Indholdsfortegnelse for 26-Apr-2018 i Chat

We don’t know about you, but we think this fluffy baby chick might just be the cutest little thing we’ve ever seen. And she definitely knows it! Either that, or she’s hatching an egg-cellent plan. She’ll be no spring chicken soon, though. In just a few weeks this little lady will start growing some feathers. Then we’ll be well and truly hen-pecked! • To coo over other pics and videos of fluffy baby birds like this one, visit lifedeathprizes.com and search for ‘chicks'.…

A consultant didn’t know how I was still functioning! Another wave of awful sickness washed over me – I’d missed a period, too. ‘I should take a test,’ I told my boyfriend, Mike, 26. To my surprise – I found myself looking at two blue lines. Wow! It wasn’t planned. It was January, 2013, and we’d been together for just four months after meeting in the pub I ran. I already had a son, then 7, from a previous relationship. But we were so excited, and I really loved being pregnant. Two years earlier, after years of pain and exhaustion, I’d been diagnosed with Chiari II malformation. It’s where the brain slumps to the base of the skull, pushing down on the spinal cord, and there’s no cure. I’d had…

I faced losing my job if I acted on my feelings My heart ached...His life was hanging in the balance Walking up to the front door, I took a deep breath. What have I let myself in for? It was January 2012 and my first day in my new job as a carer. I’d be doing home visits, providing personal care for patients. David Punch, then 59, was my first client. ‘He can be grumpy,’ a colleague had warned. ‘Make sure you’re not late.’ Talk about being thrown in at the deep end! ‘Hello,’ I called cheerily, walking into the bedroom. I didn’t know what to expect. Only, David greeted me with a smile. He was a decade older than me, and complications from a back operation meant his arms…

As a result, my confidence hit rock bottom Stretching my arms and yawning, I suddenly became aware of my stinging lip. Sleepily walking over to the mirror, I gasped in horror at my reflection! My top lip had tripled in size. Oh, my God! I thought. What on earth has caused this? I’d not eaten anything I was allergic to or used new lipstick. I video-called my mum, Debra, 56. ‘What do I do?’ I asked her. ‘Go to A&E,’ she told me. My lip stung as I drove to the hospital, where a doctor examined my inflamed pout. ‘It could be linked to some form of STI,’ he said. ‘I suggest a course of antivirals.’ I was relieved it was nothing too serious, but also confused. Single, I hadn’t…

Padding sleepily into the kitchen, I saw a beautiful display of flowers. Ten bouquets filled the worktops. ‘Happy birthday!’ my boyfriend Levi Bellfield, then aged 30, beamed. It was 9 July 1996, and my 25th. We’d been together just over a year and had a daughter, then 5 months old. Levi spent the day spoiling me. Treated me to a three-course meal at a local pub. Only, things weren’t as perfect as they seemed. Since our daughter had arrived, Levi had shown a different side. The opposite of the kind, loving boyfriend he was on my birthday. He had a vile temper – during one row he’d punched me in the face. I’d forgiven him when he’d promised it was a one-off. But Levi’s fists kept flying whenever he lost…

Makes: 10 Prep: 15 mins Cook: 15 mins Cost per serving: 22p 1 Preheat oven to 220C/Gas 7 and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Make your own quick buttermilk by adding the juice of ½ lemon to 125ml milk. Stir and set aside. 2 Combine 225g self-raising flour and a pinch of salt, then gently rub in 75g cold butter, using just your fingertips, until you have a breadcrumb consistency. 3 Stir in 25g caster sugar. Add 2tsp Belvoir Elderflower Cordial to the buttermilk and pour just enough into the flour mixture to bring it together into a soft dough (you might not need it all.) 4 Tip the dough on to a floured surface and press down to about 2cm depth. Cut out scones using a…

Astral Cocoa Butter Face & Body Moisturiser, £4.19, Superdrug  Just as nourishing as the much-loved original Astral, this new cocoa-butter version locks in moisture to leave dry skin nourished and smelling deliciously sweet. Lee Stafford Choco Locks Butter Cream Treatment, £7.99, Boots  After shampooing, massage a generous dollop of this velvety treatment into your hair. Rinse after five minutes and follow with conditioner. Dr. Organic Cocoa Butter Body Wash, £6.49, Holland & Barrett Showering in chocolate is our dream scenario, and this body wash really does smell good enough to eat. Use when your skin needs a little extra moisture. Whipstick Lip Balm, £6.95, Lush  A feast for your lips, this balm is made from butter, vanilla, honey and cocoa. Great for bringing chapped lips back from the brink.…

I strutted on stage in a beehive wig, black dress and heels You need a thick skin to get your break in showbusiness. And, growing up with dwarfism, I had no trouble developing one. It started with the school bullies. ‘Short stuff,’ they’d taunt, ‘Little fella’ or ‘What’s the weather like down there?’ Even as a young lad, I’d heard it all. But I refused to let the school bullies and name-calling get me down. I can either cry, I thought, or grow a pair and give as good as I get! ‘Very original, well done,’ I’d quip to the same old, tired jokes. My dad John, also a little person, was an actor – theatre mainly – but, in 1983, he’d played an Ewok in a Star Wars film!…

