Table of contents for 06-Sep-2018 in Chat

One moment can change your entire life. It’s something Sophie learned when one thug’s actions meant she’s now forced to bring up her gorgeous little girl without a daddy (p40). For Marilyn, the life-changing day came when she turned 70 and decided to start a sexy new hobby (p29). And everything shifted for grieving mother Mary when she sent out a silent prayer for her baby girl to beat the illness that killed her siblings (p56). Turn to p12 for new-season looks for less, and see p35 for mouthwatering teatime recipes. Plus we’ve 24 prize puzzles!…

No more stains  When rinsing off hair dye, secure your disposal gloves at the wrists with elasticated hairbands. It stops water creeping in and staining. Kate Rogers, Farnborough Steady on  I stood my conical hanging basket in a bucket to stop it falling over while I filled it with plants. Lucretia Whitcher, Fleet Refreshing  Put coffee and sugar in a cup, add an inch of boiling water and stir. Top up with milk, ice cubes and a scoop of ice cream on top. A lovely treat on a hot day. Pat Lowther, Durham Happy hamster  This smart cage for my sons' hamster was made from an old bookcase. It looks great and Fozzy the hamster loves it. Marie Lacey, Sheffield Loyal customer  If you find it difficult locating the correct…

Sex leaves me red-faced Q Sex brings out red blotches on my face and chest. It's embarrassing! How can I stop it? Sonja, Bristol A Cholinergic urticaria is a type of nettle rash triggered by heat, emotion or exercise. You can reduce it by keeping cool, avoiding hot baths or showers and wearing loose cotton clothes. Antihistamine pills might fade the blotches. Nipple query Q My nipples are long and floppy. I hate them! Can they be shortened without surgery? Mel, Bradford A Breastfeeding is often to blame for elongated nipples but they should shrink again once that stops. Nipples can seem longer due to a build-up of dead skin, and gentle exfoliation will help. Otherwise, I'm afraid a small op is probably your best option.…

I decided I didn’t want to be a big slug any more Marilyn Bersey, 70, Isle of Wight Drab, dowdy, boring. That’s exactly how I felt when I looked in the mirror. Not to mention, huge too! Ever since I was a kid, I’d had weight issues. Snacking, big portions. It was no surprise I was big. Badly bullied as a teenager, one girl even poured salt over my head. ‘Why are you doing that?’ I asked in tears. ‘Because my dad puts salt on big fat slugs,’ she snarled. Fast forward to 1999, that nasty girl’s remarks didn’t cut deep any more. But I was still big – 15st and a whopping size-22. Massive for my 5ft 1in frame. Of course, I had happiness in my life too. My…

Aries 21 March - 20 April You’ve solved nearly all your problems. There’s one left but, to get past it, you may need to take a risk or do something cheeky. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine - it’s the sort of thing you’re good at! Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May Arguments which flare up but are soon finished seem better than minor disagreements which drag on and on. But it’s not all bad. It’ll end soon, you’ll still be mates at the end, and best, of all, you’ll be right. Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June Love letters or text messages fly thick and fast between you and someone you fancy. They seem happy to play the…

Elizabeth Green, 49, Glusburn, Yorkshire Piling into the car I did the usual checks. ‘Seatbelts everyone!’ I said, looking at my daughter Tyler, then 8, in the back seat. ‘Check!’ she beamed back. It was August 2013 and me and my mum Margaret, 76, were taking Tyler for a day at Longleat safari park. The roads were busy, though, and as we went to turn right across a carriageway we got stuck in the middle of the lanes. In a split second, a car had hit us on the passenger side. It wasn’t a massive crash – and as we clambered out of the car, I sighed with relief. Not a scratch or a bruise between us. We were OK – or at least I thought we were… ‘My neck…

Is it HIV?  Q I'm gay - and after a sexual encounter, the end of my penis is red and sore. I'm worried I've caught HIV. Oscar, Reading A This isn't a symptom of HIV/AIDS, but you should check with your local sexual health clinic. Most likely, it's balanitis, an infection of your penis helmet by thrush or bacteria, which will need to be treated with an antifungal cream or antibiotics. Remember that a condom will help protect you in future.…

