Table of contents for 03-Mar-2016 in Chat

I recoiled as I heard the brutal details of her murder But it was hopeless. Tests showed Kelsey was brain-dead. As I gave permission for her life-support to be turned off, a part of me died. I’d already lost a son. Now I’d lost my beautiful daughter, too. Kelsey was 17 – her life ahead of her. Now Caitlin, 3, was left without her mummy, and her daddy had been arrested for murder. Telling her was heartbreaking. ‘Mummy’s gone to Heaven. She’s with the stars,’ I said. I was barely coping myself. Then, eight days later, Mum died suddenly. She’d been battling breast cancer, and her treatment had been going well. But, since losing Kelsey, she’d simply stopped living. We held a joint funeral, burying them both with Karl. Precious…

Slippery phobia Q I'm terrified of walking outside when it's even a little icy, in case I fall. I was stuck inside all winter and it's ruining my life! Jayne, 33 A Thank heavens for our warm, wet winter! Phobias, or irrational fears, often start as a reasonable fear. It's sensible to take precautions, but if they're overtaking your life, seek help. Ask your GP about local counselling services. Tinnitus troubles Q I was diagnosed with tinnitus last year, but it's been bothering me recently. Everyone says there's nothing I can do, but should I see my GP? Stacey, 32 A It's a myth that there's no treatment! Tinnitus, ringing or hissing in your ears, has several causes and your doctor can rule out anything treatable. If the noise is…

Sainsbury's Milk Chocolate Digestives, 400g, £1.15 The biscuits have a really good bake with tasty, toasty flavour, and there's also plenty of chocolate on top. Asda Milk Chocolate Digestives, 300g, 68p Close on the heels of our favourites, we'd definitely buy these rather than the big-name brand. Honestly, you really never notice the difference! Lidl Tower Gate Milk Chocolate Digestives, 400g, 59p Tasted blind, we liked these best for their flavour, crunch and chocolate - again, even more than those leading brand-name biscuits! Why pay more? NEW Kettle Bites, £1.89 for pack of six, Tesco, Sainsbury's Wholegrain and lentil snacks with fewer than 100 cals per 22g pack. Flavours include Sweet Chilli, Mozzarella & Pesto, and Maple Barbecue.…

1 Pink Lady apple, cored 200g self-raising flour, sieved 50g oat bran ½tbsp baking powder 175g caster sugar Zest and juice of 1 orange 3 medium eggs 100ml sunflower oil 75ml buttermilk Crumble: 50g plain flour 1tbsp caster sugar 25g rolled porridge oats 25g butter 1 Preheat oven to 190C/Gas 5, and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. 2 Coarsely grate half apple into a large bowl. Dice remaining apple and add to bowl along with self-raising flour, oat bran, baking powder, sugar and orange zest. 3 Lightly beat together orange juice, eggs, oil and buttermilk in a jug, then pour into apple mix and combine everything thoroughly. Divide equally between paper cases. 4 For crumble, rub together plain flour, sugar, oats and butter. Sprinkle over top of…

1 Mash together 120g grated Cheddar cheese, 1tsp English mustard, 1 egg yolk, 4 sliced spring onions and a grinding of black pepper. 2 In a saucepan, melt 30g butter, then stir in 30g flour and cook for 1 min, stirring continuously. 3 Gradually pour in 100ml beer or stout, and then 100ml milk, stirring until it's all incorporated, then add cheese mixture and continue to stir until melted and smooth. Set aside. 4 Toast 4 slices French bread or sourdough on both sides, then spread thickly with cheese mixture and return to grill until bubbling and browned. Top each slice with half a spring onion to serve. Serves: 2 Cost per head: £1.03 LIFE! DEATH! PRIZES! For more foodie bargains, visit www.lifedeathprizes.com and click on ‘best buys’…

