Table of contents for 05 May 2022 in Chat

I loved reading about besties Bev and Hayley who, coincidentally, went through a special time together (p24). If you have got a story about what a friendship means to you, share it with us at the address on p4. We’ve more gripping real-life, including Janice’s musical message for her daughter (p58), and a terrifying story of abduction that mercifully has a happy ending (p44). Plus all the extras you love. Have a good week!…

My finger is full of pus Q My finger’s red and swollen where the nail joins and there’s pus under the skin. What should I do? Aliana, Brentwood A Sounds like an acute paronychia, an infection caused when bacteria enter the join between your skin and nail. Often a minor scratch or an injury such as a splinter is to blame, or damage from biting your nails, overenthusiastic cutting and filing, or simply washing-up. The skin around your nail becomes red, swollen and tender, and yellow pus might collect underneath or ooze out. Besides looking yucky, a paronychia can be very painful. Provided you’ve nipped it in the bud, treatment might mean soaking the finger in salt water and using antibiotics, either as cream or as tablets. If a lot…

OVER TO YOU Can you set a puzzle in this format? Send i 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 Barrie Walker, Leeds ACROSS 1 Naked 2 Region 3 Prejudice 4 Small whirlpool DOWN 1 Young child 2 Dry, barren 3 Understand words 4 Simple WIN 5x £25 Puzzle 6 Your answer: HALF & HALF Which Asian dish derives its name from the Tamil for ‘flesh’? 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 answer: BRICK TRICK In 2021 writer Michael Rosen became the first person to win back-to-back ‘Of The Year’…

ARROW WORD Ludovico Manin, who abdicated in 1797, was the last leader of which independent republic? 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 Which character from a William Shakespeare play provided the source of the phrase ‘discretion is the better part of valour’? The answer is the one missing from the grid. ARIEL BEATRICE BIANCA DOGBERRY FALSTAFF FESTE GONZALO…

FILL ME IN Which British town’s motto translates from Latin as ‘growth from swimming upstream’, referring to its local salmon migrations? 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 £100 Puzzle 14 Your answer: CIRCLE TIME The rocks of Kata Tjuta and which other sacred spot were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters AIR ASH ASK CAN CAR ERA MAR MEN RID SPA 4 letters AURA SCAM SCAR SPUR SWAP SWUM USES 5 letters CRUEL HAIKU LITRE 6 letters HELIUM INTERN MARINA PLASMA RADISH SPARSE 8 letters AARDVARK WIN £100 Puzzle…

3 ways to... avoid the latest message scams Fake texts are the latest ways fraudsters are trying to part us from our cash. 1 Identity fraud texts Watch out for text messages claiming you’ve been targeted by identity fraudsters trying to take out a loan in your name. These texts are followed by a phone call from someone claiming to be from your bank’s fraud team, who advise you to move your money to a so-called ‘safe’ account. Fraud prevention service, Cifas (cifas.org.uk), advises to hang up and call your bank on a number you’ve checked yourself (eg, the back of a debit card). Forward scam texts to 7726, or contact Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk) or Police Scotland (scotland.police.uk). 2 Bogus ‘new device’ Which? has warned that some banking customers have…

Top tip Turkey leg or thigh mince makes a more succulent burger than turkey breast mince. Turkey and chorizo burgers It’s well worth making your own burgers when they taste as good as these SERVES 4 PREP TIME 10 MINS COOK TIME 11 MINS • 120g diced chorizo • 500g turkey leg or thigh mince • 1tsp smoked paprika • 4 slices Manchego or Cheddar cheese • Burger buns, lettuce, sliced tomatoes and gherkins, to serve 1 Combine the chorizo, turkey mince and paprika in a large bowl, mixing with your hands until evenly blended. Shape the mixture into four burgers. 2 Cook the burgers on the barbecue or under a medium to high grill for 5 mins each side until cooked through. Top each burger with a slice of…

Caroline, 28 Clutching her pink backpack, stuffed with her teddy and favourite PJs, my daughter Claire, 2, beamed ‘I can’t wait to see Daddy, ’ she squealed. I crouched to cuddle her. ‘Have a fab time, ’ I smiled It was February 2019 and my relationship with Claire’s dad, Liam, hadn’t been easy. We’d met at a party and Liam, then 27, had seemed friendly and very attractive We had fun together, but it didn’t get serious. Then, two years on, I fell pregnant. ‘I want this baby, ’ I told Liam. Although he nodded, slowly I noticed I was hearing less from him. He stopped texting, never called round, I even heard he’d got back with his ex. His loss, I thought as my bump blossomed and I fell…

