Table of contents for 15-Mar-2018 in Chat

It may be pouring down, but this tiny forest vole has it covered! A parasol mushroom provides a natural brolly for the 10cm-tall rodent – as well as a tasty treat! The creature sheltered for 15 minutes, climbing the stem when this titmouse flew down to hide from the rain and to snack on seeds that had fallen from a nearby tree. What a pretty pair! Now watch an adorable baby anteater cuddling a teddy bear after it had been abandoned by its mum. Go to lifedeathprizes.com  and search ‘anteater'.…

We were jumping around... Patty in her paper robe! Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for my first smear test. I didn’t know what to expect, but all women had them, after all. When the doctor examined me, he stopped suddenly. ‘You need an ultrasound,’ he said. ‘There’s a lump that needs checking.’ My mum, Teelaine, 50, raced us to hospital. There, tests found a tumour. ‘We’ll run some more tests,’ I was told. I went home, terrified. I was only 17… ‘What if it’s cancer?’ I wept to Mum. But there was more. As the tumour was in my uterus, I’d need a hysterectomy. ‘You won’t be able to have children,’ the doctor said. I slumped, sobbing. I’d always wanted kids. ‘We’ll get through it,’ Mum reassured me.…

I’d noticed I was forgetting things more and more As I reached the top of the stairs, I stood there, puzzled. ‘What did I come up here for again?’ I mumbled. We’ve all done it, haven’t we? Most people would curse themselves for being forgetful or put it down to a senior moment. But as I stood here now, a shiver of fear ran down me. Going back downstairs to where my partner of 11 years, Martin, was watching West Ham on the TV, I sat down. ‘I’ve decided. I want to take the test,’ I said softly. He switched the telly off. ‘Are you sure?’ he asked, knowing exactly what I meant. ‘Yes,’ I nodded. ‘It’s like a guillotine hanging over me. If we know, at least we can…

It tastes funny Q I haven't been able to taste much for a couple of weeks, and what I can taste, seems strange. What's wrong? Sylvie, 46 A One common cause is the aftermath of a cold or sinus infection, which should get better on its own. Other possibilities include smoking, a nose or brain injury, or the side-effects of some drugs. Stop smoking if you do, and check with your GP if your taste doesn't return. They’re so sore Q My hands are red and sore, even though I wear rubber gloves to wash-up. Why? Mel, 49 A Sounds like eczema. You're right to protect your hands, but you may now be sensitive to rubber gloves! Ask your chemist for cotton liners to wear inside them, moisturise your hands…

I was heartbroken ...couldn’t imagine life without him Peering down my aisle at the meat factory, I gazed longingly at a gorgeous bloke. Tall, dark and handsome, I thought. Swoon! I was 17, and Terry – a fellow factory worker – was my first crush. He was nine years older and drop-dead gorgeous. Always cracking jokes, making me laugh. Only...he was engaged. I’ve no chance, I thought. And soon I was over Terry, anyway. I’d met Andrew, who mixed in the same circle of friends as me. Lovely and kind, our friendship turned into romance. A few years later, in August 1983, we married and I left the factory to have our son, Lee. Andrew and I were so happy, and had three more kids, Daniel, Sophie and Nathan. But,…

We went out and bought eight more pregnancy tests! Watching my boyfriend Kevin playing with my mate’s kids, my heart melted. He’s a natural, I thought. It was early 2012 and Kevin and I had just got together. I worked in a pub in the Cotswolds, and Kevin, a charming local, had asked me out that January. Having kids was my dream. Kevin wanted children as well, and I knew he’d be an amazing dad. So when we moved in together a year later, we started trying for a baby. It was fun at first! But after a few months, we’d had no luck. ‘Be patient, love,’ Kevin said. It’s different for everyone.’ He was right, but deep down I wondered… Will it ever happen? And by the beginning of…

Winning by the seaside By Sherralea O’Brien, 43, from Gravesend Every year, me and my husband Nick, 61, and my son Charlie, 16, go to Devon on holiday. Last July, once we’d driven there, Charlie and Nick rushed straight to the beach. I had pre-bought six 10p tickets for the Tiki 90-ball Bingo at 8.30pm on my mobile. So, later that night, I watched my game play out, and I only needed a few numbers… Then my last numbers were called! I’d won £1,000! So, during our holiday we bought some new clothes and had lovely lunches and takeaways at night. Heading home after, we were on cloud nine. We always have a lovely holiday together – but last summer’s was extra-special. Which was all down to Chat Mag Bingo…

