Table of contents for 14-May-2020 in Chat

Amber was trapped in a dangerous cycle until a lovely shock gave her something to fight for (p41). The vicious murder of Helene remained a mystery for 40 years. Would the police ever get their man (p58)? And find out why Jess is saying a big thank you to a special group of brave ladies (p62). We’ve got more real-life reads, plus the regular features, puzzles and prizes you love–including cosy lounge wear (p12) and tasty takes on midweek meals (p44). Stay safe and well this week.…

Fibre facts Only 14% of adults know that the recommended daily intake of fibre is 30g per day. Not getting enough can cause constipation, weight gain and even bowel cancer.* Swap and see Swap your usual body lotion for this Dove Beauty Sleep Bedtime Bliss Body Lotion, £6.59, Boots. With expert dermatological care and infused with lavender, pamper your body and get a refreshing night’s sleep. Could your back pain be cancer? With pancreatic cancer not showing any symptoms in the early stages, it can be extremely difficult to diagnose. But one symptom to look out for is pain in the  back or the stomach that’s worse when lying down. According to Cancer Research UK, this pain may also be worse after eating, and can be relieved when sitting up. The…

CATCHING THE BEAST ‘The Beast of Birkenshaw’ began his murder spree in January 1956. Serial killer Peter Manuel raped and killed Anne Kneilands, 17, on an East Kilbride golf course. In September that year, Manuel shot dead Marion Watt, 45, her 16-year-old daughter Vivienne and her sister Margaret Brown, 41. Manuel was convicted of seven murders and was hanged at Barlinnie Prison in July 1958. His last words were allegedly, ‘Turn up the radio and I’ll go quietly.’ DOUBLE KILLING? Were two women murdered by the same man on 7 August 1956? The bodies of Mary Pearson, 45, and Anita Marjorie Smith, 26, were discovered in separate houses just a few miles apart in Manchester. Mary had been sexually assaulted, as well as burned and stabbed to death with a…

Serial killers are dangerous and unpredictable. Yet society has a long-standing fascination with them and their merciless killings. They’re the subject of countless documentaries, films and TV series. It seems we want to get to the bottom of exactly what it takes to become a serial killer. Is it nature or nurture, are there signs and personality traits to look out for? Research reveals there are a few characteristics that some of the world’s most notorious killers have in common.* STAR SIGN Pisces and Sagittarius top the list for zodiac signs of serial killers. Born 17 March 1942, John Wayne Gacy was a Pisces. Gacy raped and murdered at least 33 young men. He first murdered a 16-year-old boy and buried most of his victims under his house. Known for…

Top tip Why not try salmon instead? Gourmet fish-finger sarnie SERVES 2 PREP TIME 15 MINS COOK TIME 15 MINS • 200g skinless, boneless cod fillets, cut into thick strips• 2tbsp plain flour• 75g breadcrumbs• Zest of 2 lemons• 1 egg, beaten• 2tbsp sunflower oil• 2tbsp mayonnaise• 3 gherkins, chopped• 1tbsp parsley, roughly chopped• 1tsp lemon juice• 1 mini ciabatta, halved• Rocket leaves 1 Put the fish pieces into a large bowl and add the plain flour. Season well and toss together until the fish pieces are well coated. In a separate bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and lemon zest. 2 Dip each piece of cod in the beaten egg, then in the breadcrumbs to coat. Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan until hot. Add the fish fingers and…

Mount Elbert is the highest peak in which mountain range? Solve the crossword, then read down the yellow squares. The yellow shaded squares will spell out the prize answer. ACROSS 1 Revolutionary (5) 4 Highest card (3) 6 _ Bush, singer (4) 7 Secret agent (3) DOWN 1 _ Gervais, comedian (5) 2 Sailing vessels (5) 3 Bruce _, actor and martial artist (3) 5 Type of mushroom (3) WIN £5 0 Puzzle 17 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 60 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/win…

Helene Pruszynski, 21, had her whole life ahead of her. An aspiring journalist, she sang in the choir, studied at Wheaton College in Massachusetts. But in January 1980, an opportunity arose that she couldn’t possibly turn down. Work experience at KHOW-AM, a radio station in Denver. Luckily, her aunt lived in the area and invited her to stay. So, each day, Helene, with her beaming smile, walked the six blocks to a bus stop to take her journey to the radio station. Only, just two weeks later, on 16 January 1980, Helene never returned from her day’s work experience. Her worried aunt called the police at 10.30pm. But sadly, the following day, Helene’s body was found by a passer-by in a field. She was naked from the waist down, her…

