Innehållsförteckning för Autumn Special 2016 från Chat Specials

With the leaves turning and the nights getting longer, it’s time to snuggle up with your favourite mag. Devil women provide an ongoing theme in some of our shocking crime stories. Take evil Sharon Edwards (p4), a violent vixen who turned on her gentle hubby – literally sticking the knife in. Then there’s Wanda (p48), a woman so obsessed with getting her daughter a place in the cheerleading team, she was prepared to kill for it. But it’s not all about bad girls… Take Joan, who’s been her hubby Michael’s eyes and ears since an accident wiped his short-term memory (p50). While animal-loving Kelly (p25) has fostered a badly injured Alsatian pooch, with a smile just like Elvis! As well as being packed with stories, there are cash puzzles, great…

How sweet! Halls Mentholyptus Sugar Free Original x 10, 49p, Boots Ward off a sore throat and clear a blocked nose with these powerful lozenges. Best of all, they’re sugar free. Strepsils Honey & Lemon Lozenges x 36, £3.79, Superdrug Feel an autumn cold coming on? Go classic and stock up on soothing Strepsils. These ones don’t even taste like medicine! Covonia Double Impact Lozenges Strong Original Sugar, £1.55, Lloyds Pharmacy These double-sided lozenges have cool flavourings to calm a painful sore throat. Fisherman’s Friend Lozenges Mint Sugar-Free with Sweeteners 25g, £2.01, Amazon These will blow your head off – in a good way! Clear your head with full on minty freshness.…

Card trick Who needs to play cards when you can memorise them instead? That's what one guy from Germany did in 2011 when he recalled an entire deck of cards in a mere 21.19 seconds. The clever chap was taking part in a speed recall competition, where those entering had five minutes to memorise the deck and five minutes to recount the order, which he did with plenty of time to spare. And he's not the only one to have a memory card up his sleeve - a Canadian memorised 59 separate decks of cards, which were all in a random order, after only a single sighting of them. He recited them correctly in just under five hours, making only one mistake which he promptly righted before carrying on to…

Black Friday has been in your diary since LAST November You had this year’s Christmas presents all wrapped way back on 1 January You can spot a bargain from a mile off, leaving all your friends in awe Nothing haunts you like the half-price items you didn’t buy… Your grocery list is a work of art. Ordered aisle by aisle and complete with detailed meal plans You bail on a girl’s night. Your feet are just too tired from a tough day at the retail park You shout at anyone who tries to help you pack your groceries - you've got a regimented packing system! You know all the sites that do free next day delivery Back to school shopping with the kids is a real treat You knew your…

A sheer drop from the roadside, the car had virtually flown off the road Hauling the last of the bags into my motorhome, a wave of excitement washed over me. I was off on a relaxing trip away to Somerset with my husband Ian, 67. A whole week of no work, no kids and no stress. Bliss. ‘See you soon – and no parties!’ I called to my youngest, Thomas, 18, as we pulled away. He was staying behind to work at our local Waitrose and spend time with his girlfriend Olivia Taylor, 17. He’d be coming up to join us in a few days. He was a sensible boy, but I couldn’t help worrying about the state we’d find the house in when we got back home. As we…

WEEPING WILLOW Those rockets that release a fountain of soft, cascading lights, like twinkly Weeping Willow trees, are often everybody's favourite - but feeling weepy all the time isn't! We all get sad and upset from time to time - that's a normal part of life. If you're crying more than usual though, or you're finding it difficult to cope and feel overwhelmed by stress or anxiety, it could be a sign it's time to give your mental wellbeing some TLC. 'This could be mild depression, so if it continues, you should discuss it with your doctor,' says Dr Laurence Gerlis, GP and founder of www.samedaydoctor.org . 'Hormonal changes can also affect mood. If it goes on for more than three weeks, please look out for other…

Aries 21 Mar - 20 April Romantic opportunities can emerge in week one and week three, just when you least expect them. With Venus and Pluto connecting between the 22nd and 27th, if you are offered a career chance, be sure there are no hidden strings attached. As November ends there can be politics at work. • Call 0905 817 1760* for more. Taurus 21 Apr - 21 May How you interact with others is to the fore, and the Full Moon of the 14th in Taurus can demand a big decision about one involvement. Single? This can be hugely exciting, especially in week three, when you could encounter someone with a magnetic personality and persuasive charm. • Call 0905 817 1761* for more. Gemini 22 May - 21 Jun…

