Table of contents for 08 September 2022 in Chat

We’ve loved working with the Child of Britain Awards 2022, bringing our readers stories of the country’s most amazing kids. Young folk get a bad rap, but this lot prove that the next generation is brave, caring and flipping inspiring! Now they’ve held a glitzy awards do, we’re showing off the winners with their glad rags (p24). If you know an extra-special kid, check out the feature to find out how to get involved with next year’s Awards. Enjoy our packed issue! PS If you’re entering the puzzles online, this is the link to use: comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Suzie Giddens, 33, Peterborough As the music pumped and the crowd went wild, I plonked myself down on some benches with my mates. It was October 2011, and I’d just graduated from uni. At a local music festival, I was in party mode before I settled down to find a job. As a group of strangers joined us, one caught my eye. His name was Tim Lenihan, then 31. We chatted and in a drunken haze I swapped numbers with him and agreed to a date. But when I told my sister Helena about him the next day, she shook her head. ‘Got a bad reputation,’ she said, claiming she’d heard he was a serial cheater and heavy drinker. But I’d agreed to go out with him. Had nothing to…

Donna Lonergan, 43, Bromley Peering round the bedroom door, I saw my teenager hunched over a textbook. He’d been studying for hours. ‘You need to take a break, Junior,’ I urged. ‘In a bit,’ my son, then 16, smiled, turning to take the bagel I’d brought for him. I admired his dedication. I was a single mum to Junior and his older brother, 25, who’d already left home. Now, Junior was revising for his GCSEs. Naturally bright and a hard worker, he’d been top of the class since the first day he’d walked through the primary-school gates. Aged 11, he’d been offered a scholarship to a grammar school but turned it down, preferring to stick with his mates at our nearby comp. And he’d flourished there, not only getting good…

Born in 1944, John Holmes didn’t have an easy upbringing. Raised in a devout Baptist home, he enlisted in the army at 16, serving in West Germany for three years. When he was discharged, he moved to California. Floated from one job to another. Ambulance driver, shoe seller, forklift driver, door-to-door salesman… Until one fateful day in 1968, when John had a chance encounter with a photographer in the loos at a poker club. Opening the door into the porn industry. John’s alias, Johnny Wadd, was born. His career would span 20 years, during which time one thing was the making – and breaking – of him. His 13-inch manhood. John’s career soared. He appeared in more than 2,000 porn films, having sex with 14,000 women in the process. Became…

Pain in the bits Q When I get an erection, it hurts! Can that be normal? Andy, Ilkley A A painful erection isn’t normal, and could be a sign of something serious, so you should see your GP. The most common cause is Peyronie’s disease where scar tissue slowly forms inside your penis leading to a painful, and often curved, erection. No one’s sure why this happens, though repeated minor injury to your penis, or an inherited tendency, might be to blame and treatment usually means drugs or surgery. Other possible causes include side effects of drugs including some blood pressure pills, tranquillisers and cocaine, injury such as a penile fracture where your penis breaks during sex, infection or rare hormone or blood problems. Priapism, a painful erection that won’t…

OVER TO YOU Can you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p5. There’s £20 for every one we use! This week’s puzzle was compiled by Sonia Allen, via email ACROSS 1 Move on foot 2 Bees home 3 Vision 4 Asset DOWN 1 Galleon 2 Ebbs & flows 3 Endlessly 4 High point WIN 5 x £20 Puzzle 6 Your answer: HALF & HALF Worn by Catholic clergy on formal occasions, what type of garment is a ferraiolo? Cross out a letter in each square to get a grid filled with words. The uncrossed out letters in the shaded squares give the prize answer. WIN 3 x £50 Puzzle 7 Your answer: BRICK TRICK Frank Lloyd Wright and Marion Mahony…

ARROW WORD The Latin motto of which ceremonial English county translates as ‘I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills’? 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 2 x £500 Puzzle 10 Your answer: SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 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 2 x £30 Puzzle 11 Your answer: WORDSEARCH The pasta variety known in Englishspeaking countries as orzo takes its name from the Italian for what crop? The answer is the one missing from the grid.…

FILL ME IN Operation Just Cause was the code name for a 1989 invasion of which country by the US military? 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 £100 Puzzle 14 Your answer: CIRCLE TIME Launched in 1967, what was the name of the Cadbury’s chocolate bar designed to compete with the Mars bar? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters ASP CAR CUE EKE EVE LAP MAN RAP SAP VIE 4 letters EARN HALF HAZY KIWI PATH POPS WHIP 5 letters SCREW SPENT SUSHI 6 letters ATOMIC HYPHEN PARADE RECIPE RESCUE SESAME 8 letters SENTENCE WIN £100 Puzzle 15…