Details emerged of Whiting's past convictions It was Saturday, 1 July 2000. Sarah Payne, her two older brothers and younger sister were playing hide-and-seek in a cornfield in Kingston Gorse, West Sussex. But, after repeated searching and calling, no-one could find Sarah. The three siblings ran to their grandparents’ house near the field. Police were called and Sarah was reported missing. Searches by the emergency services found no trace of her, and an emotional TV appeal by her parents Sara and Michael yielded no information. Reported sightings, over 3,500 phone calls from the public – even an appeal by Sarah’s favourite pop band, Steps – failed to lead to her discovery. Then, 16 days later, Sarah’s body was found, naked and decomposing, by the side of the A29 near Pulborough,…

Wherever I went, the cameras followed! I got a lot of genuine offers from men wanting to go on dates! ‘I’m the Queen of Dreams,’ I explained to the documentary crew as they filmed me in my Zulu-warrior outfit. It was September last year and, after answering an online advert, I’d let a TV crew into my life for five days. Talented people living off state hand-outs were needed to star in a show called On Benefits: Got Talent. Thats me, I’d thought as soon as I’d seen the ad. I’d moved from Cape Town to the UK in 2004 to care for my mum and chase my dreams of being a mature model and poet. I’d changed my surname from Thompson to Africa, created a website, made a showreel,…

Having a little boy, I couldn’t face the shops ‘I’VE EARNED£1,300 CASHBACK – AND IT’SRISING!’ I can’t stop raving about the fantastic cashback I’ve pocketed by shopping through Quidco. From mobile phones to maternity wear, there are bargains to be had on so many items. As I’ve been on maternity leave, I’ve had lots of time to bargain-hunt. It’s certainly paid off! In fact, just by continuing to shop with Quidco, I’ve actually pocketed £1,300, and that figure is rising! One of my mum’s favourite sayings is ‘Every little counts’. With Quidco, a little can turn into a lot really fast. Want to know how? It’s easy! Last Christmas, I splashed out on clothes from Banana Republic for my mum and mother-in-law. Well, when I say ‘splashed out’, it’s really…

ZOOMED IN! We’ve got up-close and personal to a well-known DIY item. But what is it? If you can make out what it is, write your answer on the entry coupon. WHAT'S WRONG? Fans of The Breakfast Club will recognise a young Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Emilio Estevez… But something in this still from the movie doesn't belong. If you know what it is, write your answer on the entry coupon. WHAT'S ON TELLY? As you can see, our TV’s gone on the blink and we can’t make out what programme is being screened… If the show looks familiar to you, write your answer on the entry coupon. HOW MANY? Can you work out the number of lippies in the jar? If so, write your answer on the…

DOG GONE..! Plucky mutt Ludivine proved she’s as fit as a butcher’s dog by finishing seventh in an Alabama half-marathon. The turbo-charged hound had escaped from her garden before joining in to beat over 150 runners. Pawsome! DEAD LUCKY? When avid gambler Henry Martinez died at just 31, his family requested that he be sent off in style. So Puerto Rican undertakers embalmed him and propped him at a poker table (above left)! Talk about a poker face... FALSE ALARM Reports of a body floating off the Cornish coast at Newquay sparked a major search-and-rescue operation. Lifeboat crews spent 90 minutes scouring the water before retrieving…a soggy sex doll! While it was a relief that no-one was in trouble, the doll looked a little deflated by the whole experience… BUNCH…

What I loved A weekend trudge on a pebbly beach. Wind blowing, really chilly but, oh, the bliss of those cobwebs being blown away! I recommend it. What hacked me off March already! March! This year's flying past. How did that happen?? (On the upside, I've been forced, yes forced, to start sampling Easter eggs…) What made me laugh Telling a mate how happy I was finding my favourite fake tan on a three-for-two deal. Yup, I know I'm pathetic but, as she pointed out, at least I'm brown and pathetic… Hope this week leaves you all aglow!…

