Table of contents for 8 December 2022 in Chat

Welcome to this issue of Chat… What’s on your Christmas list? A posh candle or some fluffy slippers? As the busy festive season ramps up, I reckon the one thing we all really want is some peace and quiet - so picking up Chat’s jumbo issue is a good place to start! Get comfy and lose yourself in real-life stories that’ll make you rage, laugh and cry, fab food and fashion, bargain gifts to make and buy, and a sprinkling of seasonal silliness. Plus, the chance to win £10k of prizes! Merry Christmas! PS If you’re entering the puzzles online, this is the link to use: comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

TRUE-LIFE From the kitchen, I heard my partner Dean groan. ‘These instructions are useless!’ he sighed as our son Jake, then 4, hovered impatiently. I’d go to help him, but I had my hands full with peeling the sprouts! It was Christmas 2020 and we’d been up since 6am, when Jake had woken us. Now Dean, 40, was building the toy car garage that Santa had left, while I prepped dinner. During lockdown, it was just us three, and our elder two kids Millie, 18, and Mikey, 16. Looking out across our peaceful crescent in Norwich, I imagined similar scenes happening behind our neighbours’ front doors. We’d moved from London when Millie and Mikey were little, thinking it would be the perfect place for them to grow up. And it…

Q My mum used to give us something to make us sleep on Christmas Eve, but my chemist says there’s nothing I can give my kids! Lacey, Hereford A Excited children refusing to sleep is part of Christmas Eve. Years ago, some parents did buy sedative antihistamine drugs, such as promethazine, to settle their children. But kids could experience side effects such as headaches or drowsiness the next day, and very rarely the drugs could interfere with breathing in babies. For these reasons, since 2009, chemists can’t sell them for under-sixes. But there are better ways! Aim for an early start on Christmas Eve. Plan active fun such as long walks or energetic games during the day to leave them tired, and wind down in the evening. Stick to your…

Q I dread Christmastime, as I always get cystitis! What am I doing wrong? Liz, Pontefract A Let me guess, you’re cooking and running around after people all day? Sorting Christmas for the family can leave you without time to drink properly. And when you do it’s likely to be alcohol, which doesn’t rehydrate you like a soft drink. A hot kitchen makes you lose fluid through sweat and the result is that you become dehydrated, a major trigger for cystitis. Add in the stress of the day, another trigger, and maybe festive sex, and you have perfect conditions for cystitis. Prevent it by planning time to chill, drink regularly from a glass of water that’s constantly on hand, and pee whenever you need to. If it’s a recurring problem,…

Editor Kate made… a tuna Christmas tree Ah, the smell of Christmas. Roasted chestnuts, mulled wine and tinned tuna? Well, that’s what my house stank of after mashing four cans of the stuff with mayo to recreate this festive, fishy delight. Decorated with veggie baubles and topped with a lemon star, this was once a trendy buffet centrepiece but it’s fallen out of favour in recent years. I can’t think why… But while it lacks beauty, it was surprisingly edible, piled onto crackers. Even better, the leftovers had a second life in a pasta bake - and in the beagle. She certainly thought all her Christmases had come at once! Senior writer Bess made… banana candles If the festive season has you feeling fruity, this is the recipe for you! By…

The Grinch He may have been trying to steal Christmas, but the villain of Whoville stole our hearts in the process. Jim Carrey starred as the grumpy green grouch in 2000’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and his hilarious depiction still has us clutching our sides today. Who doesn’t adore a man with a sense of humour? Noddy Holder We love anyone who gets the party started - so of course Noddy makes the list. One cry of ‘It’s Christmaaaaas!’ and we’re on the dance floor. With his unique sense of style and lamb-chop sideburns, Noddy singing Merry Xmas Everybody in 1973 wouldn’t look out of place among today’s trendy pop stars. Noddy rocks our world! Santa Claus He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake. It’s…

Picking up a pair of rugby boots, my little boy’s eyes lit up. ‘Can I have them, Mum?’ Luke, then 7, asked. It was September 2019, and my little lad was rugby mad. His dad Adam, then 44, was a coach at our local club, Skipton RFC, and along with his big brother Harry, 10, Luke played rugby every week. ‘Let’s see if Santa brings them,’ I told Luke, mentally adding them to my Christmas shopping list, along with Lego, dinosaurs and fossil sets. Luke couldn’t wait, so we picked up the boots that day. But as Christmas approached, on 12 December 2019, Luke started complaining of a sore leg. He seemed sluggish, not himself. Deciding not to take him to school, I kept a close eye on him. ‘You’ll…

