Table of contents for 10 November 2022 in Chat

Welcome to this week's Chat… Shona's story's a good'un - she fell back in love with her ex, just as their divorce went through (p26)! But where there's a will… Thanks to some sneaky plotting, she's back married to her man. Aww, we do love a happy ending! As well as tons more real life, we've got some Bonfire Night recipe ideas, tips on keeping your pets safe and happy, and even some Christmas home bits sneaking in. Too early? Never! Have a top week, PS If you're entering the puzzles online, this is the link to use: comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

LEATHER GLOVES STYLE TIP Real or faux, nothing says luxe more than leather gloves. Stick to neutral hues or make a statement with a pop of purple. FLUFFY BAGS STYLE TIP A bag that doubles up as a pillow? Yes please! These cuddly picks will add a playful touch to your jeans and a juniper combo. BOBBLE HATS STYLE TIP Warm and stylish, the bobble hat is a cold-weather staple. Keep it minimalist or amp it up with bold stripes. FROM £6 CHECKED SCARVES STYLE TIP Add some punch to a low-key look with a statement scarf. Look for check prints and vibrant hues to boost your mood and your outfit.…

I can't stop coughing Q I have a dry tickly cough day and night. Heartburn tablets from my GP haven’t helped - could it be serious? Stacey, London A A number of things could be going on and, although only a few are potentially serious, you’re right to check with your doctor if a cough hasn’t gone after three weeks. Sounds as if your GP suspected reflux, where stomach acid leaks up into your throat and irritates it. But if the tablets haven’t helped, there could be a different cause, such as a post-nasal drip, where mucus runs down the back of your nose due to allergy or sinus infection; the side effect of drugs, such as some blood pressure pills; or simply stress. Other symptoms, such as wheezing or shortness of…

1 Gear up ‘Think thin, fitted layers rather than big and bulky,’ says WalkActive founder Joanna Hall. Try a T-shirt base layer that draws sweat away from your body, then a lightweight long-sleeved layer. Over that, wear a jacket and, if it’s really cold, add a sleeveless fleece gilet. Stretch exercise trousers are ideal, and try two pairs of socks, rather than one thick pair. 2 Hydrate Just because it’s chilly, it can be easy to overlook the importance of staying hydrated - it’s important if you’re exercising for more than 30 minutes. Drink water or a sugarfree isotonic drink - around 500ml an hour is a good guide. 3 Acclimatise early If you’ve never worked out in the cold before and you start in January, it’ll be a big shock to the system and the chances are you…

Chilli pitta pockets Swap your usual jacket potato for a simple toasted pitta bread - making a portable meal that’s easy to munch on while watching the fireworks. SERVES 6 PREP 10 MINS COOK 30 MINS Top tip The chilli would also be great in a wrap. Bang-bang hot dogs A semi-fiery fabulous twist to make your sausages in a bun better than ever! SERVES 3 PREP 15 MINS COOK 20 MINS Top tip Turn down the heat and opt for regular sausages for a milder version. Top tip Use any soft cheese and add a flavour of your choice, like sweet chilli sauce. Boursin mini jacket…

Leaping energetically at the front of my aerobics class, sweat poured off me. ‘Great work today, ladies!’ I beamed. It was August 2004, and my new aerobics business was going well. I’d started out four months earlier, and now I was leading nine classes a week, and in great shape. ‘And just remember, 20 minutes of exercise a day, however you get it!’ I said, winking saucily at my class. Aged 31, I was as active between the sheets with my partner as I was leading my aerobics class. But there’ll be none of that tonight, I thought, noticing a scratchy throat as I headed home. Figuring I had a bug, I thought a few early nights would see me right. Instead, weeks passed and I felt worse. Permanently exhausted,…

We pay £25 for any photos that we use on chat To Us! Get in touch! EMAIL chat_magazme@futurenet.com POST Chat, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London, W26JR Find us online at facebook.com/ChatMagazine…

When Ashley Olsen moved to Italy in 2012, it was a dream come true. Originally from Florida, she was a budding artist. Her father, Walter, was a professor at a local art school in Florence. Ashley rented a small flat along the riverbank in the city centre. She got herseii a dog - a beagle named Scout - who she would regularly walk along the pretty cobbled streets. Ashley quickly made friends with a large group of other expats. She got a job, organising art events in the city. And started dating an Italian boyfriend, Federico Fiorentini, also an artist. She’d post pictures of them as a couple on social media and enjoyed nights out, partying. she sat on the steps Of a church in a nearby square and posted…

