Table of contents for 22-Dec-2020 in Chat

My wallowing didn’t last long because, by the new year, Darren had contacted me, begging for forgiveness. He swore he hadn’t been in contact with his bit on the side. And I was so desperate to believe him, and feeling so lonely, that I agreed to try to work things out. At first, things were great between us. It was just like the early days of our relationship. Snuggling on the sofa, watching movies into the early hours. Even the intimate side of our relationship came back. But everything to do with the affair had left me feeling old, frumpy and unattractive. So I decided to get a face lift. ‘I want to feel good about myself again,’ I told Darren. He came with me for the op at Europe…

Annmarie Moran, 42, Merseyside Gulping down yet another glass of wine, I felt the room start to spin. ‘I should go home,’ I slurred, pulling myself up clumsily from the bar stool. ‘Let me order you a cab,’ my friend called as I staggered out. But it was too late, I was gone. Letting the pub door slam shut behind me, I drunkenly zigzagged along the pavement. It was December 2008, a few weeks before Christmas. I’d spent the night in my local pub. Anything to numb the grief that engulfed me. A month earlier, my little girl Catherine had been killed in a car crash. A tragic accident. She’d died just 10 days before her 4th birthday. It had completely shattered me. How do you ever get over the…

For Mahmoud Hawi, life was anything but run of the mill. Back in 2009, it was the height of the so-called ‘Sydney bikie wars’. Mahmoud, known as Mick, then 28, was President of the Comancheros – one of Australia’s most forbidding outlaw motorcycle gangs. As well as feuds with rival biker gangs, there was infighting, too. Risky business The Comancheros’ violent reputation gave Mick a comfortable life for his wife and two children. Good looking, confident and powerful, Mick appeared to be a man who had it all. But even that didn’t mean he was untouchable. Mick had already cheated death in November 2007, after a car he was travelling in was sprayed with bullets. He later boasted one round had lodged in his car-seat headrest. Afterwards, he became very…

Stephanie Whitwam, 38, Guernsey Placing a hand on my daughter’s forehead, I checked for a temperature. ‘My head hurts, too,’ Gracie, then 8, sniffled. It was rare for her to get ill. But as it was Boxing Day 2017, I assumed all the Christmas excitement had got the best of her. By January 2018, she’d developed tonsillitis. And the antibiotics our GP prescribed her didn’t seem to be helping. We were referred to hospital for blood tests before we were transferred to University General Hospital, Southampton. My husband Martin, then 40, came with us, while our son Oliver, then 3, stayed in Guernsey with family. Still, we had no idea what was going on. But soon we discovered that we were on the Oncology ward. Leading us into a side…

OVER TO YOU Can you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p3 – there’s £20 for every one we use! This week’s puzzle was compiled by Karen Mcguire, Cleethorpes ACROSS 1 Upright post for a sail 2 Reflected sound 3 Vessel 4 Chickens DOWN 1 Netting 2 Dull pain 3 Lower leg bone 4 Lids WIN 5x £25 Puzzle 5 Your answer: CHAIN WORDS Rock art art at me Mallwawa site in Arnhem Land, Australia, includes a rare depiction of what marine mammal? Get from Start to Finish, making words by joining two boxes together as you go, eg, STR + UT, UT +… you decide! When you reach Finish, two unused boxes join together to give you the…

ARROW WORD According to the medieval Book of St Albans, what bird of prey was ranked lowest in the hierarchy of falconry? 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 £1,000 puzzle 9 Your answer: SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3x3 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 puzzle answer. WIN £60 Puzzle 10 Your answer: WORDSEARCH Which precious stone was strongly associated with the Aztec god? The prize puzzle answer is the one missing from the grid. AMBERAMETHYSTBERYLDIAMONDEMERALDGARNETJADEJETOPALPEARLQUARTZRUBYSAPPHIRETOPAZTURQUOISE WIN £50 Puzzle 11 Your answer TO ENTER Turn to…

