Table of contents for 11-Nov-2021 in Chat

Ooh, ahh, it’s Bonfire Night! And this week’s Chat is full of cracking good stories. Heart-warmers like how Louise’s life was changed by a very special little boy (p58), and big-bang surprises like why Jade’s love life is rather flat right now (p34)… And then there’s Sharon (p37), who put a rocket under her eating habits and lost 10st! All this plus cosy fashion (p12), bangers with vodka sauce (p40) and sizzling puzzles. Talk about hot stuff! Stay safe and well this week.…

Chat’s GP Dr Martin Edwards says, ‘Pica is something of a mystery. It can affect pregnant women, probably due to hormone changes, but iron deficiency, family stress, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or addiction can also be triggers, and sometimes there’s no obvious cause. Sufferers often choose to eat items because of their texture or smell – and soil, clay, hair, starch or ice are common. It’s not surprising pica has its dangers, including poisoning, bowel parasites or worms, tooth damage and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Some sufferers even crave their own poo, which can cause severe gastroenteritis with diarrhoea and vomiting. Pica cravings may go with time but, when treatment’s necessary this might mean taking iron tablets, having cognitive behavioural therapy or antidepressants.’…

Even though she was just 17, aspiring make-up artist Nikki Kuhnhausen knew exactly who she was and who she wanted to be. The teenager idolised rapper Nicki Minaj and dreamt of competing on America’s Next Top Model. But all her hopes and dreams were dashed forever one night in June 2019 when she got chatting with an older man over Snapchat. She’d gone to stay with a friend in Vancouver, Washington state, USA. But in the early hours, Nikki left with this man. She never came back. Nikki was reported missing, and police soon got a search warrant to hack her Snapchat account. Officers confirmed Nikki had been chatting with Russian David Bogdanov, then 25, on the messaging platform during the hours before she disappeared. They believed he’d picked her…

Kirstin Brown, 35, Plymouth True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK Passing the crayons to my son William, then 4, I put on a brave face. ‘There you go,’ I smiled. It was June 2020 and I’d been plagued by nausea and dizzy spells all day. Entertaining William and my daughter Phoebe, 10 months, was proving a welcome distraction. But that evening I had a piercing headache. ‘It feels like a bomb’s gone off in my head,’ I told my hubby Chris, then 49. Staggering up to bed, I figured sleep would help. But after tossing and turning all night, things were worse the next day. My vision was blurred. I could barely open my eyes, which were sensitive to light. My right arm felt tingly. Suspecting I was having a migraine, I rang…

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 Roger Gomm, Woking, Surrey WIN 5x £25 Puzzle 6 ACROSS 1 Unruly child 2 Acting part 3 Article 4 Sharp intake of breath DOWN 1 Two-masted square-rigger 2 List of people for duty 3 Beers 4 Employee who’s not permanent Your answer: CHAIN WORDS The city of Houston, Texas, takes one of its nicknames from what type of waterway? Get from Start to Finish, making words by joining two boxes together as you go, eg: TU + SK, SK +… you decide! When you reach Finish, two unused boxes join together to give you the…

Dame Kelly Holmes grew up in Pembury, Kent. The double Olympic gold medallist and British track record-breaker, who still lives in her home county, credits a PE teacher from her Tonbridge high school for encouraging her love of athletics. Once nicknamed ‘the loveliest castle in the world’, 1,000-year-old Leeds Castle, just outside Maidstone, has been a Norman stronghold, a royal palace and a private country home. Ex-EastEnders actor Shaun Williamson was born in Maidstone in November 1965. Since the death of his character Barry Evans in the soap, Shaun has appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and Celebs on the Farm.…

FILL ME IN WIN £100 Puzzle 14 What plant appears on the badge of the football team AS Nancy Lorraine? 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. Your answer CIRCLE TIME The Tetley is a gallery of contemporary art based in the former Tetley’s brewery in which English city? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters ARK DAY INN IRK OFF SAC SAY TAB TEA 4 letters AMID EAST OBEY SITE STAG STAY 5 letters BLEAK CAUSE GRIND YOKEL 6 letters FEASTS FENNEL FLOODS METHOD 7 letters ABILITY TSUNAMI WIN £100 Puzzle 15 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56…

