Table of contents for 23-Sep-2021 in Chat

Watching Paul Little lay down a disabled ramp for me outside his tattoo shop, I felt a tingle of excitement. ‘Nice to see you, Alison,’ he smiled. He’s always so friendly, I thought. ‘You, too, Paul’ I replied, wheeling myself inside. It was October 2019, and I’d been a wheelchair user all my life after being born with spina bifida – a birth defect that meant my spinal column didn’t develop properly. But I never let my disability get the best of me. I was very strong-minded. As a local, I often wheeled past Paul’s tattoo parlour. ‘Hi, love,’ he’d say, making small talk. Chatty and friendly, Paul had tattooed a pink and blue heart on the top of my right arm in June. He’d put me at ease at…

Christy says, ‘I’d previously offered to be a surrogate for a family member, but she fell pregnant through IVF. Seeing Katy’s post, I again had an urge to help. I had a vision of Katy and Joshua holding their dark-haired baby and clung to that when I was too sick to take care of my own children, when I had to give myself injections every morning. All the sacrifices I knew would be worth it. And seeing baby Lillian, I’m proud, humbled and honoured. This amazing experience will forever bond us. She truly is a sister to me and to gain that from all of this is a bonus.’…

Indre Lisauskaite, 39, London Rubbing my protruding belly, I grimaced at my reflection. ‘I look pregnant!’ I cried to my partner, then 36. It was July 2020 and, after the coronavirus lockdown, I’d assumed my growing tum and swollen legs were a sign of inactivity and weight gain. But now, looking six months gone, I knew it was more than a bit of bulge. I’d first had health problems back in 2005, after moving from Lithuania to the UK. I was constantly tired, with no appetite. And my eyes and skin developed a yellow tinge. ‘I look like Marge Simpson!’ I’d joked. Convinced I had a mild infection, I didn’t worry. But when my boss at the coffee shop where I worked expressed concern, I headed off to A&E. ‘Are…

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 Richard Emerson, Grimsby, NE Lincs ACROSS 1 Elevated 2 Lazy 3 Close by 4 Rail around wall of a room DOWN 1 Rear 2 Thought 3 Pleased 4 Person admired for courage WIN 5 x £25 Puzzle 6 Your answer HALF & HALF Hyetometer and ombrometer are terms for instruments that measure what? 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 What name is given to the style of…

Every October, sausage lovers consume 30,000 bangers at the annual Lincolnshire Sausage Festival at medieval Lincoln Castle. There’s a competition to see who can make the best sausage. The pork should be coarsely ground to make a chunky sausage spiced with sage. Stamford was used for the filming of 2005 period drama Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen. Funny woman Jennifer Saunders, 63, hails from Sleaford, while actor Sheridan Smith, 40, was born in Epworth.…

Vanessa Davis, 27, Batley Fighting back the tears, I clung to my mum. ‘Why won’t they leave me alone?’ I cried. Already 6ft aged 12, I towered over my classmates, and they’d bully me incessantly with remarks about my height, and kept calling me ‘specky four eyes’ because of my glasses. ‘Ignore them, love,’ my mum Andrea, then 40, said. But it was hard. At 4 years old, I’d been diagnosed with Marfan syndrome – a connectivetissue disorder – and my health problems ran much deeper than just being taller than the rest of my class. As a baby, I’d often have seizures, collapse. Nobody could tell Mum what was wrong with me. I’d spontaneously go limp, my lips turning blue. Mum would resuscitate me, rush me to hospital, but…

Just thinking about quitting left me feeling quite overwhelmed. The McDonald’s drive-through was such a big part of my life. I realised in horror I’d probably spent more than £20,000 just on McNuggets. I couldn’t even cry, I was so ashamed of myself. I’ve been in denial, I thought, mortified. Hiding wrappers, scoffing in secret. But the only person I’d fooled was myself. And, as I gazed in horror at that Facebook photo, an advert popped up for a local boot camp. Before I could talk myself out of it, I signed up, paid the membership fee. Arriving at my first session a month later, I was a bag of nerves. ‘Don’t worry,’ the trainer said. ‘Come to boot camp several times a week and track the calories you eat…