FILL ME IN WIN-£100 Puzzle 13 In the myth of the Trojan War, Odysseus and Diomedes steal a statue of which goddess from inside Troy, because the besieged city is fated not to fall while it is still in place? 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 puzzle answer. CIRCLE TIME In the French-language editions of Disney cartoons, what name is given to Goofy? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles to find the answer. 3 letters ELF EVE LAG NOR SAG SKI SUN TOP URN 4 letters AFAR CAGE FLAN GIFT ROTA SCAN 5 letters EXIST NOISE NYLON PEARL 6 letters ADVENT ANCHOR…

In June, Black Lives Matter protests occurred globally after the death in Minneapolis of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer. Inspirational Captain (now Sir) Tom Moore raised £30 million for NHS Charities Together and celebrated his 100th birthday on 30 April. COVID-19 spread into every corner of the globe, changing lives for millions of people worldwide. Tiger King became one of the most watched shows on Netflix, thanks to many countries being locked down shortly after its release at the end of March. On 8 May, the 75th anniversary of VE Day was celebrated with socially distanced street parties.…

Waking up on 1 January 2017, my first job was to go downstairs and clear out the kitchen cupboards, filling a bin bag with junkfood. Then I booked to see a Cambridge 1:1 diet consultant, I was told I needed to stick to 600 calories a day for the first 12 weeks. The guy who stood me up wanted to meet... I blocked him! A special shake for breakfast and lunch, and a ready-meal for dinner. The first few weeks were the hardest. My mouth watered whenever I handed Raphael his fish fingers or chicken dinner. But I was desperate for a slimmer body. I wanted to feel good about myself. To look in the mirror and like what I saw. Is that too much to ask? After just a…

Top tip Not a prawn fan? Try it with chopped cooked chicken breasts instead. Sweet chilli prawns with bacon Something light and fishy is the perfect way to whet appetites for the indulgent feast that follows! SERVES: 6 PREP TIME: 5 MINS COOK TIME: 5 MINS • 4 rashers streaky bacon • 1 lemon, zest and juice • 4tbsp sweet chilli sauce • 500g cooked and peeled king prawns • 200g bag baby leaf spinach, washed • 2 ripe but firm avocados, stoned, peeled and sliced 1 Chop the bacon and dry-fry in a pan until crispy, then set aside. 2 Pour the lemon juice into a large bowl, mix in the sweet chilli sauce and stir in prawns to coat well. 3 Scatter the spinach on six plates and…

Chat PUZZLES 51/52 CLOSING DATE FOR ALL ENTRIES IS 5 JANUARY 2021 (Three days later for postal entries) TEXT Simply text CHATB followed by a space and your answer/s (spaces between answers please) full name, door number and postcode to 84988 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: CHAT IS THE BEST 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…

Dear Jensen, Hearing the vet tell me my black Labrador Sabe had a tumour on his spleen, I felt my heart break. It was July 2019, and I’d had Sabe, 12, for four years, after adopting him from the RSPCA, where I volunteered as a rehoming coordinator. He had to be put to sleep, and losing him was so hard. ‘I miss him so much,’ I told my partner Fiona, 41. ‘I know, but we have Edith, too,’ she smiled, stroking our 6-year-old cat. Still, the house wasn’t the same without the pitter-patter of doggy paws. So I kept my eyes peeled at work for any new pooches that needed rehoming. Then, one day in December, as Fiona and I looked on the RSPCA website at home, she spotted a…

NUMBER JIG What do you get if you add the number of stripes on the flags of Uganda, Zimbabwe and Liberia and multiply that by the number of different colours on the flag of South Africa? Fit these numbers into the grid. One number doesn’t fit. This is the prize puzzle answer. 3 digits 144 169 207 305 369 415 544 608 654 784 950 4 digits 1740 2130 2898 5062 5086 5097 5397 6411 6543 6580 6719 6743 7847 5 digits 20985 33707 42506 44666 56950 63228 69334 70697 90000 95500 99381 6 digits 406224 776065 990157 7 digits 1384723 6227556 6251672 8 digits 24669546 26917469 54802030 84519162 WIN £250 Puzzle 1 SPIRAL XWORD What word connects the name of the composer of the opera Boris Godunov and a…