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Sitting in A&E with my baby, I cuddled him close. Jaundiced and crying, he looked so poorly. It was August 2017, and George had been born only six weeks earlier. He was our second child, after his older brother Thomas, then 3. My family was complete. Having lost my sister at a young age, I was happy for Thomas to have a sibling. But after we brought George home, we realised he wasn’t well. He was swollen and constantly hungry - the doctors told us it was a milk intolerance. When nothing improved, his dad Anthony, then 37, and I took him to A&E. As I tried to soothe George, a doctor pulled back the curtain. ‘We think George has biliary atresia,’ he said. The doctor told me that the…

TRUE-LIFE YOU'RE THE JUDGE! Every Christmas, the white-haired pensioner was a familiar sight. Chugging through deep snow on his faithful tractor past rows of bushy fir trees. Everyone loved James Pearson. Most people called him Jim. He was a former art teacher and an ex-volunteer cop, too. He was also a loving family man - husband to his high-school sweetheart Nancy. Dad to Mary and Robert. But to nearly everyone in the town of Scarborough, Maine, kind-hearted Jim was something else, too. A Christmas legend. To many, Jim was the smiling face helping them choose their tree as the local Christmas-tree farmer. Unprovoked attack He and Nancy had moved to Beech Ridge Farm in 1969. Had first opened a farm shop selling animal feed. Since 1986, they’d also grown and…

WANT DR MARTIN EDWARDS’ ADVICE? WRITE TO CHAT_MAGAZINE@FUTURENET.COM. SORRY, HE CAN'T REPLY PERSONALLY Time for tactical drinking? Q I know that it’s supposed to be safer to drink beer before wine, but should I drink wine or cocktails first at my Christmas party? Sandice, Deptford A ‘Wine then beer, oh dear. Beer then wine, that’s fine!’ There’s another one for spirits - ‘Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Liquor before beer, you’re in the clear’. They’re rhymes to remind you that taking drinks in a certain order is supposed to make you less drunk and leave less of a hangover. Trouble is, the rhymes don’t even agree - one says drink beer first, the other second! And the idea is a complete myth. Scientists in Germany and Cambridge have tested…

1 Brussel sprouts Love them or hate them, sprouts provide bloodpressure-lowering potassium and folate, a B vitamin important for mental wellbeing. ‘Plus, they’re packed with vitamin C, essential for immunity and healthy skin, and vitamin K for healthy bones and blood clotting,’ says dietician Juliette Kellow. TRY Steam instead of boiling to retain more nutrients. FEAST ON Eight sprouts = one of your five a day. 2 Turkey This lean white meat has fewer calories than other protein sources, but that’s not all. ‘Turkey is rich in tryptophan, an amino acid involved in boosting sleep,’ says nutritionist Martina Della Vedova. ‘Poor sleep, stress and low mood have a direct impact on weight gain.’ TRY Remove the skin before eating and opt for the breast. FEAST ON One portion = 200g (about the…

Fun festive cookies Whether you pop them on the tree or give as a gift, these cookies are a Christmas essential! MAKES 20 PREP 20 MINS COOK 1 HR YOU WILL NEED: • Piping bag and nozzle Top tip Mix and match your cookie shapes - try Christmas trees, angels and stars. Top tip Roll the truffles with cold hands or you’ll get very messy indeed! Chocolate truffles Easy to make, you can get the whole family involved with these tasty treats. MAKES 20 PREP 30 MINS, PLUS CHILLING AND COATING FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE: FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE: Hot choc stirring spoons The perfect gift for the chocoholic in your life.…

No money for pressies Q I lent my sister £1,500 from the savings I’d put aside for the kids’ Christmas presents - she was supposed to repay me in August. Only she hasn’t. I don’t know how I’m going to afford presents for the kids now. It takes me months to save for Christmas, and I work an extra part-time job too. My sis keeps fobbing me off, and I’m terrified the kids are going to wake up on Christmas with no presents. Becks, 24 A That’s such a lot of money, flower. Talk to your sister in person, don’t text or call her. Be very honest, open and direct, and let her know the urgency of the situation. Give her a deadline of when she needs to pay the…

1 Absorb that there are only 24 days left till Christmas, then promptly forget about it until tomorrow. 2 Treat yourself to a coffee in the supermarket cafe. Blame the long festive queues for getting home late. 3 Do your pressie shopping online, then tell your family you’re going to the high street as cover for some me-time. 4 Explain that you’re not sending Christmas cards, for environmental reasons. Think of the time and money you’ll save! 5 Tired from shopping? Nip to the bed department, flop on a divan and claim you’re carrying out research. 6 Pinch your fave sweeties from the tin before you put it out, and blame a packing error when no one can find any. 7 Forgotten Christmas Jumper Day tomorrow? Just glue tinsel around…

