Innehållsförteckning för Best Of 3 (2015) från Chat Specials

As if 76 pages stuffed full of 68 amazing real-life reads wasn’t enough, we’ve only gone and added a mini-mag too – Tot Tales! The super 25-page special features the sweetest, saddest and most shocking stories about readers’ little ‘uns! Like Terri-Louise (p36), who was attacked as she breastfed. And Kellie (p41), who was in labour en route to hospital when her ambulance caught fire! In the rest of the mag, we’ve delved into the weekly archives. Read about Harnaam on p58. She loves her beard! Don’t miss weight-loss wonders on p20, or health on p62. Good luck with the cash prize puzzles. And look out for the next monthly special, Chat Holiday, on sale 16 July. Some of these stories have appeared in Chat before…

Looking out into the garden, an idea sparked. Since 2009, when we'd moved into this house, damsons and apples covered the ground from the trees in our yard. 'I might try to make a jam,' I told my husband, John. So I whipped up a damson jam. 'It's not bad!' I said, after trying it. And I got a taste for jam making! I brewed up all kinds of flavours using my own fruit. And one day, when I opened a pack of jam jars that'd been delivered from an online order, a leaflet fell out. Enter your jam into the WI jam festival competition , it said. So I sent in a mango, passionfruit and lime jam. Soon, I got a call. 'You've won Jam With a Difference!'…

How it’s done In IVF, an egg is surgically removed from a woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in a lab. The fertilised egg is then returned to the womb to grow. Not all women are broody. But me, I’d always wanted kids. So, sat at home with my husband Andrew one night… ‘I’d really like to start a family,’ I said. ‘Me too,’ he smiled. We’d only been married five months, but kids had always been on the agenda… We’d met in July 1986, when I was 16. Friends at first, our relationship grew. Andrew proposed three years later, but I felt too young. So he’d asked again when I was 25, and I’d said yes! We were so happy. I just hoped we could have kids… I’d been…

We'd booked to go on a cruise, but I couldn't find anything to wear. I weighed over 18½st and anything in my size 26 just looked dull and dowdy. With high blood pressure and arthritis, I felt old - and after seeing photos from the cruise, I knew I had to lose weight. So, in June 2012, I joined LighterLife, and went on the Total Plan, replacing my normal meals with four specially-formulated food packs per day. The weight fell off and I was losing a stone a month. I thought that cutting out food would be the biggest challenge of my life, but not once did I feel hungry or deprived. Now I know how to make good food choices. Since losing weight, my blood pressure is back to…

Sipping tea at a café with my husband Robert a dark, swarthy man came up to us. He was an old pal of Robert’s, and it turned out he was a gypsy and a palm reader. Fascinated, I held out my hand. ‘Do mine,’ I giggled. He took my hand and stared at it. Suddenly, the colour drained from his face. He dropped it again. ‘No, I can’t,’ he gasped. Fear gripped me. What had he seen? ‘What’s wrong?’ I asked. He shook his head. ‘Nothing,’ he muttered, shooting towards the door. I knew he’d seen something terrible in my future though… What if it's about the baby? I was six months pregnant and couldn’t bear the thought of losing my child so far gone. In the end, I told…

Body lotions I Love… Mango and Papaya Body Butter, £2.99, Superdrug This body butter left us feeling fruity! With coconut oil and shea butter, it kept our skin irresistibly soft. Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Soothe, £3.49, Boots We love the fresh smell of this non-greasy body lotion. It also contains Aloe which calms irritable skin! Nivea In-Shower Body Moisturiser, £3.50, Sainsbury's We thought we wouldn’t get used to moisturising in the shower. But now we couldn’t give up this timesaving beauty must-have. Wild Argan Oil Body Lotion, £8, The Body Shop Beauty favourite argan oil features heavily in the Body Shop’s new range. And we can see why – our skin is glowing!…

