Table of contents for 11 August 2022 in Chat

As a roller-coaster wimp, I’ve never forgotten the 2015 accident at Alton Towers, especially Leah, who lost a leg that day. This week she tells us what’s happened since and no spoilers but it really made me smile (p37). More grins are guaranteed with Gangsta Granny (p30). Who says nans have to stick to knitting? There’s loads more to get stuck into so I won’t keep you a second longer. Have a great week! PS If you’re entering the puzzles online, this is the link to use: comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Debbie Leigh-Jones, 65, Erdington Flicking through the dresses in my wardrobe, I settled on a silky red number. ‘Perfect,’ I smiled, folding it into my bag. It was November 2020 and I was packing to stay with my boyfriend John, 64. We’d been together for 10 months and he was so kind and caring. He lived in Nottingham, 50 miles from my home in Erdington, so we took it in turns to visit at weekends. It was wonderful to have some companionship, as I’d lost my husband to liver cancer the previous year. The one drawback? I didn’t like leaving my cats Bellamy and Sami home alone. So thank goodness for kind neighbours! Sue from next door was always happy to help, along with her husband Bill. They had a…

Clare Simpson, 36, from Leigh, Greater Manchester As a chorus of giggles exploded from the living room, I poked my head round the door. My eldest daughter, Millie, then 6, was shaking with laughter as my youngest, Link, 14 months, was lying on top of his 4-year-old sister, Sophie. Catching sight of me, Link pointed to the TV. ‘PAW Patrol!’ he cheered. It was March 2019 and I loved my crazy, happy family fiercely. After me and my hubby Brad had the girls, Millie had requested a baby brother. And in January 2018, our little boy did indeed arrive. Link’s happy personality completed our family. Millie mothered him, changing his nappy, while Sophie taught him how to jump off the sofa! A few days later, I noticed a lump on…

They were two young mums with a lot of shared experiences. Sydney Parmelee and her friend Kaylee Lyons had grown up together. They celebrated their birthdays just days apart. Had both attended the same school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Had their photos next to each other in the 2014 high school yearbook. By 2020, Sydney, then 23, was at college, training to be a paediatric nurse. Friends described her as being headstrong and free-spirited. She was also a devoted mum to her children. Had a son and a daughter with her on-off boyfriend Davone Anderson. Kaylee, also 23, had a job at a primary school. Honest to a fault, she was a spirited woman who loved her baby son. The father of her little boy? Davone Anderson. It appeared that their…

Baths leave me leaking Q Water leaks from my vagina for hours after a bath or swimming – is that normal? Tina, Colchester A Dribbling like this after a bath or swim is quite common, although sometimes women mistake it for a urine leak. Normally, tone in the muscles surrounding your vagina together with natural suppleness and elasticity in the walls of your vagina will prevent water from entering when you’re underwater. But if you’ve lost muscle tone and suppleness, usually as a result of childbirth or age after the menopause, bath or pool water can enter and will run out, either immediately or in dribbles over minutes or hours. For a quick fix try wearing a tampon while in the water, or gently squeezing out water afterwards with a…

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 Richard Emerson, Grimsby, NE Lincs ACROSS 1 Wealthy 2 Repeated sound 3 Miss one out 4 Northern river DOWN 1 Relax 2 Something distasteful 3 Lower facial feature 4 Desire WIN 5x £20 Puzzle 6 Your answer: HALF & HALF The Britannia Royal Naval College is based on the estuary of which river? Cross out a letter in each square to get a grid filled with words. The uncrossed out letters in the shaded squares give the prize answer. WIN 3x£50 Puzzle 7 Your answer: BRICK TRICK Tabby cats get their name from tabis, a wavy-patterned…

ARROW WORD The Zwinger and the Semperoper are landmarks in which European city? 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. WIN 2x £500 Puzzle 10 Your answer: SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 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 answer. WIN 2x £30 Puzzle 11 Your answer: WORDSEARCH Which of these tennis terms is also the name of the 1990s pop group with whom British make-up artist Lisa Armstrong had a Top 20 hit? The answer is the one missing from the grid. BREAK COURT DEUCE…

FILL ME IN The Grand Serail and the Baabda Palace are the official residences of the prime minister and president of which country? 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. WIN £100 Puzzle 14 Your answer: CIRCLE TIME Which is the only discipline in fencing in which hits with any part of the blade can score? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters AGO ASS EAR EGO ERA HAT THE THY WHO YES 4 letters ALSO GALA HALO HEAT OATH OBOE SEAT 5 letters AUDIO EATEN SHIRT 6 letters ANYWAY ASSIST ATTIRE DAINTY SOOTHE STEREO 8 letters EMOTIONS WIN £100 Puzzle…