3 ways to… make extra cash Want to earn some more money ahead of Christmas? Here’s how to do it 1 Walk in the park If you’re an animal lover, you could make money by dog walking – it’s great exercise, too! There are websites you can sign up to, designed to connect you with people looking for help with their pets. The site may take a percentage of your earnings, which may cover things like insurance, so always check the small print before signing up. Or you could advertise locally. Do thorough research before starting; for details on everything you should consider, read the Professional Dog Walkers’ Guidelines, endorsed by Dogs Trust, available at dogstrust.org.uk. 2 Hit the shops Could you make some extra cash by becoming a mystery…

Joi Partain, 34 Scrambling for my uniform, I grabbed my phone. Can you look after the baby? I hurriedly texted my flatmate Rachel. It was June 2009, and the lingerie shop I worked at had offered me a last-minute shift. As a 21-year-old single mum with no relatives nearby, Rachel was the only person I trusted to babysit my daughter Page, then 8 months. Sorry, she replied. My heart sank, as I needed the money. Then… Jonathan says he’ll do it, Rachel texted. I sucked in a breath, knowing I needed to make a split-second decision. Jonathan was my ex. When we’d met seven months earlier, I was fresh out of an unhappy relationship, Page was a newborn and I’d needed a fresh start. Jonathan, then 26, seemed fun. Into…

Beauty director Sarah Cooper-White shares her favourite skin-perfecting foundations Max Factor Facefinity All Day Flawless Foundation, £12.99 A built-in primer and concealer gives a long-lasting flawless finish. Great for skin that may need a little more coverage, without looking caked in make-up. L’Oréal Paris True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum, £13.99 Like a drink of water for your skin, the watery consistency will leave your face looking juicy, plump and perfected. Makeup Gallery Keep On Glowing Illuminating Foundation, £3, Poundland This bargain of a base will give you dewy-fresh skin in an instant. And with change from a fiver you can’t get better than that!…

Oops! Here I am finding it absolutely hilarious that my new husband had nearly fallen into the river during our wedding photos. Would have been one more hiccup to add to our COVID-19 2021 wedding. Debbi Turner, Finzean Enjoying a sunny Sunday fun day with my youngest granddaughter Amia-Louise, 3. Her smile always melts my heart and she just loved feeding these goats. Paula Mechem-Blake, St Peter Port My Uncle Bobby is having a ‘wheely’ good time while on holiday. Riley Edwards, Leeds My little puppy Wiggles was caught red-pawed stealing his daddy’s socks! Krissie Cope, Prestwich Me and my fiancé Gareth and our daughters Robyn and Georgia having a fab time in Dalby Forest, Pickering, searching for characters from Julia Donaldson’s Zog book! Karen Hobson, Gleadless Our rescue dog…

CARDIGANS STYLE TIP Make a statement in cardigans that take knitwear to a new level. Keep the rest of your outfit plain to balance the look. SKIRTS STYLE TIP Great for all occasions, team your midi skirt with this season’s must-have chunky ankle boots and a roll-neck jumper. TOPS STYLE TIP Dress up your jeans. If you have a larger bust opt for deep V-necklines to get the most flattering DRESSES STYLE TIP The most versatile frock you can own, midi dresses suit everyone. Look for styles with built-in belts to highlight your waist.…

Nikki’s family, friends and supporters collectively sighed with relief when the jury found David Bogdanov, then 27, guilty of second-degree murder and malicious harassment. Their beloved Nikki’s murder had been a vile hate crime. ‘I just want to say thank you to everybody for loving my baby and for bringing her murderer to justice,’ Nikki’s mum Lisa Woods sobbed in a video posted on social media afterwards. Since Nikki’s death, Lisa has campaigned successfully for Washington to become the 10th US state to ban the so-called ‘gay panic defence’, through which accused assailants blame their victims for atrocities that they themselves have committed against them. Nikki’s friend Taylor Watts said, ‘She inspired a lot of people to actually feel free to come out as who they want to be.’ Before…

