Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2025 i Pick Me Up! Special

Ready for the thrills and spills of your jam-packed September Pick Me Up! Special? Buckle up for a roller coaster of stories, including Max, 9, and Renee, 73, who are both doing incredible things for their ages. Max is already a record-breaking fashion designer (p28), while Renee is a champion bodybuilder and bikini model (p14). And we guarantee you’ll fall in love with hero pooch Ralph on p52. From true crime and real-life reads to puzzles, bargains and fun, all your favourites are here – and then some! So grab a cuppa and enjoy the ride……

Nicci Parish, 52, Worthing, West Sussex Watching my sons kick a football about, I took a sip from my drink. It was November 2020 and we were still under social distancing rules thanks to the pandemic. But I stayed in contact with my oldest son Billy, then 23, through regular park meet-ups, phone calls and texts. He’d moved out a while before and these gatherings meant me, Billy, my husband Steve, 51, and youngest son Henry, 16, could still spend quality time together. Arty, with a keen eye for fashion, Billy was always switching up his look. He’d been a punk in his teens, still sported an 80s-style mullet. A fun-loving, creative lad in his 20s but still a mummy’s boy too. ‘When are you dropping my prezzies round, Mum?’…

1 SENSORY SCRUB Almost good enough to eat, Sunday Rain Mango & Coconut Polishing Body Scrub, £5.99, Superdrug, is a delightful sweet treat without the calories. Not only does the creamy whipped formula buff away dead skin to reveal silky soft pins, it also energises and uplifts your mood, thanks to mango extract and coconut oil. 2 TROPICAL TRESSES Fragrance really loves to cling to your hair strands, which is why perfume always lasts so much longer when it’s sprayed there. Apply Batiste Dry Shampoo in Tropical, £3.25, Boots, to your roots to help absorb excess oil, and for dreamy-looking and luscious-smelling hair that lasts all day long. 3 FRUITY FOAM Start your day with a sweet-smelling, tropically scented shower, courtesy of Daise Foaming Body Wash in Pineapple Whip, £5, Boots. The foaming formula…

3 OF THE BEST… CUSHIONS STYLE TIPS 1 Keep the walls neutral If you’re following the 60-30-10 rule, where you balance out a palette of three colours, then a stony neutral should make up more than half of your colour palette. Then choose whether you would like a soft, buttery yellow or bold, bright blue for the secondary colour. 2 Try zesty accents Bright lemon yellow as an accent colour can really energise. Limit it to key pieces, such as the sofa and footstool, so that it doesn't overpower, and finish with cushions in foliage patterns to balance out the look. 3 Add greenery A small olive or fruit tree, either real or artificial, displayed in a large terracotta pot in a corner, will complete the Mediterranean feel. If you…

A codeword is like a A crossword puzzle but there are no clues! Every letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a number, the same number representing the same letter throughout the puzzle. To start you off, we’ve revealed the codes for three letters. Once you’ve filled in these letters throughout the puzzle, you’ll have enough info to guess words and discover other letters. Use the letter checklist and letter grid to keep track of the letters you have found. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ…

Georgina Colman, 48, Hampshire Sitting in the GP’s surgery, the doc shone a light into my eyes. ‘I’m sure it’s just tiredness,’ I reasoned. SIt was April 2003 and I’d been suffering from double vision and headaches. My son Jake was 4 months old and I’d recently returned to my marketing job. Juggling everything was exhausting, so I’d put it down to that. ‘Let’s send you for an MRI just to check,’ the doctor suggested. Weeks later, I sat in a consultant’s office… ‘There are white spots on your brain,’ the doc told me bluntly. ‘You have MS.’ Multiple sclerosis. A chronic disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. I was always fit and healthy, even in pregnancy. ‘It doesn’t seem to be affecting you a lot, so try…

Iced berry cheesecake This fruity pud is bound to cool you down on a sunny day! SERVES 12 PREP 20 MINS, PLUS FREEZING COOK 5 MINS ●200g shortbread, crushed● 50g butter, melted For the filling: ● 125g blackcurrants● 2tbsp caster sugar● 280g tub cream cheese● 500g tub strawberry ice cream For the topping: ● 200g blackcurrants● 30g caster sugar● 2tbsp crème de cassis● 4tbsp redcurrant jelly You will need: ● 20cm spring-form tin, greased and lined 1 Blitz the shortbread in a food processor until it is finely crushed. Pour over the melted butter. Blitz to combine, then firmly press down the mixture into the base of the spring-form tin. 2 Clean the food processor. Add the blackcurrants and sugar to it and blend until smooth. Add the cream cheese and…

