Table of contents for 18-Jun-2020 in Chat

Jordan Edwards had a smile that could light up a room. A talented football player at his high school in Mesquite, Texas, there was no doubt that Jordan, 15, had a bright future ahead of him. Popular, smart, sporty, a young man any family would be proud of. But on 29 April 2017, Jordan’s dreams were stolen from him. Jordan was at a house party with friends in the Texan suburb of Balch Springs. Soon, police were called after reports of underage drinking. Keen to stay out of trouble, Jordan, his brother and their friends decided to leave. They got into a car, Jordan sitting in the front passenger seat. Seconds later, the party stood still as gunshots rang through the air. It was then that everyone realised what had…

Robyn Butler, 30, Bridgwater Packing up my hospital bag, I couldn’t wait to get home. ‘Just one final check and we’ll be on our way,’ I smiled to my partner David, then 21. It was August 2009 and I’d just given birth to our first son Matthew. Everything about the pregnancy had been normal. And, despite a long labour, he’d arrived weighing a healthy 7lb 11oz. Now, all I wanted to do was get him home and show him off to our friends and family. Only, as one of the midwives carried out a final heart check, she heard a murmur. A natural worrier, I began to panic. But they were quick to explain it could be nothing. ‘It could be a hole in his heart, but it should close…

Don’t want to be a dad Q I’m freaking out – my girlfriend’s pregnant. We are 22 and at uni. We used contraception, but it didn’t work. She told her very religious parents; they said it’s wrong. I’m not proposing as we’ve only been together six months. I want to support her, but don’t want to co-parent. I’ll pay maintenance, but I’ve no interest in being part of the baby’s life or hers. What do I do? Luke, 22 A You have to decide – you support her or you don’t. If you’re happy to contribute financially, get legal advice. But make sure you really don’t want anything to do with the baby. You have to be absolutely certain, for the sake of the child. It sounds brutal, but this is a…

Continued from previous page For days, Dean was groggy from all the drugs in his system. ‘Am I going to die?’ he kept worrying. ‘No, you’re going to be fine,’ I soothed. Scans showed that, just moments before the crash, Dean suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. At first, this didn’t make any sense. After all, Dean was just 31, and perfectly healthy. Doctors ran tests but found Dean’s heart was fine, said maybe we’d never get an answer. Still, to be safe, they recommended he had an internal defibrillator fitted. This would shock him back to life if his heart ever stopped beating again. In August, Dean was transferred to Royal Brompton Hospital, in London, for the op. It went smoothly and, within a week, Dean was able to come…

Paisleigh England, 18, Newport My hands grew clammy as my boyfriend Jordan, then 19, bounded into the room. Tall and stocky, he towered over me with fury all over his face. Clutching a kebab in his enormous fist, he growled as I glanced up at him. ‘What are you looking at?’ he roared at me. It was November 2018 – and lately, more than ever, I couldn’t do right for doing wrong. Well, as far as Jordan was concerned, anyway. Either my skirt was too short, I was wearing too much make-up or I was spending too much time on my phone. He became the most important person in my life Even now, just sitting on the sofa watching TV and looking up at him, it was enough to make…

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£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.…

Felix Felicis is an example of what in the Harry Potter books? The answer to each clue (apart from the first) begins with the last letter of the preceding answer. The shaded squares will spell out the prize puzzle answer. WIN £150 Puzzle 2 1 Large, semiaquatic reptile (9) 2 Internal roof beams (7) 3 Physicist, eg (9) 4 Chatty (9) 5 Walk Like an _, Bangles hit (8) 6 The _ Peace Prize (5) 7 Capital of England (6) 8 Daffodil (9) 9 _ Fishing in the Yemen, 2011 film (6) 10 Whale with one tusk (7) 11 Large spoon (5) 12 Arm joints (6) 13 Capital of Chile (8) 14 Loathsome (9) 15 Military greeting (6) 16 Vitality (6) Your answer:…

After more than 13 hours of deliberation, the jury found Roy Oliver guilty of the murder of Jordan Edwards. As the guilty verdict was announced, Jordan’s family cried and hugged prosecutors. Jordan’s father, Odell Edwards, said he was ‘very happy…it’s been a long time, hard year’. The lawyer for the Edwards family, Daryl Washington, said the verdict was significant for ‘every African-American’ who was killed by police and who has ‘not gotten justice’. ‘This case is not just about Jordan. It’s about Tamir Rice. It’s about Walter Scott. It’s about Alton Sterling,’ he said, referencing three other black men or boys killed by police in the US. Soon afterwards, Oliver was sentenced to 15 years in prison. It means he could be eligible for parole after half that time –…