Iran my hand over my huge bump, bracing myself as the wind howled outside. ‘Don’t be scared, little one,’ I whispered to my unborn baby. I was nine months pregnant, due any day – just as a massive storm had hit my village. The thought of going into labour now terrified me, but I knew I had to keep calm for my baby’s sake. It's just a storm. Storms pass, I told myself. But outside I could hear a commotion. Shouting, banging, pounding footsteps… I threw open my door and grabbed the arm of a man running past. ‘What’s going on?’ I pleaded. ‘We’ve just gotten word that this isn’t just a storm,’ he cried over the thunder. ‘It’s the beginning of a cyclone – and it’s headed straight for…

Welcome to the world, little one,’ I cooed to my newborn Ella. Looking down at her blue eyes and perfect button nose, the last few hours seemed like a distant memory. Ella had arrived face up and in the race to get her out, I’d ripped right up to my bottom. Thankfully, with the epidural I hadn’t felt a thing. Now, I’d been stitched up and Ella was nestled in my arms, safe and sound. Me and my hubby Adam, 35, couldn’t wait to leave hospital, start life as a family of three. But back home, three days later, I woke feeling terrible. ‘I think I’ve got a fever,’ I said. I couldn’t stop shivering, though my skin was really hot to touch. And the part where my bottom had…

You’re probably thinking one of two things. First, you might be feeling sorry for me. Secondly, you might be thinking I’m strange. And I wouldn’t blame you. It’s not every day you see a 23-year-old woman with a full-blown beard. But you’re wrong. The way I see it, just like the earth grows flowers, my body grows hair. Lots of it! It’s natural. It’s me. And it’s nothing to be ashamed of. Still, it’s taken me a long time to understand that... Hair first started growing on my neck and around my chin when I was about 11. At first, it was fine, transparent. And I was hardly aware of it. But it quickly started getting thicker and darker. Mum took me to the doctor. ‘You have polycystic ovaries,’ she…

Got it licked Aha! I wondered why my water kept disappearing, then I caught my 14-year-old cat Jaz in action. Ann Jackaman, Norwich Caught in a flap Not one to give up easily, my pooch Tara insists on trying to squeeze her way through the cat flap! Nina Rees, Ynystawe, Swansea Hop to it! My giant rabbit Cornelius doesn't seem that on the ball, I have to say! Hannah Pascoe, Illogan In the bag She may only be 8 weeks old, but my puppy Millie loves getting into mischief! Manda Bell, via email Furry thirsty So cute! Here's a snap of Merlot, my 10-week-old kitten. I think his name's very apt, don't you? Tracey Mincher, Wakefield, Yorks…

Too little, too late Officials defended the decision not to arrest Troutman after the first incident, with the District Attorney telling press: ‘You have to have a crime take place in order to file charges. Everyone did what they were supposed to do and, unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to prevent this child’s death.’ I looked at the clock and sighed. Typical Skyler. It was after 6pm on 18 April 2011 and I’d told my daughter to be home by now. But although she was late, a part of me was glad she was out having fun. While me and her dad Eric tried to work on some relationship problems, I’d moved me and Skyler, 9, out to live with my mum Pam. At first, I’d been worried that Skyler might…

Any parent knows toilet training can be tough. But things had gone smoothly with my Sophie. By 3, she was using the toilet-training seat, without accidents. She was quite an independent little girl. ‘Mummy, I’ll go on my own,’ she said, one day in June 2013. I waited outside, just in case. But soon, I heard a cry. ‘I’m stuck!’ Sophie wailed. I went in and the training seat was round her neck! But I figured, if it went over her head, it’d come off again… So I gave the seat a tug. ‘Ouch!’ Sophie cried. It really was stuck. ‘Charles!’ I called to my husband. He helped, but we couldn’t get it past Sophie’s ears. We coated her in olive oil, but it still wouldn’t budge. I looked online…