Up in arms When my scooter arms got damaged, I decided to cover them with some of my daughter’s colourful socks. Now the damage is hidden, and everyone can see me coming! Jen Elvin, Rotherham, South Yorkshire Picture this My old photo frame got chipped and scratched. Instead of binning it, I covered the more obvious flaws with pom-poms, creating this funky look! Briony Baxter, Wigan, Greater Manchester ICAN do it I find ring pulls on cans really difficult to open with my fingers, but if I put the handle of my wooden spoon through the ring and push down on the end, it works like magic! Helen Whitelock, Wigan, Greater Manchester Swamped with ideas If your kids are huge Shrek fans like mine, why not make their next birthday…

Stepping from the shower, I glimpsed the mirror and winced at the sight of myself. I hated looking at my body, all my lumps and bumps, especially the hernia that stuck out of my tummy like a tennis ball. Pulling on my dressing gown, I scurried downstairs. ‘I’m sick of looking like this,’ I frowned at my boyfriend Steven, then 31. It was April 2020 and, stuck in a lockdown, I’d no motivation to lose the baby weight I’d piled on carrying our son Jackson, then 7 months. Weighing 16st 8lb, I couldn’t even play with Jackson without getting out of breath. But I’d never stuck to a diet in my life and with no gyms open, I felt like there was no way out. Unless… I started researching weight-loss…

Doing my rounds up and down the hospital ward, I stifled a yawn. I’d been working back-to back late nights and early mornings and I couldn’t wait to get home, grab some food and jump into bed. ‘These came for us,’ another nurse smiled, thrusting a box of chocs into my hands. Gratefully accepting, I wolfed down three before getting back to my rounds. Sweet treats from grateful patients were a perk of the job for nurses. The sugar got me through the antisocial hours of my nursing training. It was 1987,1 was 19 and excited by everything that I was learning. But it was exhausting, too. That chocolate box was empty by 7 pm when it was time for me to clock off. I gave a wave to the…

Q I always wear the same make-up and I’m bored! Are there any new looks I could try? Louise Buckley, Exeter A Your wardrobe isn’t the only thing to switch up in winter. The colder months are also a great time to experiment with new make-up, too. Choose deeper colours that complement your winter wardrobe. The Natural Collection Moisture Shine Lipstick in Elderberry, £2.49, Boots, is the ideal shade for winter. Its rich and creamy formula glides on like butter, while chamomile soothes and protects dry lips in the colder months. Opting for a brown liner is a subtle shift from a stable jet-black hue. The Essence Lash Princess Liner in Brown, £4.49, Amazon, will help you achieve the same depth to your eyes without looking too harsh. Experiment with…

BEHIND THE BIG CRIME On the morning of 9 May 2021, 20-year-old Agnes Akom set off from her flat in Cricklewood. She sent a text to her partner, Peter, telling him she was on her way to work as a coffin maker. Then, she sent a message to a man she knew, Neculai Paizan, 63, and another man she worked with. Agnes booked a cab, and waited for it outside a coffee shop, but instead it was Paizan who turned up. Agnes got into his car and the pair drove off together. She was never seen alive again. And with no activity on her social media, something seemed off. On 18 May, authorities appealed to the public about Agnes’ whereabouts. Put out a description. She was 5ft 5in, with blonde…

Dear John, I always have to remind myself to call you by that name. Because it’s not the name I gave you when you were born. You see, your adoptive parents changed your name when you joined their family. But when you came into my world in January 1972, you were Tim. And I was a scared, 16-year-old schoolgirl. Long before you were born, a plan had been mapped out to banish me to a mother-and-baby home, adopt you out and send me back to school. Resume my life as if nothing had happened. As if you didn’t exist. No chance of keeping you, raising you. After I gave birth to you, no celebrations rang out. I was deemed to be ‘one of those girls’, you see. At the mother-and-baby…