3 ways to… GET DATE SAVVY Keeping on top of certain dates will help to save you a pretty penny. 1 Don’t dump food If you don’t keep tabs on use-by dates, you’ll end up wasting food. Move items that need to be eaten to the front of the fridge, so they don’t get hidden, and make a list of what meals you can build around them. Or, if possible, freeze items to avoid binning them. 2 Prioritise bill payments Forgot to pay a bill on time? This can rack up late-payment charges and may have other consequences, such as your credit score being affected. Keep paper bills in a dedicated place so you can check them easily, and if you have online billing, keep these bills in a file…

Sausages and barbecue beans Perk up a can of beans and bangers with some punchy home-made barbecue sauce. SERVES 4 PREP TIME 10 MINS COOK TIME 25 MINS • 8 sausages, defrosted if frozen • 2tsp olive oil • 1 onion, chopped • 4tbsp tomato ketchup • 1tbsp balsamic vinegar • 1tbsp Worcestershire sauce • 12 rashers streaky bacon • 400g can haricot beans, drained • 100g rocket 1 Heat the oven to 220C/Gas 7. Put the sausages on a lined baking tray and cook for 15 mins. 2 Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and fry for 5 mins, until softened. Add the ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and 150ml water. Stir and simmer for 5 mins. 3 Turn the sausages and add the bacon to…

Caleb Gilbert, 29, Cheltenham Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I yawned as I heard footsteps clatter towards the front door and it clanging shut after them. Peering out of my bedroom window, I watched as my three elder siblings Alloma, then 11, Victoria, then 14, and Christopher, then 9, headed to school. It was 1999, and I was 7 years old. Old enough to go with them, but Mum liked to keep me at home with her. She was a single parent. Just a few months earlier, two of my other sisters, Judith, then 37, and Charlotte, then 16, had been killed in a car crash. So maybe Mum wanted to keep me, the youngest, close by. And anyway, I was happy to play with my toys all day.…

Chat winners issue 23 (9 June 2022) £1,001 CASH B Crilly, Ormskirk £1,000 CASH M Jones, Wolverhampton £500 CASH C Wilkinson, Nottingham P Cole, Chester-le-Street £250 CASH P Rayment, Hornchurch £150 CASH L Baxter, Thetford £100 CASH I O’Neill, Workington E Blyth, Newton Stewart D Sabin, Bridgenorth A Brown, Harwich P McDonald, Sheerness £60 CASH W Lam-Vechi, London £50 CASH A Hume, Sanquhar S Moore, Loughborough J Connolly, Leicester £30 CASH K Pettifer, Norwich J French, Nottingham M Wignall, Manchester P Raymond, Birmingham SA Vause, Shrewsbury £25 CASH M Booth, Castleford J Jones, Hungerford L Castell, Rayleigh G Daldy, Stowmarket E Shearer, Glasgow S Cater, Wigan A Salisbury, Gillingham T Coslett, Poole P Clegg, Sheffield Chat PUZZLE 1 91648 Chat PUZZLE 2 ENVY Chat PUZZLE 11 3 6 9 Anyone…

I love this pic of my new puppy Charlie, 6 months. He already gives us lots of fun and helps us keep healthy looking for castles in Scotland! Margaret Soley, Aberdeen We pay £25 for any photos that we use on Chat To Us! Here is my son Bertie, 3, and daughter Scarlett, 5, wearing their sports day stickers. I’m such a proud mummy! Sophie Undrill, Lincoln I think my granddaughter Tabitha, 10 months, wants to make a daisy chain! Jeanette Richards, Birmingham My wife Julie and I had a great time on our visit to Doolin Cave in Ireland. Even if it was a bit dark! Wayne Massey, Shrewsbury On our first holiday together, my boyfriend missed the gym so much he had to improvise. Who needs a gym…

TOPS STYLE TIP Looking for a new, nice top and jeans look? Team with this season’s wideleg cropped style and a pair of strappy sandals. SKIRTS STYLE TIP Pair a busy printed skirt with a simple white T-shirt and your favourite trainers for an easy-to-wear, laid-back look. BAGS STYLE TIP Statement accessories will add a striking finishing touch to your outfit. Don’t be afraid to mix colours and prints. DRESSES STYLE TIP Midi dresses are extremely versatile. Perfect for wearing all year round, they can easily be dressed up or down.…

Despite the grim, gruesome evidence presented to the court, John Holmes was acquitted. The real perpetrators, he claimed, were still out there. And with the sole survivor of the attacks, Susan Launius, unable to recall any details of that night, there was no one to back or refute his claims. Gradually, John cleaned up his act somewhat, returning to porn for the last few years of his life. In 1988, aged 44, he died from AIDS-related complications. Having evaded authorities for decades, Eddie Nash was arrested in 2000 in relation to the Wonderland Murders. Then in his 70s, he reached a plea deal. Admitted he sent his men to Wonderland Avenue to get his stolen items back. But not to commit murder, he claimed. In 2014, Eddie Nash died aged…