WIN £1,001 Puzzle 5 What connects singer Paul McCartney and actor Kate Winslet? Solve the crossword, then read the shaded squares for the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 1 Arm joint (5) 4 __ Moore, actress who starred in Ghost (4) 6 Inspector Morse actor (4,4) 13 Fret, worry (7) 14 Small mammal with grey fur and white stripes (7) 15 Broader (5) 16 Football match (4) 17 Thin (6) 18 Cold symptom (6) 20 Uncommon (4) 21 Cinema worker (5) 22 Advance warning (6) 25 Australian island (8) 28 Citrus fruit (6) 30 Evenly or fairly balanced (5) 32 Plant that produces soothing juice (4,4) 34 Casualty (6) 35 Reflection of sound (4) 38 Work hard (6) 39 Thin porridge (5) 40 Without pigment (6) 43 Finding __, sequel to…

The jury rejected an insanity defence–where the defendant admits the action but asserts a lack of culpability based on mental illness. And last September, Ronald Lee Haskell, 39, was found guilty of capital murder. The jury took four hours to deliberate between life in prison without parole, or a death sentence. After a unanimous decision, Haskell was sentenced to death by lethal injection. ‘I never imagined  that my family would pay such a high price for mine and my children’s freedom,’ his ex-wife Melannie Lyon said at the hearing. Just moments after receiving the death sentence, Ronald Haskell locked eyes with the single survivor of his devastating shooting spree. Cassidy Stay, whose whole family was massacred in front of her, told Haskell, ‘I hope that when you die, you will get…

She can’t keep her saliva in Q My mum’s started dribbling sometimes. Is something wrong? I don’t like mentioning it! Miranda, Grantham A Dribbling means she’s either making too much saliva, or isn’t able to clear it. We make about a litre of saliva every day and swallow it without noticing, but conditions such as Parkinson’s disease can prevent swallowing muscles from working properly, so saliva builds up and dribbles out. Other possibilities include strokes, motor neurone disease, the side effects of some drugs or poisons, or mouth and throat infections. Hormone changes mean some women produce more saliva and dribble when pregnant. False teeth that don’t fit correctly can lead to dribbling because your lips can’t close properly. Sleeping on your front or side can cause dribbling at night.…

Gathered around the bar with friends, I said my ‘hellos’ to the usual suspects. A few rounds of drinks and a catch-up… laughter filled the pub. As it always did in our local on a Friday night. Only, that evening in January 2019, I recognised a familiar face I hadn’t seen in years. ‘Long time!’ I said as I caught his eye. William Simpson, then 47, and I shared a few mutual friends. He was always good fun, a guaranteed laugh in the boozer. Chatting away, we got on so well. A few drinks led to flirtatious banter. Age is just a number, I thought, realising the age gap between us. By the end of the night, we’d exchanged numbers. In a matter of days, we were an item. And…

Pushing a slither of roast chicken around my plate, I sighed. ‘Not hungry, love?’ my grandma asked. ‘I had a huge lunch,’ I lied. Seeing my mum’s worried expression, I shoved a piece of broccoli in my mouth. It was December 2012 and that was the first thing I’d eaten in days. It all started in July 2011, a few days after my niece, 2, died suddenly. Her death had shaken me. Grief took over and I lost my appetite completely. Only managed to eat one small meal a day. Mum tried to look after me, but she was consumed with grief, too. In the September, I’d gone back to college to study Childcare. ‘You’ve lost weight, Amber,’ my friends said. ‘You look great!’ After the grief, the compliments felt…

Closing the door behind me, I slipped off my heels and chucked my bag on the sofa. It was the early hours of a Sunday morning in April 2002. I’d just got back home from a party. Working long hours as an architect, I always looked forward to the weekend. Out with friends, partying until late. I had a busy social life, a thriving job, and no money worries. But there was still one thing missing. Love. Finding The One was the only thing I ever worried about. ‘You’ll meet someone,’ my friends reassured. Easy for them to say, most were settled down. At 31, it felt like the clock was ticking, and I was beginning to wonder if Mr Right was even out there. Only that very night, being…

