Table of contents for 14-Apr-2016 in Chat

Lorraine’s smile made me weak at the knees. She was a year younger than me at school. And with her big smile and gorgeous, blue eyes, I’d had a crush on her. Then her family moved away. So that was that, I’d missed my chance. Or so I thought… When I was 19, I bumped into Lorraine in a local pub. ‘So good to see you,’ she said. Just like when we were kids, her smile still gave me butterflies. Only this time, I actually plucked up the courage to ask her out. ‘I don’t think so,’ she giggled. ‘We grew up together, it’d be a bit weird.’ I was crushed. After, I didn’t see her again. I moved on with my life and met somebody else. In May 1981,…

A consultant told us Michele had broken his neck I was at work when I got the call around lunchtime. ‘Michele’s had an accident,’ my son’s teacher said. It was May 2012, and Michele, 5, had been playing in the playground at school, when he’d fallen off a toy truck. Luckily, my office is just minutes from the school, so I raced straight there. Poor Michele was in tears, clutching a teddy bear. ‘My neck hurts,’ he sobbed. I thought he’d probably just sprained something. But the school had already phoned an ambulance and, seconds later, it arrived. Michele was taken to Bedford Hospital for an X-ray. The school had phoned my husband Georgio, then 33, at work, too, and we met him there. Michele’s X-rays were sent to a…

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Serves: 4 Prep: 10 min Cook: 40 min 200g pudding rice, any kind 400ml reduced-fat coconut milk 500ml semi-skimmed milk 80g caster sugar 250g blueberries 50g desiccated coconut flakes 1 Place rice, coconut milk and milk into a large saucepan, add caster sugar and cook gently for approx 20 min, stirring occasionally to stop rice catching on bottom of pan. 2 Add blueberries and cook for a further 10 min until berries have softened but still hold their shape and rice is cooked through. 3 Meanwhile, toast coconut flakes until golden. 4 Serve rice pudding warm in heatproof glasses or bowls, with a little toasted coconut stirred in and the rest sprinkled on top.…

Costly cover At 18 I've just passed my driving test. I'm horrified at the extortionate price for insurance. But I can understand the reason why young drivers' car insurance is so expensive. You won't get cheap car insurance if you have very little driving experience - and you won't get more experience unless you get on the road! It's a catch-22 situation… Hayley Clarkson, Ormesby Write idea I share Jeena Sumner’s concerns regarding the decline in standards of handwriting and spelling (We hear you, 25 February issue). In this age of text speak and social media, I think the younger generation is in danger of becoming semi-literate. They’re certainly losing the ability to communicate properly. Schools should not let these important skills slide backwards. Liam McParland, Huddersfield Dim-witted Just love…

We've teamed up with Peacocks to offer Chat readers a whopping 20 per cent off womenswear, menswear and kidswear in store and online. Providing high-quality clothing at affordable prices, you're guaranteed to find something for all the family. For your 20 per cent off, simply redeem at the till or enter the code CHAT20% at the checkout at www.peacocks.co.uk Offer runs from 7 April until midnight on 14 April 2016 (code valid until then). So, get shopping!…

Aries 21 March - 20 April When someone offers to show you the best way to get a job done, be careful. It’s not a short cut and it won’t be cheap. But on the other hand, it’ll be thorough - which is actually the best way. For quick fixes, look elsewhere. Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May Nothing better than a new and secret love to get spring off to a good start, is there? The snag is, you’re doing most of the work. Your new friend is happy to play the game, but if you’re looking for something serious, this isn’t it. Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June You’re busy behind the scenes, doing lots of…

My first meeting with Andrew Nall, 53, probably wasn’t a conventional one. We’d both struggled with drink, had met at a treatment centre in Yorkshire, in a programme run by Alcoholics Anonymous. We’d got chatting and hit it off. ‘I grew up in Ireland,’ I told him later, explaining I was a solicitor. He’d been raised in Scotland. We’d both come from good families, enjoyed reading, but we’d both fallen foul of alcohol. And finding each other seemed to save us more than all the counselling we’d received... Friends first, our relationship developed during long walks and afternoons spent sharing stories and reading together. Andrew was loving, funny, intelligent and had travelled the world. ‘I was in the Forces,’ he told me, but never went into details. In 2009, we…

