Table of contents for 12-Sep-2019 in Chat

For Hayley and her family, life will never be the same after a trip out for a pub roast (p40). Danielle found the love of her life in the most unexpected place (p24), but how could they both prove their feelings were real? And Jen was reunited with an old friend, only for her to be brutally snatched away (p10). Bag a bargain – literally – with new season handbags from just £8 (p12) and try tempting beauty treats under a tenner (p36)... and all your other weekly faves. Plus get your fuzzy fix from Sophie and her bonkers bumper brood! (p46). Have a really cracking week!…

Bending down to pick toys off the floor, I groaned. Being a childminder for over 30 years had always kept me young. But recently, it wasn’t easy. Achy joints, pain when walking...my ailments were getting me down. ‘You should see the doctor,’ my daughter Jenny, then 26, urged in January 2011. The GP prescribed painkillers and told me to keep active. That’s when Jenny and I discussed getting a dog. It would be good to get me walking, I reasoned. So, we started the search online for the perfect pup. And in April 2011, we found her – Lily-Rose, a Papillon-crossbreed! Her owner was moving to a flat that didn’t allow pets. Lily soon settled in with us. She was an amazing addition to our family. Always snuggling up with…

Usually, the seams, or sutures, in a baby's skull stay open until the age of 2, to allow the brain to grow. Craniosynostosis is a birth defect causing one or more of these seams to close before the baby's brain has fully formed. This means the brain pushes against the skull as it grows, causing the child's head to look misshapen. Long-term effects include pressure on the brain, vision loss and learning development delays. Around one in every 2,500 babies is born with the condition, and most cases occur by chance - although some are due to genetic syndromes. Surgery can reshape the skull, alleviating symptoms.…

Pistachio nougat affogato Serves: 6 Prep time: 10 min, plus chilling • 200g condensed milk • 600ml double cream • 1tbsp vanilla-bean paste • 60g pistachios, roughly chopped • 75g bar nougat, finely chopped • 6 espressos or 250ml freshly made coffee, to serve 1 Using an electric whisk, mix together the condensed milk, double cream and vanilla-bean paste, until it forms soft peaks. 2 Fold through the chopped pistachios and nougat. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container or clingfilm-lined loaf tin. Smooth over the surface and freeze for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. 3 To serve, remove the ice cream from the freezer 15-20 mins before scooping. Divide it between 6 glasses and pour over hot espresso to serve. TOP TIP SAVE ££ Buy a tub…

I felt so ashamed – guilty, too – that I’d masked my heartache with takeaways and alcohol. Yet now my weight was standing in the way of me becoming a mum. And Ryan becoming a dad. ‘I’m so sorry,’ I told him. ‘I’m going to lose that 5st,’ I promised. The following morning, I had a healthy shake for breakfast. And instead of my usual Big Mac for lunch, I had a chicken salad. Back at home, I chucked the takeaway menus in the bin. Instead, I whisked up a ham and mushroom omelette. We stopped going to the pub as much, settling down in front of the TV with a bowl of carrot sticks, instead. After just one week, I’d lost 13lb. ‘That’s nearly a stone!’ I said, shocked.…

1 The precision of a pencil with the punch of a lipstick, Maybelline New York Super-stay Ink Crayon in Own Your Empire, £9.99, Superdrug, is so easy to use. It’s even got a build- in sharpener. 2 Quench dry, chapped lips with a quick slick of Lip Butter in Mango, £4.50, The Body Shop. The tropical scent is almost good enough to eat. 3 The original formula updated with a hint of tint, Dr. PawPaw Outrageous Orange Balm, £6.95, look fantastic.com, softens lips while the orange shade does wonders for a sallow complexion.…

Sarah Allred, 39 After cooking the dinner, I dutifully washed the dishes. ‘Such a good girl,’ my dad smiled, and I revelled in his praise. It was 1985, and I was only 6. But I’d help my mum look after my brothers, too. That was normal. I followed the rules, did my chores, never questioned why. You see, my family was part of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), run by the self-proclaimed prophet Warren Jeffs. It had 10,000 members, in communes spread across the state of Utah, in the US. We didn’t have toys or TV. At school, we were taught mostly Christianity – even in English class, we were only allowed to read The Bible. Science was banned. There were no History or Geography…

Jen Messeck, 36 Pushing my shopping trolley down the supermarket aisle, I looked around at the unfamiliar faces. ‘I used to know everyone in this town,’ I thought to myself. It was autumn 2011, and I’d just moved back to my home town in New Jersey after living away for years. It was strange, knowing a place so well and yet feeling like a bit of a spare part. Then I turned the corner and saw a face I did remember. One I knew almost as well as my own. ‘Tara!’ I cried. ‘Jen, is it really you?’ she laughed. There’d been an incident. Then I recognised the street name... Next thing I knew, I was hugging the best friend I’d ever had. Me and Tara O’Shea had grown up…