3 ways to… manage your cash with apps If you want to keep track of your money, the answer could be in your phone. 1 Track your spending With Money Dashboard, after you link your online current accounts, savings accounts and credit cards, your transactions will be categorised into groups, such as bills, groceries or holidays, so you can see where your money is going. Plus you can receive notifications when your balance is low and bills are due. The app is free on iOS and Android. Visit moneydashboard.com. 2 Better ways to budget The Emma app lets you sync your budgets to payday and suggests where you can save cash on bills, such as broadband. Like Money Dashboard, it also tracks spending and categorises it once you connect all…

Treat yourself to Faith In Nature’s range of shampoos and conditioners with 25% off all 400ml bottles, including this Coconut Shampoo (400ml), which contains organic coconut oil and leaves hair nourished and brimming with tropical aromas. WAS £6.50, NOW £4.87, at faithinnature.co.uk until 31 August 2022. Subject to availability. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with other offers. Free P&P on orders over £30. Offer correct at time of going to press.…

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. One answer can’t be found in the grid. This is your prize answer. ALARM 1 Which hit by The Monkees has the line, ‘Oh, I could hide ‘neath the wings, Of the bluebird as she sings, The six o’clock alarm would never ring.’? (8,8) 2 A sacred flock of which type of birds is said to have raised the alarm when the ancient Gauls attempted to take the Capitoline Hill in Rome? (5) 3 Which space sitcom featured the exchange, ‘Step up to red alert.’ ‘Sir, are you absolutely…

Bondi Sands Gold’n Hour Vitamin C Serum, £9.99, Boots If anyone knows a thing or two about glowing skin, it is a brand inspired by the sunshine climate of Australia. Their new Vitamin C serum is enriched with kakadu plum and liquorice root extract that will have you radiating a summer glow throughout the day. Palmer’s Coconut Water Facial Moisturiser, £7.50, Tesco This lightweight moisturiser will leave your skin plump and radiant. A fruity blend of coconut water and papaya enzymes will deeply nourish and soothe the skin. Perfect for everyday use. Morphe Making You Blush Sculpting Powder Blush, £13, lookfantastic.com Perfect for summer evenings, this pretty blush provides a hint of colour to your face with a subtle shimmer. Its velvety formula swipes over the skin, seamlessly creating a…

TEXT Simply text CHATA followed by a space and your answer/s (spaces between answers please) full name, door number and postcode to 63333 Texts cost 50p plus standard network charge (maximum 160 characters per text). When you enter by text, you may in future get SMS marketing messages from Future plc and Chat. If you want to receive these, please end your text with OPTIN. Texting tips • Don’t put any spaces in an answer that has several words: eg: CHATISTHEBEST not CHAT IS THE BEST. • If the answer is a name, you need only give the surname: eg: CLOONEY not GEORGE CLOONEY. • You can use capitals or small letters, but don’t use any commas, etc. • Leave out answers you don’t wish to enter. INTERNET Join our…

To my amazing dad Egbert, Coming back from honeymoon in October 2010, you and Mum were the first I called on, bursting to share news from our trip. But you had news, too… ‘I have an enlarged prostate, probably cancer,’ you told me. You were calm and accepting, I was devastated. You were only 71. As a nurse managing urology services, I wanted to support you in my professional capacity, but also as your daughter. Two weeks later, tests confirmed the cancer, and it’d spread to your pelvis. ‘Surgery isn’t an option, but for now hormone treatment should keep you well,’ your doctor said. You were given two years to live. I tried to keep my brave nurse’s face on, but it was impossible. ‘We’ll make the most of our…

My adorable pup Bonnie is such a good girl, she even carries her own treats to the park! Josie Elsworthy, Bournemouth To celebrate his 6th birthday, my son Jonathan had a roaring good time at crazy golf! Rebecca Lamont, Belfast Spot the difference! My dad Andreas, 84, was chuffed with this lookalike drawing of him. Maria Ioannou, Hertfordshire What better way to spend our 25th wedding anniversary than lounging in sunny Lanzarote? Silvia and Paul Simpson, St Albans Isn’t my daughter the cutest firefighter you’ve ever seen? Here she is ready for action at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, New York. Clare Matthew, Essex We pay £25 for any photos that we use on Chat To Us! Murray, my dad’s cat, may be named after tennis champion Andy Murray, but I…