Pub regulars gathered outside, mouths open in shock Pregnant with baby number four, I knew what I was doing. It was July 2014, we were expecting a girl and I’d been in a labour for two hours. ‘It’s time to go now,’ I calmly told my hubby Will, 33, as my contractions got closer together. We called Bangor Community Hospital, warned them we were on our way. Dropped our eldest three, Chloe, 8, Harvey, 7, and Tommy, 4, off at their grandparents. Only, it was an hour drive to Bangor, and my contractions had started coming thick and fast. ‘I’m not sure I’ll make it to the hospital,’ I said. Worried, Will put his foot down. ‘We’ll get there,’ he said. But I felt the overpowering urge to push! ‘Will,…

Looking on, horrified, the scene was like a medical drama… For me and my wife Laura, having a baby was always going to be more complicated than it is for a lot of couples. But that didn’t matter to us. We wanted to be mums and we’d make it happen, no matter what. Just a few months after our wedding in February 2013, we decided to go for it. We approached the NHS but we couldn’t get any help with IVF treatment because Laura, who was going to carry the baby, was deemed too young and healthy to qualify. ‘There’s nothing for it, we’ll have to pay for it,’ I told Laura one day. ‘It’ll be expensive,’ she said. ‘It doesn’t matter how much it costs – we’ll find the…

My wedding-day present was a book of letters from celebrities! Craig was full of surprises. But the biggest was that we were together at all. We met at a friend’s 40th birthday party back in 2011. I say met … Me and Craig knew each other well, because we’d already dated. We were an item in the mid-90s, when we studied at Edinburgh University. Two years ahead of him, when I got my degree I moved to London and found a job. But Craig was drinking at the students’ union and, of course, 400 miles away from London. So, at different stages in our lives, we agreed to say goodbye. Only now, here we both were at the same party. ‘How long’s it been?’ Craig asked when we said hello.…

I’d need to relearn to use my arm and leg, to talk, even to swallow Talk about a perfect spring day. It was 13 March 2014, the sun was out and our kids – Leo, 5, Tommylee, 2, and Aurora, 1 – were making the most of it in the park. ‘It’s hot!’ I smiled to my husband Jason, 28, as we pushed the children on the swings. At about 4.30pm, we headed home for tea. By the time we’d put the kids to bed, I was hot and flustered. ‘I’m having a real hot sweat,’ I said to Jason, stepping into the garden for some air. As I sat on the garden chair, an unbearable pain surged through my head. Then an awful feeling… My right arm went heavy,…

1 Puerto Pollensa This friendly, family-oriented resort has accommodation from bargain to blow-the-budget, a long, sandy beach, and lots to do. A stroll along the shady Pine Walk beside the sea is a before- or after-dinner must-do! 2 Drive to Formentor It's a 12-mile drive from Pollensa to the lighthouse at the end of the rocky Cap Formentor, and the road gets increasingly winding and narrow, but if you can take your eyes off the road, the views are stunning! Avoid the weekend - it's a road best travelled midweek. 3 Cycle along the coast From Puerto Pollensa to the busy, modern resort of Alcudia is an easy 5½ mile ride, but it's worth taking time out to explore the maze of streets inside the medieval walls of the old…

1 Preheat oven to 190C/Gas 5. 2 Mix together 2 x 418g cans of chicken in white sauce, a drained 340g can of mixed sweetcorn and peppers, and a drained 198g can of red kidney beans. Spoon into a shallow dish. 3 Cut a defrosted pack of filo pastry into approximately 15cm squares, scrunch each up into a rosette shape, and use to top chicken mixture. 4 Brush with oil or butter and bake for 25 min until pastry is golden and filling is piping hot. Serves: 4 Cost per head: £1.21 LIFE! DEATH! PRIZES! For more foodie bargains, visit www.lifedeathprizes.com and click on ‘best buys’…

Thread was dangling from his mouth – but no needle… My three kids have long since flown the nest and, feeling lonely, I decided I wanted some company when my hubby Brian, 50, was at work on a production line for a water company. ‘A Shih Tzu-pug cross!’ I said, showing Brian the advert that I’d seen on Gumtree. Adorable! I’m not steady on my feet now, so wanted a small dog. In July 2014, we collected our pup from Aberdeen, paying £250 to take home the 8-week-old furball I named him Broxi – after Glasgow Rangers’ Ibrox Stadium. But mischief was his middle name! Always pinching things, usually biscuits, he could leap onto our kitchen counter in one single jump! Whenever my back was turned, he’d swipe treats. He’d…

