Table of contents for 16-Mar-2017 in Chat

We try to remember Sian as she was, not how her life tragically ended April 2011, and hundreds lined the streets for Sian’s funeral as we said a heartbreaking goodbye. It felt impossible to go on without our precious girl but, somehow, we did. The following October, Christopher Halliwell, 48, appeared at Bristol Crown Court, charged with murdering our Sian. He pleaded guilty. The court heard how Halliwell had gone off duty that night, but kept cruising the area. Looking for a victim. He’d sexually assaulted and murdered Sian, left her body in the forest, before returning three days later to move it. Despicable. We clung to each other as Halliwell was jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 25 years. Sadly, an error in police procedure following his…

Pop it on a puzzle   When the grandkids have grown up and no longer want to play with their giant jigsaws, you can use them as coasters (the jigsaw pieces, not the grandkids!). Ian Laird, Prenton Get a grip  Can't get the lid off your jar? Use a rubber glove. You'll get a better hold and it'll pop off in no time! Lee Hall, Sittingbourne Tin-tastic   Using a biscuit tin, small adhesive hooks and pretty flower paper, I made this box for storing jewellery. Tina Williams, Ebbw Vale Avoid the ads If your child is annoyed by adverts popping up while they're playing a game on your phone or iPad, put it on flight mode! Richard Adams, Halesowen Wonder wash I use one part car-window washer to 10…

Jake’s heart condition was so rare that doctors didn’t even have a name for it Icouldn’t have been more excited. It was May 2015, and I was heavily pregnant with my first baby – a boy. My husband Neil, 42, and I had everything ready. But a check-up revealed my baby’s heartbeat was erratic – one minute high, the next, low. ‘We need to deliver him now,’ a doctor said, inducing me. At midnight on 23 May 2015, Jake was born at 7lb ¼oz. After checks, a paediatric doctor explained he was fine. The following day, as we were ready to be discharged, a doctor did a final check and Jake’s heart rhythm was erratic again. ‘We think it’s supraventricular tachycardia,’ we were told. It’s an abnormally fast heart rate.…

Comfortable in your own skin Giorgia Lanuzza's story of her psoriasis (19 Jan issue), is close to my experience. Unlike Giorgia, I used to hide my condition, as I often got cruel comments. Sharing experiences through social media is inspirational. She's a beautiful girl, and shows people psoriasis isn't easy to live with. Hopefully, other sufferers will gain confidence from her. A great role model. Julie Surtees, Gateshead No luxury! The average woman buys, uses and bins 11,000 tampons in her lifetime. For them to be taxed as a luxury item is a joke. The tax should be stopped. In fact, we shouldn’t pay for them at all. Annabel Hammett, Neston Moody brows After we’d had a rather trying day, I overheard my 8-year-old daughter Rosie asking her father, ‘Is…

A man saw my back on holiday and pretended to throw up! No matter how thickly I applied foundation, it wasn’t enough. I could still see the pus-filled, red spots. I was 14 and suffered from terrible acne. My face and back were covered in bumpy zits. I’d tried spot treatments and creams, stuck to a healthy diet, and used cleansers on my skin. My acne just wouldn’t budge. ‘Spotty!’ girls at school said during PE behind my back. Even on holiday with my parents Mandy, 53, and Rob, 49, when my back was exposed, a man called me names. ‘Eurgh!’ he gagged, pretending to throw up. At 16, my face spots began to clear up, and I hoped my back acne would be next. But by 18, the spots…

1 Preheat oven to 190C/Gas 5. 2 Cut a large butternut squash in half lengthways, scoop out seeds and soft fibres. Place halves on a baking tray. Scatter each half with a finely chopped clove of garlic and then add 1tbsp butter. Drizzle with olive oil, season well and then bake for an hour until flesh is soft. 3 Scoop out some of the cooked flesh and juices and put into a large bowl, leaving a 1cm layer of squash attached to skin so that the squash keeps its shape. 4 Meanwhile, heat two microwave pouches of wholegrain roasted vegetable rice according to pack instructions. 5 Roughly mash butternut squash, stir in rice with 2tsp fresh, chopped thyme, the majority of 75g roughly chopped walnuts pieces, along with the majority…

I was whooping for joy as my last number popped up! After an evening shift, I got home and flicked the kettle on. I decided to have a nice cuppa and play a few games on Chat Mag Bingo! My three children – 18, 16 and 11 – were in bed, so it was the perfect moment to grab some me-time. Many years ago, I’d joined Chat Mag Bingo after my friend Sarah had recommended it. Sarah liked the slots, while I enjoyed 90-ball bingo, but we both loved the chatrooms. I’d won a few times on slots and bingo. I liked the link games, which are played over a number of rooms and you can win even bigger jackpots. I work as a hotel receptionist, and I’d been busy,…