Mina Blair, 55, Midhurst, West Sussex Feeling a tell-tale itch, I pulled up my top and spotted a smattering of fluid-filled bumps on my tummy. Chickenpox, I sighed. It was spring 1995, and my toddler Karina, then 3, had recently picked up the contagious infection at nursery. All the other mums were chuffed that it was doing the rounds. ‘Get it over with,’ they said. I’d no idea I hadn’t had it growing up and wasn’t immune, though. And the trouble was, I was 3 months pregnant. ‘Don’t worry, the virus can’t cross the placenta,’ my doctors reassured, and the spots soon cleared up. Only, by the time I was seven months gone, my belly was huge. Far bigger than with Karina. Scans showed a tiny baby floating in vast…

ARROW WORD WIN £1,000 Puzzle 10 The baked product known as the rowie or buttery originated in which British city? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer. 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 11 Your answer WORDSEARCH WIN £50 Puzzle 12 A major feature of Copenhagen harbour, the Black Diamond, completed in 1999, is part of what building? The answer is the one missing from the grid. BANK CAFE CHURCH FACTORY GYM HOSPITAL HOUSE LIBRARY MOSQUE…

Haunted by my past Q I was abused from the age of 10, until I was 18. I didn’t have my first relationship until I was 40. But I think he wants to leave because I have so many issues with intimacy. I want to have sex but when we do, I freeze. He’s given me time, but what if I can’t give him what he needs? Anon, 45 A Give yourself a break, petal. Of course, what you went through as a child is making you feel vulnerable in an adult relationship. You need to heal from what happened in the past in order to trust people now. Consider therapy if you haven’t already. See napac.org.uk for help. Until you deal with it head on, you won’t move on.…

Sharon Spruce, 49, Widnes Watching the fairy godmother wave her wand, I was mesmerised. ‘Bibbidi bobbidi boo,’ she sang and, with a swish of magic dust, Cinderella transformed into a princess. ‘If only it were that easy,’ I scoffed to my partner Ste. I adored Disney films, had seen them hundreds of times. They were an escape from reality and I loved how they transported me to a realm where I was always happy. It was September 2018, and I was rewatching my old faves before our dream holiday to Walt Disney World Resort, Florida. But, although I was excited, one thing played on my mind. My weight. I’d always been big. At school, aged 12, I already wore an adult size 16. I felt so self-conscious getting changed for…

Q I’ve had a number of fake texts claiming to be from delivery companies in the past few months. How common are they and why do scammers send them? M Yates, Bradford A Some 61% of Brits s urveyed in May by Which? said they’d received a fake text claiming to be from a delivery company in the last year. These fake messages act as convincing lures into more complex scams designed to wipe out bank accounts, warns Which? For tips on how to protect yourself from scams, visit which.co.uk.…

Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream, £4.79, lookfantastic.com An amazing balm that make-up artists love. It does everything from soothing chapped lips to calming frizzy hair and nourishing dry skin. Tisserand Sleep Better Pillow Mist, £8.95, Holland & Barrett Beauty sleep is everything. Spritz this all over your bedding at bedtime to get ‘in the zone’ for sleep and you’ll be in the land of Nod in no time. Maybelline Lash Sensational Skin High Waterproof Mascara in Black, £9.99, Boots Nothing beats this mascara for long, fluttery lashes that won’t budge until you remove them. A comb-like wand ensures you’ll never have clumps. Cantu Skin Therapy Cocoa Butter Hydrating Body Cream, £7.99, Boots Nourish dry winter skin with this great body cream. It smoothes away dry patches and leaves your…

HOW TO ENTER TEXT Simply text CHATD 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…

Armani Milliard, 25, Woodbridge As Shamal twirled my boys, Diyari, then 3, and Karim, 1, around the swimming pool, they giggled away. ‘Again, Daddy, again,’ Diyari shouted. Although Shamal wasn’t the boys’ biological dad, he was a great father figure. And he loved that they called him Daddy. Hard-working, and loving, I felt lucky to have Shamal as my boyfriend. True, we’d had a rocky start together. I’d been a heavily pregnant single mum when we met on Facebook in early 2016. Love had blossomed after Karim was born. Only, three months in, I saw messages from Shamal’s ex on his phone – he’d been unfaithful. ‘It was a one-off mistake,’ he pleaded. I’d fallen hard for Shamal. So, blaming teething troubles – after all, he’d taken a lot on…

