Table of contents for 23 May 2024 in Chat

When you picture a granny you probably think of a little old lady with a blue rinse and knitting needles. I doubt that what comes to mind is rock-hard abs, a mahogany tan and a tiny spangly bikini! But that's because you haven't met Renée yet. When she was 60 she tried the gym to help with the menopause. What happened next changed her body and her life. Her story on p38 is a real inspiration. Have a great week, PS If you're entering the puzzles online, this is the link to use: comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Waltzing through the door of Nando's, ready for my day shift, I was already wondering what to wear clubbing that night. Maybe the pink hot pants, I thought. I was proud of my body, loved wearing body-con dresses and crop tops. It was summer 2022, I was 21, without a care in the world. I had my own place, and great friends. A lovely and fit boyfriend, Emmanuel, then 26. And free peri-peri chicken! I partied most nights, enjoying dancing, rum punch, JD and Coke – and any cocktail on the list! I could shake off a hangover and be full of energy to do it all again the following evening. Only, one morning in January 2023, after a rare night in, I woke up feeling like death. My stomach…

TRUE-LIFE It was just another ordinary school run on an ordinary Friday morning in May 2021. Joanna Cloonan strapped her son Aiden Leos, 6, into his booster seat in the back other car, then climbed behind the wheel. By 8:10am she'd pulled on to the motorway, driving towards the school in Yorba Linda, just outside LA, when a white sedan vehicle abruptly cut her off. A few miles later, Joanna overtook the car as she changed lanes. Still annoyed, she gave the driver the finger as she passed – then heard a noise. ‘My son said, “Ow,” and I had to pull over,’ she said. Shockingly, Aiden had been shot. Hit in the back A bullet had gone through the boot, hitting Aiden in the back. ‘I pulled over and…

1 Acknowledge feelings The first step to coping with emotional difficulties is to acknowledge them rather than burying your head in the sand. ‘By paying attention to shifts in our mood – whether it's stress, anxiety, joy or excitement – we become more aware of the range of emotions we normally feel,’ explains anxiety support specialist Cai Graham*. This is key to helping us be aware of, control and express our emotions. 2 Embrace mindfulness It's never too late to give this a go. Studies show mindfulness, which can be incorporated into everyday activities, can be effective at treating anxiety and other overpowering emotions. To stay grounded, enhance self-awareness and build emotional resilience, Cai recommends meditation, yoga, tai chi, breathing exercises and spending time in nature. 3 Start a journal Cai…

TRUE-LIFE Bobbing around excitedly in my orange life jacket, I grinned at my dad John, then 42 – I was 12, and he'd taken me out on his fishing boat. The sea was choppy and there was a biting wind, but none of that mattered. ‘Best day ever!’ I beamed when our boat arrived back on the beach near our home. Dad was my hero, and I'd always been his shadow. Never happier than when I was beside him, begging him to let me tag along. Even if he was off to the pub with his mates! He relented on that score when I was 18. ‘Cheers, Dad,’ I smiled, clinking pint glasses. As a self-employed electrician, Dad worked long hours. So when he started feeling rundown in early 2022,…

COLOUR POP SIT BACK AND RELAX…

I don't want another baby Q Me and my hubby have been married for a while and already have a kid together. But now, he really wants another one and I don't. This has caused lots of tension between us. I keep thinking, do I give in and have another baby to make him happy, or do I stick to my guns and say no? How do I make this tricky decision without messing up my relationship? Katie, 31 A I don't think having to make this choice should mess up a relationship. You need to think about the reasons you don't want to expand your family. Is it financial? Physical? There are many reasons not to, so be honest with yourself. Then be honest with your partner, pet. If you can't…

3 Ways to… PROTECT AGAINST IDENTITY THEFT Cut the risk of falling victim to criminals stealing your info… 1 What could happen? If a criminal steals your personal info they could use it to open bank accounts, apply for loans or for government benefits and documents like passports in your name, warns the campaign Take Five to Stop Fraud. 2 What should I do? Store any documents carrying personal information, such as your passport, bank statements or utility bills, in a safe and secure place. And destroy unwanted documents including bills, bank statements or post that's in your name, ideally by using a shredder. When you move house, make sure you get your post redirected and give your new address to your bank, credit card provider and other organisations you have accounts with. And be…

TRUE-LIFE Waves crashed onto the shore, and I clutched my daughter's hand before running into the sea. ‘I love it here, Mum!’ Chloe, then 10, grinned. It was August 2010, and we'd just moved near the seaside. Chloe was a firecracker who loved the outdoors. It's the perfect place for her to grow up, I thought, watching her splash about with her little sisters, Emily, then 5, and Frankie, 3. My gut feeling told me this Marc was bad news Endless sandy summer days followed. In time, Chloe grew into a thoughtful teen, helping me with the cooking and tucking her sisters into bed. Of course, we had our moments, but when she moved out at 17, I missed her like mad. ‘I haven't gone far,’ she promised, settling into…