TRACEY OLONIYO, 37, FROM WEST DENTON, NEWCASTLE, SAYS: I’m nominating my daughter Grace’s dance teacher Gavin Coward as our local hero. Gavin teaches at the Ballet Lorent Youth Academy in Newcastle, established last summer by Liv Lorent to help kids from working-class backgrounds express themselves creatively. After holding workshops in their schools, the academy invited children with potential to join. Boys and girls were chosen based on their enthusiasm and creativity, not letting additional needs or labels of being too naughty or too quiet get in the way. It’s completely free, and children are even offered free healthy meals and snacks at sessions. Before she joined the Ballet Lorent Youth Academy, Grace, 8, was shy, and struggling to put herself forward in class. But with the help of Gavin, she’s…

Plonking one wobbly foot in front of the other, my son Isaac, then 11 months, bounced from sofa to sofa before he was walking towards me unaided, a big grin on his face. His first steps! ‘Well done!’ I cheered, half proud, half disbelieving that my baby boy was growing up so fast. It felt like just yesterday when me and my husband Adrian, then 41, had brought Isaac home. Now he was walking, and babbling away. And before too long, he’d be off to school with his big sister Eva, then 4. I felt so lucky to have both of them, happy, healthy kids. Only in August 2019, we were walking towards the seafront while on holiday in Hunstanton, when Isaac, then 3, began convulsing. ‘He’s not breathing properly,’…

Sitting in the staff room, I tried to ignore how unwell I felt. It was 2015 and I worked as a teaching assistant. Surrounded by kids, it was normal to catch bugs. ‘Have you looked in the mirror?’ a colleague asked. Seeing hot, red hives creeping up my chest and neck, I called 111. My throat was scratchy, my tongue swelling, too. At the hospital, I was given antihistamines. But nine days later, the same thing happened again. Keep a record of what you’re eating,’ the doctor advised. Nothing stuck out. Next, an immunologist prescribed me omalizumab, an asthma medication. It helped for a while, but the attacks returned. I spent days in hospital recovering from severe allergic reactions, carried two EpiPens with me everywhere. Then, in April 2018,1 fell…

Q I've developed bald patches in my beard. My GP says they’ll recover but it’s been months now! Leo, Daventry A Bald patches can mean a fungal infection, especially if the skin’s scaly, although your GP would probably have ruled that out and the most likely other reason is alopecia areata. This means your body’s immune system is attacking hair-making follicles in your skin, leading to smooth, bald patches that can occur anywhere on your body but particularly your eyebrows, beard and scalp. We’re not sure why this happens but it can pass in families. Often there’s no need for any treatment as the hair usually grows back, though this can take over a year, but occasionally the patches enlarge and can rarely lead to total hair loss. Treatment, if…

Am I an alcoholic? Q I don’t drink in the week but I get through three bottles of wine every Friday and Saturday night. I run my own business, my kids are doing well and I’ve a stable marriage. But I’d feel sad without my tipple. I’m not falling around drunk but I do feel a bit rubbish over the week. Stacey, 47 A I want to applaud you for reaching out, sweetheart. I think there’s the potential for a real problem here. You’re entitled to NHS care for this, flower, and the sooner you speak to a professional about it, the better. The fact this has turned from a thing you used to enjoy to something you feel you need is a huge red flag. Sleep struggles Q We…

3 ways to… Help kids become good with money Teaching your children or grandchildren about cash can help them make better financial decisions when they’re older. 1 Talk through your decisions 'While giving children pocket money is a good way for them to understand the value of money, try bringing them into discussions about household finances, too,’ says Emma-Lou Montgomery, an associate director at Fidelity International. ‘This could be something as simple as going grocery shopping and explaining why it’s a good idea to check the deals and offers available.’ 2 Allow them to fail ‘It’s also important to allow your children to make “mistakes”,’ she explains. ‘For example, letting them spend some savings on an impulse buy - something we are all probably guilty of - then realising afterwards…

4-10 November 2022 Aries 21 March-20 April As your ruling planet’s in retrograde make your to-do list more realistic. Dealing with practicalities has never been your forte, but you’re better than you realise. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Trust your intuition to reveal if the facts stack up. It may look like a vital part of the picture is missing, but it has been presented in another way. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June Family matters on your mind? Ask for help, as you’re extremely busy. Be selective with the company you’re keeping and focus on those who need help. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July This is an excellent time to embrace opportunities,…