Elizabeth Leath, 31 Sitting on the ground, I ran my hands through the soil, rubbing it between my fingers. Mmmmm, I thought, glancing around the playground to check that no-one was watching. Quickly, I grabbed a handful and scooped it into my mouth. ‘What are you doing?!’ asked my boyfriend Russell, then 14, appearing behind me, looking confused. ‘Umm, nothing. Just playing,’ I muttered, wiping my hands and changing the subject. It was a school lunchtime in March 2004. My classmate Russell had been my boyfriend for two years, but there was something that I hadn’t told him. I loved eating dirt. Mud off the ground, soil from flower pots and earth from grassy banks. Whatever I could get my grubby mitts on, I couldn’t get enough. I’d discovered a…

WIN £1,001 puzzle 4 What are the names of US musician Alicia Keys’ children? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the three-word prize answer. ACROSS 11 Edible seed that may make butter (6) 12 English city (9) 13 Academic test (4) 14 Place to wash (8) 15 Trainee (5) 16 Not winning (6) 17 From the direction of sunrise (7) 18 Small country in Rome (7,4) 20 Bicycle part (5) 22 Very surprising (9) 24 Rips (5) 28 Cooking apple (7) 29 Gently knocking (7) 32 Champion (6) 34 Filling (8) 36 Fitted in (8) 37 Tidily (6) 39 Country, capital Vienna (7) 40 Location (7) 45 Dame Judi _, Oscar-winning actor (5) 47 Scientific (9) 48 Shovel (5) 51 Dramatic production…

Do I smell different? Q My husband says he can tell where I am in my monthly cycle just from the way I smell. Is that possible? Mariana, Tewkesbury A Could be. Hormone changes throughout your cycle do change the smell of your sweat and vaginal secretions, though the effect isn’t huge. But studies have shown that men can sometimes spot women who are in the middle of their cycle, midway between periods, simply by smelling their T-shirts. This is the stage at which a woman is most fertile and one theory is that men evolved this ability so they could home in on a fertile woman. Sometimes there’s a smell during your period too, due to bacteria and blood in your vagina besides hormone effects. But the smell change…

HORRIFIC ATTACK Vulnerable George Johnstone, 41, was sleeping on a bench in Central Park, Dartford, in June 2001, when two schoolboys, then aged 16 and 13, found him. They set fire to his beard, before stuffing lit firelighters in his shoe and coat ‘for a laugh’. A newspaper under his jacket ignited, engulfing him in flames. The teens fled laughing, but George suffered 40% burns and died of a heart attack. The teens both blamed each other but were convicted of murder and jailed for a minimum of six and a half years. KILLER AT THE FUNERAL Greenhithe teenager Claire Tiltman, 16, was stabbed in an alley on 18 January 1993. Milkman Colin Ash-Smith was questioned, and even attended her funeral, but was not charged until 2014. He’d been serving…

Louise Summers, 45, Bristol Scrolling through Facebook, I stopped at a picture of two siblings who’d recreated a childhood school picture. ‘Ha! That’s hilarious,’ I chuckled. And it got me thinking… It was March 2014, and my mum Helen’s 60th birthday was coming up. I wanted to do something special for her. ‘Reckon we can steal some snaps from Mum’s and recreate them?’ I asked my brother Ben, then 35. Ben’s always game for a laugh. ‘Let’s do it,’ he grinned to me mischievously. So I started popping by Mum’s house whenever I could. ‘Just looking for an old photo of my mates,’ I’d fib, leafing through her albums, sneaking my faves into my bag. Once I had enough, Ben came round and we laid out our looted snaps on…

When Jade Chipps, 31, talks about her hubby Chris, her eyes sparkle, and it’s clear that she’s deeply in love. The happy couple have plans to live in a house Chris bought. They’re talking about having babies, what their future together might look like. But, for now, all that has to wait. Because Chris is currently in the middle of a 10-year stretch for identity theft and burglary. And Jade has never met her husband outside prison walls. ‘I met Chris on a prison pen-pal page,’ she says. ‘I was a flight attendant and I saw a show where this lady was talking about how she met her husband from a pen-pal page, so I decided to check it out. ‘When I went on the page, I saw Chris’ picture…

