Table of contents for 18-Jul-2024 in Pick Me Up!

Inhaling deeply, I then blew hard into my cornet. And as the classical music sounded, I was in my element. After playing in brass bands since I was little, it came so naturally to me. Watching my grandad John, 67, play the cornet growing up, I was fascinated. I want to do that one day. Music ran in my family. My mum Sam, 39, played percussion, my sister Alana, 15, played the tenor horn and my grandma Jacqueline, 66, played the baritone. So, naturally, I caught on. When I was eight, we lived in Cyprus. I joined the Cyprus Music Service. But when we moved to the UK, I took my musical passions with me. Sitting in my Year 4 music class, the teacher passed everyone a list of instruments.…

STAR LETTER My son Ollie, six, rescue wasn’t car, scared for the next holiday to the New Forest – they had a good heart to heart! Nicola Richardson, East Sussex This is a really light house – in fact, my hubby David had it in the palm of his hand! We were on a trip to Roker when we found it. Margaret Anderson, West Midlands Here I am on holiday in Portugal – I couldn’t go past the fish sculpture in Albufeira without a pic to show Pick Me Up! readers. Michelle Beacham, West Midlands My sister-in-law made these cakes for me and my husband for our housewarming party, after buying our first house. Cheryl Ginn, Kent If your letter makes Star Letter of the week, you will receive some…

Fancys Family Farm – Dorset There’s nothing quite like the feeling of fresh countryside air – especially when you get to see some adorable animals along the way, too. If that’s your idea of a perfect day out, Fancys Family Farm in Portland needs to be your final destination. Pack a picnic, grab your wellies and meet the crew. You’ll see goats, ducks, chickens, geese, pigs, donkeys, sheep and wallabies, to name a few. Get up close and personal, feed the farm animals, let the kids go wild in the large soft playroom and finish off your day with a hot cuppa. You’ll remember this day out ‘til the cows come home! • For more please visit: fancysfarm.co.uk Oxford University Museum of Natural History – Oxford Did you know that…

Blue hues are perfect for al fresco tableware Prints can bring life to any plain room in your home…

Packing five bags full of the holiday essentials, I knew there was something that we were bound to forget. Only, despite the initial chaos, I was really looking forward to our family getaway. As we didn’t manage to jet off last year, my partner Rory, now 29, bought me and the kids an extra present last Christmastime. He’d remembered how much we’d all loved it when we went to Parkdean Resorts Camber Sands Holiday Park a few years back. So, he’d booked a three-night stay in a two-bed caravan for £300 in total. Lyla, now seven, Jaxon, now five, and Hallie, now one, really couldn’t wait. Especially as just two weeks before, we bought our German Shepherd puppy Roxy, too. I knew rallying everyone together would be a little bit…

Parking up outside our local Tesco, I needed to run in and grab a few things for dinner. ‘Have you got the shopping list?’ I asked my husband Kris, 51. Nodding, we headed for the shop entrance. As we entered the foyer, I spotted something unexpected. A ginger cat, curled up in empty cardboard boxes which once stocked screen wash. How sweet, I thought. Then, I did a double take. It wasn’t just any cat. It was our cat, Lincoln. ‘What are you doing here?’ I giggled, giving him a tickle. Popping inside to pick up our essentials, Lincoln was still happily curled up. Especially because other shoppers would stop to give him a stroke. He’s found his new favourite spot, I realised. On the way out, while Kris took…

Read down the shaded squares for the answer. Answer on page 44. ACROSS 1 Despatched (4) 5 Twosome (4) 6 River in Tuscany (4) 7 Toboggan (4) DOWN 1 Health resorts (4) 2 British nobleman (4) 3 Three threes (4) 4 Stepped (4) Follow it! Solve the puzzle to spell out a term related to the picture. The arrows show you where to put your answers. The answer is spelled in the yellow squares. Answers on page 44. FIND IT How well do you know your landmarks? Can you guess the names of all five of these landmarks and where they are located? Answer on page 44. Fill it! Complete the grid then read down the shaded squares to reveal the hidden answer. Clue: Type of desert. Answer on page 44.…