As the cinema lights went down and the film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy began to play, Helen Bailey felt a mixture of excitement and guilt. It was the summer of 2011 and she was on a date. The first since her beloved husband had drowned on holiday in Barbados. She’d met her date, Ian Stewart, then 50, through a Facebook bereavement support group. He’d lost his own wife Diane Stewart, 47, the summer before. So he would have known Helen’s pain. And that was a comfort to her, as she settled down to watch a film with her new love interest. Their relationship quickly blossomed. Although Helen had once dreamed of being a forensic scientist, she’d made her mark in the world writing books. Helen was now a best-selling author.…

I love the joy in this picture of me with my motherin-law Enid and my son Harrison. Alison Tucker, Edenbridge My son Barnaby had a fun time exploring all the sights of the River Severn on our recent boat trip. Suzanne Giles-Pulley, Stourbridge Get your £25 for any photos that we use on Picture Perfect Nope, it’s not a woolly sheep in my back garden – just my labradoodle Carlow enjoying the sunshine! Alexa Poole, Helsby Our daughter Nancy, 4, couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw how many sweets there were at the cinema. She thought all the sweets in the world were kept there! Elliot Richardson, Braintree We recently had a litter of Maine Coon kittens, and this little boy was born cross-eyed! Rebecca Hardy, Sheffield This picture…

DENIM STYLE TIP Team a classic denim jacket over a floaty floral midi dress and size up if you want a relaxed look. QUILTED STYLE TIP The quilting trend is huge and shows no signs of slowing down. Wear with slim-fit bottoms. BLAZERS STYLE TIP A great all-rounder, blazers smarten up any outfit and work for all occasions. Make a statement in mood-boosting brights. SHACKETS STYLE TIP A cross between a shirt and a jacket, try a patterned style over a plain T-shirt and jeans.…

In March this year, Wilber Ernesto Martinez-Guzman, 23, was found guilty of the four murders. Guzman, who’d worked for all three households as a landscape gardener, had crumbled under investigation months earlier, admitting to the murders to avoid the death penalty. At his sentencing, Douglas County District Attorney Mark Jackson said that Guzman was feeding his own sinister desires and had made just $179 (around £140) from the stolen items. ‘This case is about him getting a thrill out of committing burglaries and killing, ’ Jackson said. Guzman was sentenced to four life sentences for the brutal murders. But even though Guzman will now face the justice he deserves, the families of his victims will forever live with the pain his senseless violence caused. Jerry and Sherri David’s distraught granddaughter…

1 Exercise willpower ‘Yes, it’s hard to change your eating habits but the only way you’ll become better and more experienced in choosing healthier food options is to exercise willpower and choose to not give in to temptation, ’ says Jennifer Irvine, founder of gourmetdiet delivery business The Pure Package. ‘It does get easier, but practise makes perfect.’ 2 Snack wisely ‘As humans, we naturally tend to make unhealthier food choices when we’re hungry, ’ says Jennifer. ‘Make sure you have healthy snacks on hand when you get peckish and never allow yourself to get to a point where you feel extreme hunger.’ 3 Catch some zzz ‘I recommend seven to nine hours every night to allow our bodies to properly rest, recover and regenerate from the day’s activities, ’…

Seabirds of the genus Gavia are generally called what in North America? Solve the crossword, then read down the yellow squares. The yellow shaded squares will spell out the competition answer. ACROSS 1 Point of a pen (3) 3 Lower limb (3) 5 Fish eggs (3) 6 At the present time (3) 7 Concealed (3) DOWN 1 Kim Kardashian’s daughter, _ West (5) 2 Stir together (5) 4 Long evening dress (4) WIN £50 Puzzle 13 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

He follows other girls Q My partner follows multiple models on his Instagram account. He ‘likes’ their pictures and even comments with love hearts. It makes me feel so rubbish that he’s looking at other girls and even worse, trying to connect with them. Am I being stupid or is this a normal way to feel? Mandy, 27 A Ask yourself, do you trust your man? We should believe our partners would be faithful, even if they’re alone in a room surrounded by naked models! If the answer’s no, think about why. And do talk to him about how this makes you feel. He may have no idea and have some words of reassurance to put your mind at ease. Scared to try online dating Q I’m newly divorced and…

