Table of contents for 08-Sep-2016 in Chat

In a daze,I came to the alley where Mum had been found... CALL THAT JUSTICE?! Innocent woman murdered in cold blood Brothers battered her beyond recognition Jailed for murder – but their release dates loom Growing up, my mum Shirley Oliver was always smiling. And singing! She loved belting out The Shoop Shoop Song by Cher. ‘Is it in his eyes?’ me and my younger siblings Melanie and Harry would join in. ‘Oh no! You’ll be deceived,’ Mum would croon, and we’d all laugh until our sides ached. We were so close, even as we got older. And, when my daughter Amy was born in July 2001, Mum was by my side. Only, on 4 February 2005, I was meeting Mum and Melanie, then 18, for a drink, and…

One more contraction and out she came – like lightning! Suddenly, I started having severe contractions. ‘I think it’s time!’ I yelled to my hubby Pete, 36. It was 1 July last year, and I was heavily pregnant – four days overdue. Finally, baby was on the way! Pete and I rushed me to Arrowe Park Hospital. My mum Lydia, 63, also met us there. I was all fired up, ready for labour to begin. Only… ‘You’re only 2cm dilated,’ a midwife said, examining me. And my waters hadn’t even broken. It’d be hours yet… Our first daughter Fionnula, 3, had been born after a long and difficult labour, so I expected to have the same experience this time. I’d planned on a water birth, but the pool couldn’t be…

Puffy feet Q Often I can't get my shoes on - but my doctor says puffy feet are just down to age. Dorothy, 80 A Swelling of one leg should be checked, but swelling on both sides could mean inefficient leg veins, heart failure, liver or kidney problems or fluid retention. After ruling out serious causes, your GP may suggest wearing elastic stockings, exercising and keeping your feet raised. Annoying bleed QI took the mini-Pill for nine years and never had a period. I restarted it after pregnancy and now bleed almost constantly. Rebecca, 33 A The mini-Pill often causes irregular bleeding for a few months. If this doesn't settle, it could be that pregnancy has changed the way you respond and you might need a change. Implants or injections…

Serves: 4 Prep: 15 min Cook: 1 hour 175g golden caster sugar 175g Stork With Butter 3 large eggs Few drops of vanilla extract Zest from 1 lemon 200g self-raising flour 50g ground almonds For the trifle: 500g quark Jar of lemon curd 200g blueberries 25g almond slivers, Extra lemon zest 1 Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas 4, and grease and line base of a 900g-loaf tin. 2 Beat sugar and Stork together, then beat in eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest, flour and almonds. 3 Tip batter into tin, level top and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in it comes out clean. Remove cake, cool on a wire rack. 4 For the trifle: Beat quark with 6tsp lemon curd. Cut four slices of…

1 Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4. 2 Peel and slice 500g Desiree potatoes, and then cook in a pan of salted, boiling water for 5 min. Drain and set aside. 3 Heat 2tbsp olive oil in an ovenproof frying pan and cook a thinly sliced onion until soft - about 5 min. Add potatoes, ½tsp sweet paprika and 2 crushed cloves of garlic and continue cooking for 3-4 min. 4 Whisk 6 eggs with 2tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley and pour into pan. Leave on heat for 2 min and then pop into oven until cooked and set - check after 5 min. Serves: 4 Cost per head: 48p LIFE! SEATH! PRIZES! For more foodie bargains, visit and click on ‘best buys’…

This dazzling bracelet has individual beads which reflect and shimmer in the the light for a really eye-catching look. The bracelet is yours free when you complete the coupon and send with a 75p stamped, self-addressed envelope to the address below. The bracelet is part of a collection of matching, silver-plated jewellery. There’s a 16in necklace for £5, a 20in necklace for £6 and two pairs of earrings – blue drops and silver-plated knot studs – at just £5 for both pairs. The full set of matching jewellery costs just £16 and, if you order it all, we’ll send you a mystery jewellery gift – absolutely free! HOW TO CLAIM YOUR FREE BRACELET Complete the coupon and send together with a 75p stamped, self-addressed envelope and any payment, to: LMS…

He was slumped, his head lolling on his shoulder My son Killian, 4, was a ball of energy. ‘Happy birthday to me!’ he sang. It was May this year, and we’d spent the day celebrating his birthday at my grandad's house in Idaho. Killian had opened presents, feasted on a dinosaur birthday cake – and now it was time for the eight-hour drive home to Nevada. I put Killian in the car, fastened his seatbelt. I’d made the journey countless times, but as I drove along the motorway, the heavens opened. Hail rained down as loud as gunfire. I slowed down, but suddenly lost control of the car. We began to skid. Panic sliced through me. Frantically, I spun the steering wheel, but it was useless. We sped across the…