Eggy cheese on toast Use whatever cheese, chutney or mustard you have, and the same goes for bread. The only thing you really do need is an egg. SERVES: 2 PREP TIME: 5 MINS COOK TIME: 10 MINS • 2 large slices of bread, we used sourdough • 2 eggs • 180g mature Cheddar (or any cheese – hard best, but use soft if it’s all you have) • 20g Dijon mustard (or wholegrain or English) • 40g mango chutney (or any chutney, or a mix of several) • Worcestershire sauce • A little apple cider or balsamic vinegar 1 Preheat the oven to 270C/Gas 10, or as hot as your oven will go. 2 Toast the bread on both sides, then place the slices in a single layer on…

Aries 21 March-20 April You feel spontaneous, and would like to surprise those around you with treats you spot when out and about or through discovering unusual websites. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May The waning moon in Pisces boosts your imagination and also inspires you to follow your dreams. It’s a good time to start a creative project or evening class. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June You’re always on the go, juggling jobs, but with heightened perception you’re quick on the uptake where work is concerned, which won’t go unnoticed. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July With Venus in your sign your loyalty will see you help a friend with advice. Your comforting…

Q I’ve noticed a few pesky hairs growing on my chin, what’s the best way to remove them? Sally Lang, 64, Tunbridge A Chin hairs can crop up due to hormonal fluctuations as we age (primarily an increase in testosterone during the menopause) and it’s completely normal. If you’re not a fan of your whiskers, there are plenty of hair oval options to choose from. If it’s just one or two hairs, grab hold of them with Eyeko Tweeze It Tweezers, £8, Iookfantastic.com, and pull them out at the root. The slanted tip offers great precision but a magnifying mirror like Tweezerman TweezerMate 12X Magnifying Mirror, £17, Boots, will make the job a lot easier. If you have more than a few hairs, waxing is your best option. Try Flamingo…

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 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. • You can use capitals or small letters, but don’t use any commas, etc. • Leave out answers you don’t wish to enter. INTERNET…

Chat winners issue 25 (24 June 2021) £1,001 CASH R Checkley, Isle of Wight £1,000 CASH V Carveley, Sleaford £500 CASH J Stott, Shipley; K Diamond, Liverpool £250 CASH P Fenna, Wallasey £150 CASH M Daft, Loughborough £100 CASH L Pyper, Newtownards; M Hellyer, Swansea; C Cross, Thatcham; S Driver, Bolton; D Wareing, Milton Keynes £60 CASH W Powling, Cheltenham £50 CASH A Munday, Newark; M Ferris, Bedford; P Kendall, Southend-on-Sea £30 CASH A Newlands, Lincoln; R Roberts, Liverpool; L Eden, Smethwick; S Jones, Ashtead; K Peckett, Hull £25 CASH A Percival, Taunton; M Purnell, Enfield; C Aldridge, Nuneaton; D Christie, Manchester; S Barton, Preston; J Pinchess, Hinckley; J Chapman, Knaresborough; S Allatt, Ossett; B Phillips, Newcastle-upon-Tyne Anyone from your town in the list this week..? PUZZLE 1 196146 PUZZLE…

£25for any photos that we use on Picture Perfect. They must not have been sent to any other publication and you must include written permission from a child’s parent/s or guardian/s. Post to Picture Perfect, Chat, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP, or email chat_magazine @futurenet.com Unfortunately, we can’t return photos without an SAE. And please don’t forget to include your full address and a contact number.…

How a-peel-ling Wearing work shoes with no socks always causes a stink, but as soon as I get home I put orange peel in them overnight and it gets rid of the odour. Alexandra Low, Halesowen Get saucy To avoid wastage, if I have a little ketchup and mayonnaise left, I simply combine the two into one bowl and mix them together. It makes a delicious sauce for pizza crusts or a salad dressing. Mark Attwood, Basingstoke Throwing shade My patio is a real suntrap, but my parasol recently broke. I grabbed my daughter Nevaeh’s unused garden parachute to act as a sunshade. It works perfectly, has beautiful colours and cost nothing. Cindy Moore, Harlow A brush with success With many of us still working from home, here’s an easy…