Aries 21 March - 20 April For the next few weeks, what you do is less important than what you’ve got. In other words, it’s about money rather than speed and action. But if you can change tactics to match the new rules, you can still win. Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May You unexpectedly meet up with an ex. Maybe on the same train, or in the same car park. Whatever it is, it gives you a way to see each other again, if you wish. Just for old times’ sake, of course... Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June They say quit while you’re ahead, and it looks like you’re doing that. But is it because you…

RED IN THE FACE  here's nothing like a relaxing soak. T And this really was nothing like one! Poor Abi Shenton mistook her new bath bomb for a bar of soap - and, after rubbing it all over her body, she was left fluorescent pink for three days! Always read the instructions, guys… ONE STEP BEYOND! Kristi Loyall won her battle with cancer, but lost her right leg in the process. Following the amputation, Kristi, from Oklahoma, asked if she could keep her foot... And docs said yes, cleaning the limb and presenting her with just the skeleton. Now Kristi takes her foot with her everywhere, documenting her adventures on her awesome Instagram page, aptly entitled One Foot Wander . WHOOPSSSSSS Ashley Glawe had a trendy stretched…

What I loved Seeing signs of spring! Had convinced myself that I'd killed off everything in my garden and suddenly there are buds and shoots. Yay! What hacked me off Being bombarded with stuff about getting my body bikini ready. Ain't happening. Ever. What made me laugh Rummaging in my handbag for my door key and finding a large red pepper! Who knows how long it'd been there? I'd be lying if I said I'd been looking everywhere for it… Hope your week has a little surprise!…

David had been fine, now he was fighting for his life He had to give up his job, needed a wheelchair At first we thought it was the flu. So I sent my partner, David, 52, to bed with a Lemsip. ‘You’ll feel better for an early night,’ I told him, in April last year. But, just minutes later, David cried out in agony. ‘My legs!’ he screamed. ‘They feel like they’re on fire!’ David’s the strong, silent type. In the 14 years we’d been together, I’d never heard him complain. He never grumbled about having a cold. It’s the soldier in him. He’d been a paratrooper. So, for him to be saying he was in pain… ‘I’m taking you to A&E,’ I said. We got to Wythenshawe Hospital 20…

I’d always been upbeat– wanted to stay that way As I slathered my body in moisturiser, I felt something odd in my right boob. ‘Jeez, that’s a lump!’ I shuddered. Next day, I went straight to my GP, who referred me to a breast-cancer clinic for tests. Within two weeks, I was having biopsies, ultrasounds and mammograms. I’m probably just making a fuss, I thought. After all, I was healthy, fit and really active, thanks to my job renovating houses. But, the following week, the doctor broke bad news. ‘You’ve got cancer,’ she said. My partner Liam, 41, held me as I cried. As we left the hospital in a daze, it didn’t seem real. A month later, in August 2014, I had surgery to remove the tumour and lymph…

Serves: 9 Prep: 15 min Cook: 22 min 150g light brown soft sugar 2 eggs 1tsp vanilla extract 50g butter 150g biscuit spread, such as Biscoff 50g chocolate chips 150g self-raising flour ½tsp cinnamon To decorate:  2tbsp biscuit spread 1 Preheat oven to 170C/Gas 3 and line a deep, square 20cm square tin with nonstick baking paper. 2 In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs and vanilla extract for 2 min until well mixed. 3 Melt butter and biscuit spread together in a bowl in microwave until warm and runny, and then add to eggs and sugar. Whisk again to combine, stir in ¾ of chocolate chips, then sift in flour and cinnamon and gently fold into mixture. 4 Tip into tin, spread into corners, sprinkle with remaining chocolate…

I’d become obsessed with fish ’n’ chips and Chinese takeaways I vowed to ditch the laxatives and talk to my GP... Looking at myself in the changing-room mirror, a lump formed in my throat. The unforgiving, fluorescent lights amplified every bump and bulge of my 15st frame. It was 2014 and, resigned to hiding under baggy tops and leggings, it’d been months since I’d treated myself to something new. But now a friend’s birthday was coming up… The strapless, black dress I was trying to squeeze into was a size-18. But it was way too tight, and my huge boobs were spilling out over the top of it. Feeling defeated, I shimmied out of the dress, and put on a brave face as I left the changing room. ‘How…