We never dreamt we’d lose her. Denial, probably Chalk and cheese. That was my two girls. My eldest, Jamie, was really bubbly and outgoing, while Hayley, who was five years younger, was more serious. Still, it didn’t stop them being best mates. Me and my hubby Henry watched them grow up, whispering and giggling, like they were in their own little club. We’re so blessed, I’d think. It made me happy to know that, whatever they faced, they’d always have each other. See, Jamie suffered with asthma, had regular attacks. When she was 11, doctors told us she had a suppressed immune system. We worried, and her hospital stays became more frequent the older she got, as she fought infection after infection. Through it all, Jamie still cracked jokes. She…

BARNEY... AND FRIENDS Remember Barney, the big purple dinosaur from 90s' telly? Well, he's now a tantric sex therapist! After 11 years playing the cuddly dino, actor David Joyner, 54, decided to follow a different, er, passion. CHEAP DATE! Single women flooded to a mall in China where they could rent a man for just 11p an hour! At the event, six suited-and-booted blokes were presented in Barbie-style boxes. The first-come, first-served policy meant the blokes were snapped up in minutes! PORN PAST An Arizona woman thought she'd found her dream home...until she uncovered its past. The $1.8m (£1.3m) mansion was previously the set of porn website Wifey's World! She decided that, while the home had seen its fair share of happy endings, it wouldn't be hers... IMPENDING DOOM? A…

Asda Extra Special All-Butter Scottish Shortbread Selection, 380g, £2.65  Not as crumbly as some, but these still hit the spot. The pack contains three varieties. Co-op All Butter Shortbread Fingers, 200g, 79p  A bargain! These were better than some luxury versions we tried. A firm, crisp biscuit but with good flavour. Tesco Finest All Butter Shortbread Fingers, 165g, £1.29  These melt in the mouth! Great texture, and felt like a real luxury. NEW VerMints, £2.99, Holland & Barrett  VerMints are proud to be good for you and good for the planet, too. They're organic, come in a variety of natural flavours, and contain no nasty chemicals.…

Decorate your greens  An old biscuit tin, painted and decorated with the names of herbs on it, makes a lovely plant pot for the kitchen windowsill. Carol Loader, Somerset Droop no more  Drop a penny in your vase of tulips and they won't droop. Magic! Julie Arnull, Daventry Hat trick  Hat stands are so expensive, so I used an old lamp, removed the lead, sprayed it with metallic paint and fixed a florist ball on top! Rita Rogers, Crewe Travel savvy  I use clean empty lip-balm and gloss pots filled with my favourite creams and make-up when I travel. It saves space and means I don't have to buy pricey travel-size containers. Ayesha Khan, Prudho, Northumberland Reuse and recycle  Empty, washed houmous pots make handy containers for olives and salads…

We paced the corridors, while specialists did tests Enjoying a family meal on holiday with my then partner Daniel, and my mum Natalie, 37, I smiled. It was October last year and we were on a break to Turkey, with my daughter Lydia, 18 months. She was loving it. ‘Look at her!’ I laughed, as I took a few photos of her eating her dinner. I’d filled my phone with memories of Lydia’s very first holiday. But, as I took one more picture, I noticed a white spot on her left eye. Where the flash had bounced off her eye, it had created a white spot in her pupil. I felt my stomach churn. Just two weeks previously, Mum had shared an online post about eye cancer in a child.…

She’d plunged a knife into his neck – 8cm deep CALL THAT JUSTICE? • Killer stabbed her boyfriend and left him to die • Just three and a half years in jail for taking a life • Then she called the police on victim’s mum Being introduced to my son’s girlfriend in January 2003, I was so excited. All mothers want to see their sons happy. Gregory, then 34, was already a proud dad to two kids aged 13 and 8, but I knew a relationship would cement his happiness. His marriage had broken down years earlier. And Tina Buckley seemed like the ideal woman – bubbly, friendly, great with the kids. Living an hour away, they seemed so happy when they visited for dinner. The kids had nothing but…

Chatting to my old school crush, I felt myself blush. ‘So, you’re Christy,’ Carey Adams, then 36, smiled to me. It was July 2007, and we were at my stepdad Mousey’s birthday party. I’d fancied Carey since I was 14, but he was a few years older and way out of my league. He’d no idea who I even was when we were at school together. But now, aged 20, perhaps I had a chance? There was just one thing... I was seven months pregnant! It was the result of a one-night stand – and the dad didn’t want to know. Carey won’t be interested in a single mum-to-be, I thought. Only, he was! ‘Will you go on a date with me?’ Carey asked that night. I was stunned. Determined…

