Table of contents for 11-Mar-2021 in Chat

We all like to think that we’re our pets’ No.1. But when Rachel found out that there was another love in her spaniel Duke’s life, she agreed to something pretty unusual — and it really put a smile on our faces (p18)! As usual, we’ve got a bit of everything in this week’s Chat, including the strange case of the woman who joked about killing her husband, only for him to end up dead. Was she really the killer (p16)? Plus our fab prize puzzles, Mother’s Day sweet treats (p40), funky tumblers (p29) and much more! Stay safe and well this week.…

CARDIGANS STYLE TIP The perfect layering piece for tricky weather days, this knitwear hero can be worn over T-shirts, vests or thin knits. TROUSERS STYLE TIP Easy-to-wear and comfortable, opt for utility-style cargo pants crafted from soft Tencel and cotton. TOPS STYLE TIP Khaki is the new neutral this season! This versatile shade will match beautifully with your pre-existing wardrobe, BAGS STYLE TIP Not only will these accessories make your outfit pop, their handy cross-body straps ensure functionality, too!…

Rachel Bryant, 46, west London My 1-year-old spaniel Duke was always on the go. Full of energy, he needed plenty of love, cuddles and attention. With a busy job as a breastfeeding counsellor, helping to care for new mums and their babies, it made sense to put him in doggy day care for two days a week. So in December 2019, I started taking him to the Wetnose Club doggy day-care centre in Hounslow. And he loved it. Bounding around the garden at the centre, he always had a pooch to play with. And one in particular immediately caught his eye. Tia, a gorgeous black and white border collie. She quickly became Duke’s right-paw pup. Playing, eating and snuggling up together. It was clear they were mutts about each other.…

World health A worrying 14% of UK adults believe their brain health has declined since the start of the pandemic, and 66% say COVID-19 has prompted them to think about making changes to improve their health.* Swap and see Focusing on gaining muscle mass this year? Try swapping your usual fitness supplements for this brand-new PE Nutrition range. From whey protein to pre-workout powders, it has everything you need to help reach your fitness goals. (£10, for 600g Simply Whey Protein, Holland & Barrett) Stay motivated It’s one thing embarking on a new fitness regime, but quite another staying motivated and sticking at it. Try these top tips from fitness influencer and women’s online coach Ellie Hoad. Do what you enjoy! Then it won’t feel like a chore. Try not…

Carla Feno, 41,Ashton-under-Lyne Tilting my head, I looked through the kitchen cupboards, then the freezer. ‘What do you fancy for tea?’ I asked my boys Luca, then 4, and Rocco, 3. Luca turned to look at Rocco, eyebrows raised. ‘Chicken nuggets?’ he asked, in the special voice he used to talk to his younger brother. Rocco clapped. ‘Nuggets it is,’ I smiled. It was early 2019, and I didn’t know what I’d do without Luca helping me with Rocco. See, it wasn’t long after Rocco was born in September 2015 that I began spotting red flags in his development. He didn’t respond to faces or sounds. Seemed vacant. ‘He may have autism, but only time will tell,’ a health visitor said. As the months passed, he failed to reach the…

Mum’s making me choose Q My mum has announced she’ll never speak to me again unless I leave my boyfriend. She’s met him three times and he was on his best behaviour each time. I really like him but she says she knows something about him and doesn’t like him. I asked her what, but she won’t tell me. My boyfriend says she’s just jealous of our relationship. So who do I trust?Aimee, 27 A Only trust one person, petal — yourself! You’re an adult, and it sounds like your mum is being childish. She’s dangling a carrot in front of you. Tell her that unless she reveals this secret, you’ll carry on, because you’re an adult and your fella makes you happy. Ask her a question about it that…

It’s that time of year where we want to spoil our mums and say thank you for everything they do. Mother’s Day is nearly upon us (Sunday 14 March) and many of us will likely not be able to visit our mothers to take a present — but you can still send her something. If you’re planning to send your mum some flowers or a gift, then get it sorted this week. That way, you’ll reduce the risk of having to pay pricey express delivery charges if you leave it until the last minute!…

