Table of contents for 05-Jul-2018 in Pick Me Up!

Margaret has been like a sister to me. We’ve been through so much together and it means the world to have her by my side. We’ve been friends for over 22 years. Even when we both got married, it didn’t stop us spending time together. Our husbands became fast friends and the four of us began to spend time together. Between holidays and daily chats we were inseparable. In 2016, she lost her husband John to cancer aged 66. And just one year later, I lost my husband Roger, then 69, to a neurological condition. We were both there for one another and she is still my rock. Wherever we go on holiday we take a photo of our men. We’ve now had matching tattoos on our shoulders. Each has…

He was always ringing and texting to find out where I was Typing a flirty message into Facebook, I clicked send. James Llewhellin, 27, was my kind of man - tall, dark and handsome. Plus, we got on really well. A friend of a friend, he’d caught my attention the moment I saw his profile photo. We’d started chatting after I mustered the courage to add him on Facebook. In March 2017, after we’d been speaking for a couple of weeks, we arranged to meet at my local pub. Heart thumping as I walked through the door, I saw him sitting at the bar. ‘Katy!’ he said, spotting me. His smiling face instantly put me at ease. After that, we’d spend all of our spare time together, having dates at…

I can’t sleep ! QI find sleep very difficult, but I’ve heard that doctors won’t prescribe sleeping tablets. Why not? Lisa, Billericay A Sleeping pills can be highly addictive, and they’re not very effective - they reduce your fall-to-sleep time by only 20 minutes and don’t improve the quality of your sleep. Please look into alternative strategies or speak to your GP if your health is affected. What’s this mark? QI have an annoying dry, red, scaly patch on my lower leg. It’s been there for months and doesn’t change much. It’s not very big, but it doesn’t seem to be getting better. Help! Hattie, Cirencester A This sounds like Bowen’s disease, a very slow-growing, superficial, precancerous condition that is easily treated. Please see a dermatologist. New mum and depressed…

Room In A Box Cardboard Bed, £99.99, happybeds.co.uk Eco-friendly and far easier to put up and down than an airbed, this cardboard bed base is sturdier than you’d think, and is great for anyone who moves regularly. Verdict: GENIUS! Sounds crazy, but it’s a great idea. Turkish Delight Gin Liqueur, £29.99, firebox.com It’s not for everyone, but if you love the sweet taste of Turkish delight, then this might just be the rose-tinged tipple for you. It’s made in Manchester, but you could be in Istanbul after a few sips! Verdict: BONKERS! …but brilliant. Bettypads Pick & Mix Box, £5.99, betty.me/pickandmix Suitable for girls aged 8-16, these sanitary towels have been designed with smaller body shapes in mind. Available in four different size options,…

Seeing my lad Sonny wheelie across the field on his motorbike, I felt my stomach flip. ‘Look, Mam!’ he called, taking his hands off the handles. ‘Be careful!’ I yelled. Sonny, 14, was bike mad. He’d started riding his first push bike at 3, ditched his stabilisers in no time. Soon he was spending hours outside, learning tricks and riding with his friends. He taught himself to fix up bikes, build his own ramps. Sonny had some behavioural problems, and he was never able to apply himself in the same way at school. He struggled to focus, so I began home schooling him from the age of 12. But he had a heart of gold, and was always ready to help anybody on our estate who needed it. Whether it…

As my grandson, 21, chatted on the phone, he said, ‘I’ve got lots of exams coming up.’ He was studying for a degree in applied sports science with management at university. ‘Just do your best,’ I said. And when he visited to say he’d passed, I was thrilled. After he’d gone, I settled with my computer for a few games of bingo before bed. I’d been a member of Pick Me Up! Bingo for 10 years. I really love the slot games like Diamond Bonanza, Tiki Island, Winstones... I’d had a few small wins. Then in 2013, I bagged £1,000 on one of the slot games. I’d spoilt my three grandkids with my winnings and put the rest into savings. I just enjoyed playing the games and going into the…

Best for city sun protection: Wilko Suncare Lotion SPF50, £1.50 Perfect for your handbag, hand luggage or glove box! As well as being SPF50, this cream contains vitamin E, which is a great antioxidant that helps protect against skin damage. Best for tan enhancing: Nivea Sun Protect & Bronze Tan Activating Protecting Oil SPF30, £8, Superdrug This spray contains a natural pro-melanin extract that helps stimulate your skin’s natural tanning process, without self tan. Best for after-sun care: Garnier After Sun Tissue Mask, £2.99 If you’ve overdone it in the sun (naughty), this is ideal for soothing and hydrating red faces. Thanks to the witch hazel and hyaluronic acid, skin is left looking fresh and plump. Best for kids: Lacura SPF50+ Kids Extra Sensitive Sun Spray, £1.99, Aldi With up…