Once Maria was done with the wedding dress, I got to wear it on our honeymoon! The first dress I ever tried on? I was 6. Between Mum’s room and mine was a closet where we put everything we’d grown out of. One day, left to my own devices, I started rifling through my older sister’s rejects. Spotting a familiar dress I’d always liked, I pulled it out. Yellow, full-length with a white, lace trim, it was beautiful. Excitement bubbled as I slipped it on. Then, hand on hip, I strutted around like a lady. After, whenever I was alone, I’d try on her dresses. If I liked them, I hid them under my mattress. It felt so right, I wondered if I’d change into a girl when I hit…

There were a few seconds of silence... and then our baby started to cry! In March last year, my husband Amit, 39, and I found out we were expecting a second baby together. A sibling for our girl Radhika, 2, and a half-sibling for Amit’s daughter from a previous relationship. My pregnancy was going well, and we were busy getting everything for our littl’un’s arrival. On the evening of 12 December, Amit and I went to a family party and got home around midnight. I flopped into bed, exhausted, and fell asleep straightaway. But a couple of hours later, I woke up with stomach cramps. The week before, I’d had Braxton Hicks contractions, and these felt similar. They were coming and going, so I thought I’d be fine. But, at…

Walking from the kitchen to the living room, my hip broke As a kid, I always had to be extra-careful. Walking instead of running, no climbing trees, no cartwheels… My parents were terrified I’d fall and hurt myself. And for good reason… See, I was born with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) – a rare, genetic disorder causing brittle bones. It means they break easily. Even the slightest bump can lead to a painful fracture. It’s caused by a rare gene mutation, and there’s no cure. Growing up, broken bones and trips to the hospital were a regular occurrence for me. If I fell in the playground, it could break an arm or leg. ‘You’re forever in casts,’ my friends would say. As I got older, I learnt to be more careful.…

My baby was coming… he wasn't due for another two months It came as a huge blow… ‘I’m afraid there’s a high chance you’ll lose your baby,’ a doctor told me and my hubby Phillip, 45. I was 17 weeks pregnant with our sixth baby – a boy. Everything had been going smoothly, until I’d woken up in a pool of blood last April. Terrified, Phillip drove me to John Radcliffe Hospital. ‘I’ve lost the baby,’ I sobbed, convinced. But, after checking me over, doctors were stunned to find my littl’un was still alive. I had ruptured membranes, though – my waters had broken prematurely, and I was losing a lot of blood. ‘Your son only has a one per cent chance of survival,’ the doctor said. A 99 per…

I was out of it for a week – Mum was told to expect the worst Burning up, I struggled pulling pints behind the bar at work. With a pounding headache, aching bones, I was exhausted when I got home from my Saturday-night shift, in August 2011. ‘I’m coming down with flu,’ I told my mum Anne, 52. So, after popping my head in to check on my sleeping son Joshua, 4, I went to bed. Next morning, feeling rotten, I called in sick. On top of it all, I had my period. I always used super-strength tampons, due to a heavy flow. On my fourth day, it was easing, though. But I felt nauseous, couldn’t keep anything down. Zapped of energy, I’d never felt so bad. And by 2am…

I noticed I only needed one more number! 10 tickets turned into £1,000 win! We had a grand spa break… By Anita Leedale, 57, from Doncaster There’s nothing better than having time to yourself at the end of a jam-packed day. And, for me, one of the things I like to do is to play a few games on Chat Mag Bingo. I’ll usually buy some tickets, and enjoy a few games. And, best of all, join my bingo friends in the chat rooms for a good catch-up. I love a good natter. It probably comes from having four sisters! In fact, there are a lot of women in our family… I’ve two daughters, five close female cousins, my sisters and our lovely mum Patricia. Two of my sisters live…

My big toe was red and sore – the doc said it was gout! You know how sometimes people say they’ve struggled with their weight? Well, I’d say I just put up with mine. Growing up, I was always a little chubby and, in my teenage years, my weight crept up. By my early 20s, I’d moved out of home, was eating pizza and chips or ready meals most nights, and my body was suffering. ‘Time to do something,’ I finally decided when I’d reached 15st and a size-18. So I’d joined a local slimming club, followed the plan and, within two years, I’d shed 5st. ‘You look wonderful,’ my mum Liz said. My only problem was, I couldn’t maintain it. Each week, after my weigh-in, I’d nip to the…