After six years of heartache, I gave birth to Ella Dressed in bike leathers, my hubby Paul, 43, chased our giggling little girl Ella, 4. ‘I’ll get you,’ he laughed. It was 3 July last year, and Paul was due on night duty as a traffic police officer. Only, as he said goodbye, Ella dodged his kisses. Scooping her up, Paul planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek. ‘Gotcha!’ he said. Ella was our miracle daughter. When Paul and I met back in 1995, I was 18 and he was 22 – he’d just left the Army, I’d just finished school. A year on, we got engaged and spent the next 10 years travelling the world. Holidaying in America, Mexico Europe and Asia. Life was an adventure for Paul We…

I wasn't interested in slimming. I was born to break the mould! Growing up, it was clear that I was never going to be skinny. All the women in my family were plus-sized and, by the age of 5, I already wore clothes for an 8-year-old. I was obsessed with savoury foods and southern-fried, high-cal cooking. By 15, I weighed 26st and suffered with sleep apnoea. It meant I’d stop breathing momentarily in my sleep. My worried teachers spoke to my parents, who sent me to fat camp. There, I was given small portions of healthy food and forced to exercise, but I hated every second. Back home, I regained every pound that I’d lost at camp – and then some. It was the same no matter what diet I…

I watched as the liquid shot from the needle like a volcano It was July last year and my son Harrison, 7, was complaining of headaches plus he’d started throwing up on a weekly basis, too. He’d always had travel sickness, so me and my husband Matthew, 42, thought it might be that. Then I noticed Harrison would squint while watching the telly. ‘I’m taking him for an eye test,’ I told Matthew. At Specsavers, an optometrist noticed something unusual and believed he was haemorrhaging at the back of his eyes. ‘Take him to hospital,’ she said. I drove Harrison to Burton’s Queen’s Hospital, where he was seen straightaway by a specialist and sent for a CT scan. Nothing showed up so he was sent for an MRI scan. Then……

I'd signed up to be a donor when I was in my 20s… It could’ve been the Queen on the other end of the phone and I’d have been less surprised. ‘It’s about the bone-marrow donor register you’re on...’ a man’s voice said. I’d totally forgotten I was on it! Well, it’d been 30 years. I’d signed up to the Anthony Nolan Register in my 20s when I was dating my now hubby Rob. Tragically, Rob had lost his mum May to leukaemia when he was only 12 years old. Healthy bone marrow can save the lives of leukaemia patients, so we’d both registered in the hope of helping other people like May. Over the years, Rob and I got married and had Peter, now 23, and Rachel, 19. No-one…

He led a secret life, sneaking out to see prostitutes The defence said he'd been traumatised by his childhood... Everyone said that Samuel Smithers was a really nice guy – a family man who was custodian at the First Baptist Church in Plant City, Florida. Everyone except the young women who were forced to spend time alone with him… He embarrassed and frightened them by making explicit comments and suggesting they have sex. Some reported his conduct and, by 1994, the church asked him to have psychological counselling. He refused, and they asked him to resign, which he duly did. Sam Smithers had received counselling before, in 1986 when he lived in Tennessee. Working as a church deacon, he’d started several fires and attempted to help put them out –…

Life hadn’t always been easy – I was born with cerebral palsy Brendan broke into a grin, said he’d treasure it forever! Agnes Brown raced across the set in her wig and cardigan, spouting a foul-mouthed tirade of abuse. Glued to the TV screen, I laughed until my sides hurt. I’d been a huge fan of Irish sitcom Mrs Brown’s Boys ever since the first episode aired in 2011. For me, the comedy was a light-hearted escape. Life hadn’t always been easy, after all. I was starved of oxygen at birth, which left me with cerebral palsy – a condition that affects muscle control and movement. As a result, I grew up struggling to walk and talk, and needed an electric wheelchair to get around. I hated not being able…

1 Distil your own gin! Take the tour at Black Friar's Gin Distillery, the oldest in England. You'll get to create and distil your very own gin recipe - and take away a 200ml bottle of it! 2 Visit the National Marine Aquarium Home to 70 sharks - and lots more besides - you can't miss the UK's largest aquarium down on the waterfront. Fun and educational, don't miss the daily dive show! 3 Make the most of the moor With over 45 miles of paths, Dartmoor National Park is undeniably stunning, and a great place to get out and about. Take a stroll, hire a bike, go horse riding, or climbing, or even have a go at letterboxing, a mixture of orienteering and puzzle-solving! 4 Delve into history First…

We have each pooch from 7 weeks until they're 12-14 months old I’ve always been an animal lover. And when my children Blair and Victoria were small, I wanted them to know how to respect and treat a dog. But after I brought up the idea, my husband Derek wasn’t sure. ‘It’s at least a 10- or 12-year commitment,’ he insisted. He also remembered the pain of a dog dying – or worse, needing to be put to sleep. Luckily, something I’d read recently helped us reach a compromise. ‘What about Guide Dog training?’ I asked one day. Guide Dogs UK was looking for volunteers to raise puppies for a year or so before being assessed, ready to go in for the intensive training needed to become a working Guide…

