Table of contents for 9-Nov-2023 in Pick Me Up!

Stirring the pot on my kitchen hob, I felt at a loose end. After retiring from my full-time job as an engineering recruiter last year, my days consisted of relaxing at home and cooking. Making my wife Rachel’s family recipe – delicious sweetcorn fritters first created by her mum Mary – food brought us and our daughter, Kate, 26, together. And while cooking was a stress relief during my demanding career, now it was the only thing I had to occupy myself. Finishing up dinner, I took to Google in April 2022. Searching for food charities online, I knew volunteering would be a rewarding way to spend my time. I used cooking as a stress reliever Watching the news on TV of long queues at food banks as the cost-of-living…

Complete the grid then read down the shaded squares to reveal the hidden answer. Clue: Type of mischievous creature. Answer on page 44. ACROSS 7 __ Winfrey, producer and host of her own chat show from 1986 to 2011 (5) 8 Waterproof sheet (9) 10, 20Ac & 18Dn. 2023 animated musical comedy film starring the voices of 13 Across, 27 Across, 5 Down, and 6 Down (6,4,8) 11 Bedtime drink (8) 12 Immediately (5,3) 13 __ Kendrick, star of film Pitch Perfect and TV series Love Life (4) 15 Ornate artistic and musical style (7) 17 Three Cigarettes in an __, 1957 song by Patsy Cline (7) 20 See 10 Across 22 Demote (8) 25 Football matches (8) 26 Providers of private mentoring (6) 27 Zooey __, star of films…

Building your strength up If you suffer from joint pain, Nuffield Health have shared a number of exercises you can do to help strengthen your joints and relieve pain. It’s important not to overdo any exercise or push yourself beyond your limits. For example, if an exercise causes pain, you should swap it out for a different one. • Squats: stand with your feet shoulder width apart and slightly turned out. Keep you back straight and push your bum out like you’re sitting down into a chair. If this feels too difficult, use a chair to aid you. • Shoulder blade retractions: stand with your arms raised in front of you. Squeeze your shoulder blades together without shrugging. • Stability challenge: using a Bosu ball, wiggle board or any uneven…

Walking back to the table with a pint in hand, it didn’t take much for us to end up in the local pub. Only, this time it was a little different to usual… ‘Shall we go out tonight?’ my partner Dale, now 37, asked at the start of this year. ‘It will be nice to go out for a drink.’ ‘Do we have to?’ I moaned as heading to the same three of four pubs in our town was a little stale after a while. After meeting in a pub back in 2018, I’d gone to watch England v Panama with a friend, knowing that a mysterious man was going to be there, too. However, that was all cool on my side – and it appeared that the stranger, Dale,…

Alan Carr’s Picture Slam, BBC One Comedian Alan Carr hosts this addictive new quiz where every question is a picture. Whether it’s a sporting trophy or a common kitchen utensil, you never know what’s coming – but contestants need to name them all for a Picture Slam and big money. Hoping to take home the £10,000 jackpot this week are couple Jamie John & Josh from Great Yarmouth, mother-daughter Ruby and Lesley from King’s Lynn and Glasgow couple Iain and Jaclyn. They’ll face three fun and fast-paced rounds with pictures that could be anything from Brad Pitt to a banana split. It’s a game where anyone can get involved, so get ready to shout along with them. The Last Rifleman, Sky Cinema Inspired by true events, The Last Rifleman is…

When I started an ironing service back in 2017, I was contacted by a gentleman who lived nearby. He lived alone and had done so for two years, since his wife had been taken into a home, suffering from dementia. His situation had made him extremely depressed. Hearing this really pulled at my heartstrings – I knew what it was like to be lonely, having moved away from my family 30 years ago. I also had a friend who had lost her husband and was struggling with the effect that had on her. She was outgoing and full of fun, but found she had nowhere to go and no-one to go out with. It was then that I became determined to help them both and suggested that I start a…

Have you heard? There’s a chill in the air, and it’s finally woolly hat season! This year, GO Outdoors have teamed up with mental health charity Mind for their #HatsOnForMind campaign – so you can wrap up warm and support a good cause, too. Whether you’re feeling the nip on the daily dog walk or simply want to get out for some fresh air to clear your head, do it in style and show your support. • Branded hats and flasks available online and in-store from GO Outdoors, Blacks, Millets and Fishing Republic • Adult hats and flasks £10 each, children’s hats £8 – 100% of profits go to Mind • Visit: gooutdoors.co.uk and mind.org.uk Buy of the week We know it’s only just November, and it’s still a bit…

Tucking myself up under the duvet, instead of counting sheep, I had another foolproof method. One: Best Pear, two: Diamond Spirit, three: Ms Congeniality, four: Best Smile… my inner voice remarked, keeping tabs. Picturing my collection of crowns, sashes, medals and gifts kept safe and sound in three big boxes, I was in the land of nod in no time – counting all of the pageant awards I had won over the past 14-months. As recalling all of my joyous, confident and brunette Barbie moments was something that I especially wanted to keep in the forefront in my mind. After all, swapping a hospital gown for an antique gold dress was an action that changed my life forever… Waking up on New Year’s Day back in 2019, it wasn’t quite…