The minute my husband Taff, 64, came through the door, I pounced. ‘Did you see him?’ I asked. I was talking about Miles the moggy. I’d wanted a cat for a while, in particular a rescue puss. So, after donating some tins of food to Stubbington Ark, our local animal rescue centre, I’d had a look around. That’s when I found three-legged Miles – and fell head-over-heels for him. ‘You’ll love him, too,’ I’d told Taff, sending him off to meet my new wonky pal for himself. Now Taff was back and I was ready to hear his verdict. Only… ‘Miles has already been adopted,’ Taff told me. I was happy Miles had found a home, but disappointed that it wasn’t with us. Still, before I could feel too downbeat,…

Coming home from his shift at the local cotton mill, my dad Fred called me over. ‘Have you done your homework?’ he asked. It was early 1996 and I was 11, but I knew education was important to him. ‘Yes, Daddy,’ I promised. ‘Good,’ he smiled. He was caring, but strict, too. It meant I was always well-behaved. Not that I could get away with much in our tiny trailer. My parents had their room, while I slept on the floor in the lounge. One night, a few months later, I heard Dad creep into the lounge. Maybe he was thirsty? But suddenly, I felt him inching closer… Then, he climbed on top of me. I gasped for air as his hands groped my body, his weight crushing me. Then,…

When I first got engaged, I was a size 16, a size 10 at my wedding, a size 14 before I got pregnant a year later and a size 20 after. My weight has yo-yoed all my adult life, and after walking up the aisle in my size 10 corset-style dress, I couldn’t be bothered any more, so I ate what I wanted and my weight ballooned. When I was pregnant, my doctor sent me to special classes for overweight pregnant mums. After giving birth, I felt heavy and bloated. As I was still breast-feeding, my doctor suggested trying Herbalife. So, in March 2013, I replaced breakfast and lunch with a shake, then had a healthy meal in the evening. Amazingly, I felt the difference from week one. I’ve now…

All together now – awww! We never need an excuse to stare at baby animals. So we thought there was no better way to start off our special baby section than with a collection of cute critters! From baby bats to tiny tapirs, these adorable animals make us feel all warm inside. Luckily, recent research shows looking at animal snaps can make you more productive. Now we know what to say when our boss catches us looking at bush baby pics – again!…

Sunshine streaming through the open window, I clutched the photograph tight. Pictures of children in need of medical help always moved me, but there was something about this one that tugged at my heartstrings. They were 6-month-old twin girls, whose skulls were fused together. The babies couldn’t move independently, would never see each other’s faces and without surgery to separate them, they would die within the year. But I could see beyond the horrifying deformity, to their sweet smiles, the spirit that burned defiantly in their eyes. ‘These two are extra special,’ I said. ‘I have to help them.’ I was 31, dreamt of having my own children one day. But until the right man came along, I was more than happy with the life I had – living on…

Sniffing, I slumped on the sofa exhausted. ‘I think I’m coming down with something,’ I fretted to my partner Graham Watmough, 34. ‘Put your feet up,’ he said supportively. I was 28 weeks pregnant with our first child and petrified something was going to go wrong. Just months earlier, in Easter 2012, I’d suffered a miscarriage. So far, this pregnancy had progressed normally, but I was still on tenterhooks. Then, as if the universe was playing a cruel trick on me, my waters broke. It was far too early! ‘We need to get to hospital now,’ I panicked. The whole journey I couldn’t speak for tears. If my baby was born, would it even survive? ‘This wasn’t supposed to happen,’ I whimpered as I was taken into the labour ward…

Sweat poured down my face. ‘This is exhausting,’ I puffed. For weeks, my family had been gushing about the Insanity workout. ‘It burns 1,000 calories in a 45-minute session,’ they’d enthused. So I’d signed up, too. I got a taste for it, even started doing boxercise and body combat classes. In five months I’d lost three inches from my waist, dropped a dress size and shed a stone. ‘Gorgeous,’ my partner Cem Kilic, 28, said as I twirled in a size-14 frock. Old friends even stopped me in the street saying how good I looked. ‘My stomach’s flatter than ever!’ I boasted. Only my exercise regime wasn’t for the faint-hearted. I often came home covered in bruises from sparring. Then, one morning, I woke up and I felt different. A…