World health Just 18% of Brits are drinking more than the recommended daily amount (RDA) of water, with 64% drinking under the RDA.**** The NHS advises that we all drink six to eight glasses a day and more during hot weather. Swapandsee Why not swap your normal brew for Hatter’s Hemp Tea? (£19.99 for 20 bags, hollandandbarrett.com)? Blended with green sencha tea, jasmine and CBD hemp, it could help with sleep issues, anxiety and allergies. Sleep with two blankets Find yourself fighting over the bedding with your other half? According to research, for those in couples, their partner causes about a third of all sleep disturbances, and not only that, but this lack of sleep can also cause relationship problems.* Instead of resorting to one of you sleeping on the sofa,…

I like telling dad jokes. Sometimes he laughs! How do you weigh a millennial? IN INSTAGRAMS IF YOU’RE AMERICAN WHEN YOU GO IN THE BATHROOM AND AMERICAN WHEN YOU COME OUT, WHAT ARE YOU IN THE BATHROOM? EUROPEAN What’s E.T. short for? He’s got little legs! Why do you never see elephants hiding in trees? Because they’re so good at it! HOW DOES A PENGUIN BUILD ITS HOUSE? IGLOOS IT TOGETHER! Why did the invisible man turn down the job off er? He couldn’t see himself doing it!…

Kelly Ineson, 32, Dewsbury As the scan operator smeared gel on my belly, my eyes were fixed on the monitor. Me and my partner Thomas, then 26, held hands as the black and white image appeared on the screen. ‘You’re having a girl,’ the scan operator smiled. It was April 2018 and I was already mum to Brandon, 12, Jamielea, 11, and Harry, 9. But this was the first baby that Thomas and I were having together. The rest of the pregnancy continued in a bubble of excitement. Then, in the July, I was taken to Pinderfields Hospital, where I gave birth to beautiful Kiara by caesarean. The next day, Thomas and I took her home. Kiara was perfect: a tiny, 6lb 5oz, healthy bundle of joy. It was the…

3 ways to… watch out for coronavirus scams There’s been an increase in criminals exploiting people’s fears around coronavirus and using it as a tactic to rip people off, according to NatWest. 1 Tax refund claims Scammers have been bombarding mailboxes with emails saying the recipient is entitled to a tax refund due to coronavirus – but it’s a con. HMRC will never contact you by email to discuss tax refunds, so don’t click or respond. Report emails like this to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk 2 Offers to make quick money There has been a huge increase in criminals trying to lure people into becoming money mules through ‘get-rich quick’ job offers during these worrying times. The personal consequences of allowing criminals to pay money through your bank account can be life-changing, says NatWest. Always…

The Prom NETFLIX In this one-off musical comedy, Meryl Streep and James Corden star as two Broadway icons who decide getting behind a worthy cause will help revive their careers. They hit on the idea of helping gay teen Emma, who’s forbidden from taking her girlfriend to the prom. Agatha and the Midnight Murders CHANNEL 5 Former Cold Feet and Friends star Helen Baxendale is the latest actress to play Agatha Christie. This new adventure follows the cash-strapped crime writer as she tries to carry out a risky deal during the height of the London Blitz. Bears about the House BBC2 After having big cats about the house in his last series, which was a must-watch, conservationist Giles Clark turns his attention to bears as he helps to set up…

Q I always have dark circles under my eyes, which make me look so worn out. How can I get rid of them? Fiona, Devon A Dark circles can be hereditary and stubborn, no matter how much sleep you get. To help minimise their appearance, use a brightening eye cream like the NSPA Luminous Glow Brightening Eye Cream, £5, available at asda.co.uk, to nourish and hydrate the paper-thin skin around the eye. Then apply a peach or yellow-toned colour corrector like the Barry M Colour Correcting Wand in Yellow, £4.49, to counteract deep blue or purple shades. A coverage concealer like the Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Eraser Concealer, £8.99, will even out the under-eye area, disguising dark circles, leaving you looking refreshed and rested. TRIED AND TESTED Essence Lash Princess False…

(19 March 2020) £1,001 CASH B Hopkins, Peterborough £1,000 CASH L Carrole, Essex £500 CASH J Probert, Rugeley; A Blythe, Carlisle £250 CASH M Cooke, Thatcham £150 CASH L Cooper, Surrey £100 CASH E Robertson, Shotts; C Wilde, Bilston; D Tingley, Brighton; J Kilkenny, Dewsbury; L Blythe, Carlisle £60 CASH P Clarke, Malmesbury £50 CASH M Keeling, Walsall; L Lambert, Wallingford; P Beck, Merthyr Tydfil £30 CASH J Hunter, Cleator Moor; J Inkersole, Basildon; E Wedge, London; E Richardson, Uttoxeter; N Reilly, Liverpool £25 CASH T Carter, Plymouth; L Tyree, Norwich; D Smith, Wakefield; C Salter, Exeter; J Edwards, Deeside; M Kennedy, Bangor; R Stanley, Poole; H McDowall, Wishaw; V Grant, Glasgow Anyone from your town in the list this week..?…