With fiery foliage, rustling leaves and wonderful wildlife, there’s no better time than autumn to get outside and enjoy nature! Here are some of our favourite National Trust properties that you need to add to your October bucket list… • Free for members, admission charges apply for non-members. Visit: nationaltrust.org.uk Dunham Massey, Greater Manchester Are you mushroom mad? Then this is a must-visit! From ink caps to honey fungus and everything in between, there’s a whole host of magnificent mushrooms to discover this autumn on the Fungi Friends family trail. There’s more to Dunham Massey than just mushrooms though – nestled between the hustle and bustle of Manchester and rural Cheshire, this green oasis offers an escape from city life. With ancient trees, a reflective moat and unique garden, it’s…

Going to sit on the sofa alongside my husband Paul, I was waiting for my kids to come home from their dad’s, back in February 2012. But as I went to sit down pain ripped through my legs, across my spine and up to the nape of my neck. ‘Oh my God,’ I cried – the pain was out of the blue and worse than childbirth – like being hit by a train. Paul had to catch me so I wouldn’t crash to the floor. ‘I can’t feel my legs,’ I told him as he comforted me. ‘We should go to the hospital,’ Paul said. But I didn’t want to budge – I wanted to make sure my children Danielle, now 32, Kyle, now 28, and Marcus, now 26, got…

If your letter makes Star Letter of the week, you will receive some beautiful blooms from Flying Flowers. With over 30 years’ experience of helping celebrate life’s special moments and FREE delivery by post, a gorgeous bouquet by Flying Flowers is a lovely way to celebrate sharing smiles and happiness. See flyingflowers.co.uk for more details.…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great product from Addis. Organise your wardrobe with these 20-pack of non-slip, easy to use hangers which will keep your clothes in order and make them easy to find! They can be used to hang scarves, belts and ties, as well as jumpers without stretching. You’ll have an easy-to-access wardrobe in no time. For more ways to make your life easier, visit: addis.co.uk Cost cutter! To save money during these difficult financial times, I cut my cloths in half before I use them to double them. Half the size does the job just as well! Jacqueline Patrick, Hampshire Tip of the week Spick and span I find the glass Gü jars from supermarkets are perfect for keeping my salt and…

Sitting with a smile on my face, I waited for one of my favourite times of the day. Every week, my family visited me at Maiden Castle House, a Care South care home, and that day was no different as my grandsons Graham and Andrew had popped by. ‘Hi Grandma,’ they said, walking into the room. Only, I noticed something strange. On Graham’s arm, I spotted a few black line drawings, but I couldn’t make out the shapes. ‘What are they?’ I asked, pointing at his arm. ‘They’re my tattoos, Grandma,’ he explained, sitting beside me and rolling up his sleeve. Instantly, the drawings etched into his skin completely fascinated me. They’re beautiful, I thought. And as Graham chatted away, it got me thinking. I could not stop thinking about…

Splashing the water, my baby began to smile. My daughter Isobelle, then four months old, was kicking her little legs in the bath. ‘Look at you!’ I cooed. With the biggest smile on her face, Isobelle looked just like any other happy baby. Only, as she’d been growing over the past few months, my husband Mark, 42, and I had noticed something strange. Her head was narrow and her forehead protruded, too – more so than when my son Charlie, now four, was a baby. Feeling her head in the bath, there wasn’t a soft spot on the top – common in newborns. ‘Do you think something is wrong with her?’ I asked Mark. ‘She’s probably just growing,’ he reassured me. We loved our little girl just the way she…

Barging your way through the door on a dark evening to an empty flat – with the hum of the fridge the only noise to welcome you. Or waiting for the scurry of footprints on the laminate floor, before a big bundle of fluff joins you for a cuddle on the sofa – then realising that your furry friend is no longer with you. Perhaps you’re looking on social media and discovering that all of your friends, dressed up to the nines with huge smiles, have organised a funfilled evening without you – you weren’t even invited. You could even be in a room full of your loved ones, enjoying everyone’s company, but deep down you still have a feeling that you don’t belong. And what emotion do all of…

Bitesize! pg 3 Gags Strike it! pg 13 Dinosaur (Cross out: 9, 11, 22, 34, 38, 40, 52, 68, 77, 82) Cross it! pg 36 Adder Fill it! pg 13 Hobgoblin Movie links! pg 28 Answer: Elliot Page – JUNO – Michael Cera – BARBIE – Margot Robbie – THE WOLF OF WALL STREET – Jonah Hill – 21 JUMP STREET – Channing Tatum Crack it! pg 23 Supervisor Number fit! pg 13 1923 Sudoku pg 36 1, 9, 8 Follow it! pg 8 Cashmere PLEASE NOTE Pick Me Up! will still be bringing you great puzzles to pit your wits against, but will no longer be offering prizes. Don’t forget, you can do puzzles for big cash prizes every weekin our sister magazine, Chat.…

Opening the door to let out my rescue pups, my cat saw his opportunity. A bit of a door dasher, and convinced he was a dog, my beautiful Bengal wanted to run with the pack. Only unlike the dogs – Mika, 10, Cooper, nine, and Sawyer, five – he didn’t come back when he was called. And unable to find my boy, I was devastated. Growing up as a little girl, I’d always been around cats. After a few were run over and killed, I vowed to have indoor cats when I moved into my own home in Niagara Falls. But Jake had other ideas. ‘What if someone took him?’ I cried to my husband Kurtis, now 38. Jake had escaped once before, but we’d managed to find him after…