Sunny days The UK’s most southerly island sits in the English Channel, only 14 miles from the coast of France. It’s not surprising, then, that it basks in the title of the sunniest place in the British Isles. More Mediterranean than breezy Blighty, its gentle climate means you can enjoy balmy breaks well into autumn. Bewitching beaches The island is only five miles long and nine miles wide, so you’re never far from one of its 24 beaches. Families will love St Brelade’s Bay, with shallow seas and sugary sands backed by cafes and palm trees. Want something more active? St Ouen on the west coast is a surfing bay tickled by Atlantic rollers. Hire boogie boards or learn how to catch a wave at The Surf Yard (thesurfyard.com). Island…

Libra 23 September – 22 October With tetchy-but-sexy Mars in Libra until the 22nd, your temper’s short, but your libido’s high. Just don’t go overboard with either around the 5th or there’s explaining to do. Call 0905 789 4156* and choose weekly, monthly and yearly updates Scorpio 23 October – 21 November On the 22nd your ruler, Mars, arrives, with a burst of energy and motivation. It’ll help you with a tricky situation around the 24th, but don’t push someone too hard. Call 0905 789 4157* and choose weekly, monthly and yearly updates Sagittarius 22 November – 21 December Many significant others are acting in ways you’d never expect. Adapt, as although one person might be reviewing a development, others are piling in. Avoid a row on the 5th. Call…

How funny! How does a penguin build its house? Igloos it together.…

What does Strictly star and TV presenter Stacey Dooley say that her young daughter has taught her? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the five-word prize answer. ACROSS 11 Breakfast food (6) 12 Dry up, like water (9) 13 Second-hand (4) 14 Have a different opinion (8) 15 Unsuccessful contestant (5) 16 Mend (6) 17 Person giving evidence (7) 18 Writing marks (11) 20 Mountain range in South America (5) 22 Levels of quality (9) 24 Assists (5) 28 Alphabet characters (7) 29 Bother, difficulty (7) 32 Very soft fabric (6) 34 The business of manufacturing (8) 36 Tagged (8) 37 Pardon or forgive (6) 39 Decorative design (7) 40 Voyage (7) 45 Musical speed (5) 47 Moving staircase (9) 48 Backbone…

Murder, he wrote After hundreds of years, mystery still surrounds the death of playwright Christopher Marlowe. He was stabbed in the head aged 29 during a drunken tavern brawl in May 1593. But some think there was a more sinister motive. Said to be a member of Queen Elizabeth I’s spy network, created to protect her from assassination attempts, Marlowe was about to make a court appearance. Was he ‘dealt with’ before he could reveal any secrets? Meanwhile, some conspiracy theorists believe the writer wasn’t murdered at all. They claim his spying skills led to him being ‘disappeared’, with another corpse being buried in his place. Whether he met a grisly end or lived out his days in anonymity, the question remains… Holy moly When King Henry II lost his rag and…

Named for the logo the band use, what was the name of the 2007 debut album by French duo Justice? The answer to each clue (apart from the first) begins with the last letter of the preceding answer. The shaded squares will spell out the one-word answer. 1 Palm fibre used in weaving (6) 2 The Great Barrier Reef’s country (9) 3 Large tank housing fish etc (8) 4 Almond paste used in cakes (8) 5 Ability with numbers (8) 6 _ Gagarin, first human in outer space (4) 7 Disguised (9) 8 Belief, point of view (7) 9 Charles Dickens novel; Nicholas _ (8) 10 Unit of length (4) 11 Instrument panel of a car (9) 12 Card suit (8) 13 Bacterial food poisoning (10) 14 Building designer (9)…

Mince, bean and mash pie Using baked beans and extra veg helps make the meat go further. SERVES 4 PREP 10 MINS COOK 1hr ● 400g lean minced beef● 1 onion, chopped● 400g can whole plum tomatoes● 1tsp dried mixed herbs● 1kg potatoes, cubed● 1 large carrot, sliced● 2 garlic cloves, peeled● 1 leek (about 250g), sliced and rinsed● 100g kale, shredded● 400g can baked beans● 5tbsp full-fat milk● Knob of butter 1 Dry-fry the mince in a large frying pan, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned. Add the onion and continue to cook for 10 mins. Drain off the fat. 2 Stir in the tomatoes, herbs and 300ml boiling water from the kettle. Bring to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for 20 mins. 3 While it’s simmering, cook the potatoes…