Watching you running the brush along the donkey's soft mane, I was in awe. ‘Your turn, Dawn,’ you beamed at me. It was summer 1985, and aged 6, I loved every moment of the school holidays. Because I got to spend my days alongside you, my amazing granny, at The Donkey Sanctuary, which you'd founded in Devon way back in 1969. ‘They're the most intelligent creatures,’ you told me, as we stroked and petted them. You'd always loved donkeys. You worked hard saving donkeys from awful lives WORDS: FRANCES LEATE Even as a little girl, you'd make your dad – my great grandfather – drive miles on holidays feeding the strays. Then you bought your own donkey for £45 after spotting an ad in the paper. Built her a paddock…

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FASHION STYLE TIP Choosing a matching, coordinating set effortlessly creates a phisticated ensemble that's super easy to wear. All sizes 6-22 F&F at Tesco All sizes 8-26 Tu at Sainsbury's STYLE TIP Balance the relaxed vibe of barrel-leg jeans with a fitted top and heels for a chic, elongated silhouette. All sizes 8-22 Nutmeg at Morrisons STYLE TIP Elevate your summer wardrobe with a breathable linen dress. Opt for a belted style to give you shape and define your waist. All sizes 6-24 George at Asda STYLE TIP Stand out from the crowd in this bold suit, perfect for formal occasions, or wear with casual separates for a daytime look.…

True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK Waking up, I felt sick, tired and desperate for a wee. Must be the stress, I thought. It was April 1993 and I was 22, in my final year at uni. With assessments coming up and a busy social life, I was worn out. And so thirsty, even drinking litres of water didn't quench it. Later that day, I met my boyfriend at the station and as I kissed him, he frowned. ‘Have you been drinking whiskey?’ he asked. ‘You know I don't drink,’ I replied. ‘My friend has diabetes, his breath smells the same,’ he said. Diabetes? Worried, I went to my GP, where urine and blood tests showed high sugar levels. I was extremely dehydrated, too. Hours later, I was sitting in hospital with my mum,…

OVER TO YOU Can you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p4. There's £20 for every one we use! This week's puzzle was compiled by Valerie Sellick, Braun ton, North Devon WIN 5× £20 Puzzle 6 ACROSS 1 Place 2 Dry 3 Metal 4 Mere DOWN 1 Dessert 2 Golf club 3 Stiff clay 4 Whirlpool Your answer: CHAIN WORDS In John Bunyan's 1678 allegorical novel The Pilgrim's Progress, Christian and his fellow pilgrims are imprisoned in Doubting Castle by a giant with what name and his wife Diffidence? Get from Start to Finish, making words by joining two boxes together as you go, eg: RE + AD, AD +… you decide! When you reach Finish, two unused boxes join together to give you the prize…

Lustful listings You could say the sopping wet shirt worn by the dazzling Mr Darcy, played by Colin Firth, was the true star of the most famous scene in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. So it's no wonder that it's just been sold for a whopping £20,000 at a recent charity auction in London, alongside his velvet waistcoat, moleskin breeches and boots. A bargain price, really, for owning a piece of telly history. Down with the ship A violin played by Wallace Hartley as the Titanic sank fetched £900,000 at an auction in 2013, one of the most expensive pieces of Titanic memorabilia ever sold. Hartley's body was recovered after the 1912 disaster with his violin case still strapped to him. After being returned to his fiancée,…

TRUE-LIFE Jill Hayman, 43, Montrose, Angus Running into the kitchen, I found my mum Barbara, and asked if I could have some bread. ‘Have something else,’ she said, rolling her eyes. ‘I don't like anything else,’ I moaned. Wandering out to the garden, I shouted over to our neighbour. ‘Please could I have some bread?’ I asked. ‘Sure, love,’ she said, handing me a few white slices over the fence. I was only 4, but pestering the neighbours was something I did often to get my bread fix. They must have thought I was being starved, but Mum was always offering me food. Trouble was, the only thing I could tolerate eating was bread. Sliced white bread, to be precise, with nothing but a bit of marg. Ever since Mum…

TRUE-LIFE I'm hooked on competitions After putting my 3-month-old son Garrett down for his nap, I glanced at the clock, then at my trainers by the front door. I could squeeze in a run now, I thought. It was 1985 and, at 33, I was a keen runner. Even did a 10k while five months pregnant. Leaving my husband to watch our son, I dashed out. Only, two miles in… ‘Ouch!’ I yelped, as an excruciating pain flashed across my lower back. It stopped me in my tracks, and I had to hobble home. I was petite, at 5ft 2in, but I'd always been fit and healthy. Although I'd had niggling back pain for a few years, I'd ignored it. But now the pain wouldn't go away, so I visited…

