Table of contents for 08-Jun-2017 in Pick Me Up!

What A Week! Hilary Browning, senior sub Editor What A Treat! To celebrate my birthday, my hubby Keith and our uni-student daughter Tash took me for a lovely tapas meal, then to see the fab West End show An American in Paris. Catch it if you can! 11 Million To One …those are the odds of dying in a plane crash! Read more about ‘aviophobia’. Go to www.lifedeathprizes.com/scaredof-flying What A Gift! I was spoilt again on Mothers’ Day with champagne, throwback Rive Gauche perfume and these fab hyacinths (but I’m worth it!). What A Dude! Here’s our ginger lad Henry rocking the boy-band look. Personally, I think a snap back would be more his style, but then whadda I know about feline fashion..? £25!win Puzzle 1 Ed’s Test Can you unscramble…

Hayley Dix, 30, High Wycombe, Bucks Standing in the corner of the playground, I tried not to cry. But it got harder and harder as the bullies bombarded me with insults. You look like a tractor ran over your face,’ one boy said. That stung even more than the rubbers and pencils I regularly had thrown at me in the classroom by a gang of sniggering girls. It was too difficult to explain to them that I had Gorham’s disease, which was causing the bones in my face to vanish. So, instead, I stayed quiet. The debilitating disease was picked up after a routine trip to the dentist when I was 6. It was discovered that all the teeth in one side of my mouth were loose. I knew it…

Buying Carpet 1 Heavy Traffic? If the carpet’s in a much-walked-on area, make sure the pile can withstand the traffic. You need a dense, tight, low-pile tuft in busy areas, while a soft pile is ideal in bedrooms that only cope with slippers and bare feet. 2 How Much? Measure up before you shop, so you know how much you’ll need. 3 Add-Ons… Add the cost of underlay. The higher its tog rating, the better the insulation. 4 Cost-Cutting Carpet needs to be fitted professionally, but, to save money, take up and dispose of all old flooring, gripper and nails yourself. 5 Shop Around Independent stores often offer good deals and service because they rely on local trade and want to hold onto their good name.…

Dr arabella onslow has been a GP for 11 years and was rosemary Conley’s Health Professional slimmer of the Year in 2012 after losing 10st. Web worries Q if i look online about symptoms to see if there’s anything should be worried about, the results freak me out. How can i use the internet better for my health? Jen, Swanage A Asking the Internet open-ended questions such as ‘What could X symptom be?’ will always generate a worrying response. Change your searches to more specific questions such as, ‘What treatment options are available for Y condition?’. Teeth grinding Q i get slight pain in my jaw, and my GP told me i must be grinding my teeth. i’m now worried i’ll wear my teeth out. should i get one of those night…

THE FOUR HE KILLED… It was a typical Friday night in Isla Vista, USA. The little town was rife with students from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Youngsters were out, having a good time. But at around 11pm on 23 February 2001, the bustling Sabado Tarde Road descended into carnage. A black Saab car sped along the street at 60mph, ploughing into pedestrians. Bodies went flying. One man was knocked out of his shoes and socks. When the car finally came to a standstill, it was a mangled, crumpled mess. In its wake it’d left twisted metal, blood and bodies… Five innocent people had been hit. Nicholas Shaw Bourdakis, Christopher Divis, Ruth Levy, all 20, and 27-year-old Ellie Israel were all killed. David had been troubled from a young…

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VALUE 1 Sainsbury’s Ratatouille Provencale, 390g This is rather on the sloppy side with it’s plentiful tomato sauce, so we’d serve this tasty veg stew with a jacket potato for a filling supper. 2 La Dorja Ratatouille, 390g, Waitrose A lovely, colourful mix of veg with a strong tomato flavour, try mixing it with pasta for a tasty dish – served hot or cold. 3 D’Aucy Ratatouille, 360g, Morrisons Looks homemade, and tastes it, too. Packed with chunks of perfectly cooked aubergine, courgette, tomato and peppers, and not too much sauce, it’s a winner. TOP TIP Fry a pack of lamb mince with a small, chopped red onion and a little finely chopped chilli. Stir through ratatouille and serve with cooked rice for a speedy chilli con carne supper. PLUS…

