Innehållsförteckning för Best Of 2 01.05.2016 från Chat Specials

Do you fancy a challenge? What about the chance to make some money, get VIP access to major sporting and cultural events, or free holidays abroad? How would you like to look in the mirror and say, “Yeah – I did it!” Well then, writing might be just up your street. People have some funny ideas about writing. As a profession, it’s not just for ‘special’ folk. Anyone can do it. If you love words, and stories, and you’re not afraid of hard work, that’s all you need. “My tutor was lovely, encouraging and offered me great constructive criticism.” From Blog, To Book For the last 27 years The Writers Bureau has been helping new writers get started in the business. Writers like Louise Kennedy, who struck gold when she…

One afternoon, I was sitting at my desk when... Crack! I’ve never been one of those girls who can eat what they like and not put on an ounce. If I scoffed something I shouldn’t, it went straight to my bum, tum and thighs! Chocolate biscuits were my kryptonite. Unable to resist, growing up, I was always on the heavy side. By 16, I struggled to squeeze into a size 16. My school shirt would pull at the seams as I tried to button it. ‘Fatty!’ my classmates sneered. So cruel. ‘It’s just puppy fat,’ Mum Barbara, 61, would tell me. Still, self-conscious, I didn’t have any friends to confide in. Instead I’d gorge on biscuits, cakes, crisps – anything to make myself feel better. Mum bought them for the…

As we sped along, Terry suddenly pulled at the handbrake I’d need crutches for life and would always be on medication It was too soon, but there was nothing I could do about it. ‘I’ve got nowhere else to go, babes,’ Terry Stoute, 35, pleaded on my doorstep. We’d met two months before in Reading, through a friend. He was attractive, charming. Told me he was between jobs. We started Facebooking, chatting online most days. A month after we’d met, in January 2013, he turned up at the tanning shop where I worked. ‘For you…’ he smiled, pulling red roses from behind his back. ‘Will you go on a date with me?’ I hadn’t been looking for love. It was just me and my daughters, Aliyah, then 15, and Chelsea,…

The abuse had started when I was just 3 years old Watching telly with my brother John, there was a banging noise on the ceiling. A sound that filled me with dread. It was the signal that my stepdad Albert Maughan wanted me. With feet like lead, I climbed the stairs. It was 1985, and I was 13 years old. And I knew that Albert wasn’t hammering on the floor for another cuppa. Mum had got together with him when I was tiny. Around other people, Albert acted kind and friendly. Behind closed doors though, it was a different story. The real Albert Maughan was violent and cruel. He was 6ft 1in and weighed over 17st. He seemed like a giant to me – with a temper to match. ‘I’ll…

Hand cream Pure Indulgent Hand Cream, £7.50, Marks & Spencer This thick cream smells really lovely and summery – probably because it includes the floral scents of ylang ylang and jasmine. Only apply this occasionally. Ginger and Lime Hand Cream, £8.50, Oliver Bonas For a hand cream with a bit of zing, you’ll not do better than this one! With ginger and lime, this is a great cream that will suit both men and women. It’s also great for those with delicate skin. British Rose Petal-Soft Hand Cream, £4, The Body Shop There’s nothing that says English country garden like roses, and this cream is packed with the bloomin’ lovely scent. It’s a nice light cream that won’t leave your mitts greasy. A great little handbag accessory. Pure Nails Shea…

A beam of golden light appeared from nowhere and connected us We’ll be back after a short break, folks,’ I said into the mic, then leaned back to smile at the handsome man next to me. I was the presenter of the Becoming Psychic radio show on Channel Radio and had just interviewed celebrity psychic Grant Colyer live on air. ‘Can I read your palm?’ Grant asked, as the ads played. I agreed right away Earlier I’d told Grant a little about my own psychic journey – how I’d been oblivious to the spirit world until 2012, when I’d decided to take some meditation classes to help me relax. Suddenly – and completely unexpectedly – I found myself with a whole team of spirit guides of my own. There was…