Virgo 24 Aug - 23 Sep Sometimes you’re just in the right place at the right time, and the forces of Fate sweep you forwards without you really knowing what’s going on or why. But go along with it anyway - it’s all going to be good. Call 0905 817 0695* for more Libra 24 Sep - 23 Oct A long-running issue with neighbours or workmates can be resolved now - but don’t give in too easily, make sacrifices or agree to harsh terms just for a quick settlement. You need to get something out of it, too. Call 0905 817 0696* for more Scorpio 24 Oct - 22 Nov As one planetary cycle ends, another begins - but not yet. There are still a few weeks to go. You…

NOT GUILTY! James Arthur Ray was acquitted of manslaughter. But the jury found him guilty of negligent homicide. In other words, he hadn’t been sufficiently aware of the risks faced by his clients that he’d endangered them. But he’d failed to do proper research, and to provide adequate care. James was sentenced to two years in prison. In July 2013, he was released after serving 85 per cent of his sentence. He was not barred from conducting further self-help seminars.…

Business was booming. I considered myself a work of art My fella introduced me to the world of SSBBW – Super-Size Big Beautiful Women, on the Internet. They were all larger than life, but proudly flaunted their rolls and ripples of flab in sexy lingerie. Men absolutely worshipped them. It was a complete eye-opener. After years of feeling as if I didn’t fit in, here were people who celebrated curves. Finally, I belonged! As well as my man cooking huge meals, we ordered three or four different takeaways a night. He’d watch me with pleasure as I scoffed everything down. I gained and gained, and our sex life was amazing. Despite my size, I was flexible and fabulous in the bedroom. I could even do the splits! Sadly, though, after…

Dirty Works Stop Puffy Eyes Eye Cream, £5, Sainsbury's Contains caffeine to improve circulation - just like a morning coffee for your eyes! Top tip: Keep in the fridge overnight for a cooling treat. Formula Perfect Radiance Vitamin C Illuminating Eye Cream, £9.50, Marks & Spencer This gives a moisture boost to help banish dark circles. Top tip: Tap on to aid circulation. Avon Nutra Effects Brightening Eye Roller, £10, www.avon.uk.com The metal roller soothes tired eyes and the subtle hint of pink helps brighten them. Top tip: Remember to be gentle when applying - the skin under your eyes is really delicate. Fade Out Brightening Eye Defence Cream, £8.99, Boots Contains SPF25 to help protect skin from premature aging. Top tip: Don't apply too much, or…

Doctors thought he'd had a stroke. But they were wrong… James Sutliff is my hero. Not just because he’s 6ft of pure muscle, but because he’s a good bloke. And he’s a fighter. We’d met on a night out in November 2007. James, 32, worked as a plumber, played rugby for South Leicester RFC and hit the gym whenever he could. But we’d been dating just six months when James’ mate rang me one morning. ‘He’s been taken to hospital,’ she said. ‘They think he might’ve had a stroke.’ The doctors were wrong, James hadn’t had a stroke. But I could see why they’d thought it. His speech was worryingly slurred, and he could only get his words out slowly. ‘What happened?’ I asked him, terrified. ‘Woke up like this,’…

I had to be scanned every six weeks, and Ross was so protective This July, we threw a huge party – Braydon was in his element! Sitting in Inverclyde Royal Hospital, my boyfriend Ross and I stared at the screen. It was March last year and I was 20 weeks pregnant. It’d been a little fraught with bleeds and nausea, so we’d paid for a private scan four weeks before. We’d discovered we were having a little boy. We’d expected this next scan to be plain sailing… Only, the sonographer had said she needed to get a doctor. ‘There’s a problem with the baby’s heart,’ the doctor told us. Me and Ross, 23, both burst into tears. Doctors suspected our boy had a hole in the heart but referred us…

HOLY POST! In India, people can now order holy water from the River Ganges, online, for home delivery by post. The unfiltered water comes from one of the world's most unsanitary rivers. On the plus side, it's just 17p for 200ml… SUPER TROUPER Californian Betty Soskin, 94, is the world's oldest Park Ranger. She's also proved herself to be a real-life Power Ranger! In June, she was mugged for her mobile, laptop and jewellery. But tough Betty returned to work a fortnight later, while her cowardly attacker remains at large. TIME TO EXORCISE… Footage of a young Filipino girl ‘possessed' by a demon has emerged. Some believe that the seven-minute video shows the girl being exorcised of a duwende . This is a goblin-like, mythical creature…