We put some truly original products to the testÉ Giant Inflatable Pineapple Cooler, £29.99, www.prezzybox.com Keep your drinks cool in the pool this summer with this amazing pineapple cup holder! It can hold up to five drinks, plus lots of extra ice, and still stay afloat! Verdict: BoNkErS! No-one needs one...but we still want one! Verdict: GENIUS! Imagine how much time you’ll save! Tile Mate, £22.95, John Lewis Attach this nifty tracker to a purse or set of keys and monitor their location via your phone to make sure you never lose them again. It works in reverse, too, so you can ‘ping’ your phone from it if it’s lost! Sitpack, £45.94, www.sitpack.com Have a rest anywhere, anytime, thanks to this clever portable seat! Folded up, it’s the size of…

SWOON! These British places sound like hunky Mills & Boon heroes • Barton st David • Clayton-le-Moors • Kingston Lacy • Bartley Green • Milford Haven • steeple Claydon • newton-le-willows The Trouble With SPECS If you’ve worn glasses for most of your life, you’ll know they can cause a few problems! • not being able to find your glasses, then hearing a sickening crunch as you step on them. • You can’t count the number of times someone has asked to try on your glasses, then said, ‘woah, your eyes must be really bad!’ • Embarrassing photos of you grinning beneath your Deirdre Barlow specs as a kid will occasionally pop up on Facebook, much to everyone’s delight. • Holidays are always tricky, especially if you don’t have prescription…

Double up for 1p This T&M exclusive, attractive to bees and butterflies is supplied as 3 plants in 1 single container; each will grow and produce a compact bush with fragrant, Indigo, Ivory and Candy Pink flower spikes! ‘Buzz® 3-in-1’ is easy to grow and problem-free, with a super long-flowering period from June to October. Perfect for patio pots and smaller gardens. Height and spread: 120cm (47in). Supplied as a 9cm Potted Plant. Buy 1 for £14.99 Double up for 1p & buy 2 for £15 HOW TO ORDER Call: 0844 573 1686 Quote PMU175Z Lines open 9am-8pm (Weekdays) & 9am-6pm (Weekends) Online Visit: www.thompson-morgan.com/PMU175Z By Post: Please fill in Coupon below Offer available to readers on the UK mainland only. All orders will be acknowledged by letter or email…

Issue 23, 8 June 2017 Closing date for all entries: 14 June 2017 (three working days later for postal entries) Puzzle 1 Ed’s Test p3 Final answer Puzzle 2 Follow It! p8 Final answer Puzzle 3 Bitesize! p25 Final answer Puzzle 4 Crack It! p31 Final answer Puzzle 5 Cross It! p34 Final answer Puzzle 6 Sudoku! p34 Final answer Puzzle 7 Strike It! p50 Final answer Puzzle 8 Number Fit! p50 Final answer PRIZE PUZZLE ANSWERS Issue 21, 25 May 2017 Crack It! Twister Ed’s Test Camper van Bitesize! Fear Sudoku! 1,4,4 Strike It! Veritable Number Fit! 165…

Fiona Bathgate, 28, Glasgow Undressing, I called to my partner Shawn, 28. ‘Just nipping in the shower!’ I shouted. Only, as I washed, I felt an odd lump. Down there. It was peashaped, squishy. Telling myself it was nothing, I tried to forget about it. I was planning my wedding – I didn’t have time to worry! But whenever I showered, I felt it. And it was getting harder. It wasn’t affecting my sex life, and I didn’t tell Shawn, as I thought it was nothing. And I was too embarrassed to go to the doctors. I couldn’t bear the thought of them searching down there! Only, after six months, enough was enough. Finally, I went to my GP, who referred me to the sexual health clinic. I was desperate…