How could this have happened through just slipping up? It gave me hope, knowing his wishes had been met My son Jack looked at me, a cheeky glint in his eyes. ‘Tally-ho, Rodders!’ he laughed across the kitchen. ‘I’ll get the juice.’ Next thing, he and I were in stitches. Me and Jack, 21, had the same sense of humour. We were constantly spouting lines from Only Fools and Horses, bantering away. Call me biased, but my son was gorgeous, with a great character to match. Although he lived about 30 miles away from me in Crawley, we saw each other all the time, were always phoning and texting each other. Hoping for a promotion to Senior Sales Advisor in a mobile-phone shop, he’d been with his girlfriend Charlotte,…

Tests revealed I hadn’t been ovulating for years Even as I peed on the stick, I was chuckling to myself You know what it’s like when you’re 18. Your life is all about parties, clubbing, boys, booze… Babies were the last thing on my mind! So when my doctor delivered the news that I would struggle to conceive in the future, I just accepted it. ‘You have polycystic ovary syndrome,’ I was told. It seemed my ovaries were full of fluid- filled sacs. ‘You have a less than five per cent chance of ever conceiving,’ my doctor explained to me. ‘OK,’ I nodded, not thinking too much about it. The next few years were spent partying my socks off. I lived for the weekends when me and my mates would…

1 It's the new Spain! With its sunny climate and fabulous resorts, it's a refreshing change - and a match - for any of the Costas! 2 The Black Sea Sunny Beach is the largest resort on the Bulgarian Riviera. With a beautiful, azure blue sea, shallow waters, stunning weather and plenty of restaurants, bars and nightlife options, it's got the lot! 3 Great food The food in Bulgaria has a Greek feel, but for something different try banitsa - cheese, spinach, rice or meat encased in filo pastry. And to drink, you've got try (at least once!) rakia, the local brandy made from just about any kind of fermented fruit. 4 Get muddy Bulgaria is one of the best places in the   world to take a healing mud…

1 Which actor would play you in a movie ? Jennifer L awrence. She's ditsy and sassy , which I've been told I am - but I disagree! 2 Which animal would you be? A shark, and if I had to pick one , a great white. 3 Three things you couldn't be without. My family , my boyfriend, my job, and chicken. 4 Dream celeb crush ? I've a list! Here are a few on it - Channing Tatum, Denzel Washington and Jim Carrey . 5 Perfect holiday? To drive all over America and visit as many places as possible. 6 Fave film? Hard to just pick one, so here are some of my favourites - Beauty and the Beast , Forrest…

He started tracking her every move.He’d text and call her constantly THE CRIME He'd done it. Hacked his wife to death with an axe. There was no doubt Cristian Loga-Negru had carried out the brutal slaying. But he said he wasn't guilty because he was insane. Now he was going to prove it. THE STORY Cristian Loga-Negru’s problems had started when he was a kid. He was born in Romania in the 1970s, an only child. His parents both worked long hours. Mum was a teacher, Dad a civil servant. From the age of 4, Cristian was left at home. Alone. ‘There were situations in which I was very afraid,’ he told the judge in the Wisconsin courtroom. ‘People were ringing the bell and I didn’t know if they were…

Kevin was worried. Sian wasn’t answering her phone. It wasn’t like her Sian was dead. My world imploded. Everyone was crying, hugging… As my eldest daughter sat at the table, I dished up dinner. ‘Ooh, my favourite,’ Sian, then 22, beamed. ‘I know,’ I grinned, tucking into the lamb I’d cooked specially. It was March 2011 and I’d invited Sian over for a meal – just the two of us. She’d moved in with her boyfriend Kevin Reape, 25, two months earlier. And, as I was a single mum of four, I treasured our moments alone. ‘See you soon,’ I said as I kissed her goodbye later on. Two weeks on, I was away for the weekend when my phone rang at 9am on Saturday. It was my eldest Liam,…

Poop problems Q I've pooped up to seven times a day for three weeks. Will it affect my contraceptive pill and what's wrong? Kelly, 34 A Severe diarrhoea, more than six times a day, might stop your pill being absorbed, so you should use condoms. A tummy bug may leave you loose for weeks. If it carries on, your GP can check for bowel infection or inflammation. Lupus fears Q My daughter's 30, but has the body of a 90-year-old because she has lupus. What does her future hold? Karen, 58 A It's impossible to say, though many people with lupus enjoy a healthy life. Her immune system attacks her own body, resulting in rashes, arthritis and sometimes kidney damage or epilepsy. Steroids and other drugs can control it. See…

He was in the back garden wearing headphones Rocking my youngest, then 2 months, in her pram with one hand, I pushed my eldest, then 3, on the swing with the other. Then my phone rang. ‘What now?’ I answered. My boyfriend Neil Riley, 40, had called three times in an hour. ‘Just wanted to see how the kids are,’ Neil said. I knew that it was an excuse to check up on me. We’d met through friends in 2008, and had two kids together. But Neil had become jealous and paranoid. If I was on the phone to a pal, he’d accuse me of cheating. ‘That was a man,’ he’d say. It was ridiculous. I loved Neil but his behaviour was getting too much. Then, in March 2015, when…