SWING STYLE TIP This loose-fit style works well for apple shapes, boyish figures and petites – best to avoid if you have a big bust, though! PLEATED STYLE TIP Perfect for pear shapes and curvy figures, dresses with pleats skim over your tum, bum and thighs effortlessly. FIGURE-HUGGING STYLE TIP Wear with the right shapewear to smooth lumps and bumps and you’ll get a super, streamlined silhouette. SLIP STYLE TIP This slinky style isn’t just for summer – jewel tones work perfectly for winter and look great teamed with a thin roll neck. BELTED STYLE TIP A built-in belt will help create a waist and add curves to straight up and down figures. WRAP STYLE TIP A wrap dress works well for all shapes – you can simply adjust it…

World health Feel like you’re taking on too much? You’re not alone – research reveals 77% of women are struggling to keep up with the stress of work and socialising. A further one in five of us admits to overcommitting to others, while forgetting to set aside time for ourselves.* Swap and see Going plant-based, but don’t want to miss out on your favourite chocolate bars? Try the vegan Prodigy range, which rivals Dairy Milk, Snickers and Bounty but with less than half the sugar of these mainstream alternatives. (£11.95 for a pack of six, amazon.co.uk) Wash your masks According to new research, you should be washing your face mask daily at 60 degrees and tumble drying if possible, to help kill any traces of coronavirus. The study, by the…

FAMILY FUN PLAID IT’S CHRISTMAS! CHEERS, REINDEERS! НО, НО HO-LDER!…

VISIT anytimefitness.co.uk/chat With gyms reopening last week*, national gym provider Anytime Fitness is supporting Chat readers with their health goals with an exclusive free three-day pass to use at its nationwide locations. To keep members safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, all Anytime Fitness clubs have introduced enhanced social distancing and cleanliness measures, including distanced equipment, increased sanitisation stations and rigorous deep cleaning schedules. Anytime Fitness has more than 170 clubs across the UK for you to enjoy, offering 24-hour access, state-of-the-art equipment and personal training in safe, spacious and welcoming surroundings Anytime Fitness supports people of all fitness levels and abilities, working with you to help achieve your health and lifestyle goals and Make Healthy Happen. For details and to find your nearest participating club and claim your free three-day…

NEW YEAR SEX SPECIAL Does my lover love me? Q Normally, my lover and I meet for sex most weeks. It’s great, but only sex. We met when he installed an IT system at work five years ago and had instant sexual chemistry. He travels a lot for work and says his wife turns a blind eye because she likes the lifestyle he provides. Of course, we’ve had to take a break because of the pandemic restrictions. But my husband and I don’t have sex any more and he’d be gutted if he knew. Will my lover develop feelings for me, or is he just using me? Anon, 29 A Well, isn’t your lover having his cake and eating it? If things haven’t progressed in five years, they never will.…

3 ways to… save money this New Year As we look forward to 2021, here are some easy ways you can start to build a pot of cash over the year. 1 Have resolutions Many of us start the New Year by making resolutions, from giving up smoking to ditching takeaway coffees. Commit to putting the cash that you would have spent straight into your savings instead. For example, if you give up something you spend £2 a day on, this will save you £730 a year. 2 Savings challenge Your savings can build up if you really do look after your pennies. With the ‘1p challenge’, you start by saving 1p on 1 January, then 2p on 2 January and so on until you reach 31 December. Keep it…

Chat astrologer Sally Morgan reads your future ARIES 21 March-20 April YOUR FORTNIGHT AHEAD You’re researching online as you’re looking to study a new subject that will enhance your CV. You’re also thinking of getting a psychic reading, hoping to know what the next 12 months has in store for you. YOUR YEAR AHEAD It’s a year of inner growth and motivation. You’re a dynamic leader and a fiery extrovert, carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. As you’re so responsible you often take on everything that everyone around you needs help with. It’s time to stop this exhausting cycle and encourage others to do things for themselves. LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS You’re willing to settle down and get serious with your partner, as you’re more mature and looking…