Settling down to check my e-mails, one caught my eye. It was an offer to join Chat Mag Bingo. If I signed up and deposited £10, then I’d get £35 to play with. Sounds great, I thought. It was a lovely spring day. I’d just arrived home from my part-time carers job. And after a hard day at work I loved nothing more than relaxing on the sofa. Often playing on my laptop. That day, my partner, Mark, 48, was pottering about. So I signed up. I went straight to look at the different bingo games on offer. I used to enjoy going to bingo halls when I was younger and still occasionally did. Snapping up some 2p tickets for the 90 Ball Bingo in Emerald, I sat back to…

Never work with animals or children, they say. And I have my hands full with both! By day I’m a zookeeper for Cotswold Wildlife Park. I feed and care for the big cats, zebras, giraffes… Then back home I have two little monkeys of my own. My son and daughter, Jai and Niemi! They’re animal mad, love hearing about my job. So after an eventful day in July 2014, I couldn’t wait to tell them my big news. ‘We’re going to have a leopard cub living with us,’ I told them. I explained I’d been in the leopard enclosure and heard whimpering. I’d moved a bush and found two cubs shivering. Their mum, Moro, had rejected her babies. They looked so helpless. ‘I’ll look after you,’ I said. So I’d…

Knocking on the door, I waited for a response. As it creaked open, there was a smiley man in a wheelchair. ‘Come in,’ he said. His name was Franco Antonelli, and he was paralysed from the shoulders down. It was January 2006 and I’d worked as a carer for years before transferring to office-based work. No-one had been free to pick up this job, so I’d volunteered. Along with another carer, I was there to assess Franco for his needs. ‘I had a rugby accident when I was 18,’ Franco, now 45, told us. He’d explained how he’d dived for the ball, then landed on his neck – with players on top of him. He’d broken his neck, was in hospital for six months. Devastating. Since then, he’d needed full-time…

Picture a biker and what do you see? A beefy bloke with a beard and tattoos, right? Wrong! I've been riding since I was 16 - and I'm all woman. Sure, there are some who think you can't be a lady in leathers, but that's rubbish! And to prove it, in 2006, I founded Birds On Bikes - a bike group where men and women ride to raise money. I spread the word online and through friends, and I soon had a whole group ready to rev! We did our first 1,000-mile ride from Edinburgh to Cardiff in 2006 and donated sponsorship to Breast Cancer Care. There were all sorts of people in the group. 'My husband died of cancer, so I taught myself to ride…

Running a mop across the kitchen floor, I sang my heart out along with the radio. I loved belting out a good tune. And when I wasn’t singing, I was talking. ‘We always know when you’re in the office!’ colleagues joked. ‘We can hear you nattering a mile away.’ I also loved catching up with my daughter Dominique, then 20, on the phone. She was at uni, but my son Jordan, 13, was still at home and we were always gassing! In July 2012, I was off on holiday to Ibiza. Typically, I was bunged up – blocked sinuses and a frog in my throat. My throat wasn’t sore, but my voice sometimes cut out. I didn’t think much of it. But, back home, it didn’t shift. By October 2012,…

Pigs... Smelly, mucky, dirty things, right? Not my Penny! She’s one pretty porker – so much so, it’s made her a celeb. My daughters, 14 and 10, went potty one day after seeing a picture of a tiny pig online. After that, pigs were all I heard about. We’d posters on the wall, did hog-themed handicrafts at weekends... ‘Can we get a pig?’ they’d ask, over and over. No chance! We didn’t even have a dog or a cat. But the begging didn’t stop and, by 2012, I’d been worn down! I secretly started looking online into pig ownership. ‘They’re actually good pets,’ I whispered to my husband. Clean, smart, friendly and great for people with allergies. All they needed was a lawn to graze on and a happy home.…

Aries 21 Mar - 20 April This month can see you really busy with garden improvements. A new feature such as decking or a pond can add to your sense of comfort and serenity. Some Aries people may be on the move, but any changes around your abode need to be achieved after weighing the options as you can be more impulsive than usual. As the month goes on, your enthusiasm for socialising will get stronger and stronger, Aries. • Call 09058 171760 for your year ahead forecast. Taurus 21 April - 21 May The pace of life can be absolutely cracking this month and you can find yourself buzzing from place to place. The one thing it won't be, Taurus, is dull. Getting with neighbours and close family members…

