couldn’t take it all in. I’d only seen Debbie a few days earlier... Smiling, I watched as my five daughters played in the garden. I’d bought them all new skipping ropes the day before. But my second-eldest Debbie looked on at her sisters, no rope in her hands. ‘Where’s yours?’ I asked. ‘I gave it to my friend,’ she shrugged. ‘She didn’t have one.’ That was Debbie through and through. ‘She’d give her heart away, that one,’ my husband David said when I told him. He was right. Debbie had always been a generous soul. We lost count of the amount of toys that suddenly disappeared. But we never had the heart to tell Debbie off – she was doing it for the kindest reasons. And, as she grew…

I didn’t have a favourite game – I enjoyed them all! It was all go – a house move, two weddings to plan and a holiday coming up… My two youngest daughters, aged 22 and 28, were getting married, and we couldn’t be more excited for them. But it meant busy times ahead! Booking venues, sorting out the entertainment, choosing invites, dresses and flowers. When my hubby Stephen, 54, and I did get some downtime in the evening, he liked nothing better than watching sport on the telly. And I enjoyed cosying up next to him, playing on Chat Mag Bingo! I joined a couple of years ago. I’d always liked bingo, and playing online from the comfort of my own home seemed like a brilliant idea. I loved the…

As I settled down on the sofa with my fiance Floris, 39, I hit ‘play’ on the DVD player. The movie was one we’d both watched a hundred times before. But one we never tired of… Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Floris is a huge fan of the films. Our living room is filled with Star Wars memorabilia. Pictures on the walls, Stormtrooper and Yoda figurines… Chatting about our wedding earlier this year, we’d planned it for next February. I’d already picked out my dress. And I’d told Floris he needed to sort out his wedding suit. But he had other ideas…. ‘I’d like to wear a Stormtrooper costume,’ he announced. I burst into fits of giggles. ‘Well, it’s still technically a suit,’ he said with a wink. I couldn’t…

I looked up to greet the first customer of the day... The bloke’s eyes nearly popped out – I gave him a fright! The newspapers are dropped off at our shop every morning, bound in plastic cable-ties. My first job is to cut the ties, then put the papers out for the customers. Same thing, every morning, for years. ‘If we work hard, this place will look after us,’ my husband Jaswinder, 52, said the day we opened Sangha News & Booze back in 1997. It was a success. We had customers from the moment we opened at 7am until we closed at midnight. Hard graft. But the things worth having are worth grafting for, as I always tell our kids – Manpreet, 29, Gurpreet, 27, Jaspreet, 25, and…

1 Preheat oven to 200C/Gas 6. 2 Prick four large baking potatoes with a fork, brush with oil and bake for 1 hr, until cooked. Cool slightly. 3 Meanwhile, cut four rashers of bacon into pieces and dry-fry them until lightly browned. 4 Cut potatoes in half and scoop out flesh, leaving a layer of potato next to skin, then cut each potato in half lengthways to make boat shapes. Place on a baking sheet, season with salt and black pepper, then sprinkle over a little paprika and top with half of bacon pieces. 5 Mix together 50g grated mature Cheddar, 50g grated mozzarella, and six chopped spring onions. Then, sprinkle over the potatoes, and top with remaining bacon. 6 Return to oven and bake for 10 min until golden…

She and her newborn child were stoned to death Hundreds lined the streets. Rich, poor, young, old. All to see the Pope’s procession through Rome. Pope John Anglicus. The golden mitre he wore on his head was studded with rubies and emeralds. The golden staff in his hand glistened in the sunlight. Resplendent. Glorious. God’s representative on Earth. Then, suddenly, he doubled over. Clutched his stomach, cried out in pain. Pope John Anglicus was giving birth... The year was 855AD. News spread fast. A woman had become Pope. And she’d been found out. The story appeared in chronicles and letters, histories and accounts across Europe. To this day, the Roman Catholic Church dismisses it as just that. A story. But what if it were true? Before she was Pope John…

He convinced us that we shouldn’t put the wedding off for his sake When my boyfriend Danny, 25, got down on one knee at Barnard Castle, Durham, in May last year, I was absolutely overwhelmed with shock. One person wasn’t, though... ‘Danny asked me to marry him!’ I said, announcing our engagement to my family afterwards. ‘I know,’ my dad Vaughan, 56, smiled. ‘About time, too!’ I had to laugh. Dad had been wanting me to settle down and get married for ages, so he was chuffed when Danny had asked his permission. Not just because my hubby-to-be was a good man and we were in love. But because it meant Dad could start planning his speech! That, and walking me down the aisle, was something he’d been looking forward…

I worried how others might react to Will. I didn’t want him hurt All mums would say the same – but my Will really was always an extraordinary boy. He learned to talk before he could crawl, and had taught himself to read before he started school. Bright as he was, though, Will could be a terror. I lost count of the number of times his dad John and I were summoned to see the headteacher over some misdemeanour or other. But Will was so loving, it was difficult to stay angry with him. John had been a tearaway as a youngster, too. Like his dad, Will grew up a lot, but he always had that rebellious streak, determined to live life on his own terms. Gini, Will’s younger sister,…