Aries 21 March-20 April Like an explorer following a compass and travelling the globe, you’re craving adventure, a change of scenery. Time to start planning that quest. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Don’t be overprotective of your partner, they’re more resilient than you realise. It’s good to be cautious, as long as you take advantage of the situation. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June If you’ve been sourcing inspiration from the wrong places, a redirection is taking place, as someone new enters your life. Embrace new challenges. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Start making holiday plans. You may not be able to travel far, but camping in a natural haven will be relaxing.…

Aroma Active Laboratories Sleep Bath Salts, £15, Boots Sprinkle a handful of salts in a nice warm bath and soak for 20 minutes to maximise the relaxing and soothing effect on the mind and body. The lovely spa aroma lingers for hours, too. Lee Stafford Skin-Kind Dry Shampoo, £6.99, Boots When relied upon too often, dry shampoo can dehydrate your scalp. This one, though, like skincare for hair, is formulated with hyaluronic acid to keep your scalp healthy, while mopping up any excess oil. The Body Shop Drops of Youth Bouncy Jelly Mist, £16, thebodyshop.co.uk Blue light from your smartphone, computer and the sun is bad news for skin, causing premature ageing by damaging collagen and elastin. Keep this refreshing spray handy to protect skin from its effects and deliver…

HOW TO ENTER TEXT Simply text CHATA followed by a space and your answer/s (spaces between answers please) full name, door number and postcode to 84988 Texts cost 50p plus standard network charge (maximum 160 characters per text). When you enter by text, you may in future get SMS marketing messages from Future plc and Chat. If you want to receive these, please end your text with OPTiN. Texting tips • Don’t put any spaces in an answer that has several words: eg: CHATISTHEBEST not CHAT IS THE BEST. • If the answer is a name, you need only give the surname: eg: CLOONEY not GEORGE CLOONEY. • You can use capitals or small letters, but don’t use any commas, etc. • Leave out answers you don’t wish to enter. INTERNET Join our…

Here’s my wonderful mum Heather, who’s had a tough time battling breast cancer, as well as COVID early last year. She’s the bravest person I know and I love her more than anything!Dana Thomas, Caernarfon My sister’s Pomeranian dog is a bit of a diva, so she called her Gaga after the famous singer. I decided to dress her up in a pink wig and some pop star glasses so she’d look the part.Lucy Hill, Halifax Sadly our grandson Leon, in Australia, has to make do with video calls to see his granddad Rich and I in the UK. We are counting down the days until we can see him.Joanne Aitchison, Wirral My daughter Caitlin, 19, is a huge Dancing On Ice fan, so was thrilled when she met professional…

What connects actors Vanessa Redgrave and Paul Bettany? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the six-word prize answer. Across 1 Strong wooden barrels (5) 4 American artist, _ Warhol (4) 6 Loyal (8) 13 Military officer (7) 14 Salad ingredient (7) 15 Confidence (5) 16 Urban area (4) 17 Type of red wine (6) 18 Mozzarella or brie, for example (6) 20 Very keen (4) 21 Not loose (5) 22 Counting device (6) 25 Green gemstones (8) 28 Smashed (6) 30 Regrettably (5) 32 Jewellery item worn on the wrist (8) 34 Place where food is stored (6) 35 Percussion instrument (4) 38 Buzz _, second man on the Moon (6) 39 Fury (5) 40 Dark red colour (6) 43 Select (4)…

GUILTY On 20 December 2013, more than four years after Philip Nisbet’s death, Helen Milner was found guilty of the murder and attempted murder of her husband. Milner reacted calmly when the jury announced its verdicts and she was handed a life sentence, to serve at least 17 years behind bars. Justice David Gendall said Milner’s offending was committed ‘simply for financial gain’ and to rid her of a husband she no longer wanted in her life. He pointed to the bizarre way in which Milner had told folk what she wanted to do… ‘It is rare for an offender to tell so many people of a desire to kill her victim, as she did in this case,’ he said. And while she’d insisted it’d been in jest, it’d come…