What’s stuck? Q A fishbone got caught in my throat last week, and I can still feel it. My GP and the hospital say there's nothing there. What's going on? Marie, 47 A Once you've scratched your throat, the sensation can persist for a week or two. However, if you start to choke, have difficulty swallowing or it doesn't feel clear in another week, see your doctor again. Asthma concerns Q I've had a cough for months, and my doctor has diagnosed asthma. Can it really start at my age? Louise, 58 A Allergic asthma - the commonest type - usually starts in childhood. But you have late-onset asthma, which might run in your family. Avoid aspirin, which can be a trigger for an attack. Inhalers help, but not always…

My petite 5ft 2in frame was no match for him It was a normal day at work. Except I’d left my office in central London a bit later than usual, at about 6.10pm, and stopped off on the way home to buy a train ticket to visit my sister on the south coast. So, by the time I arrived back at the train station near my north London home, it was just gone 7pm on Monday 9 May 1994. There were lots of people waiting at the bus stop by the underpass as I walked through it, as I did every night. Inside, a lad who looked in his teens came towards me. He was wearing jogging bottoms and had shaggy, mousey-coloured hair. His blue eyes stared straight at me…

Sainsbury's Mushroom Soup In A Cup, 4 x 23g, 60p Despite lots of mushroom pieces, this rich soup has a mild mushroom flavour. But it's a quick-and-easy lunch solution. Heinz Cream Of Mushroom Cup Soup, 4 x 17.5g, £1.20 This mixes in a jiffy into a beautiful, 8 smooth-consistency soup complete with a few pieces of mushroom, too. Ainsley Harriott Cream Of Wild Mushroom Cup Soup, 3 x 25g, £1.20 This has a good earthy-mushroom flavour and is rich and creamy. Ben & Jerry's Son of a… Wich, £4.99 for eight Vanilla chocolate-chip ice cream, sandwiched between two chocolate-chip cookies… Mini-sized, but will you be able to stop after one..?…

When I dropped my gown, my nerves just disappeared My surname is Pure. But now you’ve seen some of my photos, you might think that it should be Naughty! Astra Naughty! Except that really I’m the least-naughty person ever. Yes, I’m an artists’ model, which does mean that I pose naked for a living. Strangers will be seeing me starkers, while I pose for artists, students and photographers wearing nothing but my perm and best earrings. They sketch my bod from top to toe and watercolour my fancy bits and take pictures of me. But that doesn’t actually make me naughty. It makes me free. Eight years ago, I’d never imagined feeling so liberated. I’d started an Art course at Abraham Moss Adult Learning Centre in Manchester, and popped into…

PS… Blush Stick, £1.50, Primark Impressive staying power for such a bargain product! Top tip: Great for using on the go. Kiko Velvet Touch Creamy Stick Blush in Coral Rose, £7.90, www. kikocosmetics.com Leaves skin smooth and velvety. Top tip: Double up and use it on your lips, too! Collection Speedy Blush in Tickle Me Pink, £3.99, Superdrug Builds well for a lovely, natural look. Top tip: Light pinks work best for pale skin, coral for olive tones and brighter pinks for darker skin. Avon Cream Blush And Highlighter Duo, £8.50, www. avon.uk.com A double-ended hero - all you need to glow! Top tip: Cream blusher's better than powder for dry skin.…

I’d been a social smoker for years. Pain shot through my right eye and liquid sprayed all over me The thought of being scarred on my wedding day was upsetting But I’d given up before having my daughters Aymaris, now 2, and Ayviarna, 6 months. My ciggie cravings soon began to return, though. ‘I really fancy a fag,’ I sighed to my fiance Adam, 27, one night. But I was desperate not to pick up my bad habit again. ‘Why don’t you try an electronic cigarette,’ Adam suggested. ‘They’re healthier than normal ciggies.’ Though the vapour contains some nicotine, e-cigarettes don’t contain the many dangerous chemicals ‘traditional’ ones do. Adam used one, too. Only, on 22 January, my e-cigarette stopped working. I thought it needed a new battery. Adam was…

Jodi's lifeless body was lying not far from her bike The sample matched DNA found on Jodi's body Furlong kept a list of the names of local young girls THE STORY Jodi Christine Parrack had an idyllic childhood. She lived in the close-knit village of Constantine, in St Joseph County, Michigan, with her mother Valerie Jo Carver (also known as Jo Gilson), stepdad Kevin Carver and two brothers. It was a place where people left their doors unlocked, and kids played outside, worry-free. Jodi loved school, basketball and going to youth group. A kind, popular girl with blonde hair and a big smile, she loved animals, swimming and fishing. She was a child who lived by her school class motto: Love is like a hug, so hold onto it. On…