Angry, I’d go out and get drunk. I couldn’t find the words to tell Mum... I gave evidence from behind a screen – it was tough but I had to do it Growing up, I spent a lot of time with Uncle Mark. He was my mum Joyce’s half-brother, but only four years older than me. He’d come round most days after school, or we’d go to my grandma’s. ‘Want to play PlayStation?’ he often asked me. One game featured prostitutes, and he’d make weird jokes about them, but I was too young to understand. Besides, he was fun. We’d spend hours playing in the local woods and fields. But one day, out of nowhere, he touched my privates. Confused and scared, I started crying. ‘What’s wrong?’ Mum asked me…

I’d give him medication and hold him as he had the seizures At just one day old, my son Dylan wasn’t feeding well, and was sleepy and floppy. Tests showed he had low blood sugar so he was put on a drip, but was home a week later. Dylan looked normal, but he didn’t react and was very limp. At 5 months, I asked my GP about hyperthyroidism, as I have it, but Dylan’s test was clear. By the time he was 7 months, I knew something was seriously wrong, but I still couldn’t get any answers from baffled doctors. Dylan was sent for blood and hearing tests and a problem was picked up with his hearing. I wondered if that was what was causing his problems. Aged 1, he…

I fell asleep at the wheel and veered into the opposite lane of traffic The woman in front of me was chatting away while I smiled and nodded along. But I’d really no idea who she was… Then she stopped. ‘You don’t recognise me, do you?’ she asked. ‘No,’ I admitted, blushing. ‘It’s me, Diane,’ she said. And my mouth fell open in surprise. I’d known Diane ages, we caught the same train into London for work. But I’d not seen her for months, and she was a changed woman. ‘You’ve lost weight!’ I said. ‘Over 6½st,’ she replied. I was impressed. Over the years, I’d been on loads of diets. I’d lose as much as 6st. But I’d always pile it back on, ordering junk food every night for…

Teaching tolerance I feel that children should be educated early in life about different religions. At my daughter's school, she's learned about the many belief systems, customs and traditions like Diwali, Eid and Passover. It's important for children to know it doesn't matter what a person's religious beliefs are. As long as you're happy with your own, you should leave other people to theirs. Hannah Bryan, Liverpool Radio gaga Listening to a competition on local radio the other day, I had to laugh. The DJ said, ‘To win, tell us where you would find the jugular vein?’ The contestant pondered for a moment, and then replied, ‘Germany?’ Maureen Smith, Birmingham Young love My young son Aaron came home from school one day and told me two girls liked him. I…

I felt like my whole body was on fire. My skin crackled and popped It was a lovely early autumn afternoon and me and my little cousin Tegan, 3, were making the most of the sunshine. I was looking after her and we’d been out in the garden with her scooter. Now my brother Vic had come round, I left him watching Tegan. ‘I think I’ll pop inside and start cooking tea,’ I said. ‘Fish and peas.’ In the kitchen I switched on the oven, using the main switch on the wall. I’d worked for years in catering, in a cafe and a pub kitchen. So I knew all about safety. And I was always careful to use the big switch on the wall. With the fish in the oven,…

1 Hit the theme parks If you're feeling brave, take on the Mako at Seaworld. It's the fastest, tallest and longest rollercoaster in Orlando! Encounter predators in the incredible multi-sensory Skull Island Reign of Kong at Universal's Islands of Adventure. And make the most of the amazing night safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom. 2 Stay somewhere fabulous Rosen Shingle Creek has four pools, a golf course, 12 dining options and it's just a 20-minute drive away from the main parks. 3 Eat well It's not all giant burgers and milkshakes, you know! At Disney Springs, you can dine in style at Morimoto Asia and treat your tastebuds to tasty pan-Asian cuisine. 4 Act like a local Head to Winter Park to soak up culture with the collection of Tiffany lamps…

Aries 21 March - 20 April You’re always up for having a go at something new, even if it’s just for a laugh. Whatever this might be, you’re good at it. Beginner’s luck or genuine talent? Maybe have a go at doing it a few more times, and see what happens. Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May Some holidays are just a week in the sun and that’s all, but others are an inspiration, the start of a new life. Wherever you’re off to - and it needn’t be far - it sets you thinking. You’re on the move, in every sense. Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June You and someone close have reached an agreement. It could…

A BLOODY ACT Police were recently called to an ‘assault' on the M62 motorway between Manchester and Liverpool after a passer-by rang 999 reporting a ‘man biting a woman'. But officers found that the pair were covered in fake blood, on their way to an acting job. No foul play! HEDGE YOUR BETS! Branch out and you can spot many natural wonders. Have you twigged what this tree looks like between Shrewsbury and Wem? Some drivers are left stumped, but others say it's Frankie Dettor-tree going foal-speed ahead! WHAT THE DUCK? Feathery friend Daniel is trained to provide emotional support so that his owner, who has PTSD, doesn't get in a flap while flying. Photos of Daniel on a plane went viral after being tweeted by fellow passenger Mark Essig…