Sitting in her high chair, my daughter Callie clapped her podgy hands. Wearing a pink dress with the words Callie is 1 across the front, she looked so cute. ‘Happy birthday,’ we all sang, as she blew out the single candle on her cake. It was 10 November 2023, and today was all about my girl. Me, my partner Ryan and our daughter Amelia-Rose, then 4, all adored Callie. Such a smiley, happy baby. Later, unwrapping her dolly pushchair and dolls, she babbled away. A real chatterbox. The next day, we finished off her birthday celebrations with a trip to the soft play. Only, the following morning, Callie came down with a sickness bug. Couldn’t stop vomiting. ‘Probably picked something up from the soft play,’ I said to Ryan. We…

Read down the letters in the shaded squares to spell an English rock band (6,7). ACROSS 1 Developed into (6) 4 Liaise with (9) 9 Facet (6) 15 Sharp or severe (5) 16 Exterior (7) 17 Female relatives (5) 18 Food item (3) 19 Flat board for carrying things (4) 20 Events (9) 21 Musical dramas (6) 24 Show how a thing works (11) 26 Self-assurance (10) 29 Possibility of danger (6) 31 Teacher’s workplace (6) 32 Needing rest or sleep (5) 33 Head covering (3) 35 Stargazers (11) 36 Surgical procedures (10) 40 Pupils (10) 42 New Year promises (11) 44 Assist (3) 45 Thick (5) 47 Tore up (6) 48 Rubbed out (6) 50 Straightforwardness (10) 52 Business alliance (11) 56 Chess piece (6) 57 Courier (9) 59…

Isabelle Hallas, 20, High Wickham, Buckinghamshire One moment, I was sitting in the classroom at college. Next thing, I was flat on the ground. Worried faces hovered over me. ‘What happened?’ I asked. ‘You fainted,’ my tutor replied, kneeling beside me. She said I’d been unconscious for two minutes. All I could remember was feeling dizzy, then waking up on the floor. My mum Jill, then 44, came to collect me. Back home, I flopped on the sofa. Our dog Pebbles, a working cocker spaniel, snuggled up. ‘You’re the best nurse,’ I smiled, ruffling her floppy ears. It was autumn 2021. Aged 17, it was my dream to work as a dog trainer. Determined, I’d been studying hard on my animal management college course. But lately, I’d not been feeling…

As a little girl, Emily was just like other kids. Brimming with energy, she loved running and dancing. Zooming down snowy slopes on family skiing trips. But, aged 7, bouncing on the trampoline in her garden, she started having headaches. ‘I didn’t think anything of them,’ says Emily. But they were an ominous sign of things to come. On another skiing holiday, aged 14, the pain in Emily’s head intensified and spread. ‘I just felt more and more pain in the back of my head, my neck, my shoulders, down my spine,’ she says. ‘I was getting weird tingling sensations in my arms and legs.’ Her dad Michael and mum Pamela were frantic with worry as she went from ‘a girl who did everything’ to ‘lying in bed 90% of…

Toni Van Langenberg, 44, London Nodding my head along to the R&B track, my boyfriend Darren pulled me towards him. ‘I’ve never loved anyone like I love you,’ he smiled. It was November 2023 and we’d only been together for a few weeks. But I was smitten. Darren had completely changed my life. He’d come along at the right time when I’d not been feeling myself. I’d become a bit of a recluse. I didn’t go out much, rarely saw friends. That had all changed since meeting Darren, then 37, through a friend. ‘You’re my soulmate,’ he said now, as we kissed. By December, we were already talking marriage. Darren made me feel special. He seemed perfect. Well, almost. He had a few ‘quirks’ that I didn’t really understand. Like…

FROM £5.99 STYLE TIP Choose a top that ends at your waist or hips to balance the wide jeans. Avoid overly slouchy styles to keep things polished. STYLE TIP For the most flattering shape, opt for a fitted top half and a cotton fabric which holds the shape without being too bulky. STYLE TIP Go matchy-matchy with a coordinating outfit. Keep things fashion-forward and wear with a pair of slip-on mule sandals. STYLE TIP Make sure whatever top you wear, it’s not competing with the volume of your skirt and is not overwhelming your frame.…