I can’t move my sore shoulder Q My shoulder’s stiff and painful. My GP says it’s a frozen shoulder. What’s that?Jean, Wokingham A The capsule of membrane and sinew that surrounds your shoulder joint has become thickened and inflamed, which gives the condition its medical name, adhesive capsulitis. The cause is a mystery – often it’s triggered by a slight injury, though no one knows how, and some conditions also make it more likely. Women in their 40s and 50s are most likely to suffer and usually go through three phases, starting with a few months of pain, followed by months of stiffness, and then gradual recovery, which altogether can take more than three years or more. Treatment usually means painkillers, physiotherapy and sometimes a steroid injection. Very rarely, surgery…

LITTLE GIRL MURDERED On 20 April 1934, Aberdeen 8-year-old Helen Priestly went to the shops but never came home. After a search, her body was found in a hessian sack. She’d been strangled. It emerged that Helen’s parents John and Agnes had fallen out with their neighbours Jeannie and Alexander Donald. Human hairs in the sack were found to belong to Jeannie Donald, 38 – incredible evidence at the time – and she was found guilty of murdering Helen. She was sentenced to death, later reduced to life in prison. MASSIVE DRUGS BUST The biggest single cocaine haul ever recovered in European seas took place off Aberdeen in 2015. Turkish sailors Mumin Sahin and Emin Ozmen were later convicted of smuggling three tonnes of cocaine into the UK – worth…

What word describes the tide that occurs when the sun and moon form an angle of 90° with the Earth? Solve the crossword, then read down the yellow squares. The yellow shaded squares will spell out the competition answer. ACROSS 1 Large wading bird (5) 4 Auction item (3) 6 Fascinated, gripped (4) 7 Trendy (3) DOWN 1 Man of Steel actor, _ Cavill (5) 2 Fashion designer,. Lauren (5) 3 Almond, for example (3) 5 Strictly dancer, _ Mabuse (3) WIN £50 puzzle 13 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Hugging her beloved dolly, Luna Fenner seems like any other happy 1-year-old girl. But look closer at the toy, and you’ll see they share something special. Both have the same dark ‘Batman’ birthmark stretching across their face like a superhero mask. And, after so many cruel comments, having her own personal doll made in her image has been a huge boost to Luna. Luna was born with a giant naevus covering most of her face. Over time, it runs the risk of turning cancerous. Luna’s mother Carolina had a totally normal pregnancy. She and her husband Thiago weren’t aware of their daughter’s condition until she was born. Carolina says, ‘I thought she was dirty from the labour. We were in shock because we didn’t know about it. I didn’t want…

Sarah, 39 Watching my ex Ben scooping up our toddler Lucy, then 1, felt bittersweet. We’d just split up, leaving me heartbroken. ‘But I’ll always be here for Lucy,’ Ben had promised – and, true to his word, we’d agreed joint custody. As time went on, Lucy loved spending weekends with her daddy. She’d come home smiling, with freshly washed and blow-dried hair. ‘We had fun at the swimming pool today,’ Ben would say. One Friday, I dropped Lucy, then 5, with Ben, crouching down to give her a kiss. ‘Have fun with Daddy, see you soon,’ I said, stroking her hair. ‘Love you, Mummy,’ she said with a toothy grin. I missed Lucy, but also enjoyed the me time. Back home, I ran a bath and planned an evening…

Maybelline Great Lash, £5.99 Can you believe this iconic mascara turns 50 this year? The conditioning ingredients, buildable formula and precise brush make this one of the best lash lengtheners on the market to day! BareMinerals Strength & Length Serum-Infused Mascara, £19.55, John Lewis & Partners Volumising formulas can weigh down thin lashes, but a lengthening version such as this, with nutrients that Rimmel London Colourist Mascara, £8.99 Perfect for fair or grey lashes, the formula gives all the temporary length and volume of a regular mascara with a built-in lash tint. So, within a few weeks, you’ll notice more defined lashes even when you’re not TOP TIP Prevent frizz by blotting wet hair with an old cotton T-shirt, It’s much kinder than rubbing hair with a towel.…