Topping up the bird food as the last of my household chores, it felt like bliss to finally relax. Turning on the telly, with my canaries Sunny and Sunshine chirping away in the background, on 27 March this year, it was the same as any other day. I took great pride in keeping my council flat clean. It was a place I’d made my own and somewhere where I could rebuild my life after a messy breakup. I didn’t have any close friends or family to support me. However, I did move on to meet my boyfriend John, 61. He was great, helping me when I suffered from seizures due to my epilepsy. And that evening, at 6pm, I said goodbye to Sunny and Sunshine as I popped over to…

Late to the party Q I’m 50 and my wisdom teeth have never come through, but I’ve been having migraines recently and a little pain in the back of my mouth. Is it normal for them to come through in later life? Denise, Glasgow A Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last and most posteriorly placed adult teeth to erupt. They usually erupt between 17 to 25 years of age, but they can erupt many years later. Some reasons for their delay may be due to insufficient space in your mouth, leaving no room for them to emerge, or impaction, where their position in the jaw prevents eruption. A number of things may cause them to suddenly decide to erupt, despite being dormant for many years. For example, following…

Verdict: GENIUS! Time to go wild Lawn Flowers Grab Bag, £15, seedball.co.uk Wave goodbye to old grass and welcome wildflowers to your lawn. With enough per pack to cover five metres, Lawn Flowers have teamed up with The Wildlife Trusts to encourage us all to introduce pollinator plants to our gardens. Throw your seedball in a garden bed or planter and wait for the blooms. There are around 30 seeds per ball, from a mix of buttercups, dandelions, white clover and daisies. Its clever shape means that birds can’t eat the seeds inside the ball. For every bag sold, £1 goes to The Wildlife Trusts. Verdict: BONKERS! If smells could kill! Big bloomer Looking like it’s spawned from Doctor Who, the Rafflesia arnoldii holds the Guinness World Record for the largest single…

Watching as Keanu lay in wait, his gun cocked and ready, I could feel my heart racing. As he peered round a corner, I wanted to shout at the screen. And then all of a sudden, he jumped out and the sound of gunfire rained down as the legendary hitman took on the seedy criminal underworld. ‘Tell them all,’ Keanu breathed menacingly. ‘Whoever comes, whoever it is, I’ll kill them all.’ I loved action movies, and John Wick was one of my favourites – it helped that Keanu Reeves was easy on the eye, too! I’m not sure my partner Zach felt the same though. As the film played on, despite the shoot-outs and shouting, I could feel my eyes drooping – then all of a sudden, out of nowhere,…

Take your taste buds on a trip to the Middle East with these flavourful recipes. Fast, fresh and filling, there’s something for the whole family in Dinner Tonight. • Dinner Tonight by Meliz Berg, £22, available in-store and online from Waterstones Treat of the week Whipped Tahini, Spiced Butter & Boiled Egg Salad Serves: 4 Prep: 15 mins Cook: 15 mins YOU WILL NEED: ☐ 1 tbsp sesame seeds☐ 150g tahini☐ 75ml ice-cold water☐ 75ml freshly squeezed lemon juice☐ 4 large garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated☐ 1 tsp sea salt flakes☐ 4 large eggs☐ 50g unsalted butter☐ 2 tsp pul biber (Turkish red pepper flakes)☐ 1 tsp smoked paprika☐ ¼ English cucumber, deseeded and roughly chopped☐ 1 large, ripe tomato, halved and roughly chopped☐ ¼ tsp coarse black pepper☐ 1 tsp…

Bitesize! pg 3 Sand Strike it! pg 13 Dandelion (Cross out: 7, 10, 13, 26, 38, 47, 53, 61, 83) Cross it! pg 36 Wandered Fill it! pg 13 Wasteland Find it! pg 10 (Golden Gate Bridge: San Francisco. Taj Mahal: India. Grand Canyon: Arizona. Buckingham Palace: London. Colosseum: Rome) Crack it! pg 23 Blossomed Number fit! pg 13 3186 Sudoku pg 36 6,6,4 Follow it! pg 8 Succulent PLEASE NOTE Pick Me Up! will still be bringing you great puzzles to pit your wits against, but will no longer be offering prizes. Don’t forget, you can do puzzles for big cash prizes every weekin our sister magazine, Chat.…