Our brave boy passed away at home. Such grief... Cuddling my newborn Anthony, he flashed a gorgeous, gummy grin. ‘He has your eyes,’ my partner, Tony Rushe, 29, smiled. We were smitten. Anthony had been born weighing 7lb 8oz, all pink and perfect. Being a mum was a dream, even though Anthony cried a lot. But by 5 months, he couldn’t lift his head, was floppy, and still cried constantly. ‘Something’s wrong,’ I told our GP. And after a week of tests at the Royal Preston Hospital, the paediatric neurologist had bad news. Anthony, then 6 months, had Krabbe disease. A rare, fatal, degenerative disorder affecting the nervous system. ‘Life expectancy is 13 months,’ she said. We broke down, distraught. All we could do was fill the little time Anthony…

His temper worried me.He’d scream abuse and make threats Perched on my seat in the GP’s surgery, I struggled to find the words. ‘It’s my arm… Can you have a look?’ I fibbed. Then I just came out with it – the real reason I was there. ‘Actually, it’s Kelsey,’ I said, turning to my 14-year-old daughter. ‘I think she’s pregnant.’ Kelsey had just started seeing her first boyfriend Callum Wilcocks, then 15. I didn’t want to believe she’d been having sex, but I’d noticed she wasn’t using the sanitary towels I’d bought her. So I’d put two and two together. Kelsey wouldn’t admit it. Dragging her to the doctor’s with me under a false pretence was the only way I could think to get her to talk. Examining Kelsey,…

BANG! The whole house shook with the force of a deafening explosion Don’t make the same mistake as we did – we had to learn the hard way Looking chuffed with himself, my hubby Paul, 44, handed me his phone. ‘The kids are going to love ’em!’ he declared, showing me photos of some hoverboards he’d ordered online. The odd-looking contraptions had two wheels and no handle. They’d been made popular by the cult 80s movie Back To The Future Part II, and were the must-have gift last Christmas. ‘How do they work?’ I asked. ‘They’re like electric scooters you stand on them and they move along,’ Paul explained. He’d found them online. They’re not actually toys, and many adults use them, too. I’d never dare step foot on one,…

We're a pair of antiques. But why shouldn't we have love? He held up his index and middle fingers, looked at me and sighed. ‘My friend can’t use these,’ he said sadly. ‘Oh no, why not?’ I cried. ‘Because they’re mine!’ he replied. And with that, Bill Griffiths fell about laughing. It was probably the worst joke I’d ever heard. But I couldn’t help laughing, too. You’ve got to laugh. Or the bad times will get the better of you. It was 1997. Bill had just lost his wife Joan. Bad times don’t get much worse than that. And I should know, because I’d had my share. It’d been 15 years since I’d lost my husband, George, in 1982. He passed away at 65 from leukaemia. People say time heals.…

Tye had bleeds on his brain – doctors said he may never wake up The first day back to school was always hectic. But with six kids, I’d years of practice! Thankfully, Ewan, 16, and Ellie-May, 14, were old enough to sort themselves out, while I saw to Tye, 10, and Grace, 7. After dropping Grace off at her school bus stop at around 8.40am, I gave Tye a lift to Perthcelyn Community Primary. ‘Come on,’ I instructed, and Tye followed. My car was parked opposite, so we waited to cross. The traffic slowed and I stepped out, moments ahead of Tye. Then I heard the rev of a motorbike engine. ‘Stay there!’ I yelled to Tye. But he didn’t hear. In horror, I saw him step out and… CRASH!…

In February 2013, my girl Marnie, then 14, had a horrible, hacking cough. Nothing could’ve prepared me for the sight I was about to see We’re desperate for answers so Marnie can have her life back I wasn’t too worried at first, as she was usually pretty robust. Only, after a few days, it wasn’t getting any better. And that wasn’t all… ‘Mum! I’ve coughed up blood!’ Marnie screamed, showing me a tissue splattered with red marks. Me and her dad Lee, 44, took her straight to our family GP for an emergency appointment. ‘I’m going to refer her for a chest X-ray,’ he told us. But that came back clear. And Marnie continued to cough up blood. Then she started having really bad headaches. When they struck, she projectile-vomited…