To do… Treat your mini monsters to a visit to Legoland this autumn, where there will be plenty of spooky thrills, as well as rides and live shows. Brick-or-Treat is on 17-31 October and 5 November. To buy… Get your fondue on this autumn and enjoy tucking into lots of melted cheese and chocolate. Yum! Heart of House Cast Iron Fondue Set, £19.99, Argos.co.uk To watch… Dark, chilly nights call for cosy nights in and that includes watching a fancy period drama on the box. The Crown follows the early years of our Queen Liz. Look out for Matt Smith as the Duke of Edinburgh. The Crown premieres on Netflix on 4 November.…

Every time I saw David, he’d be covered in marks She claimed he’d walked into a knife she’d been holding Blotting my pout, I slicked on another swipe of scarlet lippie. Twirling in front of the mirror, my excitement bubbled. While I adored my kids Matthew, now 31, Gavin, now 27, Jade, now 22 and Jessica, now 19, as a single mum, nights out were rare. It was February 2006 and Matthew was looking after the others, so I could catch up with friends at my local pub. Despite the chilly weather, I felt hot to trot! Walking into the Gillibrand Arms, Chorley, there was a real party atmosphere. Towards the end of the night, a tall, good-looking guy appeared next to me at the bar. ‘I’m David,’ he smiled,…

I’d never won anything before Scrolling through Facebook, I let out a sigh. Another wedding announcement. Another bride and groom, grinning out at me from the screen. Would it ever be my turn? It wasn't that I was single. I had a lovely man - Adrian Ball, 45. We'd been engaged since 2003, when he popped the question during a romantic trip to Canada. ‘Steph,' he began, nervously, as we zipped over Niagara Falls in a helicopter. ‘Will you marry me?' ‘Yes,' I squealed. I assumed we'd be wed within a couple of years. But life kept getting in the way. First, there were the births of our three gorgeous children - Shannon, 15, Abbie, 12 and Kodi, 7. Then Adrian lost his job. ‘Weddings are expensive. It's just not…

Instead of thinking my time might be up, all I wanted to do was live You can do anything you put your mind to Lessons were so boring, I just couldn’t see the point in them. Instead of listening to my teacher, slouching in my chair, I stared out of the window. Bonkers though it sounded, throughout my teens I’d been haunted by a weird feeling that I wasn’t going to live long. So, convinced my days were numbered, I had no interest in school. All I wanted to do was party. And, as soon as I was old enough to socialise, my life became a whirlwind of staying out until the early hours and sleeping in late. But all that came to a grinding halt in February 2013. ‘My…

We trusted Joanne. Let her into our business, home and hearts Quietly spoken, keen, and with great references. When Joanne Jordan applied for the secretarial job at our family firm, she seemed perfect. Living in the next village to us, we already knew of her. So, instead of a formal interview, we had a relaxed chat in our home. ‘The job is 16 hours a week,’ I explained to her. ‘That’ll fit around my family perfectly,’ she replied. Although it was only a part-time position, it was crucial to the smooth running of our business. The Old Mill had been in my husband Robin’s family since the 1930s. Now we hired out the old corn mill for weddings and lived in the house next door. It was a very small…

Mostly As: Thankful Thelma You appreciate everything that comes your way and never forget to write those thank you cards. Just remember that you can push back if something’s not right for you! Mostly Bs: Presumptuous Poppy You’re number one in your world and that’s great, but don’t forget the people who helped you along the way! Mostly Cs: Stressy Sarah You get so worried about things going right that you find it hard to savour the moment. Enjoy where you’re at! Mostly Ds: Ungrateful Una You’re a cup half-empty kinda gal. But next time something doesn’t go your way, don’t look for someone to blame – not everyone is out to take advantage of you!…

As the plane soared high into the clouds, I could barely contain my excitement. ‘Happy holidays!’ a friend and I squealed, clinking glasses of fizz. After saving for a trip to Riviera Maya, Mexico, for months, we were finally flying to paradise! Sipping Margaritas in the sunshine by day and partying into the night. Not to mention tucking into a few tasty burritos… With that, my spare tyres wobbled as we bumped through some turbulence. A huge size 24, I was more of a beached whale than a beach babe! Still, ‘big is beautiful’ had always been my life motto. Although, not everyone agreed…. A year earlier, on a beach holiday in the south of France, I’d spotted a mum and daughter laughing at me in my cossie. Not one…