He was like a breath of fresh air, full of charm and confidence My boyfriend, Sakir Candan, pressed his nose against the shop window. ‘Those shoes are lovely,’ he said dreamily. ‘They’d go perfectly with the new shirt you bought me.’ I sighed. I had already spent a fortune on our holiday. But, as Sakir locked his puppy-dog eyes with mine, my heart melted. ‘Go on then,’ I relented. How could I resist? Sakir was gorgeous. Especially when his face lit up in a smile. ‘Now all I need is those trousers I saw,’ he wheedled, as the assistant wrapped the shoes for him. We’d met in September 2012, when I was on holiday in Ishmila, Turkey. My mum had recently died and I was just out of a relationship.…

‘Her red blood cell count is low’ When my daughter Amie was born in December 2009, I couldn’t have had a better experience. I hadn’t needed any medication – not even gas and air. And my labour had lasted four hours from start to finish! ‘That must be a record,’ my husband Gordon, 53, joked. I’d hoped everything else with Amie would be plain sailing. But it wasn’t to be… She’d been born with a heart murmur. ‘It’s quite common,’ the doctor said. ‘Keep an eye on her and bring her back in six weeks.’ We loved having Amie home – she was such a happy baby. Six weeks later, in February 2010, I took her back to West Middlesex Hospital. ‘She’s very pale,’ a doc said. They were concerned,…

TELLY GOT RID OF MY BIG BELLY Watching a show about secret eating made me slim… Watching Secret Eaters on telly, it hit me – I could end up just like the people on the programme! My diet was awful – crisps, takeaways, sweets, fizzy drinks. Then, after an ectopic pregnancy in December 2013, I realised my weight was starting to affect my health. I’d always been big, but I’d never dieted. I was over 14½st and a size 18/20. My GP referred me to a dietician, who signed me up for a course at Scottish Slimmers… and the rest is history! I began to eat a healthy diet, got my portion sizes under control – and the weight started to disappear. Now, I’m so organised. I eat cereal before…

I said goodbye to my pink locks The first thing anyone noticed about me was my bright pink locks. I loved my bold look, but never thought I'd go even more drastic... Then, in 2011, my bestie Jess Membry, 18, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Jess had to undergo a rigorous bout of chemo, which meant losing her own long, blonde hair. She received massive support from Macmillan. Then, four years ago, Jess went into remission. So, we put our heads together to come up with a way to thank Macmillan. ‘I'm going to shave my head!' I declared that April. I drummed up sponsorship and, by 28 April - the day of the big cut - I'd raised £100. Macmillan invited me and my mum Jo, 43, to a…

Aries 21 Mar - 20 April Finances are going to need careful marshalling this month. A sparkling New Moon of the 6th does forge an influential angle with deep Pluto, so despite this, a breakthrough is possible if you have been beavering away for some time, especially with Venus lending support. Travel plans, however, can be disrupted. • Call 0905 817 1760* for more. Taurus 21 Apr - 21 May Changes or the desire for a new beginning that has bubbled in the background for some while can really take root this month Taurus, a time when you can sparkle with personality and charm all those you encounter. There may still be obstacles, it’s true, but the big picture remains resolutely bright. • Call 0905 817 1761* for more. Gemini…

Trunk and DISORDERLY! Herd the one about the elephant being lifted into the air? Well, don’t think you’re a Dumbo for guessing it wrong, but we also had to do a double take when we first saw the heavyweight beast in the hands of this superwoman. On closer inspection, however, her tusk was not quite as difficult as it seemed. The creature is actually a 3D image, part of an interactive exhibition in Augustusberg, Germany. And just like the elephant, the show proved to be an impressive draw!…

Light nights and spring sunshine always put me in the mood for romance. So, our 12-page Love & Lust minimag is right up my street! Or maybe not… With a bigamist (p30), betrayed bride (p34) and a Turkish love rat (P38), it could be enough to put you off men for life! Still, my faith in human nature was swiftly restored when I read about the family that traced their 71-year-old sister, who’d been adopted as a baby (p42). There were more shocks though, when I read about evil cop Joshua Boren (p58), who massacred his entire family with his police-issued gun, before turning it on himself. Then I nearly choked on my tea when I read about mum Allicia (p64), who makes jewellery out of breast milk! We also…

If I’m confronted by the slimy red stuff I start panicking Heading to the kitchen sink, I quickly realise there’s something lurking there which stops me in my tracks. ‘Oh no…,’ I think to myself, trembling. But it’s not a spider or a mouse. It’s a plate covered in gooey, sticky ketchup. That’s right – I’m scared of tomato sauce! Though, strangely, I’m fine around regular tomatoes, seeing ketchup, baked beans, tomato soup or spaghetti hoops brings me out in a cold sweat. All mushed up, those little tommies are terrifying to me. If I’m confronted by the slimy red stuff I start panicking, gagging and shaking. In truth, I’m not sure when it all started. I can’t recall any traumatic incidents from childhood, but I remember avoiding it as…

