Indholdsfortegnelse for 22 February 2024 i Chat

Welcome to this week's Chat… We're supposed to be body confident these days and it's rarely easy. But this week we've got a lady who's a serious inspiration when it comes to celebrating what God gave you (p10-11). Annie has whopping ZZZ-cup boobs – and she loves them! Going by Norma Stitz (sound it out, tee hee!) she has legions of fans who are happy to pay for her pics. You go, Annie! Not many women can say their boobs pay their mortgage! Have a great week, Kate Williams, Editor PS If you're entering the puzzles online, this is the link to use: comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

TRUE-LIFE Summer Mace, 24, King's Lynn Flashing my stepdad Paul, then 38, a cheeky grin, I cleared my throat. ‘The first thing I said to you was I didn't trust you,’ I joked into the mic. It was August 2020, and I was giving a speech at a very special occasion. The wedding of Paul to my mum Lisa, then 46. I was 16 when they met. Mum had been divorced from my dad since I was 5. But as a typical teen I'd been frosty with Paul. ‘Yet you quickly became my best mate,’ I told him and the wedding guests now. He'd brought fun and laughter into our house. But the best thing about Paul was how happy he made Mum. It was an honour to speak at…

Annie Hawkins-Turner, 67 Sliding into my assigned seat in the classroom, I shifted uncomfortably. Leant as far back as I could in my chair. But my boobs still pushed painfully against the wooden desk in front of me. The seat was attached, so I couldn't even scoot back to give me more room. It was 1968, and at just 11 years old, my chest was already so large that even sitting down to do schoolwork was a struggle. ‘I need a different chair,’ I asked awkwardly at the end of class. Thankfully my teacher listened and helped. If only all the problems my chest caused were so easily solved… They'd started sprouting when I was 9. Other girls don't look quite like me, I realised. And though I was just…

TRUE-LIFE YOU'RE THE JUDGE! Marty Castro pleaded with his daughter, Karina, to end her relationship with her violent boyfriend. ‘Every time I saw her, I would beg her. Don't talk to him. Leave him,’ said Marty. ‘It seemed like the more I did that, the more she would see him.’ Karina's family knew Jose Rafael Solano Landaeta — known as Rafa Solano — was bad news. Despite taking medication for schizophrenia, they claimed he drank excessively. The toxic mix made his behaviour wild. Unpredictable and violent. Yet he had Karina, 27, well and truly in his clutches. Even after she got a restraining order against him in April 2022, she continued to interact with him and didn't call the police when Solano violated the order. Explosive row The couple shared…

Bianca Collins, 33 As I glanced out of the front window, I saw a little blur whoosh past. My daughter Aliannah, then 6, was racing up and down our quiet street on her bike. Legs pumping, leaning low over the handlebars, a huge toothy grin on her face. ‘Having fun?’ I asked, when she came in for her tea, bright red and out of puff. It was November 2021 and Ali was always on the move. She loved whizzing around our street on her bike and was the fastest runner in her class at school. Constantly rushing around with her older sisters Sophie, then 14, Chelsea, 12, and Shae-Lea, 10. But that December, I noticed she was very pale. Didn't quite seem herself. ‘My tummy hurts, Mummy,’ she moaned. Putting…

BOLD BRIGHTS STATEMENT SLOGANS LUXE LOOK…

FILL ME IN WIN £100 Puzzle 14 According to Apollonius and other Greek writers, Orpheus was the son of which mythological figure? 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 What forename is shared by Kevin's father in Home Alone and Bill Murray's character in Ghostbusters? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. Your answer: 3 letters AGE AGO ARC ARM LAD PAL POP SAD SAT SPY 4 letters ALTO APSE PACT PLAN PRAM RAMP RASP 5 letters PAPER POLLS POPES 6 letters PACIFY PEARLS PORTAL PSALMS PUPILS PUPPET 8 letters PRECEDED WIN £100 Puzzle 15…

Dippy eggs with fancy soldiers A firm favourite for one, and easy to scale up for the family. SERVES 1 PREP 10 MINS COOK 20 MINS ● 1 slice wholemeal bread ● 1tbsp relish ● 4 slices streaky bacon ● 2 medium eggs 1 Heat the oven to 200C Fan/Gas 7. Spread the bread with the relish and cut into 4 long strips. 2 Stretch the bacon with the back of a knife and wrap around the bread strips, then put on a baking tray and bake for 15-20 mins until crisp. 3 Meanwhile, put the eggs in a small saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 4 mins for a runny yolk. 4 Serve the eggs with the bacon-wrapped soldiers on the side for dipping.…