With the doom and gloom that we’ve lived through this year, it’s easy to overlook all the good that’s being done, too. Up and down the nation, decent folk have been doing what they can to help out those in need and to put a smile on their friends’ and neighbours’ faces. Here, four Chatreaders give a big shout-out to the stars in their own lives Abi Herbert, 23, from Birmingham, nominates her dose friend Kristina Salceanu, 28 I’ve been friends with Kristina for three years after meeting through work. In that time, I’ve always known she is generous, caring, and will do anything to help others. But this year, she’s gone above and beyond. Kristina has launched a not-for-profit Advent calendar range called Advent of Change. The money made…

Amanda Carter, 49, County Durham Pressing my ear to the bedroom door, I could hear my husband Darren going crazy with the sticky tape and wrapping paper. ‘Everything OK in there?’ I said, stifling a giggle. t was Christmas Eve 2014 and, typical Darren, then 46, he’d left wrapping my gift until the last minute. ‘Finished,’ he grinned, emerging from the bedroom and running down to put the pressie under the tree. I had to laugh. Darren wasn’t the most organised when it came to Christmas. Not like me, who started shopping and wrapping gifts months in advance. But that was why we were so good together. We both had different strengths and weaknesses, and worked well as a team. I’d known Darren since we were kids, but it wasn’t…

WIN 1,001 Puzzle 4 What has children’s author Jacqueline Wilson said would be her Mastermind specialist subject? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 11 Curved, yellow fruit (6) 12 Ball of ice (9) 13 Tall grass that grows near water (4) 14 EastEnders actor who played Grant Mitchell (4,4) 15 Estimate (5) 16 Series of eight notes (6) 17 Planet that comes after Uranus (7) 18 Accomplishment (11) 20 Robin Hood’s companion, _ Tuck (5) 22 Shape of You singer (2,7) 24 Long piece of academic writing (5) 28 Root vegetable (7) 29 Trendy, fashionable (7) 32 Opportunity (6) 34 Sensitive or intolerant to certain things (8) 36 Artist who makes statues (8) 37 Band who had…

After the three- and-a-half week trial came to an end in September 2020, the jury retired to deliberate. It took them almost five days to come to a verdict. Not guilty. Both Yusuf Nazlioglu, 39, and Jamal Eljaidi, 32, were acquitted of murder. The defendants and their families breathed a sigh of relief. But in the courtroom Mahmoud Hawi’s sister Zeinab yelled out after the verdict was given. ‘F*** you both!’ she screamed. Zeinab Hawi had previously told the court about how she struggled to get out of bed, and described her brother’s death as like the removal of a limb. ‘To you, and the world, he was Mahmoud Hawi,’ she said. ‘To me, and my family, he was the world.’ Hawi’s widow Carolina Gonzales had earlier spoken of the…

I keep tasting salt Q There’s a constant taste of salt in my mouth, and it’s ruining my enjoyment of food. What could be causing it? Mina, Rotherham A There are a number of possibilities for this and you might have to ask your GP and dentist for help in pinpointing them. A salty taste could be a side effect of some drugs, gum disease, a mouth infection such as thrush, or simply a dry mouth, which causes your saliva to become thicker and saltier. The most common cause is salty tasting mucus dripping into your mouth from the back of your nose, generally the result of an allergy, sinus infection or a cold. Gastric reflux, when stomach acid runs up through your gullet into your mouth and may cause…

‘Mum discovers LOL doll’s outfit changes into “lingerie” when dipped in cold water’ A number оf раrents made the shocking discovery that their kids’ LOL Surprise! dolls revealed a different outfit when dipped in water. Various reports suggest some had sexy skimpies or stockings, others had ‘shackles’ and a ‘devil’ image on them. ‘Wear a face mask during sex’ People having sex with anyone outside their household should wear a face mask to prevent getting the COVID-19 virus, a charity warned. They were also warned to avoid kissing. ‘Police tell man that a snake is not an acceptable face mask’ Wearing a face covering while travelling on public transport was made compulsory in July. A few days later, a man was spotted on a bus – with a live snake…