Ali was such fun, and lived life to the full When I first met Alison Overton, she was 9 years old, riding her bike around our village. I was 14, thought she was a real pain! We lost touch, and when I next saw Alison, she walked into my local pub. By then, she was 18. And she wasn’t a pest any more – she was a babe! ‘How are you?’ I asked. With good reason. See, when Ali was a kid, she’d battled leukaemia. But she had good news. ‘I beat it!’ she grinned. ‘Been in remission five years.’ We had a drink, talked and laughed all evening. By closing time, we were already a couple. Ali was such fun and lived life to the full. Five years on,…

It’d spread to Mum’s liver. This time, it was incurable Slipping into her favourite heels, my mum Rachel – known as Rae – looked as glam as ever. The best way to describe her? A party animal, through and through! She loved inviting her mates over and boogieing with my dad Pete, known as P, now 52. Mum’s friends called Mum ‘Rae of light’ because she shone so brightly. You always knew which wine glass belonged to Mum because the rim was coated in pink lipstick. She even did the housework in heels! But Mum wasn’t going to be sipping Chardonnay today. She was going to hospital for chemo. It was July 2011. Two months earlier, she’d noticed a lump in her left breast. ‘I need a little op,’ she’d…

Andrew brought his camera out with him on our walkies I want you to look really closely at these pictures. You might even have to scrunch your eyes up a bit... But I’m there. Trust me! Look really hard. Those Chat chaps have circled me in a couple of snaps – but you’ll have to find me in the others! Those floppy ears, wet nose and waggy tail belong to me and they’re there if you sniff around enough. ‘It’ll be a tough job to find you in this photo,’ my best mate Andrew beamed a couple of months ago, holding up a snap he’d taken of me that morning. I was hiding under a pile of black-and-white cuddly toys. ‘You can’t make me out at all,’ I woofed in…

He was easy to talk to and we connected straight away As a little girl, I had always dreamt about my wedding day. I’d glide down the aisle looking incredible, while my gorgeous, smiling husband gazed at me adoringly. But when the big day finally came, I can honestly say it was the worst of my life. Because instead of making my dreams come true, the man I loved and trusted left them all in tatters. Back in February 2006, I was working in a nightclub in my home town of Swansea to pay my way through my law degree when I met Tian, now 34. At about 5ft 8in, Tian was slightly taller than me and we were both redheads, too! Charming and friendly, he was so easy to…

She was fighting for her life Tucking 2-year-old Lexi in bed, she sniffled. I thought it was just a cold. But the following day, my partner Clive, 40, texted me to say she was getting worse. When I got home, Lexi was in bed, her breathing shallow. And she had red spots on her tummy and legs. I did the tumbler test, had heard that rashes usually disappear under a glass. But Lexi’s rash remained. I called an ambulance, paramedics arrived and told me that it looked like chickenpox. They did the tumbler test, too, but didn’t think I needed to worry. But, later, when Lexi and her brother Lucas, 1, were in bed, I looked online and all her symptoms seemed to point to meningitis. Next day, Lexi’s rash…

Docs said I only had a 20 per cent chance of survival That morning, I woke up feeling like the luckiest mummy in the world! It was 13 February 2013. At 8am, my fiancé Nicky went to work, leaving me and our 5-month-old daughter Millie snuggled in bed. She was my dream come true. When I’d met Nicky King, 35, four years ago, he’d already had two kids. Thinking he didn’t want more, he’d had a vasectomy. But that changed when we got together. He had it reversed, and Millie had come along almost straight away! And those first five months of motherhood were bliss. ‘I suppose we should get up,’ I told Millie. It was 8.30am. But when I jumped out of bed, I felt a ‘pop’ in my…