SSSSSO SLINKY… If Harry Potter can talk to snakes, so can you! Best not to get too close to Chester Zoo’s reticulated pythons though. The largest snakes on the planet, they’ve got two of the scaly beasts and one of them – Bali – is a whopping 6.5m long! She must weigh a ton and could easily squish you! • Adults, £28; children, £24. Visit www.chesterzoo.org ON FIRE! Sadly you won’t find any proper, fire-breathing dragons, but you can hang out with smaller Komodo dragons at The Attenborough Komodo Dragon House, at London Zoo. Komodo dragons are the biggest lizards on Earth, and even though they can’t fly and don’t spit flames, they do have forked tongues and can run up to 11 miles per hour. That’s speedy! • Adults,…

Stressed ouch! Q I get lots of painful mouth ulcers when I'm stressed out. Why does this happen? Lou, Bournemouth A Stress affects our immune system and can lead to mouth ulcers. Ensure you’re eating a balanced diet and brush your teeth regularly. Avoiding toothpastes with sodium lauryl sulphate, mouthwashes containing alcohol and acidic foods can help reduce discomfort. Any ulcer that doesn’t heal within two weeks should be checked out by your GP. Sinus woes Q My teeth get really achy when I get sinus infections. Does this mean my teeth are bad? Gemma, Luton A Not necessarily – the roots of the upper teeth extend to the borders of the upper jaw sinus. Inflammation associated with infected sinuses can cause referred pain in these teeth, and can often…

I was fascinated by what you could do with balloons Just what have I got myself into? I thought to myself, in May 2010. My daughter D’Arcy’s fifth birthday party was coming up, and the invitations had inflated from ‘just a few friends’ to ‘most of the class’. ‘How are we going to entertain all these children?’ I asked my hubby Michael, 42. We asked around and an entertainer friend named Adrian Catch stepped in, dazzling the kids with balloon animals. But I was dazzled, too, and found myself wanting to give it a try. So Adrian started to teach me. Dogs, swords, hats… I was just fascinated by what you could do with balloons, and I quickly mastered the basics. ‘Get in touch with my friend Shirley Ray,’ advised…

Sun, sea and sand, it’s the perfect recipe for a good holiday isn’t it?! For me that’s all I want – a relaxing place where I can unwind and relax without a care in the world! That’s why I headed to Bournemouth for a long weekend. It’s on the south coast of England, so that little bit warmer than other parts of the UK, and it’s got everything you could want from a break. How to get there I live in the south east, so drove to Bournemouth, and it took me a good few hours. There are plenty of alternatives though – there’s the train station right in the town centre and right next to that is the bus station, too. There’s even an airport if you’re coming from…

No escape When my kids were little they loved playing hide-and-seek, but they always hid in the same place - the shower! Once, when it was my turn to hide, I thought I'd show them there were other places to hide and went into the garden. Our shed's full of junk and hasn't got a window, so it's really dark and full of creepy crawlies, but I managed to squeeze in and hide in the corner. The problem was, the kids couldn't find me! I was feeling all smug until about 20 minutes later when I tried to get out of the shed. The door had got stuck! I yelled for the kids but they couldn't open it from the outside. We had to wait for their dad to get…

An awful ripping sound rang out, followed by a howl What if the damage was irreversible? How could I forgive myself? Patting the empty space in the bed beside him, my boyfriend rolled over, a cheeky glint in his eye. ‘Get over here!’ grinned Adam Francis, 23. ‘Be patient,’ I joked, taking one last glance in the mirror, as I ran my fingers through my hair. Then I slid under the sheets beside him. Not one to waste any time, Adam pounced on me with hungry hands. And I soon surrendered to his warm embrace. For us, this was a typical night. We’d met at Ascot races back in 2013. A model, Adam was absolutely gorgeous, so when he’d asked me out for a drink I didn’t hesitate to say…

‘You could decide not to proceed with the pregnancy’ When you find out you’re going to be a mum, there’s so much to look forward to. One of the first is showing off that first, grainy scan picture to friends and family. But, when my partner Gary, 45, and I were about to see my baby for the first time, the sonographer frowned. ‘There’s a major problem, you’ll need a detailed scan,’ she said. Back in the waiting room, a nurse explained what they’d seen. ‘We think your baby’s abdominal wall hasn’t formed properly and some of the organs are growing outside the tummy,’ she said. She said they’d be able to tell us more once we’d had a 4D scan the following week. We left hospital clutching our grainy…