On 27 July this year, Nathaniel Rowland, now 27, was convicted on all three counts of murder, kidnap and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. After an hour-long deliberation, the jury unanimously found him guilty. Handing him a life sentence, without parole, Judge Clifton Newman said the case was the ‘most severe’ murder he’d seen in court. ‘I have dealt with the heartless, and you fall into that category, without any remorse whatsoever,’ he said. ‘She put up an amazing fight and left a sufficient trail for the jury to see what you did.’ In an emotional statement, Samantha’s mother, Marci Josephson, called Rowland ‘pure evil’. She said, ‘Her dreams were my dreams, and her death was my death. I close my eyes and I feel what she…

FILL ME IN Michael I, who died in 2017, was king of which country until his forced abdication in 1947? 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 In which city was British tennis player Johanna Konta born? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters ACE ADO ERA OPT SKA TEA TEN TIP WOO YES 4 letters NEAR OUST OVER POPS POTS SAGA TUTU 5 letters RIGHT TULIP WOMEN 6 letters ASPECT LEGION ORNATE TATTOO TYRANT UNEASY 8 letters ROUNDERS WIN £100 puzzle 15 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details…

3 ways to... protect your bike The average price Brits paid for a bike in the last year was £835, according to Aviva. Here’s how to help keep your pride and joy safe, no matter how much it’s worth. 1 Keep it secure ‘To help prevent thieves stealing your bike, lock it to a fixed object like a bike rack or a ground anchor; these are often found in designated bike parking areas,’ says Sarah Applegate, Aviva’s Head of Risk. ‘And use good-quality locks such as a D-lock, and ensure the lock is around the wheel, frame AND the anchor you’re locking it to. Otherwise thieves may be able to remove parts of your bike and lift the main frame away.’ 2 Know your bike’s details ‘Register your bike with…

Essence Vintage Beach Coconut Lip Conditioner, £2.29, justmylook.com Avoid painfully chapped lips with this nourishing, coconutty lip balm. Not only does it smell delicious, the nourishing formula glides onto lips, leaving them silky smooth and completely kissable. EcoTools On-The-Go Style Set, £9.99, lookfantastic.com A great value set of eco-friendly make-up brushes, ideal for perfecting your look. The soft bristles make it easy to blend powder and liquid products. Plus, the travel-friendly bag means you can carry them around without getting grubby. TRESemmé Pro Pure Airlight Volume Shampoo & Conditioner, £4.50 each, tesco.com The latest launch from the budgetfriendly salon haircare brand is free from sulphates, silicones and dyes, and is PH balanced for your healthiest hair yet. We love it! Physicians Formula Coconut Milk Eye Make-up Remover, £6.99, lookfantastic.com Stubborn…

Dear Skylar, Tottering around in your sparkly blue dress, you pick up your magic wand. ‘I’m Queen Elsa,’ you giggle. Only 4, you haven’t a care in the world. You just love dressing up, getting me, your daddy Steven, 36, and big sister Jessie Mae, 10 – my daughter from a previous relationship – to join in. Which is what makes writing this so hard. It was October 2016, when I was 12 weeks pregnant with you, that our problems began. I’d been experiencing a ‘whooshing’ sound in my ears when doctors found a tumour in my carotid artery. Terrified of dying in surgery, I decided to have the benign mass monitored rather than removed. The following month, your daddy was competing in a charity boxing match for Cancer Research.…

Katy Sanchez, 32 The room seemed to shrink, my heart beat faster. Tightening the grip on my new hubby Joshua’s hand, I blinked in disbelief. ‘You have glioblastoma,’ the doctor said. Aggressive cancer in the brain. ‘There’s a low survival rate,’ she continued– another terrifying blow. Next to me, my mum Lila, then 60, started crying, while Joshua, 32, clenched my hand tighter still. All I felt was sick. How can this be happening? It was July 2017, Joshua and I were newlyweds. Dreaming of a gaggle of kids and a house full of love. I’d had tests after headaches, tingling down my left side and blurred vision. But I’d not expected this. Still in shock three days later, I was wheeled into surgery to remove the lime-size tumour. Next…

NUMBER JIG According to the Guinness World Records, the tallest sunflower grown belonged to Hans-Peter Schiffer and was how many centimetres tall? Fit these numbers into the grid. One number doesn’t fit. This is the prize answer. 3 digits 141 161 376 418 611 640 856 877 896 917 974 4 digits 1935 2437 3692 3817 4510 5087 5256 6141 7383 8971 5 digits 12742 16708 21281 24166 30719 42689 63693 70641 73455 74338 83371 90099 6 digits 115743 599516 733863 832550 851943 887063 965649 7 digits 8083465 9011480 9401741 8 digits 13667624 WIN £250 Puzzle 1 Your answer: PIECEWORD There are 56 examples of what, in Belgium and France, that make up a UNESCO World Heritage site? The number next to the clue tells you which line the answer’s…