Ultimate Avocado Toast Serves 2. Prep: 10 min Cook: 10 min ◻ 2 slices thick-cut sourdough bread ◻ 2tbsp melted butter ◻ 50g cucumber, thinly sliced ◻ 50g celery, diced in 1cm chunks, plus handful of celery leaves, reserved ◻ ½tbsp white wine vinegar ◻ Pinch of sea salt ◻ 1tsp Tabasco ◻ 1 avocado, sliced ◻ 1tbsp sesame seeds ◻ Black peppercorns 1 Brush slices of bread with melted butter. Lightly toast bread in a dry, nonstick pan, then set aside to cool. 2 Mix together cucumber, diced celery chunks, vinegar, salt and Tabasco, then stir well and check the seasoning is to your taste. 3 With a slotted spoon, pile celery mixture on both slices of toast. 4 Arrange avocado slices on top in a fan, then finish…

‘I think social media is a platform for bullying. You can’t avoid it, no matter how hard you try. I have had issues with my 11-year-old being targeted by bullies. Companies need to monitor accounts more strongly.’ Natalie Bee, Peterborough ‘I blame social media, and although it’s good that mental-health awareness is raised because of publicity, talking about it too much may scare kids.’ Debbie Hadden, Stourbridge ‘I’ve always taught my children that it’s important to talk about feelings. I’ve told them how I felt sad myself after suffering from PND and PTSD, explaining that it’s OK to feel this way.’ Stacey Ann Hutchins, Oldbury…

ARIES 21 March–20 April The full moon is making it hard to know who you can trust. Think about what you want from your future, as decisions you make now can dictate where you’ll live in the world. Conversations with family reveal that a guilty party was actually innocent in recent dramas… Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May Live in the moment and stop focusing on past events as that won’t benefit you in any way. You’re much stronger than people think. Ideas you have for new career paths put a smile on your face and give you fresh hope for the future. A flirtation which begins now may never end! Call: 09058 170 711* GEMINI 22 May–21 June Full moons affect you and this weekend you confront…

As he flashed me a toothless grin, my heart melted I’ve always been a sucker for a dog in need. So when I heard 7-year-old pooch Chase had been living at an animal sanctuary all his life, my heart just broke. It was September 2010 and I was attending a charity event for dogs when I’d got chatting to Fionna Ashman, owner of Lizzie’s Barn dog sanctuary in Kidwelly. ‘Chase is a loving boy, and would make a great pet,’ she explained. ‘But he’s a bit, erm...unique!’ Intrigued, I arranged to visit Chase, a Chinese crested dog, at the sanctuary the following week. Chase wagged his scraggy tail furiously and danced on tiptoes as soon as he saw me approaching his enclosure. ‘He’s very friendly,’ smiled Fionna. Hairless, long-legged and…

This was just what I needed on the seven-hour journey from St Ives to Paddington. A Pick Me Up! on the train home! Ella Bucknall, Lambeth I loved seeing these cheeky apes while on holiday in Uganda. I had a tough hike to get to them, but it was worth it. Claire Essex, King’s Lynn My mum Karen and my kids Kieron, 12, and Paris, 10, all felt a bit green after their Colour Rush for charity. Stacey Hill, Torquay My son and I looking spiffing for Ladies Day at Aintree. Elizabeth Williams, Llanelli I don’t think Ruby, 6, was a fan of feeding the animals after this cow licked her hand. Yuck! Amy Willis, via e-mail My nephew Arthur does a killer impression of Freddie Mercury. ‘Don’t stop me…

I sat slumped at the bottom of the stairs, my head in my hands Mum hugged me and said I’d be all right – and I believed her Popping the cork from another bottle of Prosecco, I let out a cheer. ‘More bubbles!’ I heard one of my mates call out from the living room. ‘Hurry up, Mol,’ another shouted. ‘I’m dying of thirst.’ ‘One sec!’ I replied, having a quick sip from my own glass before joining them. I was 23, it was a Saturday night in June last year - and with my mum Sharon, 47, away in Blackpool, I had the house all to myself. The perfect excuse for a girls’ night in. We’d spent most of the evening chatting, laughing and drinking fizz. So when I…

1 ADHD is a group of behavioural symptoms that are usuallydisplayed as inattentiveness. True False 2 Most cases are diagnosedwhen children are teenagers. True False 3 The symptoms usually worsen with age. True False 4 Symptomscan be treated with medication and therapy. True False 1 TRUE Although they can also often be displayed through hyperactivity and impulsiveness. 2 FALSE ADHD symptoms tend to be noticed at an early age. Most cases are diagnosed when children are 6-12 years old. 3 FALSE The symptoms generally improve with age, although many adults still experience problems. 4 TRUE A combination of both is usually best and can make the condition a lot easier to deal with. 44% That’s the percentage of Brits who treat themselves to three fast-food takeaways each week, according to…