Sliding into the back of the room, I was a bag of nerves for my first class. I watched as women in corsets, with fans and feathers, sauntered around. ‘You must be Marilyn,’ Mimi Vin Rouge said, introducing herself. All the women in the class were in their 30s and 40s – decades younger than me. But they made me feel so at ease. I began the lesson on a chair in the back row, my legs shaking like jelly. But then the music started and I felt myself relax. As I followed the routine, a buzz ran through my body. I had a surge of energy I hadn’t felt in years. A smile gripped my face. Running my legs and arms across the chair, I felt something unusual. Something…

1 Do it yourself  Instead of spending a fortune on expensive gifts, agree with your partner to make each other's present? Home-made heart-shaped biscuits will cost a fraction of a box of chocolates and you can personalise them, too. 2 Get online Take your loved one to a fab free event. Do your research to find them. Is their passion classical music? See if your local university offers free recitals. And for something an art lover would enjoy, look out for free exhibitions. If you want to splash the cash on an experience you can both enjoy such as wine-tasting, always check out websites like Groupon or Lastminute.com to see if there is a cut-price offer available. 3 Cheap eats  You can often get great deals at restaurants if you…

Q I’m heading away on holiday soon and I want my skin to look its best and my tan to last longer than usual. Is there anything that I can do to help prolong my glow? Caroline Moore, 23, Edinburgh A Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise! It’s key to a longer-lasting glow. You could even choose one that has a hint of tan to it to give your body a bit of a base colour before you leave. And it goes without saying, remember to always wear a broad spectrum SPF before any sun exposure, too. Q Over the summer, I switched my usual moisturiser for one with an SPF, but it made my skin spotty. How can I prevent this? Sue Bradbury, 57, Wantage A This could be a reaction to…

Cydnae Bell-Taylor, 19, Huddersfield Clutching a big box of popcorn, my boyfriend, Tom, 21, playfully threw a piece at me. ‘Missed!’ I giggled. We were at the cinema, about to watch the latest Marvel film. I’d met Tom a month earlier, in August 2016. He was gorgeous, with floppy, brown hair. Both geeky about comics, we were soon falling for each other. By April 2017, things were going so well that we moved in together. Tom had a dog called Kaiser, a mongrel – and naively, I felt excited. Like we’d be a proper little family. I thought it’d be all cosy nights in, snuggled watching the latest Avengers hit. Instead, Tom’s behaviour towards me changed... One night, a few weeks after we moved in, he took one look at…

After 11 hours of deliberations, the jury eventually found Amanda Hayes guilty of second-degree murder. ‘I’m truly, truly sorry, with every ounce of my soul,’ she said after the verdict was read out. Later that day, Judge Donald Stephens handed out the sentence. Amanda was jailed for 13 to 16 years. She’d be behind bars, just like her murderous husband. Laura Ackerson’s father Rodger spoke after the sentencing. ‘She’s a manipulator and a liar,’ he said. ‘She uses that singysongy voice when she wants something from you. That doesn’t work with me.’…

Avoiding jet lag  Q I'm flying to China soon on holiday and want to avoid jet lag. I've read that melatonin tablets help. Where can I buy them? Angie, Swansea A Melatonin is a hormone that helps control circadian rhythm, the natural 24-hour cycle of your metabolism. Melatonin tablets may help prevent jet lag if you take them when it's bedtime at your destination, though not everyone is convinced they work. They're only available on prescription in the UK. My eye’s bleeding!  Q A red bleed has appeared in the white of my eye. I can still see clearly, but is it dangerous? Gabby, Newcastle A This sounds like a subconjunctival haemorrhage, where a tiny blood vessel bursts under your conjunctiva, the transparent front covering of your eye. It might…

Like something from a horror movie Hannah Hughes, 33, Medway My tummy gave hungry rumble as I bent down to pop lunch in the oven. It’d been a long morning in April 2018, and I’d spent it rushing between the shops with my mother-in-law and running around after my 6-year-old daughter. Now, I was ready to put my feet up and enjoy a nice, hot fish pie for lunch. Only, as it sizzled away in the oven, I felt a sharp shooting pain in my stomach. I grimaced. I was no stranger to pain in my belly. See, I suffered with something called Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS). EDS affects connective tissues, and my particular strain had caused the tissue on my kidneys and bladder to separate. In 2014, I’d been given…