Michelle Turner, 35, Bromsgrove Brushing my son Ethan’s teeth before bed, I froze. What’s that in your eye?’ I frowned, seeing a strange, white glow. Ethan, then 23 months, was oblivious. I wondered if it was just a reflection of the light, but as I moved, I could still see the glow in his right eye. My partner Dean, 38, agreed it didn’t look right. We Googled it, and what we read made us sick with fear. ‘It could be a tumour in his eye,’ I gulped, terrified. ‘I’m sure it’s nothing,’ Dean reassured me. The next morning, in September last year, I took Ethan to an optician, who referred him straight to Kidderminster Hospital. There they examined his eyes before sending him to Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Again, Ethan had…

Over a decade on from Attias’ attack, tragedy hit the community of Isla Vista again. In May 2014, Elliot Rodger, 22, murdered six then turned a gun on himself. It started with his two roommates and their friend, who he stabbed to death. He then sped off in his BMW and shot dead three and injured 13 more before killing himself. Like Attias, Rodger was the son of a director, who worked on the blockbuster The Hunger Games. Seems both Attias and Rodger struggled with dating – it was found Rodger had uploaded disturbing YouTube videos venting about being ignored by women.…

Napoleon Bonaparte’s wife’s birth name was Rose. He didn’t like it, so called her Josephine. Know Your Numbers… Thought 3 was the magic number, that 13 is unlucky for some? Well, wait till you discover the enigma of 23! In humans, each cell normally contains 23 pairs of chromosomes. Only the 23rd pair, sex chromosome, differs between men and women. Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by numerous enemies. His stab wounds were said to number 23. Psalm 23 (The Lord is my shepherd…) is the most quoted Psalm. The first Morse code message was ‘What has God wrought?’, from the Bible, Numbers 23:23. One conspiracy theory about 9/11 is that the numbers involved in the date (9+11+2+0+0+1) add up to 23. How much Do You Know About PRIMES SPEPECT? 1…

Louise Bell, 34, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset As I accidentally caught my reflection in the fulllength mirror, I winced. I was wearing baggy jeans and a size-24 T-shirt, but rolls of fat were still bulging out. I’d always been on the large side, but over the years my eating had got out of control. Thing is, I had no motivation to do anything about it. I had a loving, long-term relationship with Paul, 44, who loved me as I was. I loved sitting on the sofa with him, tucking into huge portions of pasta smothered in cheese, or a big, creamy curry with naans and onion bhajis. In between meals, I’d eat bread and butter and chocolate. At weekends, I’d polish off two bottles of wine on a night out. Sometimes followed…

Want the perfect... SOOTHER FOR SORE EYES? Try one of these… Cool: Calcot Manor Country Spa Retreat Soothing Eye Mask If you prefer cold to hot when it comes to soothing your eyes, try this. Simply pop in the fridge for 30 min before placing over your eyes to leave them feeling refreshed. Jess’ Beauty Hero Elegant Touch Porcelain Nude False Nails, £7.50, from Asda, are the perfect pale pink for an everyday look, and I love the squared-off shape. ASK JESS Q Help! My hair gets greasy really quickly but, because it’s brown, dry shampoo makes me look like I have grey roots! Sophie Butler, 27, Croydon a I use Schwarzkopf got2b Fresh It Up Dry Shampoo in Brown, £2, Primark, as the brown shade is perfect for my dark…

AUSTRALIA: UNCRACKABLE SECRET CODES It was 1 December 1948. A man’s body had been found slumped against a sea wall on Somerton Beach, Adelaide. He was smartly dressed, wearing a suit. A postmortem found he’d died of unnatural causes, probably poison. He had no ID – just an unused train ticket, a comb, cigarettes, chewing gum… and a scrap of paper hidden in a secret trouser pocket, printed with the phrase tamam shud. In Persian, this means ‘finished’. The scrap had been torn from a book of Persian poetry – The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. The mystery deepened when a doctor found the torn book thrown through his car window. When the back page was treated with iodine, five lines of code appeared. With the Cold War just beginning, rumours…