He shot and killed his children, his wife and mother-in-law In January 2014, Kelly Boren, 32, was shot dead in her home, along with her two children Hayley, 5, and Joshua ‘Jaden’, 7, and her mother Marie King, 55. The killer was her estranged husband Joshua Boren, 34, who turned his police-issued handgun on himself after the horrific slaying. But what had motivated this family man and respected officer to kill his family and take his own life? Investigators soon discovered Joshua had a disturbing dark side... Of course, it’s sad when any relationship fails. But rather than drag it out, Joshua Boren and his British wife Kelly – who lived near Salt Lake City, Utah – had ended their marriage on an amicable note for the sake of the…

Darren resented the bond I had with the boys Smiling, I popped the red rose into a vase. Darren Sykes had sent me one every day for the last 12 days! I’d met Darren, then 25, a few weeks earlier at a work function. He was a bit cocky – not my type. But the roses won me over! What a charmer! So I agreed to a date. Chatting over a glass of wine, Darren was kind and friendly. Within a year, we were engaged. We married in July 1998, moved into our new home. And after three years… ‘You’re going to be a daddy,’ I told Darren. His eyes lit up. Jack was born in March 2002. Three years on, we had Paul. Jack, then an energetic toddler, was…

The pub burst into applause I just love to sing - have been on Britain’s Got Talent and the All Ireland Talent Show , but it'd all come to nothing… ‘Don't give up,' my dad Mick, told me. So I kept singing. Until 2005, when Dad died from lung cancer. Heartbroken, I shelved my singing dreams. ‘Don't forget what Dad said,' my mum Maureen, 78, encouraged. But by 2014, when I met my fiance Tommy, 41, I'd done just that. Then, early last year, I was singing Ave Maria at home. ‘You sound just like Susan Boyle,' Tommy said. Then an ad in the paper said the Corofin Musical Society was holding a charity Stars In Their Eyes…

I knew something had to be seriously wrong. And I was right Grinning, I stared at the pile of positive pregnancy tests. ‘Well, you’re definitely up the duff!’ my hubby Ryan, 30, laughed. We already had a son Bradley, 3, and were desperate for baby number two. I’d stocked up on pregnancy-testing kits. And, after a few months of trying, I’d taken one. Actually, I took 10! Well, I couldn’t believe my eyes when that beautiful blue line appeared! We were so excited – we couldn’t wait to share the news with our family. We even got Bradley a special T-shirt to make the announcement. It read, I'm going to be a big brother! Everyone was thrilled for us. But our excitement only lasted four days, before I went to…

‘I’m changing my name to Roxy. I don’t want to be a man’ As I was about to open the truck door, one of the lads stopped me… ‘Mate, are you wearing nail varnish?!’ he asked. My heart thumped as I saw my red nails. I’d forgotten to take it off! ‘It was a bet with one of the girls down the pub,’ I lied, puffing up my chest in my hi-vis jacket. ‘You crack me up!’ he laughed. That was me, always the joker. But my laughter was hiding a secret ripping me apart. You see, I’d spent the last 40 years living as a cross-dresser. Growing up, I hadn’t really understood that I was different. It’d just felt natural, aged 9, to slip into one of my sister’s…

I’d wait by the phone every day for his calls Looking at the wedding snap on the far right – the bride grinning in her ivory gown, the groom in a simple white linen shirt with a pink buttonhole – I’m sure you’ll agree they look the picture of happiness. There’s just one problem... When this pic was taken, on a stunning Mexican beach, the groom was already married. Not to his new bride – to me. I met Adrian at a friend’s wedding in 2000. He had a laugh that rang around the room and I begged my friend Alice to introduce us. But it wasn’t until 2006 that we became an item when, after bumping into each other at a gig, he invited me out for a drink.…

I clapped eyes on him for the first time. And I felt sick Standing on the steps of the register office, I took a deep breath. This was it. My big day. The wedding I'd always dreamed of. My hair and make-up had been done, with plum lippy and soft curls under my veil. I’d chosen a classic, figure-hugging white frock with gorgeous diamond detail. On the other side of the door, my perfect man was waiting. There was just one problem – I had never met my groom! That’s right. I was about to marry a stranger. And all as part of a TV experiment. I had signed up for the first US series of Married at First Sight, a dating reality show. The idea was to match each…