Sophie Davidson, 31, Ely, Cambridgeshire The house was peaceful. Our nine-month-old baby was asleep and my fiance Michael, then 29, was home. Time for me to make a quick trip to Argos for some new shelving. ‘See you in a bit, ’ I said, grabbing my keys, just stopping long enough to kiss Michael and our baby boy goodbye. ‘No worries, ’ he replied. Michael had been in the military for eight years before leaving to work in telecommunications, and took everything in his stride. It was October 2016, and in the previous year we’d bought our first home and had our first child. On Valentine’s Day in our new home, Michael proposed. Now, I spent my free time planning our dream wedding. We were thinking about a ceremony in…

Weleda Sensitive Body Lotion, £12.95, weleda.co.uk We often talk about sensitive skin, but less so about sensitive bodies. If you suffer with itchy, irritable flare-ups across your legs, arms, back and torso, this soothing lotion will feel like a hug in a bottle. It’s loaded with coconut and jojoba oils in a rich cream that provides long-lasting hydration to dry spots. Sally Hansen It Takes Two Miracle Gel, £11.99, Superdrug Making on-the-go manicures easier than ever, this dual-ended bottle has a vibrant colour one end and a gel-like top coat the other end to deliver up to eight days of glossy colour. Garnier Vitamin C Brightening Serum Cream, £9.99, Boots When it comes to a glowing complexion, vitamin C is the A-lister of ingredients. With the potency of a vitamin…

Chat PUZZLES 18 CLOSING DATE FOR ALL ENTRIES IS 17 MAY 2022 (Three days later for postal entries) PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS THROUGHOUT HOW TO ENTER TEXT Simply text CHATC followed by a space and your answer/s (spaces between answers please) full name, door number and postcode to 63333 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.…

BREAST CANCER NOW’S REBECCA HIGHFIELD, 36, FROM BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, SAYS: I’m nominating running star Ruth as my local hero. Ruth Tuthill started running in lockdown, quickly noticing the health benefits. Research and care charity Breast Cancer Now is a cause close her heart. After hearing about the impact the pandemic was having on breast-cancer patients, she signed up to our £1,000 Challenge, to raise funds. She planned to run a solo marathon around north Oxfordshire. She completed the marathon on Christmas Eve in three hours, 36 minutes, raising £3,500. She then set her sights on running the London Marathon... With the support of friends, family and local business Tuthill Porsche, she raised £62,734 – our top London Marathon fundraiser for 2021. Keep on running, Ruth! £50 FOR EVERY HERO! Do you…

Tub tip If you’re like me, you never know which lids fit which tub. So I use permanent markers in matching colours to mark each bit – no more searching for the right lid. Perfect! Elaine Rippin, Monkton, Pembroke Throw me a line I wanted my washing line to stretch across my garden, but it kept slumping in the middle. I used two bamboo canes tied at the top to support my line – it worked perfectly! Sonia Bosley, Twyford, Buckinghamshire Spillage saviour When trying to remove stubborn burnt-on spillages in my oven, I use baking soda, white vinegar and an old electric toothbrush head. It works a treat. Claire Prince, Bootle, Merseyside £25 For every photo tip that we print Water good idea! To save energy, I put my…

What connects singer Shakira and actor Antonio Banderas? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the four-word prize answer. ACROSS 1 Spaghetti, for example (5) 4 Optimism (4) 6 Jewellery item (8) 13 Flesh-eating fish (7) 14 Broad streets (7) 15 Rafael _, Spanish tennis player (5) 16 MP, Jacob _-Mogg (4) 17 Edible fish (6) 18 Common bird (6) 20 Female equivalent of a lord (4) 21 Stevie _, Fleetwood Mac singer (5) 22 Assault (6) 25 Convince (8) 28 Grown-ups (6) 30 Atmospheric gas (5) 32 Easily fooled (8) 34 Band who sang Year 3000 (6) 35 Film, The _ of Wall Street (4) 38 Cider ingredients (6) 39 Run off to get married (5) 40 French port (6) 43 European…