1 Epic lights on Oxford St Nothing says ‘Christmas in London’ like a wander down Oxford Street. Take in the thousands of LED bulbs glowing overhead - stretching all along the famous shopping road and down neighbouring Regent Street to Piccadilly Circus. Just be sure to visit after dark for the full glitzy effect! 2 An illuminated garden trail In winter, Kew Gardens transforms into a magical festive landscape, with large-scale light installations, mulled wine and a flickering ‘fire garden’. There are also family-friendly rides if you have little ones in tow, and plenty of food options to choose from. Tickets cost from £21.50; kew.org. 3 Cosy themed afternoon teas When it’s chilly outside and you want to warm up, nothing beats settling in for a classic afternoon tea somewhere…

What's for dinner? Whether you want to stick to a traditional turkey or try something new, we’ve got you covered! Extra Special Norfolk Bronze Turkey, 5.5-7kg, £9/kg (average weight 6.25kg), £43.13, Asda Succulent and juicy, this whole turkey ticks all the boxes. Reared in the great outdoors, this breed takes longer to mature, giving it a delicious, rich flavour. Not to forget its golden crispy skin! Finest 30-Day Matured Tomahawk Steak With Wild Garlic & Sea Salt Butter, 1.15kg, £20/kg, Tesco Slathered in butter, this large steak is so tender and juicy. It would make a great alternative to turkey. Plant Kitchen Roast Butternut Squash & Spinach Pie, 430g, £7, M&S Layers of butternut squash and spinach are covered in crispy filo pastry in this vegan delight. So good, even…

TRUE-LIFE Turning on the radio, out blared Wham!’s Last Christmas so I swiftly turned it off again. It was December 2020. Even with Covid numbers spiking and whispers of a new lockdown, everyone seemed determined to be in the festive spirit. Usually I’d be joining in. But this year, I had other things on my mind. A month ago I’d started bleeding from my bottom. I’d been for tests and as I awaited the results, tinsel and turkey couldn’t be further from my mind. Soon after I went to Rotherham District General Hospital for the results. ‘You have a 5cm tumour in your bowel that needs to be removed,’ the doctor told me. ‘We think it could be cancer.’ Despite my worries, I was completely floored. I could swim 100…

Chat winners issue 35 (1 September 2022) £1,001 CASH £500 CASH £250 CASH £200 CASH £100 CASH £75 CASH £50 CASH £40 CASH £30 CASH £25 CASH SMcGreavyLondon EBrownhillRomford Anyone from your town in the list this week..? £20 CASH Chat PUZZLE 1 313 Chat PUZZLE 2 DIRK Chat PUZZLE 11 5 1 8 •Any material submitted to Chat must be original, not copies or duplicated to other editors. Upon submitting material you warrant that you own or have the right to licence the material to Future plc for publication. Chat reserves the right to shorten, edit or modify any material…

JENNY COOPER, 38, FROM MANCHESTER, SAYS: While Santa is dashing through the snow, my local hero has been taking on snow-capped mountains. Meg Pragnell, 25, is a junior doctor from Nottingham. She decided to take on an incredible challenge to raise money for Alzheimer’s Society. An issue close to her heart, Meg wanted to raise money to honour her beloved ‘Granji’, Grandma Jill, who has mixed dementia. Meg’s tri-peaks challenge for Alzheimer’s Society involved climbing three mountains, swimming three lakes, and cycling in between. A keen triathlete, the challenge was Meg’s biggest yet. With 900,000 people living with dementia in the UK, the help of fundraisers like Meg is so important. Without their generosity, Alzheimer’s Society couldn’t keep doing its important work. Meg, you’re a star! Support Alzheimer’s Society this Christmas…

WAIST BELTS STYLE TIP Rework your wardrobe and create a whole new look by adding a belt to an existing midi dress or jumpsuit. PARTY SHOES STYLE TIP From on-trend platforms to glitzy embellishment, these stylish heels are guaranteed to get you in the party mood. FROM JUST £2.50! STATEMENT EARRINGS STYLE TIP Elevate an existing LBD by adding extra colour and sparkle. It’s amazing how earrings can totally revamp an outfit. STYLE TIP If oversized jewels aren’t for you, invest in a fabulous bag. With so many gorgeous options, you’ll be spoilt for choice. EVENING BAGS ANKLE BOOTS STYLE TIP Put your best foot forward in a fashionable boot. These styles are perfect for day-to-night dressing. FROM JUST £2.50! FANCY FLATS STYLE TIP These chic flats feel every bit…

True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK Walking behind my family, I struggled to keep up. It was August 2021 and we were visiting Oxford for the day. My cousin slowed to match my limping stride, and I smiled apologetically. ‘You’re dragging your feet,’ she pointed out, frowning. ‘I think you should see a doctor.’ She was right. Only 46, I shouldn’t have been struggling as much as I was. For years, I’d suffered with a frozen shoulder and stiffness and weakness down my right side. I even struggled to write. After visiting my doctor about my shoulder, I was given two cortisone injections to help to reduce inflammation. Only, they didn’t seem to be working. Deciding to see my GP again, this time about my limp, I was sent for an MRI, CT…