Walking down the street, I passed my heavy shopping bags from one hand to the other. ‘Ann!’ a voice shouted. I smiled when I spotted an old colleague, Terence. We'd worked together years earlier, but lost touch. ‘It's been ages,’ I said as talk turned to our jobs and our families. ‘My wife died a few months back,’ he said. I gave him my condolences, explained I'd got divorced a couple of years before, admitted how lonely it was. ‘I'm a trustee for a local charity that's throwing a dinner,’ Terence said. ‘Come along with me.’ ‘Sounds lovely,’ I said. A couple of months later, the date for the dinner arrived. I wore a smart dress and tucked into the delicious food, laughing at Terence's silly jokes. ‘I had a…

Q My lips get so chapped no matter what I do. How can I help heal them? Sandra Daniels, Norfolk A It's the worst time of year for dry skin and chapped lips. Cold weather paired with dehydrating central heating can zap the moisture from our skin, and our lips often bear the brunt of that. Avoid using balms that contain petroleum – they temporarily soothe lips but they can often leave lips dryer in the long run. Our favourite balm is Lanolips 101 Ointment, £10.99, Boots. It's got just one ingredient – 100% pure lanolin, which combats dryness quickly. For a lip balm it's an investment, but a little goes a long way, so it will last ages. Using a lip scrub will also help buff away dead skin…

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STYLE TIP Soften utility's hard edge with feminine fabrics and cuts. STYLE TIP Balance wide-cut denim with a waist-defining drawstring gilet. STYLE TIP Treat beige and khaki as neutrals and mix in monochrome accessories. STYLE TIP Add a thin polo neck or Breton top under a short-sleeved jumpsuit.…

Julianne Ponan, 33, Walton-on-Thames Standing at the back of the party, I watched the other children help themselves to a slice of chocolate birthday cake. ‘Mmm, yummy,’ one of my friends whooped. Tears pooled in my eyes. It was October 2000, I was only 10 and would have given anything for a slice of delicious cake. But it was impossible. I had anaphylaxis, a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction triggered by all sorts of foods. Even a mouthful of cake could kill me. Aged 2, I'd been given cookies and milk at nursery and collapsed with breathing difficulties. Was taken to hospital and given adrenaline. Doctors tested me to find the cause. Found I was allergic to nuts, chickpeas, lentils, perfumes – even oils used in face creams. Doctors gave…

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 Denise Lockwood, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire WIN 5x £20 Puzzle 6 ACROSS 1 Scotsman 2 Knitwear 3 Trim 4 Besides DOWN 1 Joke 2 Spoken 3 Vehicles 4 Joint Your answer: HALF & HALF For his starter on an Edwardianthemed episode of C4 show Heston's Feasts in 2010, chef Heston Blumenthal made ice cream out of what dish? 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 3x £50 Puzzle 7 Your answer: PHOTOS: GETTY BRICK TRICK The storyline of the 2001 film Amélie prominently features a…

Chandrahasa, Zulfiqar, Gram and Caladbolg are all named examples of what object from myth and legend? Solve the crossword, then read down the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 1 Guitarist for Guns N’ Roses (5) 4 Bartender from The Simpsons (3) 6 _ Astaire, dancer (4) 7 Scottish river (3) DOWN 1 Fast-moving (5) 2 Carrying weapons (5) 3 Garden tool (3) 5 Poem (3) WIN 4 x £20 Puzzle 13 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Dad vs my older man Q I've been going out with a guy 20 years older than me for over a year. I'm very happy in our relationship – I love him. The problem is my father doesn't know and he'd never approve of our relationship. For one thing, he's two years younger than my boyfriend! I don't want to continue keeping secrets but I don't want to lose my dad either. Lou, 35 As you've learnt, keeping secrets is a bad idea, flower. If someone else tells your pa about your relationship before you are able to, he'll be heartbroken. I know it's hard, but arrange to see your dad and just get it out there. Tell him you've found someone you love and reassure him you're very happy and age…