Helen Mountford, 19, Leighton Buzzard Strapping up in the plane’s passenger seat, I fastened my helmet. ‘Ready to fly, love?’ my dad Graham, 53, said. ‘OK, girl?’ I called to Callie, now 6, in the back. ‘Don’t forget your goggles!’ Callie wasn’t any ordinary plane passenger… She was my chocolate labrador! My dad learned to fly in 2002, as he was sick of driving 11 hours for our holidays in Scotland, when it takes just two in a plane. We love the beaches there, and Callie became part of our family, so we couldn’t leave her behind. Callie was 3 months old when, in 2011, we took her in our plane for the first time. At first she was nervous, but we trained her to get used to the sounds…

ARIES 21 March–20 April i can see you’re having a really tough time at the moment trying to get your motivation back for a project you once had high hopes for. Try to take a step back this week and work out a more do-able and manageable game plan. Success is yours if you do. Call: 09058 170 710* CANCER 22 June–23 July You’re about to enter a period of real creativity. No longer do you have to worry about your work not being good enough, as it’s actually too good for some of you with the level you’re aiming. Dream big. This is the year you can make the impossible possible. Call: 09058 170 713* LIBRA 24 Sept–23 Oct The stars are lining up to bring better understanding about…

PICK ME UP! BIG STORY •Grieving teen preyed on by so-called mate •Disgusted, confused, betrayed •He lied and lied to save his skin Angel Rogerson, 21, Newton Aycliffe, County Durham Let’s go out,’ my mate Carly suggested. ‘ It was the start of the Easter weekend, April 2015, and I was feeling down. Just two days earlier, I’d buried my beloved nan Elizabeth, who’d died from cancer. Needing cheering up, Carly and I headed to our local, the DL5 Sports & Lounge Bar, where we bumped into friendly faces from our neighbourhood. We sat with the Hodgson family, including two sisters, their brother Dougie, then 28, and their mum. I’d visited their house before, hung out with them. We all chatted until 11pm, when the barman called time. ‘Come back…

SAVING OF THE WEEK Ready To Dine… All products in Kirsty’s healthy ready-meal range at Waitrose are just £2.25 (normally £3) until 13 June. All the meals are very low in calories and free from gluten, wheat and dairy. OUR TOP TIP family Day Out At the new Jurassic Ranger Exhibit at Sea Life Manchester at intu Trafford Centre, Kids go free with a paying adult in 2017, if you take this page. For full T&Cs, see www.visitsealife.com/ manchester/termsand- conditions. OFFER OF THE WEEK Turn Back The Clock Save 50% on Regime products with exclusive code PICKMEUP50 at www.forzasupplements. co.uk before 30 June. They provide long-lasting antiageing affects by working from the inside out. feeling saucy The Saucy Fish Co’s new frozen salmon with a chilli, lime & ginger dressing…

Scared I Won’t WAKE UP Jade doesn’t want to live her life in fear Jade Cooper, 25, Chipping Norton Everything started when I was 4, and suffered a brain haemorrhage. It was caused by a cavernous angioma – an abnormally large blood vessel in the brain. Thankfully, I was OK, but it’d left scarring on my brain. I began having seizures. And, after many tests, aged 11 I was diagnosed with epilepsy. Over the years, I tried various antiepilepsy drugs, but my seizures were hard to control. I had regular absence seizures, which made my mind go blank for a few minutes. It was the bigger seizures that scared me, though. Now and then, I’d fall unconscious, and my muscles would violently spasm. It mainly happened during my sleep. I’d…

1,468 ...that’s how many people died from asthma attacks in the UK in 2015. Q I occasionally notice tiny amounts of blood in my semen. feel well otherwise, but should i have a checkup with my GP? Gary, Ayr a Blood in semen is not uncommon, and is usually benign, especially if you’re under 40 and it’s intermittent. If you’re older, there are other symptoms or if it’s persistent, it does need checking. Mum Knows Best No More Fighting To stop my children, who are 10 and 12, from constantly bickering, i say to them, ‘the next person to open their mouth will have a job to do’. even if it’s just sweeping the floor, it stops the fighting. Plus it helps with the chores, which is always a bonus! Sharon Taylor, Runcorn…