TANG-TASTIC TOPS STYLE TIP If you’re opting for a busy pattern on top then go for plain bottoms to balance. BRIGHT BOTTOMS STYLE TIP Sunset shades look great in flowing fabrics like chiffon and ruffle styles. HOT ACCESSORIES STYLE TIP Ease yourself into bold colours by trying a bright accessory to elevate your look. DREAM DRESSES FROM £2 STYLE TIP Pair with a neutral bag, like white or gold, rather than black, which can look too stark.…

Davone Anderson, 27, was convicted of murdering Sydney Parmelee and her friend Kaylee Lyons – his girlfriends and the mothers of his children – in two separate shootings 25 days apart. He was also convicted of killing Kaylee’s unborn child. For the murder of Sydney Parmelee on 5 July 2020, the jury delivered a deadlocked verdict resulting in a life prison sentence. For the murder of Kaylee Lyons on 30 July 2020, the jury sentenced Anderson to death. The jury’s reasoning was that, while the first murder alone did not warrant a death sentence, the aggravating factor of the defendant knowing that he had already killed once when he killed again weeks later pushed them towards the death penalty. As the jury’s foreman starkly called out, ‘Death,’ the courtroom was…

1 Reduce blood pressure Breathing through your left nostril may help lower heart rate and blood pressure, according to an Indian study. ‘Place your right index and middle finger in the space between your eyebrows, then close off your right nostril with your right thumb,’ says yoga expert Naomi Costantino. Using just your left nostril, aim for six minutes of long, slow breathing. 2 Increase energy ‘Sit with your spine tall and shoulders relaxed, then breathe in through your nose so your belly naturally rises like a balloon. ‘The exhale should have a “swoosh” sound to it, and your belly should draw back to your spine,’ says expert Aimee Hartley. ‘Continue for 10 breaths.’ 3 Relieve pain When we’re in discomfort, our breathing often increases (think stepping into a cold…

Fiona Hooker, 33, Basingstoke Cradling my bump as a tiny but forceful kick rippled through my tummy, I began to scratch. Strange, but that morning I’d begun to feel an itch on my belly. It was April 2021 and I was 31 weeks pregnant with my second child. I tugged up my top and peered down. And there, around my belly button, was a cluster of odd pink spots. ‘Must’ve been bitten by something,’ I said to my husband Warren, then 34. But the spots didn’t clear up. Instead, more appeared over the following days and formed into a horrible rash. And they were so itchy. ‘I can’t leave them alone,’ I grimaced. I rang the GP. ‘Eczema,’ he suggested, and prescribed a steroid cream – but I’d never had…

The Great St Wilfrid Stakes, named for the city’s patron saint, is run at which racecourse each August? Solve the crossword, then read down the yellow squares. The yellow shaded squares will spell out the competition answer. ACROSS 1 Batman’s sidekick (5) 4 Man City manager, _ Guardiola (3) 6 Writer of verse (4) 7 Actor, _ Aykroyd (3) DOWN 1 Fashion designer, __ Lauren (5) 2 Two-legged creature (5) 3 Pinch sharply (3) 5 Arrival time (1,1,1) WIN 3x £20 Puzzle 13 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

I’m in love with someone else Q I’ve been having an affair with a much older married man. I love my boyfriend, but I can’t imagine my life without my lover. He says he’ll leave his wife for me and that he wants us to get married. But I don’t want to hurt anyone. What should I do? Valerie, 39 A I think the question that needs answering is, do you still love your boyfriend? We can’t help who we fall for, but if you can’t live without your lover, it’s time to make a choice, sweetheart. Regardless of whether your lover will leave his wife, you need to figure this out. If you’re not in love with your current partner, then it’s time to let them go. Should I…

Cheesy shells This dish is bound to be a crowd pleaser – just don’t mention the hidden veggies to the kids! SERVES 4 PREP TIME 10 MINS COOK TIME 10 MINS • 2tbsp olive oil • 2 cloves garlic, crushed • 400g can chopped tomatoes • 500g courgette, chopped • 20 giant pasta shells (conchiglioni) • 250g soft cheese 1 Heat 1tbsp of the oil in a pan over medium heat, add the garlic and chopped tomatoes, then simmer for 5 mins. In a separate pan, fry the courgette in the remaining oil for 7 mins. 2 Meanwhile, cook your pasta shells in slightly salted boiling water, according to pack instructions, then drain. 3 Heat the grill to high. Stir the soft cheese into the courgettes and season, then spoon the mixture…

Aries 21 March-20 April Arrange a quiet night with a new friend to talk, laugh and discuss the future. There is more to this friendship than you realise and it could be a lifelong connection. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Sometimes the starlight brings special magic, as you make some decisions about the future. Test the waters with your plans and you’ll see where you’re heading. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June Making time to relax will help you focus your mind, as this week is so busy and you don’t know if you’re coming or going. Make a time-management list. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Big ideas will become reality with Mercury…