Morning mucus  Q I wake up with my throat and mouth full of mucus. It's horrible! Iris, Inverness A Excess mucus can mean chronic sinusitis or an allergy, and a steroid nose spray might help. It's worse in the morning because of build-up overnight, and a dry mouth while you're asleep. Don't smoke, keep water by your bed and humidify the air. Legs are spotty  Q I've hardly shown my legs all summer as they're covered in red spots. What are they? Emily, Dorking A Sounds like folliculitis, a bacterial infection in the hair follicles. Don't shave, as this allows bacteria to enter through tiny nicks in your skin - waxing or epilation is better. Use antibacterial wash on your legs - and, if necessary, your GP might prescribe antibiotic…

Tiramisu, 500g, £2.80, M&S Rich and decadent, this tiramisu had an excellent ratio of textures and flavours – we especially liked the moreish mousse topping – and it looked the part too. A definite must for dinner parties! Essential Tiramisu, 500g, £2.25, Waitrose A delicious, custard-like mascarpone creme is subtly infused with marsala wine. The savoiardo biscuit base is soaked in a coffee liquor but kept its structure well. Tiramisu, 500g, £2.25, Asda We loved the small piping, and thought it gave a very chic and dramatic effect. The sponge was very thin and turned quite soggy because of all the booze, but the flavours were lovely.…

1978: Umbrella poisoning As Bulgarian writer Georgi Markov waited for a bus on Waterloo Bridge in London on 7 September 1978, he was stabbed in the thigh with an umbrella. The brolly had actually been a James Bond-style murder weapon, used to fire deadly poison into his leg. The writer was dead four days later. Officially, the case is still unsolved. But it's widely believed that Markov was assassinated  by the Bulgarian secret services after he had criticised the communist regime. 1971: Walkie-talkie raid On 11 September 1971, robbers stole £500,000 (£5m today) from Lloyds Bank on London's Baker Street. The gang used walkie-talkies to master the plan and tunnelled from a nearby shop. Rumours swirled that the loot included  compromising photos of a royal and incriminating material…

Emma Norman, 36, Northampton Sitting in the common room with my mates, we gossiped over lunch. And the conversation soon switched to boys, or more specifically, sex. ‘So, Emma…’ one of the girls said. ‘Have you done it yet?’ ‘Oh yeah, of course!’ I gulped. But as I lied about my ‘sexual exploits’ I felt deeply ashamed. The truth was, I was a virgin. That shouldn’t have been a big deal. I was only 16. But to me, it was the end of the world. Not because I hadn’t done the deed. I’d tried – several times. Yet every time I’d got close, it was agony. I knew from sex education that your first time could be sore. But it’d hurt so much I’d told my boyfriend to stop. Embarrassed,…

Supermarket Sweep ITV2 The bonkers shopping-themed game show originally hosted by Dale Winton returns, but now Rylan Clark-Neal is at the helm. There are a few changes to the original format but the fun-filled show still culminates with the teams taking on the iconic trolley dash in a bid to win a cash prize. The Hairy Bikers Ride Route 66 BBC2 Si King and Dave Myers return in this six-part series which follows the food-loving pals on an epic American road trip. The duo will travel 2,000 miles along the famous Route 66 highway as they take in eight different states and, of course, the different grub that they each have to offer. The Hot Zone National Geographic Inspired by the shocking true events of 1989, this six-part drama follows…

Dear cancer, We’ve waged war for 24 years now. And I’ll admit, you’ve almost broken me more than once. You began your vendetta back in 1995, when I was 17. While getting an inverted nipple checked, doctors found cancer in my left breast. ‘We’ll need to remove your nipple,’ a surgeon said. Following that, I was part of a hormone-therapy drug trial to kill off the rest of the cancer cells. ‘It could put you at risk of cervical cancer in the future,’ my consultant explained. But I was so scared, I agreed. Back then, the word cancer meant death, and I was terrified my life would be cut short. I was monitored every six months from then on, both my breasts and my cervix. I married in 1996, at…

Sara Hitchen, 28, Lancashire Waking up in a sheen of sweat, I desperately tried to catch my breath. Swinging my legs out of bed, I crept across to the bedroom where Mum and her partner Andy Wilson, then 23, were asleep. ‘I’ve had a bad dream,’ I whispered into the darkness. Andy stirred first, peering at me standing by the door. ‘Get in,’ he smiled, lifting up the duvet. It was summer 1996 – and, at 5 years old, I still liked the comfort of my mum when I had a nightmare. But as I clambered under the quilt in the middle of them both, I felt Andy take my hand and place it down his shorts. ‘You’re my special girl,’ he whispered. Then he forced me to touch him…