Mum had been made to give her up for adoption I was 16 when I married Brian in February 1976. And 17 when our first baby came along. That’s when my mum Sheila hit me with it. ‘I’ve something to tell you,’ she said, one afternoon. ‘I had a baby when I was 17, too,’ she went on, slowly. I can’t really describe the feeling of hearing that. Seventeen years before I'd been born, Mum'd had a baby I knew nothing about? ‘W-what happened?’ I managed to stammer, eventually. Mum explained she’d been growing up in Norfolk when WW2 had broken out. That’s how she met Owen Murphy in 1942. He was three years older than her and stationed there in the Army. ‘He was sent to India,’ Mum said.…

My face was huge, and the top of my head was oozing pus! As we grow up, most of us find our own beauty routines. Trusted ways to make us look and feel better. My secret weapon was hair dye. I’d been colouring my boring brown hair for 20 years, had tried everything from red to deep brunette. I loved that I could change my look in a flash, especially as I got older and spotted a few greys. In April 2014, I decided to try a black barnet. I preferred colouring it myself at home, so I bought a kit at the shops. Before getting my transformation underway, I dabbed a dot of dye on the back of my ear. I often bought different brands, so always did a…

You could only see they were poodles once they’d been clipped Tears trickled down my cheeks as I watched the local news. It was January 2015, and nine poodles had been found abandoned. Dumped on the roadside, filthy, and caked in mud. Their fur was so matted, they couldn’t see or stand. They were at death’s door. I stared at the horrific pictures. ‘How could anybody do that?’ I wept, sickened. Locals had spotted what they thought were bundles of rags. But, on closer inspection realised that they were dogs and they’d raised the alarm. The eight pups – all around 1 year old – and their mother, had been picked up by animal rescue officers in Winchester. ‘I’ve not seen anything this bad before,’ one shocked welfare officer was…

Just not cricket... This is what you call hiding in plain sight! We were feeding crickets to a bearded dragon we were babysitting, but this one avoided being lunch. Janet Harris, Gillingham Cartoon kitty Kids aren’t the only ones who love SpongeBob Squarepants! Rebecca Madden, Birmingham He’s so glassy Now that he’s 8 years old, my dog Frankie has decided it’s time to sport a more sophisticated look! Beveley Kyffin, Neath Pucker up piggy Love is in the air and my guinea pigs are feeling frisky – here’s Daphne giving Frankie a little peck on the cheek! Caroline Laytham, St Helens Furry fashionista When I run out of people to knit for, I just rope my long-suffering cat Pufa into wearing a lovely jumper for me! Frances Rutherford, Southbourne…

‘What if we get married right after the christening?’ Growing up, most girls dream of a big, white wedding. A massive, gorgeous gown, and a posh do in a hotel, with lots of snazzy decorations everywhere... Something that would take months, maybe years, to plan. Not me, though. ‘When we get married, I fancy something small, like a register office,’ I was always telling my bloke Paul, 27. We’d been an item since April 2013, but had known each other for ages before, since secondary school. Soon after moving in together in June 2013, I fell pregnant. And in April 2014, I gave birth to our little boy, Darragh. Me and Paul got to planning his christening at Bride Street Church in Wexford. It was booked in for 13 September…

Orders began coming in from places as far-flung as China! Every day, I sit in my studio and get to work making jewellery. ‘Perfect,’ I grin, as I reach for a little heart-shaped mould. It’d be a fab addition to the pendant I was making. But instead of filling it with liquid metal or Perspex, I go for something a bit more. erm, unusual… Preserved breast milk! You might think it’s completely mad, but I’ve been making jewellery from mothers’ breast milk for nine years now. And guess what? My makes are so popular, I’ve got a 12-month waiting list on my website, MommyMilk Creations. You could say I’m milking it… My barmy idea started in 2007. An artist, I made jewellery in my spare time. I had my own…

• In May 2011, breast milk was made into cheese. A New York art gallery offered the chance to taste three samples made from the milk of mums who’d been screened for diseases. Miriam Simun, the artist behind The Lady Cheese Shop, said, ‘Some people are loving it, and some are gagging.’ • Most of us love But how about ice made from human milk? In 2011 The Icecreamists in Covent Garden, London, brought out Baby Gaga, a sundae churned with milk from a mother named Victoria Hiley. Served with a rusk and optional shot of Calpol, surprisingly, the £14 dessert was a sell-out. • Florida native, Paula D’Amore, suffered from terrible itchiness following her first pregnancy, which wasn’t relieved by soap. So, she made her own. She had some…