THE BIG QUIZ WIN £500 Puzzle 18 The answers to all but one of these quiz questions can be found hidden in this wordsearch grid, reading forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally. To help you, we'll tell you that the answers are in alphabetical order in each section. However, one answer can't be found in the grid. This is your prize answer. HOLIDAY 1 ‘Come, woo me…for now I am in a holiday humour, and like enough to consent,’ comes from Shakespeare's As You Like It, which is set in which fictional forest? (5) 2 Who played the cockney chimney sweep Bert, who sings Jolly Holiday with Julie Andrews in the 1964 film Mary Poppins? (4,3,4) 3 What first name is shared by Adam Sandler's character in The Wedding Singer,…

BEHIND THE BIG CRIME TRUE-LIFE When Elizabeth Sennett opened the door to two young men on a cloudy Friday morning in March 1988, she smiled in greeting. One introduced himself as ‘Kenny’. Said he and his pal were interested in hunting on the grounds of the rural property in Colbert County, Alabama, and asked if they could look around. Her husband Charles had said it was OK, Kenny claimed. Charles, a local pastor, had already left for church. After wandering off to phone him, Elizabeth returned and agreed that the pair could look around. The Sennetts had been married for 26 years. They were much-loved and respected in the community, and had two grown-up sons, Charles ‘Chuck’ Jr and Mike, and grandchildren. Elizabeth, 45, was a loving wife, and ‘best friend’…

Gemma Carrick, 47, from Sunderland If you could live anywhere, where would you go? I would choose Rhodes, where I worked as a holiday rep years ago. The island is absolutely beautiful and full of history, lovely people and delicious food. I was even taught Greek by a cleaner called Maria in her supply storeroom - I'd love to see her again! Who was the last person to make you laugh out loud? My daughter Arielle, 9, makes me giggle. We recently had a serious conversation about animal conservation, and she was concerned there were only two white rhinos left in the world. Then she chirped up, telling me, ‘Don't worry Mam, they're both girls so they'll be able to have babies!’ Any pets? We have two cats, Minnie and…

Back of the net Instead of throwing away net produce bags, use them to store soaps in the shower – it helps them to dry faster and last longer. Laila Ghossain, Swindon, Wiltshire The slice is right A pizza cutter works brilliantly for slicing a garlic baguette. Donna Gray, Billingham, Stocktonon-Tees Fantastic elastic Keep the elastic ties from supermarket flowers — they last much longer than regular elastic bands. Christine Burns, Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire £25 For every photo tip that we print No more soggy doggy Taking my daughter's dog Theo for a walk in heavy rain, I improvised and made him a raincoat from a bin liner – not sure he was impressed, but it worked a treat! Dinah Thorpe, Ipswich, Suffolk See-d you soon When sending a get…

WIN £1,001 Puzzle 4 THE BIGGIE Growing up, what book does singer Dolly Parton say was one of the first books she read that made an impression on her? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the five-word prize answer. ACROSS 11 Utters (6) 12 Band fronted by Sting (3,6) 13 Long audible breath (4) 14 Sport popular in the USA (8) 15 Faithful (5) 16 Newspaper head (6) 17 School pupil (7) 18 Novel by Leo Tolstoy (3,3,5) 20 Elevates (5) 22 Leader of an orchestra (9) 24 Of great weight (5) 28 Engaged woman (7) 29 Surgeon's knife (7) 32 Small pointed beard (6) 34 Runners (8) 36 Short humorous verse (8) 37 Most up to date (6) 39 Co-creator of the X-Men (4,3) 40 Common black and white birds (7) 45 Microbes (5) 47 Necessary (9) 48 Clues (5) 51 Oblong in…

Hubby has a rude rash Q My husband plays football and gets really sweaty. He now has a red rash around his groin and is refusing to go to the doctor. Jenny, Luton A He might have jock itch, a common fungal infection. It often appears as a ring-shaped rash on the groin and inner thighs. While discussing it with a doctor might feel awkward, addressing it promptly is crucial to prevent it worsening. In the meantime, make sure your husband keeps the area clean and dry. He should shower regularly, especially after workouts, and wear loose-fitting clothing made of breathable cotton to reduce moisture and friction. Over-the-counter antifungal creams or powders can help, too. But if the rash persists, seek medical advice, as a doctor can offer prescription-strength treatments.…