Do I keep my flirting secret? Katy, 45 Middlesbrough Although I love my husband of 12 years, he doesn’t make me feel attractive any more. I’ve felt like this for a few years now, but things changed when I saw an old male friend. He’s married, like me. We bumped into each other then went for a few drinks. When he was tipsy he said how attractive I was. He kissed me on the cheek and touched my hand. I thought it was a drunken thing but we swapped numbers and his sober texts are just as flirty. I flirt back, but it’s nothing overtly sexual - I like the attention. Flirting is harmless, so I don’t think my husband needs to know. I would never cheat on him! Should…

Snatching up my car keys, I glanced at the clock and sighed. ‘Laila, we’re going to be late!’ I yelled to my 10-year-old daughter. It was March this year, and we should have left for school a couple of minutes ago. ‘Just a sec!’ a happy voice trilled. I rolled my eyes. I was a single mum, Laila my only child. And trying to get her anywhere on time? A nightmare! Finally, Laila raced out in a pink coat as bright and bubbly as her personality. As she chattered all the way to school, I had to smile. What my girl lacked in timekeeping skills, she certainly made up for in enthusiasm! Dropping her off, I headed to my job as a security guard. A mother’s instinct told me this…

It was January and I’d planned a cosy day in from the cold. I settled on the sofa with my laptop and a cuppa, my 4-year-old Morkie dog - a Yorkie crossed with a Maltese - Merlin, slumped on my feet. ‘That’s lovely and warm, Merlin!’ I laughed. I planned to buy some tickets for a game of Bingo. A member since May 2011, I loved playing Bingo online. I’d even won a £1,000 Full House once before in March 2014, while playing Sapphire Bingo. I spoilt my two children, Antony, now 40, and Liz, 43. And, of course, my two wonderful grandchildren! This time, I decided to buy 20 of the 10p tickets on a ‘Buy 2 Get 1 Free’ offer to play 75 Ball Bingo in Bingo Lounge.…

A man dressed in dark robes was staring at me... As my boyfriend Dimitar took my hand, my knees went weak. A sailor, he’d just got back from six months at sea. Now, he’d said he had something to tell me. Was he going to propose?! ‘I want to break up,’ he said, sighing. ‘I’m sorry.’ I felt as if I’d been punched in the stomach. It was June 2013, and Dimitar and I had been together for 18 months. I’d thought we had a future together. Now I felt like a fool. Heartbroken, everything in my home town of Varna, Bulgaria, reminded me of him. So I decided to take a short trip to Thrace, on the border between Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. Some culture would take my mind…

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The only times we went out were to go to the hospital Watching my 4-year-old daughter Myla play in early December last year, I noticed something a bit strange. ‘Her legs look really bruised,’ I told my husband Jon, 28. We checked her over and found an unnerving number of marks on her little legs, as well as some behind her ears. We all know kids often have bumps and bruises, but these were excessive. ‘Let’s get her to the doctor,’ Jon said. The GP sent us off to Sheffield Children’s Hospital for blood tests. And a biopsy showed her blood count was very low and her bone marrow was actually ‘empty’. ‘What does this mean?’ I asked the doctor, worried. They explained that Myla had a rare, life-threatening condition…

He had the opportunity to kill Beth and was capable of doing so In the small, sleepy town of Axtell, Texas, serious crime is pretty unusual. Murder? That’s something that happens in the big cities. That is, until August 1982, when a crime took place which shocked the peaceful town to its very core. Schoolgirl Beth Bramlett had just returned home from a summer trip to the bustling city of San Antonio, and was getting ready to start her senior year at high school. On 8 August, she and her pals headed to a reservoir a few miles out of town for a back-to-school party. Just after midnight, Beth, 17, was ready to leave and started to walk home in the dark, when a couple of her friends - a…

I loved my job as a cancer nurse on the Oncology unit at North Devon District hospital. But losing patients was never easy. I’d decided to train to be a nurse after my own grandmother June had died of bladder cancer, aged 63, when I was aged just 11. So in 1998, I’d moved from my home in Baltimore, USA, married an Englishman, and started training as a nurse. Along the way, I had two children - Noah, now 16, and Molly, 13. And in time, I started working as a cancer-research nurse, and soon became a cancer-nurse specialist. I was told time and time again that it was nothing serious My job involved caring for patients who needed more intense treatment, sitting with them through chemo and treating their…

It’s difficult for younger kids to use words to express themselves if they’re feeling upset. The NHS advises that you can learn a lot about how they're feeling by spending time with them and watching them play. Stressed and upset children often play fighting games. Comment on this by saying ’There are a lot of fights going on' or 'It seems pretty frightening', to encourage them to open up about what's bothering them. If you can get them talking, gently ask what's wrong. But if the child doesn't want to open up, let the subject go, then repeat the process at another time, until they're ready to tell you what’s bothering them.…