Chamomile iced cake Serves: 10 Prep: 20 min Cook: 45 min Cost per serving: 35p • 215g unsalted butter • 100ml whole milk • 3tbsp loose-leaf chamomile tea • 175g granulated sugar • 3 large eggs, at room temperature • 1tsp vanilla extract • 200g plain flour • 2tbsp baking powder • ½tsp sea salt For buttercream icing • 60g salted butter, softened • 2tbsp honey • 250g icing sugar • 2tbsp whole milk • ¼tsp sea salt 1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Heat butter, milk and chamomile tea leaves in a pan and allow to gently simmer for 3 mins. Remove from heat, stir and leave to steep for 10 mins. 2 Over a bowl, strain tea leaves from mixture with a sieve, reserving as much of…

Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Boost Waterproof Mascara, £2.50, Wilko Gives your lashes a real volume boost. NYX Professional Makeup Doll Eye Waterproof Mascara, £8, Boots Get the look of full, fluttery lashes. Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Waterproof Mascara, £7.99 Perfect for thicker and longer lashes. PS… Aqua Lash Waterproof Lengthening Mega Volume Mascara, £2, Primark This mascara has it all!…

Coronation Street Jim’s back… so he is! Jim McDonald was last seen in Weatherfield seven years ago, when he was jailed after trying to rob a building society so Liz could buy the Rovers. He shocks the Street by turning up at Steve’s stag do. But the only person who seems pleased to see him is Liz. But she’s in for a surprise of her own when the real reason for Jim’s return is revealed! What secret is Jim hiding? Emmerdale Sam and Belle in danger! As the pressure intensifies and the police show up to question him, Lachlan scrabbles to protect himself but Sam and Belle are soon in danger. Belle is distraught to spot Sam’s bloodied jacket and later finds him lifeless, but when she confronts Lachlan her…

‘You have no right to ever love your evil daughter’ Ayesha Ali was a gorgeous 8-year-old with a kind heart. Born premature, she’d clung to life, growing up to be a little girl with big dreams. She loved English and wanted to become a teacher, or maybe even an aid worker, helping needy kids. Everyone who met her, loved her smiley, mature nature. Her dad, Afsar Ali, called Ayesha the ‘perfect child’. Ayesha also seemed to have the perfect mum, Polly Chowdhury, who doted on her. But in 2007, the family’s lives were changed forever when they moved to Chadwell Heath in northeast London, and met their new neighbour, Kiki Muddar. Afsar took against her, warned his wife to stay clear. But Polly, 35, and Kiki, 43, seemed to share…

Spread the word While on holiday in Dartmouth recently, I spotted this poster in the loos of a cafe and think that it should be displayed in all pubs and bars. What an excellent initiative. Hazel Domakin, Oldham Dreadful cowards The tragic story about cyber bullying (28 June issue) is sadly an all-too-familiar one. Bullying of any sort is cowardly and despicable – cyberbullying even more so due to its often anonymous nature, with people simply being able to hide behind a computer. Credit to Nicole’s mother Jackie for campaigning to make cyberbullying a crime. A change in the law with regards to this is long overdue. Liam McParland, Huddersfield Hound rules… As I’ve always loved the Irish sense of humour, I thought that my fellow Chat readers might also…

I wished I could keep her inside me, safe and healthy Mary O’Callaghan, 33, Worksop Tears rolled down my cheeks as I knelt at two tiny graves and ran my hand across the names etched in gold font: Gerry-Lee and Precious-Marie. My babies. They’d died six years apart, each just a few months old. Burying not only one baby but two had been hell. But a killer had been silently stalking my family... The babies had suffered from microvillus inclusion disease (MVID), a rare and brutal genetic condition affecting the digestive system. I’d planned to get sterilised after that, but in April 2017, I’d found I was 16 weeks pregnant. Too late to test for MVID without risking a miscarriage, I stroked my tiny bump, anxious what the months ahead…

To my biological father, As I write this letter to you, I’ve no idea where you are. I don’t know where you live, what you do for a living. Whether you share my blue eyes, or my positive attitude, or sense of humour. Because of this, all my life, people have expected me to feel like there’s something missing. But I am here to tell you today that I never have. Born in July 1990, life without a daddy was all I’d ever known. My mum Carole, now 65, was honest from the start. ‘You’re a sperm-donor baby,’ she told me once I was old enough to understand. And Dad, whoever you are, you were the one to give me life. In a relationship with a woman, it was the…