Downing my liquid lunch, I grimaced. It'll be worth it, I thought. It was April 2013 and I'd just had gastric bypass surgery. Docs had divided my stomach into two, creating a small food pouch attached to my small intestine. A last resort after I'd struggled with my weight my whole life, bouncing from one fad diet to another. At my heaviest, I'd been 22st 21b and size 28. After a month on liquids, protein shakes and pureed food, I slowly added high-protein solids like chicken, eggs and cooked veggies, but the weight dropped away much slower than I'd hoped, until I plateaued around 14st. Good enough, I thought. I wasn't the size 10 of my dreams, but I accepted my new bod. But in 2020, the left side of…

ARROW WORD WIN £500 Puzzle 10 The former names for which island include Andalas (‘mulberry’) and Suvarnadvipa (‘island of gold’)? 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. Your answer: SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3 × 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 2× £ Puzzle 11 Your answer: WORDSEARCH WIN £40 Puzzle 12 Which of these explorers has a module of the International Space Station named after them? The answer is the one missing from the grid. CABOT CABRAL COLUMBUS COOK CORTES DA GAMA DRAKE ERIKSON HILLARY POLO RALEIGH SCOTT TASMAN VESPUCCI ZHENG Your answer: TO ENTER Turn…

FILL ME IN WIN £100 Puzzle 14 The sisserou parrot is a critically endangered bird not found outside of what country, for which it is also a national symbol? 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. Your answer: CIRCLE TIME What is the brand name of tech firm Huawei's native mobile apps for web searches and mapping? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters ELM GEL GEM HEM ILL LEE PEA PER PET 4 letters ALSO AUNT SLAM SLAP SLIM SLOE 5 letters MERGE MERIT MERRY METAL 6 letters LEGACY LENGTH LOSSES LOUNGE Your answer: 7 letters EARDRUM EARLIER WIN £100 Puzzle 15 TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

NO-FUSS FOOD Top tip Use sweet chilli sauce if you don't like it too spicy, and swap the veggies for whatever you have handy. Korean rice bowl A great way to use up sad looking veggies from the back of the fridge. SERVES 2 PREP 15 MINS COOK 20 MINS ● 100g basmati rice ● 3tbsp vegetable oil ● 2 garlic cloves, crushed ● 150g mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped ● 1 carrot, thinly sliced ● 100g baby spinach leaves ● ½tbsp soy sauce ● 2 large eggs ● 60g bean sprouts, blanched ● 2 spring onions, thinly sliced ● Small bunch coriander leaves, chopped ● Chilli sauce, to serve (optional) 1 Cook the rice according to the pack instructions. Meanwhile, heat 1tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add…

Aries 21 March-20 April Is it high time to break free from an old habit that is no longer serving you? Reflect on developing a healthier routine and stick with your new daily discipline. ● Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May With the Sun and Mercury in Taurus, the way you talk to others puts them at ease. This is a gift and will be most helpful to those close to you. ● Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June At times your mind can be so busy you don't know which voice to listen to. If you have inner conflict regarding your career, take time out to gain clarity. ● Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Spring is…

Q I always get spots around my chin, how can I stop them? Charlotte Whitby, Binham, Norfolk LETTER of the week! A Spots can crop up all over your face but when you get them on your chin, it can be due to hormones or stress. Luckily, reducing their appearance and preventing future ones is easy and affordable. Start with a dedicated cleanser like CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser, £13, Boots, which unclogs pores, removes blemishes and excess oil, while still protecting the skin barrier. Use every morning to freshen and clear your complexion. Follow by applying a thin layer of Caudalíe Vinopure Salicylic Spot Solution, £14, Boots, all around the chin area. The salicylic acid formula works to minimise blemishes and to prevent future ones too. For stubborn spots, Dots for…

Solutions to Chat issue 17 (25 April 2024) Puzzle 3 Clouds Puzzle 4 The Natural World Puzzle 5 C,2C,2D,3B,3C Puzzle 6 Host Puzzle 7 Snowy Puzzle 8 Leann Rimes Puzzle 9 Coathangers Puzzle 10 Worcester Puzzle 12 Guitar Puzzle 13 Crewe Puzzle 14 Clarence Puzzle 15 Eagle Puzzle 16 Mashed potato Puzzle 17 Totnes Puzzle 18 Kate Bush WE WON! Chat winners issue 8 (22 Feb 2024) £1,001 CASH M Foy, Normanton £500 CASH J Stephenson, Chesham D Mansell, Leominster £250 CASH S Garner, Heywood S Thomas, Bury St Edmunds £200 CASH N Skipper, Scarborough £100 CASH J Bullen, St Austell W Briggs, Newmarket C Simmons, Rotherham £50 CASH B Newell, Plymouth C Whitehouse, Birmingham S Sawden, Bridlington A Iannucci, Burton on Trent J Reed, Hinckley L Jackson, Nottingham £40…