Seahorses and starfish YOU WILL NEED ✱ 22x24cm fabric (for one seahorse)✱ 15x30cm fabric (for one starfish)✱ 2mm-wide blue cord✱ Matching thread✱ Hand-sewing needle✱ Stuffing✱ Black embroidery thread✱ Embroidery needle✱ Pink pencil 1 Enlarge the templates by 210%. Fold the fabric in half with right sides facing and cut out two starfish or seahorse pieces. 2 Cut a 14cm length of blue cord for the hanging loop, fold in half and sandwich it between the two fabric layers, with the raw ends just poking out. 3 Pin and sew the fabric pieces together with a 1cm seam allowance, leaving a small gap for turning through. Snip into the seams around any corners, then turn right sides out and press. 4 Stuff the seahorse and starfish untilplump, then slip-stitch the gap…

Phoebe Rowe, 22, the Midlands Sitting by the pool in my check bikini, I felt the sun beating down. But instead of relaxing and topping up my tan, I was curled up in a ball. ‘My stomach’s hurting again,’ I said to my partner Ryan, then 25. ‘Let’s get you some painkillers,’ he suggested. It was 15 September 2024 and we were on a week-long holiday in Tenerife. It was meant to be a carefree break, sipping cocktails, indulging at the all-inclusive buffet… But today was the fifth day that I’d woken up with stomach pains. I figured it was just a urine infection. And after getting some painkillers, I tried to forget about it. We were due to fly home in two days’ time. I just wanted to enjoy…

Sherri Madison, 49 Pottering around in my studio at home, I pinned pieces of card to my mannequin. Section by section, I built the sleeves, bodice, skirt. Creating a dress made entirely out of cardboard. Sounds unusual, but as an artist I was working on an upcoming exhibition. ‘Be careful!’ I said, as my kids Samantha, then 8, and Max, 4, scurried around. Happy playing together, they didn’t pay much attention to what I was up to that day in August 2020. But later, as we all had dinner with my husband Jack, then 46, and our youngest child, Dorian, 2, Max made an announcement. ‘I’m a dressmaker!’ he exclaimed. ‘How do you know how to make a dress?’ I giggled. ‘Get me a mannequin, I’ll show you!’ he grinned.…

I always knew my boy would make a good dad. James, then 16, was the eldest of three, along with Steve, 13, and Sarah, 2, and he doted on his little sis. So when he got his first girlfriend, in 1998, I was excited to meet her. I imagined one day having a daughter-in-law, maybe some grand-babies. ‘Her name’s Emily,’ James said, telling me they’d met through mutual friends. ‘I really like her, Mum,’ he added. But after meeting Emily for the first time, I wasn’t so sure. At 14, she was still young, and I figured the relationship wouldn’t last. ‘Mother’s instinct,’ I said to James’ dad Albert, then 37. No longer together, we were still good friends. Whenever Emily came over, she was demanding. James would run around…

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As Maddie plaits her daughter’s shoulder-length blonde hair, Everly, 3, sits at her mum’s dressing table and giggles. ‘She’s my little girl and we’re super close,’ says Maddie. The bond between them is clear to see. And with such a small age gap, it’s no wonder that the two of them are so close. ‘I was 13 when I got pregnant,’ Maddie explains. It was not something she’d ever envisaged. ‘I had always looked down on teen mums, if I’m being completely honest,’ she admits. But having given birth to Everly at the tender age of 14, she now thinks differently. ‘I think that was just from a lack of knowing what it would be like,’ she says. ‘When I actually got pregnant I was so scared for the reaction,’…

Heard vs Depp The 2022 televised trial between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard captivated millions of viewers. The actor, now 62, sued his ex after she identified herself as ‘a public victim representing domestic abuse’ in a 2018 article in The Washington Post. At the end of the six-week case, Amber, now 39, was ordered to pay more than £8 million in damages, though she did win £1.5 million back as part of a counterclaim. The warring pair later came to a settlement, with Amber paying Johnny around £800,000. Free Britney In 2021, judge Brenda Penny terminated singer Britney Spears’ 13-year-long conservatorship, which had seen her dad Jamie Spears control her life and finances. But Britney’s legal troubles with her father didn’t end there. Jamie requested more than…