Q I want to try a new cleanser but don’t know where to start. Can you help? Molly Perry, Doncaster A Cleansing is an essential part of your skincare routine. It rids the skin of impurities, provides hydration and boosts the efficacy of other products you use. A foaming cleanser such as the CeraVe Foaming Cleanser, £14, Boots, feels lovely on the skin as it bursts into a lather when combined with water. It is suitable for normal to oily skin types – thanks to the niacinamide, which controls oil and clarifies congested skin. The Byoma Creamy Jelly Cleanser, £9.99, Boots, will gently remove impurities while providing a dose of skin-loving ingredients such as ceramides and antioxidants that will ensure your skin barrier is functioning at its best. Cleansing balms…

RACHEL CHADWICK, 38, FROM DORSET, SAYS: Clare Donovan is a real hero in her local community. Working for many years as a secondary school maths teacher, Clare, 37, always held an ambition to work in the food industry. So she decided to reduce her teaching hours and work part-time to build her cooking qualifications and experience, running local community cooking groups and workshops. In January 2020, Clare launched Cooking Champions, a food-focused social enterprise in north London. During the pandemic, Cooking Champions provided groceries, meals and pop-up cafes for local individuals and families in need, homeless people and NHS workers. So far, Clare and all the other amazing volunteers have made over 49,000 meals! Now, not only does Clare run Cooking Champions full-time, she also hosts fundraisers, workshops and more.…

Shoe clue Make more space for shoes in the cupboard by placing pairs in plastic sandwich bags. They take up less space, and the shoes can’t fall through any gaps. Bridie Banwell, Wesham, Lancashire Oh-sow clever Save and use plastic food containers from the supermarket –they’re ideal for sowing seeds on the windowsill. Margaret and John Soley, Macduff, Aberdeenshire Worth its salt You will make your favourite candles last and burn for longer if you sprinkle table salt onto the melted wax. Jane Baker, Warrington, Cheshire Soggy socks If you’re struggling to sleep because of the hot weather, soak a pair of socks in cold water before putting them on. It will instantly cool your feet and help you get to sleep! Maria Conrad, Wickford, Essex Thanks a million! Why…

What connects chef Jamie Oliver and actor Orlando Bloom? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the four-word prize answer. ACROSS 1 See 28 Across 4 Clean with water (4) 6 Offerings (8) 13 Have faith (7) 14 Gained knowledge (7) 15 High-born (5) 16 Hurry (4) 17 Chewy sweet (6) 18 Mean (6) 20 Long journey on foot (4) 21 Coffee made with hot milk (5) 22 Make very angry (6) 25 Bring to mind (8) 28/1 Creator of Star Wars (6,5) 30 US state (5) 32 Desire for food (8) 34 South Pacific island (6) 35 Overdue (4) 38 Aquatic reptile (6) 39 _ Thunberg, Swedish activist (5) 40 Excite (6) 43 Scottish actor, _ McGregor (4) 44 Slice of bacon…

The advice you need Monika Mateja, 44, Ash, Surrey Lying in bed, I could barely move my head. It was 1997, and for the past two weeks I’d been growing weaker. My weight dropped rapidly, and soon I could barely climb the stairs. When my hair started falling out, I knew I needed to see my GP. But after blood tests, I was sent home to wait for the results. At 17, I should’ve been out with my friends or studying for my A-levels. ‘I just want answers,’ I cried to my mum. And then my doctor called. ‘You need to come to the hospital now,’ she said. Racing there with my mum and dad, I knew that something had to be really wrong. But nothing could have prepared me…

Vicki Sinclair, 37, Backworth Walking along the beach, I watched a group of seals play on the rocks. ‘They’re so cute,’ I told my friend, snapping a photo. It was an evening in April 2022, and we’d decided to watch the seals by the lighthouse. I loved living near the sea, especially because of the marine life. In 2020, I joined Newbiggin-by-the-Sea Dolphin Watch, and always enjoyed seeing the dolphins when they were feeding. But that night, we had our sights set on seals. As I cast my eyes across the shore, I noticed one seal further away from the group. Thrashing between two rocks, it looked distressed. ‘I’m going to get a closer look,’ I said, stepping onto the jagged rocks. As I got closer to the young seal,…