Visit anytimefitness.co.uk/chat for your free pass Trial offer includes three days’ free access per person at participating Anytime Fitness clubs, in the UK and Ireland only, and must be taken consecutively, at the same location during staffed hours only. Visits must be booked in advance to ensure capacity of clubs can be managed and social distancing adhered to Offer is valid until 28 February2021 for поп-members and first-time guests only. Trialists must be at least 18 years of age. No cash value. Not valid for resale or transfer. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.…

LIFE FOR SEX PREDATOR Reynhard Sinaga, the ‘most prolific rapist in British legal history’ was jailed for life on 6 January 2020. Sinaga, 36, was convicted of 159 sex offences, including 136 rapes. He lured a total of 48 men from outside Manchester clubs to his flat. Once there, he filmed himself drugging and assaulting his victims. A judge at Manchester Crown Court said Sinaga was an ‘evil sex predator’ and the Attorney General’s Office argued he would never be safe to be released and should be given a whole-life order. Sinaga was jailed for life, with a minimum term of 30 years. MP FOUND GUILTY On 15 September 2020, a former Conservative Member of Parliament was jailed for sexual assault. Charlie Elphicke, the former MP for Dover, was sentenced…

Corie Brooks, 33, Nottingham Checking my reflection in the mirror, I sucked in my tummy It was New Year’s Eve 2016 and I had a hot date lined up. We’d been chatting online for a while and we’d had a few really nice dates. My son Raphael, then 4, had gone to stay with his dad for the night. So I’d invited my new man over for drinks to see in the New Year 2017. I’d been single for three years before this. Curling my hair, I thought about the night ahead. Maybe he’ll be The One? Only, as I looked myself up and down in the mirror, my heart sank. I looked at the clock excitedly, but where was he? Despite wearing my best dress, at 16st 91b and…

The Financial Conduct Authority is proposing banning insurance companies from charging existing car and home insurance customers more than new ones. The regulator is trying to stamp out the so-called ‘loyalty penalty’, the practice of increasing prices for existing customers every year so that the most loyal customers pay the most for their insurance. Did you know? Some 46% of prospective first-time buyers say their homebuying plans have been delayed due to the COVID-19, according to Aldermore bank’s First Time Buyer Index. TOP TIP If you just can’t resist shopping when you see a special offer, unsubscribe from emails.…

IT’s a Sin C4 Oily Alexander from pop group Years & Years stars in this new drama from Queer as Folk creator Russell T Davies, who based it on his own experiences. The five-part series follows the lives of three gay men affected by the AIDS crisis after they move to London in the 1980s. Keeley Hawes, Stephen Fry and Neil Patrick Harris also star. Line of Duty BBC1 Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar), DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston) will return in the sixth series of the police drama. Kelly Macdonald, best known for Trainspotting, will play DCI Joanne Davidson, whose unconventional conduct raises suspicions at AC-12. The Pembrokeshire Murders ITV This thriller is based on the true story of how an old episode…

Chat winners issue 37 (10 September 2020) £1.001 CASH J Rudland, Gravesend. £1000 CASH M Roberts, Colony Bay. £500 CASH T Parkinson, Sheffield; S Ashworth, Kirkby. £250 CASH J Fucchi, Hatfield. £150 CASH J Walton, Swindon. £100 CASH M Carver, London; C Armstrong, Coventry; J Purdy, Newry; M Moorhouse, Solihull; C Barton, West Yorkshire. £60 CASH M Johnson, Heckmondwike. £50 CASH D Gilbert, Loughborough; S Gudgeon, Kendal; A Kingsland, Hailsham. £30 CASH C Rice, Bedworth; C Hammond, Dover; A Harrison, Birmingham; A Millard, Wombourne; M Davies, Plymouth. £25 CASH V Goodwin, Sandwich; Bradley, Sutton Coldfield; M Day, Bury St Edmunds; S Foulds, Burnley; J Wilson, Kettering; S Rose, Chichester; R Longdon, Wellingborough; K Wilkinson, Cromer; F Durance, Ledbury. Anyone from your town in the list this week..? Chat PUZZLE 2…