Serves: 8 Prep: 20 mins Cook: 45 mins Cost per serving: 78p Sweet treat 1 Heat the oven to 190C/Gas 5. Sprinkle a 23cm square baking tin with 1tbsp demerara sugar and arrange slices from 3 blood oranges to cover the base of the tin in a single layer. 2 Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat 6 eggs with 1tsp salt and 150g demerara sugar until light and fluffy (around 8 mins). Fold in 1tsp baking powder, 150g ground almonds and 100g plain flour. 3 Pour batter over orange slices. Bake for 35-45 mins. Leave to cool, then turn out on to a large serving plate or board. 4 Whip 200ml double cream with 1tbsp icing sugar and the seeds from 2 cardamom pods. Scatter the traybake with…

Serves: 6 Prep: 20 mins Cook: 25 mins Cost per serving: 94p 1 Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Parboil 600g potatoes for 5 mins, drain and set aside. When cooled, slice into rounds. 2 Put 500g shredded cabbage in boiling water to wilt, season well and stir in 220g shredded, cooked bacon or ham hock. 3 In a hot pan, scald 550ml double cream, 1tbsp butter and 1 garlic clove with pinch salt and pepper and set aside. 4 In a gratin dish, layer half the potatoes, 150g grated cheese, cabbage and ham. Add a layer of rest of potatoes, cover with the sauce and a sprinkle of cheese, plus a little finely-chopped parsley. 5 Bake for 25 mins until golden on top. Serve immediately.…

Doing Mum proud How devastating for Richard to lose his mum to cancer so young (Chat issue 5), but raising £120,000 for the hospice is incredible - hats off to him for choosing such tough challenges. Raising much-needed money for cancer charities and hospices is a wonderful thing to do. Fantastic work, Richard. Your mum would be proud of you. Piia Ainsworth, Manchester WE PAY CASH Well done, son! While out for a meal, the waitress asked my 10-year-old how he wanted his burger cooked. ‘Like a burger!’ he replied. When she managed to stop laughing, she said, ‘I meant rare, medium, or well done!’ Karen Lewis, Milton Keynes Star quality My all-time fave TV show is Call the Midwife, and my favourite actor is Daniel Laurie. I always warm…

Bright, sparkly and full of fun, she knocked my socks off! You never imagine you’ll meet The One in a supermarket car park. But that’s how it happened for me and Katie. We’d met through friends hanging around outside Tesco back in December 2004. ‘He fell for me straight away, among the old shopping trollies,’ Katie would tease. She was right, though. The moment I met her, I was smitten. I was 19, nervous and shy, while Katie, then 18, was the total opposite. Bright, sparkly and full of fun. With her dark-blonde hair and big smile, she knocked my socks off. That’s the girl for me! I thought. Thankfully, she agreed to go on a date. Then another, and another... As our relationship grew stronger, we took all the…

The smell of petrol was overpowering – and getting stronger... One minute I was dreaming peacefully in bed, the next, I was wrenched from my sleep. The sound of voices downstairs made me sit bolt upright in bed. ‘What’s that?’ I whispered, shaking my hubby Cameron, 33, awake. It was last April and we could hear people talking downstairs in our house. Horrifying! ‘Someone’s broken in!’ I gulped, heart pounding. Tiptoeing onto the landing, the smell of petrol hit me. Then I noticed smoke and dust rising up the stairs. ‘What the..?’ I gasped, terrified. My first thought was the kids. Our daughter Quaide, 4, and son Crewe, 3, were in their rooms. Quaide was crying, so I rushed in, scooped her up. Cameron grabbed Crewe. But, as we made…

Terrified, I had nightmares about the cyst bursting Looking at the teacher, I tried hard to concentrate...but my head was pounding. Not again, I thought. I was just a teenager but suffered terrible migraines. Medicine helped, but I thought I’d just have to live with them. Then, at 21, something terrifying happened… I went to bed and woke up surrounded by paramedics. Then I was rushed to Colchester General Hospital. I’d had an epileptic fit. My sister Laura had found me fitting in bed. Terrified, she and my parents had phoned 999. The seizure only lasted 20 minutes and had come on out of nowhere. I was sent for tests, including an MRI scan. It was then that it was discovered… ‘You have a cyst on the front of your…