1 Get enough sleep Aim for six to eight hours of sleep a night. Sleep for less and you raise your risk of heart disease and death, according to a worldwide study published in the European Heart Journal. Sleeping for less than five hours could double your risk of death and cardiovascular disease, shows research*. Sleeping longer also saw an increased risk of illness and dying earlier, so if you regularly sleep for more than nine hours a day see your GP. 2 Stretch it out Trainer Chris Richardson thinks we should stretch every morning for 10 minutes to ramp up blood circulation to increase energy, improve coordination and boost flexibility, all of which are depleted as we age. 3 Quit smoking Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable early…

Kelly Eyre, 34, Buckley, Flintshire As a sweet ginger tabby cat let out a mew, my heart melted. ‘He’s adorable,’ I said, handing him back to his owner. It was 2015 and I’d recently qualified as a feline veterinary nurse. I loved cats, with two of my own, Jelly and John. Spent three years working for the Cats Protection charity. Now, I taught my colleagues in a vet surgery how to care for kitties, and organised appointments. So, as I flicked through a magazine on my lunch break, an advert stopped me in my tracks… It was a sponsored trek in the Himalayas, raising money for Cats Protection. It gave me paws for thought. I knew how much the charity depended on fundraising. Only, at 26st, I wasn’t sure if…

Should I send nudes? Q Me and my good friend have a casual sexual relationship. We both made our boundaries very clear. Now he keeps asking me for nude pictures, something I’ve told him I’m not comfortable with. He says I’m not spontaneous and need to break out of my shell. Is he right? Am I a prude? Jade, 24 A First of all, never do anything you’re uncomfortable with. If someone can’t respect that clear boundary, then they don’t respect you, simple as. This most definitely isn’t your problem and it says more about him than it does about you. Tell him exactly how you feel and if he still doesn’t respect your decision, find someone else who does. Fella used to mock me Q My boyfriend told me…

Charlotte Nield, 31, Stockport Racing to the school loo, I slammed the cubicle door behind me, mortified. The period from hell, I’d only changed my pad less than an hour ago. But now, I was bleeding through my uniform. Knew the other kids in my class had seen. I was 17. It hadn’t always been like this since I’d started my periods three years earlier. But now, in September 2008, it was worse than ever. I felt weak and faint. Period pains left me doubled over, too. My GP prescribed me the pill to try and manage it. But when my periods stopped altogether, six months later, doctors were confused. I noticed I’d gained weight too. I used to be a size 8-10. Now I was a 14. Tests revealed…

Q I’d like to sell my wedding dress. What’s the best way to do it? T. Diacono, Brighton A There are lots of specialist websites you can try, such as sellmyweddingdress.co.uk; it costs £10 to advertise your dress for six months, but the site won’t charge you commission if you sell. You upload photos and a description of the dress and the buyer will usually come and try it on – the site has a section on selling safely, too. You can also use free sites like preloved.co.uk.…

The Masked Dancer ITV • Joel Dommett hosts the return of the fun entertainment show which sees another 12 celebrities performing dance routines in elaborate disguises. But which famous faces are behind the amazing new characters which include Tomato Sauce, Pearly King, Scissor, Pig and Candlestick? This time, ex-footballer Peter Crouch, famous for celebrating goals with a robot dance, joins returnees Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall and Oti Mabuse on the panel as they try to guess who the mystery celebs are. The former England striker is standing in for Mo Gilligan, who will return to the panel later in the series. Pinocchio DISNEY+ • Tom Hanks stars in this live-action version of Walt Disney’s much-loved animation from 1940. The Oscar-winning actor plays the kind-hearted but lonely toymaker Geppetto, who carves…

As a romantic suspense writer, I spend a lot of time thinking about murder… After all, if the murder is supposed to set me free, I certainly don’t want to spend any time in jail. And let me say clearly for the record, I don’t like jumpsuits and orange isn’t my colour… The words, seemingly tongue in cheek, were taken from a 2011 essay titled How To Murder Your Husband by romance writer Nancy Crampton Brophy. Knives, she wrote, were personal and close up. Blood everywhere, while poison, considered a woman’s weapon, was too easy to trace. But the thing I know about murder is that every one of us have it in him/her when pushed far enough. The words were witty, written, it seemed, to amuse and entertain her…