Staring at that photo, surrounded by smiles, laughter and the Disney magic I’d fallen in love with, something clicked inside me. I knew Ste loved me no matter what, but I needed to change for myself. On the spot, I decided, I will lose weight. It was difficult to eat healthily in a resort packed full of restaurants and fast food but, for the rest of our trip, I completely ditched the sugary snacks. When we arrived home, in October 2018, I looked up Slimming World. Weighing 21st 13lb, I started by applying its principles without joining the group. I began cooking from scratch, finding recipes online for healthier versions of my favourite takeaways, like chicken curry. At first, the weight came off quickly, and by January 2019, I’d lost…

Catherine wheel bread These tasty and colourful snacks are packed with punchy flavours and are great to enjoy by the fire. MAKES 12 PREP TIME 15 MINS COOK TIME 25 MINS • 1x 545g ready-made pizza dough For the filling: • 500g spinach, cooked and drained • 460g jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped • 200g pack feta cheese, roughly crumbled • 50g pine nuts, toasted • 70g dry black olives with herbs (we used Crespo), sliced • 2 baking sheets, lined with baking parchment 1 Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface to about 35-40cm wide. Leave one of the long edges clear of filling, and brush water along it. Scatter over the filling ingredients, and roll up towards the clear edge, rolling it so…

Aries 21 March-20 April As Mercury enters Pluto, things start to transform in front of your eyes – be patient. A neighbour asks for your help, distract them while you complete the task. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May You may want to reorganise parts of your house. Your approach will convince others to do the same. Clearing clutter makes space for new people. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June Those around you are eager to listen to your ideas. Your skills are valuable, and you’ll find yourself inundated by requests from colleagues. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July You’re an exceptional actor, able to portray all emotions. You may need to use these skills…

Q How can I get rid of acne scarring and pigmentation? Penny Smith, 43, Berkshire A Over-the-counter products are the easiest and most affordable route to sorting scars or pigmentation left by acne. There are three ingredients to look out for – vitamin C, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and retinol. Vitamin C works by preventing excess melanin that causes the dark patches left when acne has gone. Use it every day on clean skin, underneath your moisturiser, to fade dark marks and give skin a natural luminosity. Try Revolution Skincare 12.5% Vitamin C Super Serum, £10, Boots. AHAs act as exfoliants that speed up your skin’s natural shedding process. Most commonly used AHAs include glycolic and lactic acid, both are fantastic at reducing hyperpigmentation from acne scars. Try Ordinary AHA…

Chat winners issue 32 (12 August 2021) £1,001 CASH K McCluskey, Leeds £1,000 CASH D Spears, Cockermouth £500 CASH S Watts, Hull; S Neylon, Chelmsford £250 CASH D Brown, Chatham £150 CASH C Smith, Hartlepool £100 CASH K Brooks, Poole; K Reynolds, Chester; M Harding, Bridgend; G Lewis, King’s Lynn; J Dennis, Liverpool £60 CASH L Cahill, Battersea £50 CASH E Craig, York; K Hughes, Rugby; G Vallance, Tavistock £30 CASH V McKenning, Rotherham; J Timms, Great Yarmouth; J Cox, Eye; B D Mason, Sherborne; M Swain, Nottingham £25 CASH C Mountford, York; P Adams, Lowestoft; K Mackie, Huddersfield; S Hyde, Huddersfield; J Knight, Tewkesbury; S Taylor, Preston; P Kirkby, Broadstairs; S Cape, Ebbw Vale; M Wilson, Wisbech Anyone from your town in the list this week..? PUZZLE 1 348…

Dear Jacob, My heart ached when your social worker Mary told me your story. RSPCA officers had visited a farm following reports of animal abuse. Instead, they’d found you, just 5. ‘He was curled up in a dog bed,’ Mary said sadly. Surrounded by squalor. ‘He can’t walk or talk well,’ she added. After growing up in foster care, often left hungry and scared, I’d spent the last decade as a foster mum. Thought I’d heard the worst. Until you, little Jacob. Though our house was full, with my husband Lloyd, our two kids under 10, Jackson and Vincent, and a foster daughter, Lily, I couldn’t ignore Mary’s plea. ‘Let me meet him,’ I said. And, despite everything I’d seen, I was stunned. You’d been removed from your family home…