Style Freedom Dry Shampoo, £7.99, Superdrug  No need to wash your hair every time you hit the gym. Spray on to your roots and brush through straight after to clean and revive your tresses. Sport FX Time Out Face Mist + Fix, £5.99, Sports Direct  Restore moisture to your skin after your workout with a quick spritz of this clever face mist. Its menthol formulation means that it also cools and refreshes. Westlab Epsom Salt Bath Fizzer, £2.99, Boots  Epsom salt has long been used by athletes to soothe sore muscles and help them recover. Pop under running water and soak in the tub for 20 minutes. Sure Pink Blush Antiperspirant, £2, Morrisons  Using MotionSense technology, this releases floral fragrance every time you move, helping you feel fresh during and…

I put my hand to my head, gasping as I saw blood Walking to the back of our shop, I picked up my bag and coat, ready to head home. What a long day! I thought. It was 1 March 2017, just after 5pm. Me and my husband Richard, 71, had owned the convenience store in Melton for 36 years. Only, suddenly, I heard yelling. ‘No! No!’ our assistant Sue, 65, shouted from behind the till. ‘Ann! Ann!’ she screamed. Panicking, I raced to the front of the shop. Then, I saw him. A man: dressed from head to toe in black, wearing gloves, his face covered with a hanky. He’d jumped over the counter, was behind the till. And he was brandishing an axe over poor Sue! Stunned, I…

This March there are lots of spring-tastic promotions and new games for our members to enjoy at Chat Mag Bingo. Visit our Promotions Page for more details on these and other great offers. FREEBIE BINGO ! ! A chance to win up to £50 Full Houses every day, absolutely free in the Cloud Bingo room! See details below* ON THE BOX! WIN A STATE-OF-THE-ART TV! Ready to get quizzical? Put your TV knowledge to the test in our quiz for your chance to win a state-of-the-art TV , plus prizes of a Bo x Bonanza game! Simply complete the quiz and if you play £30 or more on any games between 12-19 March you'll be entered into the prize draw . To enter both the TV and Bo x Bonanza…

My son Hadley, 1, crawled across the carpet and patted our pug Dave on the back. Dave gave him an affectionate lick, then plodded off. Bless! I thought. Hadley was only a baby but I could tell how much he loved animals. We had two cats – Bear and Tazz – and he loved stroking them, as well. Me and his dad were animal lovers, so Hadley was a chip off the old block. As Hadley got older, he was forever out in the garden. He’d watch the birds in the trees and squirrels frolicking on the lawn. It wasn’t just cute creatures that Hadley adored, though. He loved finding creepy crawlies, too. But Hadley never disturbed them. ‘Mummy, look!’ he’d say, pointing to a snail at the end of…

1 Trek Teide National Park The black-hued soil of Teide National Park is the result of many volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago. You can wander among the rocks and pine trees of the volcanoes in the park. A two-hour, 5k trek around the Samara volcano is an ideal morning walk. 2 Spot the stars At 12,198ft, Mount Teide is Spain's highest peak and, as one of the best places on Earth to view the stars, it's an amazing experience. Take the cable car to the top for a Sunset and Stars tour early evening. 3 Whale watch Float along in a catamaran while bottlenose whales swim alongside. Take a Freebird Catamaran from the dock at Puerto Colon on the Costa Adeje out into the bay to spot whales and…

Felixstowe, Suffolk, is a traditional and peaceful seaside port. Known for its sand-and-shingle beach, long promenade and beautiful, seafront gardens, it’s a picture-perfect British beach location. Home to a whole host of beautiful, fascinating sights. Yet none so strange as the one seen by three friends driving through the town, one autumn night... On the evening of 20 September 1965, friends Geoffrey Maskey, Mavis Fordyce and Michael Johnson were driving through the town, heading toward Essex. At around 10.30pm, the young people pulled up along the tree-lined Walton Avenue. As they laughed and chattered, it came as a surprise when Michael abruptly opened his car door and walked off into the murky night. Why was he heading into the woods? And why hadn’t he said what he was doing? Geoffrey…

Aries 21 March - 20 April If you’ve a hunch, or if you can see an opportunity that others have missed, go for it! Pay no attention to those who say it can’t be done - your luck’s in for the next few days, and even fluke shots can still be winners! Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May Rules and regulations mean a lot of the things you used to do without a second thought are now carefully controlled, and this week you’ll get a clear reminder of that. Spoiling your fun? No, just keeping you safe. Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June Money matters need attention. You can probably afford the first step towards making your dream…