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True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK When I first spotted a small red bump on my daughter’s face, I wasn’t too worried. But, within days, that pimple had turned into a nasty cold sore. ‘I didn’t even know kids this young could get cold sores,’ I said to my husband Jodie, 41. Daisy, then 1, was still so small. And now, she was in agony. Every time she cried or opened her mouth, the sore split open. She’d try to rub it, clearly exasperated. ‘Don’t, sweetheart, you’ll make it worse,’ I soothed. Weeks after this one had cleared up, another sore appeared in its place. I took Daisy to the GP. He explained they’re caused by the herpes simplex virus. A cuddle with someone who had the virus may have led to her…

I’m still a virgin Q I’m a 24-year-old lad and embarrassed I’m still a virgin. I’ve had girlfriends but they were nothing serious. We messed about but didn’t have sex. I used to play rugby and the lads would be going on about who they were having sex with. Some were much younger than me. Once lockdown is over, do you think I should just pay a prostitute and get it over with? Freddie, 24 A What’s the rush, Freddie? Is it that you can’t join in the banter? You don’t have to be like everyone else. Why not lose it the natural way, with someone you have feelings for? There’s no hurry, it doesn’t matter how old you are. When’s the wedding? Q I’ve been engaged to my partner since…

3 ways to… slash how much water you use Cut the amount of water you get through each day with these handy tips. 1 Analyse how much you use Work out exactly how much water your household uses. Digital tools like getwaterfit.co.uk analyse your usage and give you advice on how you can cut it. My house has a meter and the website reckoned I could save over £100 a year by taking steps like cutting the length of showers by a minute and by fixing a leaking kitchen tap. It also showed me how much energy I would save too. 2 Remember, it all adds up Consider what other changes you can make. For example, fill a jug and keep it in the fridge for when you want a…

Aries 21 March-20 April Try not to cut your nose off to spite your face when you’re needed to help someone out that you’re not keen on. You’ll find yourself in high demand. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Be the first to congratulate someone over a proposal, even if you think it won’t last. Your gratitude will show when you’re eventually invited to attend the event. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June An older relative asks you to go round to help tidy up. Being your true self you’ll want to go straight there with your mop and bucket, but keep your distance. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July A discussion with someone leads…

Q I want some new skincare basics that don’t break the bank. What would you advise? Val Johnston, 34, Glasgow A Cleansing is one of the most important parts of any good skincare regime; try reusable Face Halo, £7, which shifts make-up using water alone, then do an all over cleanse with The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter, £11–a smidgen goes a very long way. One-stop-shop serums are a great money saver and won’t irritate your skin with lots of complicated ingredients. We like Superdrug B. Nourished Advanced Serum, £14.99, with hyaluronic acid, energising peptides and brightening niacinamide. Finally, protect yourself with Nivea Sun UV Face SPF50 shine control, £7.99. It never lets us down. LETTER of the week! TRIED AND TESTED PRETTY PINKS Heathcoat & Ivory Pinks &…

Chat winners issue 7 (13 February 2020) £1,001 CASH T Havell, Mitcham £1,000 CASH D Roberts, Bridgwater £500 CASH E Knight, Chichester; Y Grice, Sheffield £250 CASH R Saunders, Cheltenham £150 CASH G Platts, Worksop £100 CASH M Riley, Wednesbury; S Hale, Freshwater; N McKenzie, Birkenhead; F McGrory, Canterbury; L May, Southend-on-Sea £60 CASH E Dovenor, Hartlepool £50 CASH J Edwards, Kidderminster; R Wilson, Musselburgh; S O’Toole, Hemel Hempstead £30 CASH P Harvey, Bristol; J Sims, Sheffield; S Douglas, Northampton; D Humphrey, Scarborough; P Williams, New Romney £25 CASH V Armour, Isle of Mull; S Gatrell, Southampton; P Wheeler, Owlsmoor; A Gateshill, South Shields; A Foxall, Kidderminster; J Ravenwolf, Castleford; S Grehan, Newport; C Mayfield, Penzance; J Kennett, Loughton Anyone from your town in the list this week..? PUZZLE 1…