Dolmio Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake, 500g, £1.70 First, cook the pasta. Then stir in the sauce, sprinkle with cheese and bake for 20 min. It's rather dry, though, so either use less pasta or add a little water, too. Sainsbury's Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake, 480g, 95p This tasty, creamy sauce makes a lovely dish. If you've time, flash it under the grill for a couple of minutes before serving to give the cheese a toasty flavour. Homepride Creamy Tomato & Herb Pasta Bake, 500g, £1.60 Add to uncooked pasta with water, then bake for 25 min, stir, sprinkle with cheese and return to the oven for 20 min. This is so good! NEW   Lambrini Flavours, £3.29, Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Co-Op, Sainsbury's These pretty hearts-and-flowers-wrapped bottles are a lovely treat…

Herbal Essences Daily Detox Shine White Tea & Mint Shampoo, £3, Sainsbury's Product build-up and pollution can leave hair limp, but this will keep it fresh and clean. Top tip: Use the conditioner to keep hair soft. Noughty Detox Dynamo 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner, £6.99, Superdrug Great if you're short on time, this dual-purpose product cleanses and nourishes hair. Top tip: Keep in your gym bag for a speedy shower! Toni & Guy Texture Detox Shampoo, £6.49, Superdrug Gives dull, lank hair a deep clean, leaving it bouncy and shiny. Top tip: Use this once a month to keep hair free from too much product build-up. The Body Shop Rainforest Balance Shampoo, £5, The Body Shop Free from nasties, this doesn't lather much, but does work well on greasy hair.…

Since my cancer diagnosis, I’d been reminiscing We bred them, and soon we’d 125 llamas and alpacas It was a black sky, dark, thundering, full of rain. But even the blackest clouds have a silver lining. Except, in my case, the lining was brown and furry, with big eyes and long lashes… In fact, my cloud was lined with llamas! At 34, I’d been diagnosed with breast cancer. There’d be surgery, chemo, radiotherapy… ‘I don’t know if I can do this,’ I’d cried to my husband Nigel, now 56. Scared I’d give up, he’d come up with an idea. ‘You need a distraction between rounds of chemo,’ he said. ‘How about a dog or a cat… Or a holiday?’ ‘How about a llama?’ I’d suggested (as you do!). Since my…

I love swinging round a pole to house music Every muscle ached. Every fibre felt like it had been torn. Every sinew, every bone was agony. But I wasn’t going to let that stand in my way. What mattered was I’d finally done it… ‘Well?’ my partner Phil, 58, asked back home. ‘How was your first pole-dancing class?’ ‘Exhausting,’ I laughed. ‘But absolutely brilliant.’ It was June 2015. The summer before, Phil and I had gone on holiday to Phuket, Thailand. We’d loved it. The food, sunshine, people. But there was one thing I loved more than anything… the pole-dancing. Every night in the Tiger Bar on Phuket’s main strip, there would be pole-dancers. Women performing the most amazing routines. Graceful, sensual, strong… I couldn’t keep my eyes off them.…

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Had her removal released something terrifying..? The beautiful, exotic animals had danced across the woman’s skin since before Christ, Alexander the Great, or Cleopatra. On her left arm, a deer with a griffin’s beak and the antlers of Capricorn, and a panther with a long, winding tail. On her wrists and fingers, a deer’s head, its antlers and its body. All tattooed to remain forever. No-one had ever seen the like on an ancient woman’s skin before. It was 1993. A team of archaeologists had made the incredible find in the mountains of Altai, southern Siberia. It was a 2,500-year-old burial chamber, perfectly preserved in the permafrost, at the centre of which was a woman’s body. It was clear this woman had been important – not just because she was…

The surgery was risky, but we had to do all we could... As the cold jelly spread across my bump, I grinned excitedly. At my 20-week scan, I was about to find out the sex of my baby. ‘It’s a boy!’ the sonographer announced happily. I squealed with delight, and my husband Ben, 38, reached over to give me a hug. After, I lay there dreaming up names, thinking of all the things we’d buy. Suddenly, my daydream was interrupted. ‘I’m sorry, I just need a second opinion,’ the sonographer said. My whole body froze. What was wrong? Ben looked terrified. Finally, the sonographer returned with a doctor, who also scanned me. ‘Is everything OK?’ I asked. ‘Not really,’ he replied. I pulled up my jeans and sat on the…