£1,001 CASH J Mullins, Hayes £1,000 CASH A Lund, Selby £500 CASH S Merriman, Redditch; N Martins, Sevenoaks £250 CASH C Eaton, Newport £150 CASH A Belshaw, Nottingham £100 CASH M Inglis, Cumbernauld; E Morgan, Cupar; S Pellow, Tonypandy; C Crane, St. Albans; J Chung, Bedford £60 CASH M Joy, Bideford £50 CASH J Redman-Thomas, Bridgwater; C Williams, Pwilheli; S Clapton, Truro £30 CASH L Stranex, Preston; V Lyness, Newtownabbey; A Sudden, Coleraine; J Clayton, Hebden Bridge; C Edworthy, Exeter £25 CASH S Williams, Cinderford: J Ellis, Hemel Hempstead; E Nixon, Peterborough; R Manville, Hull; A Mancini-Smith, Norwich; A Gasper, Olney; G Platt, Bolton, S OConnnell, Winchester, S Hartshorn, Walsall Chat PUZZLE 4 AREA Chat PUZZLE 8 SNORE Chat PUZZLE 12 COFFEE Anyone from your town in the list this…

Danielle Jones, 27 Grabbing my laptop,I logged in and started bashing out an advert. Looking for a flatmate, I typed, anxiety twisting in my tummy. It was February 2016, and my friend had suddenly moved out of our shared flat, giving me no notice. As a part-time waitress, I was skint, too. So, needing a snappy solution, here I was, resorting to an ad on Craigslist, a website for classified ads. Within minutes, my phone rang. ‘I’m Byron. I’ve just seen your ad,’ a man said. He told me he was a personal trainer who’d just moved to the area. He sounded friendly. Two days later, we met at a cafe in a nearby shopping centre. Byron waved me over to his table. ‘You must be Danielle,’ he smiled, shaking…

Beccy Hunter, 40, Sutton Coldfield I jumped out my skin as my partner, Jamie, 38, suddenly flung his arms in the air. ‘Goal!’ he screamed from next to me on the sofa. He was footy mad. If he wasn’t watching it, he was coaching it — he lived and breathed the game. Jamie was a PE teacher during the week and, at weekends, trained kids at our local football club, Sutton United FC. We’d met in August 2010. My son and daughter, then 9 and 5, played at the club, and the older one joined Jamie’s team. I wasn’t single so, at first, I was just another mum watching her son play. But Jamie and I chatted. We had loads in common, loved binge watching box sets, and we’d share…

Posing for a photo, cutting their wedding cake, Philip Nisbet and his new bride Helen Milner beamed with happiness. Yet not everyone was happy about the 2005 union. Philip’s sister Lee-Anne Cartier wasn’t keen on her new sister-in-law. She found her cold, lacking empathy. Philip and Lee-Anne had always been close, but it seemed that the marriage was pushing the siblings apart. And Lee- Anne blamed Helen. Still, the newlyweds seemed fine enough, settled in Christchurch, New Zealand. Philip worked as a truck driver. But Lee-Anne wasn’t the only one who thought there was something odd about Helen. At work, she was known for her strange jokes. About killing her husband! She often spoke about poisoning Philip, and mentioned suffocating him. One day, she asked a colleague if they knew…

Louisa ‘Wizzi’ Magnussen, 31, Woking Even as a kid, I experienced sadness. I tended to be antisocial. Obsessively worried about my future, though my concerns never left my head. I was too afraid and embarrassed to talk about what was bothering me. At 11, I started selfharming and also began having seizures. ‘You’re depressed,’ doctors suggested, thinking that the fits were epilepsy. I was on medication for years. Some days I’d have ‘ceiling’ moments — where I’d feel on top of the world. Then, suddenly, I’d come crashing down and I’d be unwell for days. I was in and out of the offices of psychologists, getting no further forward. It was a roller coaster. That was until 2008, when I had my ‘big bang’, as I call it. I became…

OVER TO YOU Can you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p3. There’s £20 for every one we use! This week’s puzzle was compiled by Rachel Howlett, Biggleswade, Beds ACROSS 1 Business company 2 Plan or thought 3 Something borrowed 4 Type of deciduous tree DOWN 1 Tool for smoothing 2 Object of devotion 3 Quantity of paper 4 French motor race Le __ WIN 5x £25 Puzzle 6 Your answer: HALF & HALF What does the R stand for in the name of the UK government agency, the RAIB? Cross out a letter in each square to get a grid filled with words. The uncrossed-out letters in the shaded squares give the prize answer. WIN £100 Puzzle 7 Your…