Covering your face with your hair, you looked up at me with those big eyes of yours. I was immediately smitten. Your clothes were tatty, your few worldly possessions stuffed into a bin bag. Timid and afraid, a quiet little sparrow of a girl. It was a hot summer a few years ago, and you were at primary school. One of a handful of foster children me and my husband Lloyd, then 50, had invited into our home. Along with our own two boys, Jackson and Vincent, our household was a sometimes chaotic yet happy place. Ready to welcome children, just like you. That night, I carefully brushed your long, tangled hair. You watched me suspiciously while I tucked you into bed. I realised then, it was going to take…

What film has Olivia Colman said she never tires of watching? To find out, solve the crossword, then read down the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 11 False or incorrect (6) 12 Spanish city, host of the 1992 Olympic Games (9) 13/9 Down Actor who was in The Devil Wears Prada (4,8) 14 Spice made from tree bark (8) 15 Red _, sci-fi TV series (5) 16 Decapitate (6) 17 __ Bloom, actor (7) 18 French landmark (6,5) 20 The colour of snow (5) 22 Fatigue (9) 24 Mike _, former champion heavyweight boxer (5) 28 Someone who enjoys good food (7) 29 Worried and tense (7) 32 Superior (6) 34 Lived through (8) 36 Tiny organisms (8) 37 Example of 23 Down, represented by the…

Need to sort my painful bottom Q I get spasms of pain in my rectum. My doctor says it’s proctalgia fugax – is there a cure? Lena, Stonehaven A Proctalgia fugax simply means ‘fleeting pain in the rectum’ in Latin and is common, probably affecting around one in 10 people. The pain’s due to muscle spasm around your rectum and anus, usually happens at night, and lasts anything from a few seconds to 30 minutes. No one’s sure of the cause, though it’s possible that anxiety, or worries about health, might sometimes be part of the problem. Your GP will check your back end to rule out other reasons for your pain, such as skin tears (fissures) or piles (haemorrhoids). Most sufferers only have a few attacks a year and…

DEATH OF BEN KINSELLA On 28 June 2008, Ben Kinsella, 16, was stabbed to death by three men after he’d been out celebrating the end of his GCSE exams in London. A talented youngster, Ben had been involved in acting and had had a small part in a 2004 episode of The Bill. His older sister Brooke Kinsella was in EastEnders. Media attention around Ben’s murder led to anti-knife-crime demonstrations and a review of sentencing laws. His murderers all got life sentences, to serve a minimum of 19 years. FAKE KIDNAPPING Shannon Matthews, 9, was reported missing in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, on 19 February 2008, but was found alive 24 days later. The kidnap had been planned by her mother Karen and Karen’s friend Michael Donovan, to make money from…

Kim Botham, 37, Welwyn Garden City Piling into the minibus, I felt relieved to be heading home. How did it go?’ I said to my fiance Dean, then 31. ‘Suits are all sorted,’ he beamed. It was July 2016 and we’d just finished a busy day of wedding prep. When me and Dean met three years earlier, we were both divorcees. Neither of us thought we’d marry again. But something clicked. By October that same year, we were engaged. I had four kids, Rhianna, then 16, Mollie, 13, Sean, 10, and Nathan, 8. And Dean had two boys, Reece, 8, and Alex, 7. Hence the minibus! Luckily, all of them got on like a house on fire. Our two families blended into one. We’d spent years saving and planning for…

Chilli burger A spicy, succulent burger piled high with your favourite toppings. Delish! SERVES 6 PREP TIME 15 MINS PLUS CHILLING COOK TIME 10 MINS • 800g minced beef• ½ red onion, finely diced• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped• ½tsp cayenne pepper• 1tsp chilli powder• 1tsp chilli flakes• 1tsp chilli paste• 1tbsp olive oil• 2tbsp tomato ketchup 1 In a bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients together. Divide the mix into six equal amounts and mould into burger shapes. 2 Cover with cling film and chill for at least 20 mins so the burgers firm up before grilling. 3 If cooking inside, heat your grill or griddle pan and cook the burgers for 8-12 mins, or until the juices run clear. If using a barbecue, cook over a medium heat when the…

Aries 21 March-20 April Things are all at sixes and sevens right now, Aries, when a lover can’t make up their mind about what they really want to do. Reassure them and things will be fine. Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Problems can be easily solved at the moment, Taurus, so don’t bang your head against a brick wall – you may end up with an unnecessary headache! Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June If you want to take a gamble on something this week, be careful. The odds may be stacked against it. Get a second opinion – better safe than sorry. Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Everyone has their limits, so don’t be tempted…