3 ways to… get the best out of Black Friday If you’re Christmas shopping on 25 November, use these nifty tips… 1 Think ahead Consider what you’re hoping to get and set up online accounts in advance with retailers you’re likely to use. Some sites let you set up wish lists - this will help you quickly check if the items are reduced in a Black Friday sale. If you’re looking for a big-ticket item, like a TV, think about the features you want. That way you’ll be less likely to be tempted by what looks like a great bargain, but you haven’t heard of the brand and it’s not really what you’re after. 2 Look for early (and late) promos Some retailers kick off their promotions ahead of Black Friday,…

1 You’re listening to Wham’s Last Christmas and wrapping up Pound Puppies as gifts. 2 Shoppers went to ‘infinity and beyond’ in a desperate attempt to get their hands on a new Buzz Lightyear doll, which sold out in 20 minutes! 3 We were all in a spin trying to figure out how to solve a Rubik’s Cube. 4 Band Aid were at number one with Do They Know it’s Christmas? and Transformers were masquerading as robots in disguise. 5 Tetris and Super Mario Land were must-haves for your new Game Boy. 6 Trying to keep our pet Tamagotchis alive became Too Much. 7 Cute or creepy? We’re still not sure but a Furby was at the top of everyone’s wish list that year. 8 Cliff Richard had us swaying…

Rebekah Vardy After Coleen Rooney accused her fellow WAG of leaking private Instagram posts, Vardy replied by suing Rooney for libel. That was a big mistake! Vardy lost the case and now faces a hefty legal bill. The price of betrayal? Boris Johnson Are we surprised to see the former PM’s name here? I think not. Partygate feels like it was about 100 scandals ago now, but I’ve not forgotten what was going on in Number 10 while we stayed home obeying Boris’s rules. He can keep the place warm for his replacement, who we suspect might pop up on my list next year. Will Smith Will, Will, Will. What happened? You were a fave of ours but even a child knows that when they use their hands instead of…

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol NETFLIX • This animated musical version of Charles Dickens’ festive tale has been reimagined from the famous 1970 movie starring Albert Finney. It includes the original score by composer Leslie Bricusse, plus new songs, and has Luke Evans voicing Ebenezer Scrooge who’s given one last Christmas to redeem himself. Firstly, he’s visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley (Jonathan Pryce), who reveals that three more spooks are on their way to show him the error of his ways. Listen out for Olivia Colman voicing The Ghost of Christmas Past! DON'T MISS DON'T MISS The Traitors BBC1 • Claudia Winkleman hosts this nail-biting competition, which sees 22 strangers arrive at a castle in the Scottish Highlands to play a game of detection, backstabbing…

My little girl Indie’s eyes widened as she pointed to the presents under the tree. ‘These are all for you,’ my fiancé David, then 37, said. ‘Let’s open one.’ It was 25 December 2020, Indie’s first Christmas. Should have been one of the happiest days of my life. But as David started to help Indie, then 11 months old, pull off wrapping paper, my eyes filled with tears. Stumbling to my feet, I ran to the loo, sobbing. All I could think was, will this be my last Christmas? Back in February, when Indie was just 1 month, I’d discovered a bump just above my belly button. My doctor thought it was just a fatty lump, but tests had showed it was sarcoma, a soft tissue cancer. Life had been…

TRUE-LIFE Taking a glug of Baileys, I grabbed an armful of tinsel and headed for the Christmas tree. ‘Pretty,’ my son Jarvis, then 5, squealed as my lounge began to resemble a glitter factory. My partner John, 52, put his arm around me and we admired my handiwork. A few weeks before, I’d bought a new dress, stuffed the fridge with food and invited Mum, my sisters, their partners and kids to ours. A tree-decorating shindig to get us all into the crimbo spirit! With the music, festive tipples and mince pies on the go, I felt excited. Fairytale of New York blasted out, and we all danced around the tree as we popped on the baubles. ‘Ooh, snap a picture of the Christmas fairy,’ I chuckled, grabbing our Santa…

Kind, caring, generous and full of festive spirit. A‘sweet, sweet lady’ who adored the holidays. Michele O’Dowd was Christmas personified. It was early December 2011. As always, Michele, 67, had gone all out decorating her Florida home. Her tree had got the full works: tinsel, baubles, fairy lights. Only, it was what lay beneath the pine needles and glitter that held the most magic for big-hearted Michele. Like every year, she’d already bought gifts for her nephews, nieces and grandchildren. Wrapped them up in shiny paper and heaped them carefully under the tree until Christmas Day. Michele was so crazy about Christmas, she even took the role of chief elf at work. She always put up the tinsel and fairy lights at the family business run by her twin brother…