To Dad, My very first memory is of you lying in your hospital bed. I was just 3. Mum lifted me onto the bed beside you, and I peered behind the bandages that covered your eyes. I wanted to make sure they were still there. Of course they were – but your eyesight had almost completely gone. Caused by a sudden deterioration in the lenses of your eyes. Too young to understand, I didn’t realise at the time how scary it must have been for you and Mum. I just knew that I had to keep my toys tidy so you didn’t trip over them on the floor. And at dinner time, we had to lay the table the exact same way each night so you didn’t knock things over.…

PHILIP RIDLER-EDWARDS, 51, FROM DORSET, SAYS: I’m nominating my sister-in-law Mel Edwards as my local hero. After a long and painful process, Mel was finally diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, aged 49. The pain in her knees was so bad that she could barely walk, and needed help getting dressed. Six months later, with her medication finally working, she took up running to lose weight and get fit. Training for several months, she completed a 5k Race for Life for Cancer Research UK, raising £115. She ran in memory of my sister Melanie, who passed away from cancer the year before. Eventually, Mel was fit enough to run a half marathon, to raise money for the charity Crohn’s & Colitis UK. She ran it for her son, who suffers from severe…

What connects actors Phoebe Waller-Bridge and James McAvoy? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the four-word prize answer. ACROSS 1 Revises text (5) 4 Desire (4) 6 Fighters (8) 13 Aquatic reptiles (7) 14 Complains (7) 15 Genetic copy (5) 16 Strong impulse (4) 17 Greatly enjoy (6) 18 Natural skill (6) 20 Land surrounded by water (4) 21 Scottish river (5) 22 Type of cloth (6) 25 Physical power (8) 28 Sensitive (6) 30 English county (5) 32 Protection from rain (8) 34 Team sport (6) 35 Metal (4) 38 Gesture (6) 39 Sacred song (5) 40 Small feature (6) 43 Very bad indeed (4) 44 Female foxes (6) 45 Cosmetic (8) 48 Clan (5) 49 Places to stay (6) 51…

The CBBC puppet character Hacker T Dog claims to have been born in which town? Solve the crossword, then read down the yellow squares. The yellow shaded squares will spell out the competition answer. ACROSS 1 Its capital is Cardiff (5) 4 When Harry Met Sally actor, _ Ryan (3) 6 Couple or duo (4) 7 Shade of brown (3) DOWN 1 Stinging insects (5) 2 Restrict (5) 3 Droop (3) 5 Historical period (3) WIN 3 x £20 Puzzle 13 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Dean and I went to a fertility specialist who agreed IVF was worth a shot. It meant a donor egg would be fertilised with Dean’s sperm, then implanted into me. First we chose a donor, selecting a tall woman with dark hair, in the hope that our baby would look like me. Then, in a lab, eight donor eggs were fertilised with Dean’s sperm. Only one survived the incubation period. ‘So it must be lucky,’ I said, after the implantation. Dean was more cautious. ‘Don’t get your hopes up,’ he warned. Over the next few days, I constantly looked online for clues of pregnancy symptoms. I didn’t feel any sickness or fatigue, but deep down, I was convinced. ‘I’m pregnant. I just know it.’ I told Dean. Docs told us…

Get luscious lips for less, with Naturally European Lip Balms (15ml tubes), which are enriched with shea butter, sunflower oil, beeswax, jojoba and vitamin E. Choose from Pomegranate, Blackcurrant, Elderberry and Grapefruit and enjoy 51% off – WAS £4.95, NOW £2.45. Offer available until 14 September 2022 at beautynaturals.com/chatmag or call 0116 318 3773. Subject to availability. UK only. P&P £1.50, free P&P on orders of £15 or more. Offer correct at time of going to press.…

Aries 21 March-20 April People are impressed by your high level of energy and ability to get things done. While Mercury is in Libra, focus on your goals and have some fun. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May It’s nice to look after other people, but make sure they need your help before offering. Someone may well need a hand this week – just be sure to check first. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June A good sleep will increase your energy levels. If you’re redecorating, impress your friends with before-and-after photos. You may even hit on a new business idea. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Venus is under Neptune’s watery influence, boosting your…

Q Do I need different creams for different body parts? Diana Cain, Cambridge A Skin differs in thickness and texture all over the body. And these unique differences require different types of care. Your neck and chest are where bodycare meets skincare – these delicate areas show signs of ageing, like the face. Prai Beauty Ageless Throat & Decolletage Creme 15ml, £11, Boots, uses hyaluronic acid and other nourishing ingredients to plump skin and restore elasticity. Hands also go through a lot, so they deserve some extra love. Hello Sunday The One For Your Hands Hand Cream SPF 30, £9, Boots, is enriched with calming aloe vera and protects hands against sun damage thanks to UVA/UVB filters. For your legs, tum and bum, look for ingredients like caffeine to help…

HOW TO ENTER TEXT Simply text CHATA 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.…