THE BIGGIE What connects Blondie vocalist Debbie Harry and reality star Nicole Richie? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the two-word prize answer. ACROSS 1 Bird perch (5) 4 Type of herb (4) 6 Three siblings born at the same time (8) 13 Makes safe (7) 14 Flowers with white petals (7) 15 Use a broom (5) 16 End of a prayer (4) 17 Type of dance (6) 18 Device for boiling water (6) 20 Pace, speed (4) 21 Brings up a child (5) 22 Barter (6) 25 Biblical boat (5,3) 28 Academy Awards (6) 30 Take test again (5) 32 Body part (8) 34 Mean, cruel (6) 35 Authentic (4) 38 Large wasp (6) 39 Grieve (5) 40 Join the army…

There’s a lump on my bits Q There’s a lump at the entrance to my vagina that makes sex painful. My nurse says that it’s a Bartholin’s cyst. Is it serious? Chloe, Lancaster A On each side of your vagina, just behind your inner lips, lies a Bartholin’s gland. These are tiny glands that produce fluid to help lubricate your vagina during sex. Normally they’re so small you don’t notice them but if one becomes blocked, it fills with fluid and swells to form a Bartholin’s cyst. These cysts are harmless and don’t usually cause symptoms, though a big one might hurt during sex. Occasionally, a cyst becomes infected and fills with pus, forming a Bartholin’s abscess. This is tender and painful and usually needs treatment with antibiotics and an…

TWILIGHT KILLERS When teenagers Kim Edwards and Lucas Markham, both 14, met at school in Spalding, they formed an intense, toxic relationship. Both had unhappy childhoods, but in April 2016 became the UK’s youngest double killers. Edwards let Markham in her house at dead of night. Watched as he stabbed her mum Elizabeth, 49, in the throat and smothered her with a pillow. Then Markham stabbed Edwards’ younger sister, Katie, 13. After the bloodbath, the twisted pair had sex, ate ice cream and watched vampire film Twilight. They were convicted of murder and sentenced to 17 and a half years. SCHOOL STABBING One day in November 2003, Alan Pennell, 15, waited outside fellow pupil Luke Walmsley’s science class at Birkbeck College in North Somercotes. He stabbed Luke, 14, through the…

What species of deer derives its name from the Japanese for ‘deer’? Solve the crossword, then read down the yellow squares. The yellow shaded squares will spell out the competition answer. ACROSS 1 Sweet substance (5) 4 Make a request (3) 6 Skating venue (4) 7 Toll, levy (3) DOWN 1 A tempest (5) 2 Remarkably large (5) 3 L ate actor, _ Mayall (3) 5 Jamaican music genre (3) WIN £50 puzzle 13 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Help, I’m a cougar! Q I’m a divorced woman in my 50s who has recently dated a couple of men in their 30s. I’ve never thought much about it, but now that I am getting older, I think other people are becoming judgemental. The sex is great and they aren’t boys, so why do I feel like it’s wrong. Should I feel guilty? Truth is, I don’t find men my own age attractive! What do you think, Nelly? Joan, 55 A I think it’s fantastic! You go, girl! These men are of age, as are you. As long as you’re two consenting adults, nothing else matters. The only people who’ll be judging you are those who are jealous. If it was a man, no one would bat an eyelid. If…

L’Oréal Paris Clinically Proven Lash Serum, £14.00, lookfantastic.com Affordable and effective, this lash serum gives amazing results. Apply a slick of the vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid-infused formula to upper and lower lashes twice a day and see your lashes grow longer, thicker and more defined. Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Boosting Serum, £14.99, Boots Apply this lash-fortifying product just like you would mascara and see lashes transform in just a few weeks. The growth-boosting formula will make you rethink using falsies. XX Revolution Kombucha X Brow + Lash Serum, £10, revolutionbeauty.com Great for lacklustre lashes and sparse brows, this serum contains kombucha extract and biotin to condition hairs while encouraging them to grow. Use it every day for noticeable effects.…