ARROW WORD The retirement palace of the Roman emperor Diocletian is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in which country? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer. WIN £1,000 Puzzle 10 Your answer: SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle and the numbers in the highlighted squares will give you the prize puzzle answer. WIN £60 Puzzle 11 Your answer: WORDSEARCH In the animated American spy comedy series Archer, what is the title character’s codename? The answer is the one missing from the grid. BARON COUNTESS DAME DUCHESS DUKE EARL EMPEROR KING KNIGHT…

FILL ME IN Dane DeHaan starred as which title character opposite Cara Delevingne in a 2017 Luc Besson film? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. WIN £100 Puzzle 14 Your answer: CIRCLE TIME Neil Patrick Harris and Gwyneth Paltrow have both won an Outstanding Guest Actor/Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy for their appearances in which show? Fit the words into the grid, ther read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters ALL APP EEL ERA SAY, SKI SKY TAG TOY WAR 4 letters AIDE BURN DELI GLUE IDEA OBEY YETI 5 letters TABOO TANGO UNTIE 6 letters ALWAYS INDIGO LOSSES NUTMEG PARODY TRUANT 8 letters IDENTITY…

3 ways to... boost your chances of getting a mortgage Are you applying for a mortgage? Then put yourself in the strongest position of it being accepted by getting your financial house in order. Here’s how… 1 Sort your finances ‘Buying a home is a huge financial commitment and mortgage lenders will want to see that you’re a trustworthy borrower,’ says online mortgage broker Trussle’s Miles Robinson. Before you apply, check your credit score and take steps to improve it and ensure any mistakes are corrected. Lenders will analyse your spending habits when you apply, so bear this in mind in the months before. 2 Save, save, save Having a larger deposit will boost the odds of your mortgage application being accepted and it will also give you access to…

Rich chocolate cake This lovely, gooey chocolate treat is everything you want and more! In this bake, we swapped flour for almonds, giving it a gorgeous nuttiness. SERVES 10 PREP TIME 20 MINS COOK TIME 1 HR •4 eggs, separated • 200g unsalted butter, softened • 225g caster sugar • 150g ground almonds • 1tsp baking powder • 175g dark chocolate, melted • For the decoration: • 125ml single cream • 125g dark chocolate, broken into pieces, plus a couple of extra squares for decoration • 1tbsp apricot jam You will need: • 20cm cake tin, lined 1 Heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and set aside. In another bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until soft, then add the egg yolks, ground…

Q I’ve noticed a few hairs on my chin. What’s the best way to tackle them? Sara Winstone, 42, Wolverhampton A If it’s only a couple of hairs, the easiest thing to do is pluck them with tweezers. We love Teaser Tweezers, £14, heavenskincare.com, with a built-in comb – really handy for grooming brows. Don’t shave the area, though – while it’s a myth that this makes the hair grow coarser, a razor slices the hair straight across so, when it grows back, it appears thicker. Veet Face Wax Strips Sensitive, £6.55, are designed for delicate facial skin, and pull out more hairs in one swift movement. Warm the strip between your hands for a few seconds and smooth down in the direction of the hair, then pull back in…

Dear Yanice, Since the day you were born in June 2006, you were special. An easy baby, smiling and happy. For the first 14 months, we lived with my sister, your aunt Natalya, then 32. You loved playing with your little cousins, sharing their dollies. At nursery, you gravitated toward the girls, trying on frocks when dressing up. Every birthday and Christmas, you asked for a new doll. By 7, you had about 40. ‘Don’t you want any other toys?’ I asked. I never wanted to suppress your passion, but worried you’d be bullied. Thankfully, your friends were never mean. It was adults, usually men, who had opinions. ‘Boys can like dolls, too,’ you would reply. I was so grateful for your confidence. In December 2013, you asked for loom…