On 12 October 2012, stunning beauty queen Audrey Bolte was waiting for her date. The Miss Ohio winner, and runner-up Miss USA 2012, was due to meet promising lawyer, the dashing Ryan Poston, 29, for the first time. They’d recently connected on Facebook, and planned to go to a bar in Greater Cincinnati, Ohio, to have a few drinks and play pool. Only, Ryan didn’t show. As Audrey gave up waiting, a young woman at the other side of the city was making a call to the police. ‘I killed my boyfriend in self-defence,’ Shayna Hubers, 21, stuttered to the operator. She was calling from Ryan Poston’s upmarket apartment in Highland Heights. And when officers arrived, they found Ryan dead on the dining room floor. He’d been shot six times.…

Natalie Strand, 35, Sunderland Cradling my newborn Clayton, in hospital, I placed a white cotton baby bonnet on his head. The hat was newborn size. Should’ve fitted perfectly. So why was it so tight? My husband George, now 49, nipped home to fetch a size 6-9 months hat. ‘Just right,’ I said, pulling it on his head. Clayton was only a few hours old, but at 9lb 1oz was already on the chunky side… ‘It’s not surprising his head’s big, too,’ I shrugged. We took him home to meet his sisters Leah, now 17, and Laurie, now 14. ‘He’s gorgeous, Mum!’ they cooed. We quickly settled into family life. Clayton was a happy, contented little soul. But after a few days, I noticed the sides of his head looked flat…

I felt the lump in my throat before I even looked at the pregnancy test in my hands. And when I saw the result, tears started welling up in my eyes. ‘It’s negative,’ I said, to my boyfriend Ryan, 25. It was December 2013, and we’d been trying to conceive for almost a year. Trying...and failing. Every month that passed, our hopes were destroyed. Desperate to take our mind off it, we went to the pub. Walking back from the bar with a bottle of wine and two vodka shots, my heartache eased for a while. But the next morning, sitting at my desk with a raging hangover, there was only one thing that made me feel better. Food. ‘Anyone want anything from McDonald’s?’ I asked colleagues at lunchtime. Half…

Aries 21 March - 20 April If you get a chance in the next few days to take on a new job or be put in charge, say yes. The position’s got real long-term potential, and could make you a lot of money - so don’t let it go to anyone else! Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May A love affair looks set to get complicated. It’s been sweet and simple so far, but if you want more, you’ll have to be ready to make big sacrifices, and fight a lot of battles. Worth it? Only you can say. Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June Little lies lead to bigger ones, and that’s not good. But bending the…

Burt’s Bees Detoxifying Clay Mask, £6.99, feelunique.com A deep cleanse for lacklustre or spot- prone complexions, charcoal and clay work like magnets to lift dirt and grime out of your pores. Best used twice a week – leave on for just 10 minutes for a speedy skin refresh. 3 INA x Primark Fixing Spray, £8, Primark The multitasker your make-up bag needs! This super-fine mist can be used to prime the skin for make-up, set it in place or as a hydrating top up during the day to loosen any cakiness. Just remember to hold it eight inches away from your face before spraying to avoid drenching your skin. The Inkey List Oil and Water Double Cleanser, £9.99, cultbeauty.co.uk If you’re a fan of waterproof mascara and long-wearing foundations, then…

I treated my family with my bingo joy! Tina Taylor, 58, Tadcaster Over the years, I’ve always been a huge fan of bingo. Going down to my local bingo hall, is always something I’ve loved to do in my free time. Then, in 2009, a friend recommended Chat Mag Bingo. ‘It’s fun! Plus you can play from the comfort of your own home,’ she said. So, I gave it a go. I loved the entertaining games on offer. There were lots of bingo rooms to choose from. I was so impressed with how simple the games were to play. I loved relaxing with a game of bingo and a cup of tea. And in the 10 years that I’ve been a member, I’ve even won a few small jackpots, too.…

Coronation Street Daniel and Sinead’s devastating news After their unofficial pagan wedding last year, Daniel and Sinead decide to make it legal this week. Before they tie the knot, though, Sinead finds a lump on her back and worries that her cancer has returned. When she tells Daniel, the couple decide to put it out of their minds and try to enjoy their special day. However, when they go to the hospital, the doctor reveals the cancer has returned and Sinead has only a few months to live. Emmerdale Mandy returns! When Mandy and her son Vinny left the village after a fleeting visit back in January, it was clear they were both hiding something. Will their secret be revealed when they return to the Dingle fold this week? Meanwhile,…