Foodie finds Ice cream is a summer staple – and we’re obsessed with these yummy frozen delights from Doughlicious. The little bites of joy are creamy ice cream wrapped in melt-in-the-mouth cookie dough, then coated in a soft cookie crumb. Available in classic flavours like Chocolate Truffle and Mint Chocolate Chip, you can also try something a bit different like Popcorn or Cinnamon Churro, too. The sweet, fruity strawberry is our favourite flavour – what’s yours? • £4.50 for a box of six, available from major supermarkets Fun day out Are you already wondering how to keep the little ones entertained over the long summer holidays?  Don’t worry, Dobbies have got you covered! The family-favourite garden centre has rolled out the picnic blanket as it launches its new summer event –…

This week, our tip of the week will receive a great prize from Addis. This Comfi Grip dustpan and brush, has been designed with comfort in mind. With soft bristles, the brush can pick up the finest dust, so you can clean those hard-to-reach areas. The dustpan is made from a durable plastic, with a rubber lip, so you can catch dirt and grime, transferring it straight to the bin. For more ways to make your life easier, visit: addis.co.uk Fancy a brew? If you’re looking for a sun-kissed tan, grab a spray bottle and black tea bags. Steep the tea in a large pot for 20 minutes, and pour into a spray bottle or mix with moisturiser. An easy tan! Lisa Adams, West Midlands You grow girl! I make…

Inspired by the beauty of the sea, you can invite the outside in by creating these easy-to-make Large Coastal Display Jars by Baker Ross. You can even add your own personal touch by using the shells you’ve collected from your beach visits! It’s a perfect way to remember a special stroll beside the seaside. • For more craft ideas, visit: bakerross.co.uk You will need: • Cotton string• Mini craft shells• Large shells (shells you’ve collected from the beach will work perfectly, too)• Metal acrylic lustre paint in gold• Glue gun• Scissors• Paint brush How to: 1. Using the cotton string, tie a loop slightly smaller than the base of your jar. Cut 10 pieces of string that are over double the length of your jar. Loop each string, one at…

Groggily opening my eyes, I started taking in my surroundings – the white walls and the sterile smell in the air. Gazing down at my body, a blue gown covered me up. And there, bulging underneath it, was my pregnant belly. Peeking under the gown, a scar stretched across my belly. ‘How are you feeling?’ my partner Tyler, now 27, said. Standing by my bedside, he’d rushed into the hospital room to catch me coming round from the anaesthetic. ‘I’m fine,’ I replied. Only, I realised that something was missing. My baby wasn’t in sight. Instead, she was still tucked away safely inside me, just waiting to be born. While I’d just had surgery, I hadn’t had a C-section. I was only 24 weeks along. Instead, I was saving my…

Natasha Page is an experienced psychotherapist, counsellor, writer, business coach, and founder of My Little Therapy Box, too. She is an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and is highly passionate about mental health and supporting others. To find out more, please visit: natashapagemsc.com and bacp.co.uk I’m the breadwinner… Q I’ve recently received a pay rise which means I’m now earning more than my husband. You’d think he would be happy but he’s really bitter about it. Why can’t he accept it? Jennifer, Whitby A It sounds like your husband has some underlying issues. In a healthy relationship, we should experience support and encouragement for one another’s success and celebrate this as a benefit for the two of you. It may be an indication that…

As a spirited member of the local community, Lacey Fletcher was a fun, active student who thrived in her school’s volleyball team. Living in Slaughter, Louisiana, with her parents Sheila and Clay Fletcher, Lacey was part of a well-valued and established family. Both Sheila and Clay had strong political connections in the area, were regular church-goers and had also been childhood sweethearts. Some even thought of them both as pillars of the local community. Clay, 66, was a popular expert football player, whereas Sheila, also 66, was an office worker for the police chief of Baker. They involved themselves with charities supporting the less fortunate. And when it came to Lacey, she was an enthusiastic teen with ‘beautiful’ features. Her neighbours would regularly spot her ‘hanging out with a lot…

Catch Claire live on Facebook ARIES 21 March–20 April Just when you were about to question your recent actions and impulses, you realise that you had to go through a certain disruption in order to find the peace you seek. The new moon in Leo this weekend helps you to make sense of life and where you want yours to go. It’s time to look to the future. You’re in control, my friend. Don’t give it away, Aries! Call: 09058 170 710* TAURUS 21 April–21 May The new moon brings out a more expressive side of your personality. You’re not afraid to add your own style and pace to what is happening now. You realise that little actions lead to big changes. It’s decision time in love. Just don’t let…