Kelly Rowley, 38, Maryport, Cumbria True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK Switching the telly off, I sat on the sofa for a moment, enjoying the quiet. Only, within seconds, a high-pitched ringing sounded in my ear. ‘Not again, ’ I mumbled to myself, heading to bed. It was summer 2012, I was pregnant with my second child and for weeks I’d noticed the sound in my ears. Particularly in quieter moments, laying in bed or enjoying a cup of tea. I ignored it as best I could but soon dizziness and headaches joined the ringing. I’d struggled with my hearing in the past, had started using hearing aids years before, and wondered if the two were connected. For months, I hoped it would go away. Only, it just got worse. ‘You need to…

Lizzie Slowe, 50, Chichester Slipping on my mud-caked wellies, I set off on my short commute. It was 7am in March 2022, and as the birds started singing, I began my day. ‘Good morning, ’ I sang to my co-workers as I made my way towards them. Pouring out their breakfast, clearing up around them. Reliable, calm and cute, they were the best colleagues I’d ever had. Only, they weren’t human, but horses. My three beloved ex-riding school horses, Bluebell, Cloud and Marley. I’d always loved animals, but as a child I grew up in London, so rarely had the chance to interact with them. ‘Please let me go horse riding, ’ I begged my parents. In time, I drifted to different interests. Travelled, then trained as a chi kung…

Here’s all the handy info! If you’ve ever fancied taking the future into your own hands, now could be the perfect time to start, with our beginner’s guide to reading palms. Before you start, make sure you’re reading the correct hand! A right-handed person will have their future and natural persona written on their left hand. Past achievements, along with personality and talents, will appear on the right hand. For lefties, this will be reversed. Time to open your mitt and take a peek! The love line(s) These can appear as two, three, or even four lines! Found just above the heart line, and below the little finger, each love line stands for a serious relationship. The more you have, the more you’ll fall in and out of love. A…

Tammy Andrews, 47, Blandford, Dorset Smiling at my patient, ticking off the checklist of paperwork, my head felt frazzled. I was usually so focused working as a palliative care nurse for elderly people. And although my long shifts weren’t easy, I had plenty of energy. Only now, in February 2019, I’d started to struggle. Simple things made my head spin. I felt forgetful, tired. Mind you, I was 44, with two teenage girls, Jazmine, then 14, and Ashleigh, 13, at home. ‘I think it’s all getting too much for me, ’ I told my husband, Jim, then 50, later. Jim encouraged me to go to my doctor, who took blood tests. I was half expecting the verdict. ‘You’re perimenopausal, ’ he explained to me. It meant that my body was…

It was a classic tale of boy meets girl. But for childhood sweethearts Vista, 29, and Bailey, 30, it wasn’t the end of the story. First meeting on a night out in Leeds, Vista describes her hubby as a gentleman from the first moment. ‘He grabbed my hand and kissed it, but I instantly thought, He’s really cute, ’ she laughs. And in the beginning, the pair from Lincolnshire, had a very conventional sex life. ‘Just your normal vanilla relationship, ’ says Bailey. The couple were monogamous, until about three years ago, when they had a conversation, and all that changed. ‘I came out to you then, ’ she smiles to her husband. ‘I said, “I think I am bisexual, and I’d like to explore more that side of things,…

Aries 21 March-20 April A time of adventure awaits you. Take photos and make an album of your most memorable times. Your partner and younger family members will love this. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May There’s a drive in your chart to get things done, take the plunge and reach for the stars. Let your passion shine and celebrate successes with family and friends. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June You have an independent spirit and your own way of achieving goals. The energy you submit when you’re busy will inspire those around you. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July The full moon in Scorpio enhances your intuition and someone you’re attracted to comes…

Q My hair is so dry at the moment, how can I get it looking healthy again? Tricia, Heswall A As we age our scalp produces l ess oil, so hair feels dry and frazzled, which is made worse by regular heat styling and colouring. Use a deep conditioning mask once or twice a week to compensate for less natural oils. Bleach London Reincarnation Mask, £7, Boots, puts the spring back into hair that has lost elasticity. Like a night cream for dry hair, Pantene Pro-V Overnight Beauty Reset, £19.99, Boots, is enriched with baobab seed essence, a tree that thrives in dry, arid conditions by storing vast amounts of water, to inject moisture and restore the silky swish of healthy hair. It’s also worth adding an oil into your…