This week we meet… Claire Andrews, 50, from Worthing Who's your fave celeb? I have always admired Derren Brown and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, and have had the pleasure of meeting them both more than once. They're equally as lovely as each other! What's your funniest memory? The time I was wondering who had eaten all my popcorn, and turned to see my cavalier King Charles spaniel Cassie waddling into the lounge with popcorn stuck to her ears! I was laughing too hard to be cross with her. Tell us about your best friend Being on the autism spectrum, I have a tough time making close mates – but my dogs have always been my very best friends, as they love unconditionally! WE PAY £50 to everyone we feature on…

Done and dusted The easiest way to clean an extractor fan is to use a paintbrush to get into all the nooks and crannies. Make sure you hold a bin underneath to catch any falling dust. Andrea Illingworth, Runcorn, Cheshire £25 For every photo tip that we print Fantastic elastics Putting elastic bands around your TV remote control makes it easier to grip, especially if you have arthritis, like me. S Young, Rhondda, Rhondda Cynon Taf Easy freezy The plastic liner from my empty box of chocs made a nifty ice-cube tray! Angela Garvin, Rayleigh, Essex Micro-wave bye to mess To save having to clean the microwave after every use, I simply put a sheet of kitchen towel under the plate and another on top to prevent splashing. Magdolna Gal,…

WIN £1,001 Puzzle 4 THE BIGGIE What do actor Zach Braff and socialite Kourtney Kardashian have in common? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the four-word prize answer. ACROSS 1 Strictly judge, _ Du Beke (5) 4 Take it easy (4) 6 Menace (8) 13 Bird with a colourful tail (7) 14 Mistake in a film or TV show (7) 15 Demonstrate (5) 16 _ Blyton, author (4) 17 Come back (6) 18 Mixture of red and yellow (6) 20 Caustic liquid (4) 21 Desert animal (5) 22 Vigour (6) 25 War memorial (8) 28 Walk confidently (6) 30 Greek island (5) 32 Room heater (8) 34 Rotated (6) 35 Fortune (4) 38 Is the same as (6) 39 Holy person (5) 40 Every seven days (6) 43 Animal den (4) 44 Autographed (6) 45 Limb of an octopus (8) 48 Japanese poem (5) 49 Sudden (6) 51…

What's in my bits? Q My husband has started to feel something hit the tip of his penis during sex. Could there be something stuck up there? Steph, Buxton A If there vagina, such as a lodged inside your ’s something tampon, it will usually give itself away with a smelly discharge after a few days. Your doctor can check for you, but chances are your hubby's touching your cervix — the rubbery-feeling neck of your womb. This usually sits at the very top of your vagina — however, if it's come further down, that suggests a womb prolapse where the ligaments and muscles supporting your womb have weakened, usually due to childbirth and age. At an early stage, pelvic floor exercises should do the trick, but if your prolapse…

Jenny Smith, 43 Staring at my phone, my eyes widened. It can't be… I thought, leaning closer to examine the woman on my screen. Deep red curly hair, arched eyebrows, bright blue eyes. Even the same-shaped nose and high forehead. It was me! Only, this wasn't a photo but an old painting in an ornate golden frame. It was June 2023, and the portrait was being sold in an antique shop hundreds of miles away. My sister, Melissa, then 35, had randomly spotted it on Facebook and sent me a screenshot. She's my doppelganger, I texted back. It's uncanny, she agreed. Later, I showed my four kids, aged 14 to 26. ‘Mum, are you sure you didn't pose for that?’ my eldest daughter asked me. I shook my head. I'd…

ARROW WORD WIN £500 Puzzle 10 Capital Hill is the focus for government offices and buildings in which African capital? 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: 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 WIN £40 Puzzle 12 Which of these men's singles tennis players has the middle name Barron? The answer is the one missing from the grid. AGASSI ASHE BECKER BORG CONNORS DJOKOVIC FEDERER LAVER LENDL McENROE MURRAY…

Selina Hector, 39, Welwyn Garden City Walking into the hospital room, my mind was racing. It was December 2019, and me and my husband James, then 32, longed for a family. Health issues meant we'd turned to IVF. Our first try had ended in a heartbreaking miscarriage at six weeks. As the geneticist listed the symptoms, I paused Now, at six weeks pregnant again after our third cycle, I was terrified of going through that pain once more. While the sonographer smoothed gel on my belly, I clenched my fists and stared at the fuzzy grey screen. Then… ‘Looks like two,’ she said, pointing out two blobs. ‘Twins!’ I gasped. ‘One's much smaller,’ she said, then warned we might lose one before our next scan. My heart sank. Weeks passed,…