Judy Fisher, 75 Sitting with my grandson Ben, then 12, I helped him with his homework. ‘Thanks, Grandma,’ he said. ‘You’re welcome. I’m always here for you,’ I replied, kissing the top of his head. It was February 2021 and I’d been living with my daughter, Michelle, then 48, son-in-law Jay, 46, and their kids, Maddie, 14, and twins Ben and Alysha, 12, for almost 10 years. Mainly to help out with the kids, and all these years later, I’d stayed. ‘You lot keep me young,’ I’d say. Life was non-stop school concerts, sports practice… One of our favourite times together was our shopping trips. Where I’d take each of them on their own, giving them some spending money, letting them pick what they liked. Well, it’s a granny’s job…

Finding a partner in the online world can be tricky, but when a message from an admirer appeared in Jess’s inbox one day, her love life was about to get much more interesting! ‘Stephen messaged me on Myspace. I looked at his photo and thought he looked really cute,’ Jess remembers. The couple have now been married for 13 years, and put their happiness down to one thing. Dating other women! ‘Two years into our relationship, we became polyamorous,’ Jess explains. ‘I’m bisexual, and we had a discussion about me missing dating women. We got thinking. How could we go about this together?’ Jess and Stephen could have grown apart and Jess could have dated women alone. However, they decided to become polyamorous. The word ‘polyamory’ comes from the Greek…

Joe had needed surgery to rebuild two smashed kneecaps, and his finger had been reconstructed. I’d been given blood transfusions as I was trapped 25ft up in the rollercoaster for four hours. If it had been colder weather that day, my body temperature would have gone down and I’d have died in that mangled metal. I gradually found out what had happened. Engineers failed to notice a carriage that had stopped midway on the 14-loop ride. They assumed there was a problem with the computer and overrode the stop mechanism, setting our train in motion and into the empty carriage. I learnt another girl had had to have a leg amputated. In 2016, Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd, which operates Alton Towers, admitted a criminal breach of health and safety legislation.…

Cynthia Dolgeova, 23 Peering closely at the number on the door, I pulled up outside in the car. I was on a first date with a guy I’d met online, and was meeting him at his place. My tummy fluttered with nerves. Not just because of the date – we also had a language barrier. I lived in the Czech Republic and Jack Sutton, my date, was English. He’d recently moved here to work on a gas pipeline. When he opened the car door, the first thing I noticed about Jack, then 21, was how skinny he was. But when I saw his big smile, my nerves melted. And I needn’t have worried about language difficulties. After a few dates, my English improved massively. Jack talked a lot and told…

Barry M Jubilee Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in Crown, £3.99, Superdrug Looking for a new summer nail polish? This metallic gold shade takes us straight to a sandy beach. Paint one coat over bare nails to add a lightcatching, barely-there shine. Or opt for two to create a completely opaque look that will leave you feeling like a queen. Dirty Works Cucumber Eye Pads, £4, Sainsbury’s Nothing says ‘pamper day’ like laying cucumber over your eyes. This cooling mask combines soothing cucumber extract with hydrating aloe vera to treat your skin with an instant refresh. Perfect for a hot summer’s day!…

My wife… she’s had an accident… I need an ambulance right now… She’s injured. She’s got a gunshot wound.’ When Dwight Luton first called police on 7 March 2017 to say his wife Ashley Balius had been shot, it appeared to have been a tragic mistake. Officers arrived to find him standing by her SUV, parked in the driveway of their home, desperately trying to help his unresponsive spouse. She was in the driver’s seat, a gunshot wound to the right side of her head. As Ashley was transported from their home in Riviera Beach, Florida, USA, to the nearby St Mary’s Medical Center, Dwight explained that the 31-year-old had accidentally shot herself while removing a gun from her purse. Devastatingly, her injuries were too severe, and she passed away…

Chat winners issue 19 (12 May 2022) £1,001 CASH G Buddin, Sidcup £1,000 CASH V Mooney, Feltham £500 CASH J Oates, Caerphilly S Kent, Bristol £250 CASH J P Stickland, Dorchester £150 CASH A Korchak, Ipswich £100 CASH K Vickerson, Seaham C Stephenson, Mansfield S Tarrant, Radstock G Lee, Halesowen J Bawn, Bristol £60 CASH S Kaniuk, Rochdale £50 CASH D Lamb, Battle S Hazelton, Harwich J Gooch, Swadlincote £30 CASH D C Barnard, Southampton J Peacock, Thetford A Hale, Liverpool P Wallace, Sutton Coldfield C Goodman, Stock-on-Trent £25 CASH J Horne, Crawley R Bragg, Bracknell C Thomas, Derby A Whyte, Mansfield P Mitchell, Cheltenham P Dewey, Cheltenham W Collinge, Burnley S Williams, Camborne I Taylor, Ilkely Chat PUZZLE 1 257 Chat PUZZLE 2 IOTA Chat PUZZLE 11 5 4…