I’d abused my body – now I was paying a hefty price You know how it is. Once you have kids, it can be a struggle to lose the baby weight. After I had my daughter Suzanne in March 1982, I started to put on weight. And it just got even harder to lose. Lee came along a few years later, followed by Leslie. Whenever the children didn’t finish their dinner, I’d finish it for them. ‘Waste not, want not,’ I would . Even once the kids had grown up – they’re 36, 31 and 28 now – my eating habits were terrible. I worked long hours as a cleaner. And I’d grab takeaways, like pizza, on my way home. It was no surprise when I started spilling out of…

Huddled on our bunk beds, me and my brother Jay, then 5, held our hands over our ears. In the other room, our mum Katrina, and dad Fred, were screaming at each other. And Dad’s loud ranting bellowed through the walls of our flat, making us tremble with fear. Occasionally, Mum would kick him out after a row, but he’d always come home again. Then, when I was 7, something happened to make me fear Dad even more. One afternoon, Mum poked her head around my bedroom door. ‘I’m just nipping to the supermarket,’ she said. Then I went back to playing with my dolls. Moments later, I heard footsteps thudding towards my room. Dad came in and sat on the end of my bed. ‘Come here,’ he said, patting…

Both David Taylor and Sara Connor were found not guilty of murder. Instead, they were found guilty of group violence causing death, another serious offence. While the judges found murder not proven, they rejected a key part of Sara Connor’s defence – that she was simply trying to separate the fighting men. Chief judge Made Pasek ruled Connor had sat on the victim’s back, not to separate the men, but to pin the officer down, leaving him defenceless to Taylor’s blows. David Taylor was jailed for six years, Sara Connor for four years.…

I want a woman! Q My doctor's great, but I'm embarrassed when he examines me. Would it hurt his feelings to ask for a woman to be present? Madge, 55 A No. Check notices in the waiting room, or the practice leaflet or website, for your practice's chaperone policy. Your doctor will be happy to include a chaperone, often a practice nurse, though you might have to rearrange your appointment if nobody's free. Night eyes Q There's a light on my clock radio that moves if I stare at it at night! Am I going mad? Veronica, 60 A Sounds like autokinesis. When you stare at a point of light in the dark, your eye muscles tire and move slightly, giving the false impression that the light spot is moving.…

What a hero! Well done to Daryl Begley (8 February issue) for his prompt action in stopping baby Morgan from choking. It doesn't bear thinking about what might have happened. Perhaps we should all take note and sign up for a first-aid course - I've done so. Hopefully, I won't ever have to use my skills, but, as we learnt from this story, you just never know. Elaine Bamber, Ipswich WE PAY CASH Awkward moment Taking four kids swimming, I panicked when my son Daniel needed a wee. I quietly told him to go in the pool but I wasn’t prepared when he stood on the side, pulled down his trunks and did his business, just missing a woman’s head! Marcia Troy, Isle of Wight Fave advert Am I seriously…

As a teaching assistant, the last few days before the holidays are very hectic. Plus I’ve my own two teenage lads to look after. We live in Rochdale with my husband Kevin, 45. When I do get a break, I love to put my feet up. One thing I enjoy is a game of bingo. I joined Chat Mag Bingo in 2013 and love it. The best thing about Chat Mag Bingo is the chatrooms – we natter about the game and I’ve made lots of friends. You don’t have to spend a lot. I often spend just 10p on a game. There are even games for 1p! So, on 20 December last year, I waved the excited kids off, Once home, it was great to relax. I bought a…

Who knows– maybe, one day, he’ll be able to run free..? Me and my hubby Anthony, 57, have always had a soft spot for a puppy in need. We’d been through the mill ourselves. Anthony was left with a damaged spine after a bad fall on a building site when he was in his 20s. And then I was forced to retire from working as a show jumper in October 2001 when I suffered a stroke at 33. We both knew what it was like to be down on our luck. That’s why, in May 2016, when our vet told us about a 4-week-old German shepherd named Malachi, we knew we had to help him. Born with a rare brain condition, Malachi had no control over his body. He’d topple…

THE CRIME In 2012, mother-of-two Lisa Mitchell, 31, suddenly disappeared, leaving her children devastated, and her family worried sick about where she was. Then, two years later, police made a shocking discovery in the basement of her own home… THE STORY Grandmother Peggy Mitchell was alarmed to receive an odd e-mail from her daughter Lisa – I just have to get away. It was October 2012 in Calgary, Canada, and Lisa Mitchell had been having a difficult time. Her relationship with her partner of 10 years, Allan Shyback, had been crumbling. With two kids together, aged 7 and 5, they’d tried to make it work. But Lisa was struggling. Then one day she’d vanished. Peggy had been worried. When the e-mail arrived, days later, it should have put her mind…

Aries 21 March - 20 April An opportunity comes up, and you should take it, bearing in mind there may be more to it than you think. Don’t give it all you’ve got - leave yourself a bit of cash in reserve if you can. You might need it later. Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May Kids who ask for a puppy often come to balk at the constant hard work of looking after it. This week, you too could find that reality is a lot more hard work than fantasy. But at least you’ll have got your wish. Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June You’re getting serious about the future - settling the price, signing the contract.…