From amazing adventures such as skydiving to the simplest of things like going to the loo, Dominique's weight had caused her a problem for as long as she could remember. Growing up, she'd always been chubby and some days she'd find herself eating 4,000-5,000 calories a day. By 2020, she weighed a staggering 30st and suffered from serious health problems. One morning, she woke up and couldn't even stand. ‘My back was killing me, and when I tried to stand, I fell to the floor,’ she says. Afterwards, she just cried. And her doctor later confirmed that her back and knee issues were because of her size. Things had got so bad that she admits she couldn't even clean herself after going to the toilet. ‘I had to wipe a…

TRUE-LIFE Sitting in the hospital waiting room, next to my partner Alekos, then 28, I already knew life was about to change forever. It was New Year's Eve 2019, and docs had called me in to discuss the results of a biopsy. I'd found a lump in my right breast a few weeks earlier, you see. ‘Sophie McGarry,’ a voice called. I walked on shaky legs and sat in an office in front of a consultant. His face said it all. ‘It's cancer,’ he said. His words knocked the wind out of me. I was only 22, and though he explained they'd caught it early, my tears poured. ‘We'll get through this,’ Alekos said. We'd met working at a hotel and had four happy years together. Assumed it'd be a…

Aries 21 March-20 April Your ability to initiate ideas is one of your greatest strengths. You may be asked to help with a new project at work. It's time to believe in your talents. ● Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Love is on the cards for you! You're a romantic soul who enjoys giving to others. Attracting a new partner who you can be yourself with is easier than you think. ● Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June All of your greatest hopes and desires for this year are manifesting. So embrace the positive energy coming your way and seize every exciting opportunity. ● Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July The Moon that will be in your…

THE BIG QUIZ WIN £500 Puzzle 18 The answers to all but one of these quiz questions can be found hidden in this wordsearch grid, reading forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally. To help you, we'll tell you that the answers are in alphabetical order in each section. However, one answer can't be found in the grid. This is your prize answer. LADY BIRD 1 Which Julia, a prolific children's author, wrote What the Ladybird Heard, The Highway Rat and Zog? (9) 2 The wife of which US president, who served from 1963 to 1969, was known as Lady Bird? (7) 3 Which Laurie played Marion McPherson in the 2018 film Lady Bird, Jackie Harris in Roseanne and Mary Cooper in The Big Bang Theory? (7) LADY LUCK 4 The…

Solutions to Chat issue 4 (25 January 2024) Puzzle 3 Cane Puzzle 4 Have duetted with Elton John Puzzle 5 1D,2A,3A,3B,4D Puzzle 6 Root Puzzle 7 Aire Puzzle 8 Grange Puzzle 9 Water pistol Puzzle 10 Aldebaran Puzzle 12 Starling Puzzle 13 Bern Puzzle 14 Emerald Puzzle 15 Sloop Puzzle 16 King Charles Puzzle 17 Barbie Puzzle 18 Leprechaun WE WON! Chat winners issue 45 (9 Nov 2023) £1,001 CASH M Cartwright, Newton Abbot £500 CASH P McCheyne, Denny A Granger, Chichester £250 CASH J Townsend, Faringdon A Lochhead, Bathgate £200 CASH C Wallace, Huntingdon £100 CASH J Moonan, Merseyside R Book, Berwick-upon-Tweed C Wadsworth, Huddersfield £50 CASH M Williams, London H Wathen, Ilfracombe G Broadhurst, Walsall R Mortimer, Littlehampton J Maddick, Plymouth D Hillbourne, Whitehaven Anyone from your town…

To my babies, Doing my nightly rounds in January 2024, I checked on each of you in turn. My cheeky little girl all snuggled up in the cot. Your favourite bunny tucked under your arm and your face flushed from sleep. My two boys in the next room, both of you snoring soundly in twin beds. Making my way downstairs to tidy your toys and iron school uniforms, my heart thudded with love. Your dad, Stu, then 37, was in the kitchen packing up lunch boxes. ‘All finally asleep,’ I said, smiling. I'd wanted children for years, and even though I felt exhausted, I cherished being your mummy. I'd already had four miscarriages when I married your dad in August 2017. Three months before our wedding, I'd lost our baby…