Table of contents for 09-Jul-2020 in Chat

Cancer survivor Christina became a mum against all odds, but that was just the start of her family’s battle (p18). Lauren has been left wondering how a quiet drink in the local led to her being scarred for life (p44). And Emma was preparing for her own funeral when docs made a shocking announcement (p24). There’s more real-life stories and prize puzzles galore, plus pizza recipes to make at home (p41), stylish summer dresses (p12) and even more. Keep safe and stay well this week.…

STRAPPY BARDOT LONG SLEEVE SHORT SLEEVE…

When police officer and ex-Marine Henry Solis, then 27, walked into a bar in Pomona, southern California, the events that would unfold over the next few hours would drastically change his life. Sadly, they were also going to end the life of another man – Salome Rodriguez Jr, 23. It was 13 March 2015, and the two men were strangers, yet their destinies would soon be forever intertwined. Solis was off duty at the time, enjoying a drink with friends, when truck driver Rodriguez allegedly approached him in the toilet. Rodriguez had been at a nearby club, also with friends, to see a dancer with whom he was infatuated. He’d slipped away in the early hours of the morning for a drink in the bar down the road. Struck from…

In the Rudyard Kipling story, The Man Who Would Be King, Daniel Dravot is taken to be a god by people living in a region of which modern-day country? To find out, solve the puzzle… Add a letter anywhere in each of the boxed-off words to fit the clue, eg, Lures = BITS + A = BAITS. Write the added letter in the space provided. Read down the added letters to spell out the prize puzzle answer. Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

By what name was the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad commonly known, including in the title of a famous blues song by Taj Mahal and Yank Rachell? Solve the crossword, then read down the yellow squares. These will spell out the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 1 Small lizard (5) 4 Unhappy (3) 6 Casserole (4) 7 Churchyard tree (3) DOWN 1 Visitor (5) 2 Actor Ben Affleck’s brother (5) 3 Ancient (3) 5 Wonder (3) Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Lauren Stockman, 42, Blackburn Shall we pop in for a quick one?’ my partner Andy, 38, suggested as we neared our local. ‘Oh, go on then, just a quick one,’ I said. It was November 2018, and we’d been out to dinner with one of my friends. Now, as we headed home, Andy fancied a pint at the pub. A night out was a rarity these days. With two kids at home and two grown-up girls, we had a lot on. Not to mention the therapy business I managed, plus working evenings at a mental-health crisis centre. So it was nice to make the most of an evening out. Walking in, we made our way to the bar. ‘A pint for him and a half for me,’ I smiled to…

£1,001 CASH A McMullen, Shrewsbury £1,000 CASH K Oakes, Newport £500 CASH E Lowes, Seaham; S Osman, Harrow £250 CASH S Wilson, Burnley £150 CASH J Burr, London £100 CASH M Holder, Cardiff; F Dudley, Bolton; V Wright, Burgess Hill; M Mortimer, Ipswich; C Pye, Accrington £60 CASH S Otoole, Cleveland £50 CASH J Walking, Cirencester; A Douglas, Abingdon; P Knight, Milton Keynes £30 CASH M Buxton, Burton on Trent; D Cowan, Forfar; C Jones, Llandudno; M Roberts, Brighton; M McClintock, Stranraer £25 CASH T Briggs, London; H Withers, Swindon; V Billinghurst, Wallington; P Artingstall, Dunkinfield; E Walker, Holyhead; D Kelly, London; M Main, Clwyd; C Norris, Totnes; D Peebles, Edinburgh Anyone from your town in the list this week..? Chat PUZZLE 1 2588 Chat PUZZLE 2 OASIS Chat PUZZLE…

£25 for any photos that we use on Picture Perfect. They must not have been sent to any other publication and you must include written permission from a child’s parent/s or guardian/s. Post to Picture Perfect, Chat, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP, or email chat_magazine@ti-media.com Unfortunately, we can’t return photos without a SAE. And please don’t forget to include your full address and a contact number.…

Stride into summer feeling your most confident yet with Curvissa’s latest fashion collection! Get your glow, own your curves and flaunt what you’ve got with vibrant, fresh and stylish pieces that will see you through the summer season. You can’t always depend on the weather, but you can rely on your wardrobe. Whatever your plans, Curvissa has got you covered! We’re delighted to offer Chat readers a special 20% discount across the collections at curvissa.co.uk. The website offers a range of clothing in sizes 14-32. As well as the main Sheego collection, Curvissa is also home to many great brands, including Levi’s, Kaleidoscope Curve, Adidas, Converse, Curvy Kate and more. To find out more, head to curvissa.co.uk. Save 20% online with Curvissa The offer code PXNP is for single use only…

I go beetroot when I drink Q Why does my face flush bright red as soon as I take a sip of alcohol? It’s embarrassing! Maddie, Thetford A Alcohol widens blood vessels in your face, so we might all be prone to some alcohol blush, but a few people develop severe flushing. Sometimes, particularly in South Asian people, it’s because a faulty gene interferes with the way your liver handles alcohol. First, your liver converts alcohol to aldehyde. Then, it converts aldehyde to yet another chemical, but the faulty gene interferes with this step, so aldehyde builds up and causes flushing. Another possibility is the skin condition rosacea, which causes easy blushing and a red face, and alcohol is a common trigger. Flushing tends to reduce as you become more…