Sobbing, I took him in my arms, kissed his forehead... As I cooked dinner, my boys chatted quietly in the next room. ‘When we grow up, we should live near Mum,’ my youngest Edvin, then 10, said to his big brother Edward, 18. ‘So we can look after her when she’s an old lady.’ Bless him! It was late 1998, I was a single mum, and Edvin was my ray of sunshine. He’d been born with a severe squint, started wearing glasses at three months. But he didn’t care, loved reading, sport. Played football, tennis, liked swimming. He was a huge Arsenal fan, and played footy for school and a local team. Edvin was a joker, too, always ready with a quip and a laugh. His quiet confidence made him…

Lea-Sophie’s parents, known only as Nicole G and Stefan T, were found guilty of child abuse and murder. They were each sentenced to 11 years, nine months in prison. Judge Robert Piepel slammed them for denying their daughter help, which he said would have been so easy to get. ‘Both of the accused stood by and did nothing while their own flesh and blood wasted away in misery,’ he said. Nicole continued to weep throughout her sentencing hearing and told the court she wanted to be a ‘good mother’. She said her failure to seek help for her little girl was unforgivable. ‘I could have saved her,’ she sobbed.…

Tesco Free From Chocolate Chip Cookies, 145g, £1.30 Simple, but pleasant and a fair amount of chocolate. They ticked the most free-from boxes, having no gluten, wheat or milk. Co-op Irresistible All Butter Triple Chocolate Cookies, 200g, £1.49 A silky-smooth chocolate coating, but a little chewy. Only gluten-free. Asda Extra Special Free From Belgian Triple Chocolate Cookies, 150g, £1.80 Intense choc flavour, soft and crumbly, gluten- and wheat-free - but you'd never guess! NEW Mr Kipling Limited Edition Unicorn Slices, £1.75, Asda  These'll make you smile! Pink batter sandwiches a vanilla-flavour mallow filling, and is topped with purple icing.…

Once, a man punched me in the face as I got off the bus Sitting on the wall, I kicked my heels against the brickwork. ‘Join in!’ my identical twin brother Matt, 7, yelled as he and a friend booted a football round. I shook my head and glanced back at the house longingly. Inside, my sisters Carol,13, Donna, 12 and Kelly, 11, were probably playing dolls and doing each other’s hair. I’d much rather be doing that, I thought sadly. But I knew better than to say anything. Red-faced and sweaty, Matt ran up. ‘You OK?’ he asked. Typical twins, me and Matt were close. No matter what, we always protected one another. A year earlier, aged 6, I’d knocked down a shed door to stop him being bullied…

She didn’t like being different from her friends I was 22 and pregnant with my first child when I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. ‘It’ll clear up once you’ve given birth,’ the doctor said. It didn’t. Daniel arrived in September 1982, but I continued to suffer with complications. Over the years, I battled endless painful ulcers on my feet and legs. Then, in June 2012, after 20 years of hell, medics suggested I have my right leg amputated below the knee. It was a daunting choice, but one I had to make. It could mean the end of nasty infections and walker boots. And it was. Family and friends were brilliant as I learned to cope as an amputee. But I needed advice and support from people who’d been…

The answers to all these general knowledge questions - except one - are in the grid in various directions. To be this week's Chat Big Quiz champion, work out which answer is missing. This is your prize answer. Answers are in alphabetical order in each section. THE SILVER SCREEN – DANCE 1 What’s the name of the 2000 movie about a young boy in County Durham who wants to take up ballet, rather than boxing, with Jamie Bell in the title role? (5, 6) 2 Which great US ‘hoofer’ starred with Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor in the singing and dancing extravaganza Singin’ in the Rain? (4, 5) 3 Which actor starred in and directed the multi-Oscar-winning 1990 movie Dances with Wolves? (5, 7) WHERE IN THE WORLD? FRANCE 4…

It’d be nice to see how the other half lives! Scrolling through the TV guide, I nudged my wife Kim, then 31. ‘Let’s watch this... it’s called Rich House, Poor House,’ I said. ‘Uh-huh,’ she said, eyes glued to her phone. But I thought it sounded fascinating. The Channel 5 show involved one family who struggled financially, swapping lives with a well-off family for a week. It was a real eye-opener. The families lived in each other’s houses, to each other’s budgets – and Kim was soon gripped, too. ‘I can’t believe how much money some people have,’ she sighed. We were the other end of the scale. It was February 2017, and we had two children – Freddie, then 10, and Olivia, 7. And, 18 months earlier, Kim had…