Time lapse A friend arranged for a plumber to come early one morning to sort out his en-suite. Unfortunately he didn’t tell his wife and, on that morning, she was running late for work. The plumber was waiting to get into the bathroom when the door opened, and out she rushed, naked, shouting, ‘It’s all yours now, darling!’ I don’t know whose face was redder – the wife or the open-mouthed tradesman! Colin Fenn, north London Oh, sugar My local school has put up a display showing how much sugar is in drinks. I hope it’ll make mums think twice... Lee Hall, Sittingbourne Photo of the week I told my kids they can be anything when they grow up - they chose Batman and Batgirl! Sian Davies, via Facebook •…

Basque in this wonderful city! 1 Discover the culture Take a guided tour with Basque Cooltour to find out first-hand about local customs and traditions. Discover how the indigenous Idiazabal cheese is made, and explore the cider museum. Cheers! 2 Visit the San Sebastian Aquarium It's jaw-dropping! A stroll through the 360-degree tunnel suspended in the water will give you a taste of what it's like to be a small fish in a big ocean, as huge sharks and enormous manta rays swim around you. 3 Explore in style See the sights from an open-top tourist bus, the Igueldo Funicular railway or the fabulous Ciudad de San Sebastian catamaran. 4 Take in the history From reconstructions to historic photographs and engravings, the exhibition at Castillo de la Mota takes you…

She was a virgin – a priestess of the temple He wore a crown decorated with golden discs. And, in a whisper, he told her his name. ‘Seti I, Pharaoh of the New Kingdom, son of Ramesses and Sitre of the 19th Dynasty of Egypt…’ With a start, Dorothy awoke. Another night, another dream – of Egypt. Dorothy Eady was 15. She’d been dreaming of Egypt most of her life – since the accident… Born in London in 1904, Dorothy was the daughter of Irish immigrants. Her family didn’t have much. Then, aged 3, she tripped and fell downstairs. She lay unconscious, hardly breathing. Only, before the doctor arrived, the little girl was up and talking – as if nothing had happened. But she would never be the same again.…

• Quidco has a great price-comparison tool - Quidco Compare. It found me the cheapest car insurance this year. We saved £500 on our renewal price and got paid £35 cashback on top of that! • Join Quidco on Facebook for updates - and get tipped off about bargains and deals. I got paid £150 when I changed broadband supplier - which now only costs me £15 a month! • Put the Quidco app on your phone so you can use it when you're out and about. You can show staff money-off deals on your phone, and use the app to unlock additional cash amounts. These are available when purchasing with a debit or credit card registered on your Quidco account.…

Pisces 20 Feb - 20 March Fortune turns your way and, suddenly, you’ve lots of choices. Too many, probably, but you don’t care - you’re just overwhelmed by the potential of it all. You’ll need to choose eventually, but there’s no rush. • Call 0905 817 0701* for more Aries 21 March - 20 April The future you’re aiming for still seems a long way away and the past you left behind has a warm and welcoming glow. Should you go back? No. The past wasn’t as nice as you remember it, and the future is closer than it looks. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May If only the biggest and best will do, then you have to accept the risks and costs…

At first, they were all mates online THE CRIME In 2012, the bodies of a young couple were found in their home. Billie Hayworth and Billy Payne had been fatally shot, their young son still in his mother's arms. But who could be responsible..? THE STORY Billie Jean Hayworth was filling her car with petrol when two locals – Barbara Potter and her daughter Jenelle – began yelling at her. A friend had to calm the distressed Billie down after the Potters drove away. ‘This won’t stop,’ Billie, 23, told her friend. ‘They follow me everywhere – and now that I’m a mother, they say I’m unfit. They call me trash. They’re constantly threatening me.’ She’d even complained to the police about being harassed by Jenelle. There was an ongoing…