Sandy Gilbert, 53, Isle of Wight Good for them, I’d think when I’d read stories in my fave magazine about folk who’d won big on bingo. I’d been a member of Pick Me Up! Bingo since last January. I’d had a few small wins but I just played for fun. The site was simple to use and the choice of games was great. My favourites were Tiki and Sapphire, 90-ball bingo games. While I watched the telly, I’d sometimes play bingo, and it was no different last November. Earlier that week, I’d won tickets in Sapphire for the Playoff Palace weekly game, so I played those games first. The first and second games played out, then it was time for the third and, suddenly, I only needed number 59… And a…

Treat of the Week 38p per serving Zesty Lemon & Apricot Minis Serves: 10 Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 20 min ■ 225g unsalted butter, softened ■ 225g golden caster sugar ■ 275g self-raising flour ■ 2tsp baking powder ■ 4 medium eggs ■ 4tbsp milk ■ Fine zest and juice of 2 lemons ■ Sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped ■ 5tbsp apricot conserve ■ 150g granulated sugar ■ 1tbsp sugar nibs, optional 1 Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4, and put 10 individual loaf cases onto a baking tray. 2 Put butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs and milk into a large bowl and whisk for 3-4 min until light and fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and fresh thyme. 3 Divide half mixture between loaf cases, then drizzle a generous…

Elisabeth Devey, 35, Blackburn, Lancs I really love being pregnant. The feeling of carrying a mini-me inside my tummy and seeing the bump grow into a human is extraordinary. But I didn’t want more babies myself. Me and my hubby Gareth, 30, already have two fantastic kids, Anderson, 6, and Grayson, 4. But something was niggling... Being a mum feels amazing, why shouldn’t everyone get a chance to be one?’ I said to Gareth one day. ‘I want to be a surrogate,’ I announced. Gareth’s jaw dropped. But he could see I was serious, and supported me 100 per cent. So, in 2014, I joined COTS, a surrogacy agency. And, soon after, I was matched with a couple who couldn’t conceive naturally. After all the formalities and tests, it was…

Get Moving! Join gung-Ho! For children in need pledge sponsorship and buy a ticket for a 5k fun run like no other. each course is totally unique and includes 10 giant inflatable obstacles. There are 10 events being held across the country. To find out times and locations, go to begung-ho.co.uk/ Take 3... Breakfast Cereals Flattering Fashion Show off a sexy shoulder and keep cool in this summer’s must-have gingham check. Great with white or denim jeans. Food Swaps Save 10 cal Try this…. Asda extra special light & lean pork sausages, pack of 6, £2.25 Made with British pork, lightly seasoned with black pepper and just 71 cal each, enjoy bangers whenever you like! Spicy chicken cauli rice, £1.99, Tesco, asda, morrisons This ‘riced’ cauliflower stays fresh in the pouch…

UK: GIRL BEHIND THE MASK disappeared from a children’s home. Using DNA samples from Karen’s parents, the ID was confirmed. With this vital missing piece, police cracked the case. At the time Karen vanished, Alan Charlton had been living in the basement flat of the address where her body was found. In 1991, Charlton and another man, Idris Ali, accused of being Karen’s pimp, were convicted of murder. The trial heard that Charlton killed Karen when she refused to perform sex acts, while Ali helped bury her body. Ali successfully appealed, admitted manslaughter at his retrial and was freed. Charlton has made several appeals. All have been dismissed, and he remains in prison to this day. USA: MORE THAN A NUMBER On 25 November 1987, in Marana, Arizona, the decomposing…

Imogen Scott, 21, Slough Some kids ask for cars, dolls or sweets for a present. My boy asked for a full Coldstream Guards outfit – complete with bearskin hat! Marshall, 3, was so over the moon with it, he changed into it straightaway, looking so cute in his scarlet-and-gold breeches. Marshall plays drums, too, so he started marching around, beating in time with his feet. ‘I want to be a soldier when I grow up, Mummy!’ he squealed. For his 4th birthday, I told Marshall we were going to visit Windsor Castle, and he was desperate to see real soldiers! So, on 4 January last year, Marshall put on his guard's costume. Marching towards the castle, he kept in character the whole time. I was so proud! Posing stonyfaced for pictures,…