Emma Burrow, 34, Darlington Lying on the sofa, I scribbled in my notepad. Writing down a list of songs, I’d thought long and hard about what I wanted. Nothing too cheesy. I didn’t want flowers, but donations to a charity. Next, I jotted down the dress code: all bright and colourful, definitely no black. ‘And I think I’ll write my own speech,’ I smiled, looking over at Dad, David, then 59. ‘I’d be honoured to read it out,’ Dad replied. Because of course, I wouldn’t be there to read it myself. It was May 2015. And despite being just 30, I wasn’t planning a wedding reception or a landmark birthday. No, I was planning my own funeral. When I’d first noticed a lump in my neck in July 2010, I…

Jessica Taylor-Bearman, 29, Colchester Slumped at my desk, my head got lower and lower as I struggled to stay awake. ‘Wake up, Jessica!’ the teacher bellowed from the front of the classroom. It was early 2006, and I’d been feeling ill for some time. After a bout of the flu at the end of 2005, I’d never really recovered. Sleeping a lot, I suffered constant pain in my legs and crippling headaches. At school, I’d always been a high achiever. Now, I could barely keep my eyes open. Even climbing the stairs to lessons was exhausting. ‘I’m just run down,’ I reasoned. So I hid my symptoms from my parents. ‘I’m going upstairs to do homework,’ I told them, before climbing into bed. But by May 2006, my ill health…

What connects the rapper Sean Combs and fashion designer Victoria Beckham? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 1 & 15 Across Actor starring in TV series Defending Jacob (5,5) 4 Unmixed, untainted (4) 6 Where trains depart from (8) 13 Have doubts about (7) 14 Country, capital Copenhagen (7) 15 See 1 Across 16 A person’s physical form (4) 17 American fashion designer Mary-Kate Olsen’s twin sister (6) 18 Cartoon sailor (6) 20 Parent’s sister (4) 21 Monstrous giants (5) 22 Airstrip (6) 25 Horse _, tree (8) 28 Respect highly (6) 30 Film musical starring Madonna (5) 32 Large creature with a trunk (8) 34 Skin decoration (6) 35 Polaris or Betelgeuse, eg (4) 38 Cathy…

Maxine Flewett, 59, Lincoln Watching my partner Ron cross yet another finish line, I felt so proud. Swimming, cycling, running, he could put youngsters to shame. Even competed in around six triathlons. And at 51, he showed no signs of slowing down. That was until March 2012, when he developed a nasty dry cough. ‘It could be a chest infection,’ I said, worried. ‘Maybe we should see a doctor.’ For the best part of two years, Ron and I searched for a diagnosis. Doctors gave him an inhaler, antidepressants, too. But the cough wouldn’t budge and he was increasingly breathless. By the start of 2013, Ron was really struggling. Eventually, he was referred for a CT scan. It was then they found scarring on Ron’s lungs. ‘You have pulmonary fibrosis,’…

DEATH ON BEN NEVIS In February 1962, 23-year0-old volunteer teacher Howard Rolfe Keeley was leading a party of children from Balgowan School, Dundee, on Ben Nevis when he fell 1,000ft to his death. For 41 years, the incident was treated as a tragic accident. However, in 2003, when a member of the party – by then in his 50s – accused two pupils of pushing the teacher to his death, the police reopened the investigation. It was later announced that Keeley’s death was not murder and the informant was charged with wasting police time. PRELUDE TO A FAMOUS HEIST The year before Bruce Reynolds made his name as mastermind of the Great Train Robbery, he and his gang seized £62,000 from a security van at Heathrow Airport and also attempted…

Being vegan shouldn’t be held against me! Q My employer buys lunch for everyone on a Friday. The problem is, I’m now on a vegan diet due to health reasons. The HR manager responsible for lunch knows, but says she can’t mess around trying to find vegan options, so I often end up going out and buying my own. Is it reasonable for me to expect a free lunch to accommodate my dietary restrictions, or am I looking a gift horse in the mouth? Vanessa, 27 A She may be (wrongly!) disgruntled by the whole thing, so try to make things easier for her. Most places offer a vegan option. Ask where she’s ordering from, and suggest something from the menu that you can eat. She might need educating to understand…

3 ways to.. manage your cash Having trouble getting on top of your finances? These money habits may help you stay in control. 1 Pay yourself first Go through your budget and work out how much you can afford to save each month, then set up a standing order for that amount to go into your savings on payday. You may find it’s a more effective way to grow your savings pot than if you wait to see what’s left at the end of the month and saving that alone. 2 Give yourself some leeway But when you do go through your budget, set aside some cash for you to spend each month on whatever you want. Sticking to a budget can be hard in the long run if it’s…

Aries 21 March-20 April Keeping up with the Joneses might be tempting, when they buy something you want. But don’t be in too much of a rush or you might be labelled a copycat. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Your partner or close friends may think you’re as mad as a hatter when they see you dashing all over the place – just be sure to put first things first. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June You might feel like simply hiding away now, when someone tells you an old flame has been in touch. Don’t fret – forewarned is always forearmed. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Take your time if any investment…

The answers to all but one of these questions can be found hidden in this wordsearch, 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 puzzle answer. THE SILVER SCREEN – ONE 1 Which British actor played presidential plane hijacker Korshunov in the 1997 thriller Air Force One? (4,6) 2 Which 1978 musical film features the song You’re the One That I Want? (6) 3 Who wrote the 1962 novel on which the 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was based? (3,5) WHERE IN THE WORLD? TWO 4 Antigua and which second island make up the name of an island state…

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