Big, sad brown eyes stared up into mine. My heart melted. ‘This is Sammy,’ someone said. The lovely German shepherd pup had chunks of him missing. A leg, bits of his face… ‘Poor thing!’ I cried. I knew right away I had to rescue him. It was April last year, and I’d come across Sammy being cared for in an animal shelter in Romania. Dogs are my life. In fact, my first word was ‘dog’! At 14, I was a volunteer at my local RSPCA. And, by the time I was 36, I had set up the charity Safe Rescue for Dogs. We rescued dogs of all shapes and sizes from the UK and abroad. Especially Romania, where there’s a terrible animal welfare problem – especially with stray dogs. Sammy…

Jackie came round. And with her, came some news that tore my heart in two Like any parent, I’ll never forget the first time I held my baby girl. ‘Daddy’s here,’ I whispered, softly. My wife Jackie, 51, and I couldn’t have loved our daughter – our Hayley – any more. She was a right little character. From the minute she learnt to smile, she never stopped. Watching Hayley blossom into a beautiful young woman, I was so proud of her. Then, when she was 18, she came home with some news for us… ‘I’ve got something to tell you,’ she began nervously. ‘I’m pregnant.’ ‘That’s fantastic,’ I beamed. I knew she’d be a brilliant mum and I couldn’t wait to be a granddad. Nine months later she had her…

My body rejecting all foods, I became weaker and weaker Clutching my stomach, I let out a gasp. ‘Not again,’ I groaned, bracing myself for the agonising cramps. It was 2008, and for six long months now I’d been battling a string of horrendous symptoms. Extreme tiredness, blood loss and of course, the cramps. The most terrifying part? I had no idea why it happened. I was constantly in and out of Queen’s Hospital, Romford, Essex, where I’d be pumped full of steroids and hooked up to drips. But still, docs were none the wiser about what was happening. Then, in January 2008, after yet more tests, I finally had an answer… ‘You have ulcerative colitis,’ I was told. Ulcer-what? ‘It means tiny ulcers have developed on the surface of…

It soon became clear that he was far from OK Glancing at my watch for what felt like the hundredth time, I frowned. ‘Come on, Michael, where are you?’ I muttered to myself. My hubby had been out helping his pal Reg, 82, fix up an old car. But my Michael, now 71, should have been back by now and on his way to work. Concerned, I sent a friend, Rodger, out to look for him. Shortly after, my phone rang. ‘Hello?’ I blurted, grabbing the receiver. It was Reg’s son. ‘There’s been an accident,’ he said. What kind of accident? Together with Michael’s brother, I raced to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. There, I was greeted by a kind-faced doctor. ‘Mrs Welch, you may want to sit down, this…

A big jackpot was about to be called Relaxing with a game of bingo, excitement fizzed through me. ‘Look!’ I shouted to my partner Wayne, 35. ‘I’ve won! Again!’ It was earlier this year and I’d just won a £1,000 jackpot playing a game of 90-ball Bingo in Sapphire on Chat Mag Bingo! And it wasn’t my first win, either. I’d joined several years earlier – I’d always enjoyed bingo at the local halls. But, as life got busy, playing from home was so convenient. And, back in December 2014, I’d won £1,409 playing Lounge Bingo. Not long after that, I’d won £3,202 on the bingo, too – and now I had a £1,000 win! Wayne and I were expecting our first baby, so we spent my winnings on some…

He’d done such a good job, we didn’t need to go to hospital Cuddling my gorgeous son Ruben, 6, I had some exciting news. ‘Mummy’s having a baby,’ I smiled. His dad Ben Blundell, 35, and I had told Ruben straight away. We wanted to involve him every step of the way. And Ruben couldn’t wait for the birth! First, he told us he wanted to have a baby brother. ‘So we can play together,’ he said, grinning. But then he changed his mind. ‘A sister, so she doesn’t steal my toys,’ he decided. Bless! But when, at 20 weeks, we found out it was a boy after all, Ruben cheered. ‘You can help pick a name,’ we told him. His face lit up as he went away, had a…