A show-stopping sponge really is the icing on the cake when it comes to weddings. And these tasty treats certainly rise to the occasion. There’s no half-baked dessert ideas here! Whether you’re a chocoholic or a burger-obsessed bride, there’s a wedding cake out there for you. Staring at these mouth-watering munchies is making us want our own spectacular big day sponge. Now all we need to find is a groom..! A meaty treat!…

Like all mums and dads, our kids are our world. Me and my hubby Jason would do anything for Lucas, 9, Tyler, 8, Cody, 5, and Blake, 2. Even dress up as a member of the opposite sex! Well, I did say anything… That’s why, for a whole week at the end of January 2014, Jason, 38, lived as a woman. He really went for it, too! Waxed, tanned and glammed up in a dress and heels. All to raise money for our eldest lad. You see Lucas has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a genetic condition that causes muscle weakness. Walking, running and climbing are practically impossible and he needs a wheelchair at school. When he’s a teen, he’ll need one permanently. As a baby, Lucas developed well. Crawled at…

Do you dream of flying? Swooping through the air, like a bird? I know how that feels – for real! See, when I was 5, I fell in love with trampolining. I joined a club, learnt hard routines. By 19, I was ranked fifth in the whole world! I’d bounce 10m into the air, twisting and somersaulting until the world was just a blur! In 2002, I won Bronze for Britain at the European Championships. And, a year later, at a local trampolining club reunion, I found love too, with Shane Burr. Shane was a fireman and had trampolined before, but now competed nationally in jiujitsu. Me and Shane even did gymnastics together for fun. I became a paramedic, we bought a house and… ‘Marry me?’ Shane asked, in spring…

Us Brits enjoy relaxing with a cuppa and the paper. In fact, it was my late hubby Ian’s favourite pastime. He loved coming home from work and flopping down on the sofa with a newspaper. ‘Come and have a sit down with me and we’ll read together,’ he’d say. But I couldn’t. Feeling queasy, I’d leave the room, then run into the kitchen to wash my hands and open a window to get some fresh air. ‘What’s wrong?’ Ian would ask, thinking it was him. How could I tell him that I was scared stiff of newspapers? I can’t touch one, smell one, even see the print on the page without having a panic attack and bursting into tears. It started when I was 10. My dad playfully bashed Mum…

I remember going to my first slimming class with my mum... when I was just 9 years old! I was always the chubby one of three sisters, teased at school. I joined Scottish Slimmers in 2001, but my heart was never really in it. However, I did lose 3st for my wedding to George in 2008. But shortly after, I was diagnosed with MS. I started to comfort eat and regained the weight I lost, plus more besides. It was after my son Jack was born in 2010 that I decided I needed to address the problem. Seeing myself in the pictures at Jack’s christening, I was embarrassed about my size – almost 16½st and a size 22. I rejoined Scottish Slimmers in January 2011 with a new attitude. Eating…

You’d think it’s something you – not to mention the midwives – would notice immediately. But it was two months before I was given the news that changed everything. I was feeding my baby Xavier on New Year’s Eve in 2008, when the consultant rang. Terror pulsed through my veins as he said, ‘Your son has Down’s syndrome.’ I’m not proud of my reaction. I panicked it would render him – and me – an outcast. But, six years on, I can see that my fears were unwarranted. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have been a good mother without Xavier’s diagnosis, but I was jolted into parenthood in a way I had never imagined. I always thought I’d be married before having kids, like my parents. They’d been so close…

With my hand resting on my bump, I sang my heart out to the crowd. I might have been 20 weeks pregnant, but I was still the karaoke queen! As the track finished, I saw my partner Greg Logue stumbling through the pub – and clearly worse for wear. ‘Come on,’ I said. ‘Let’s walk home and sober you up.’ But outside he turned to me, eyes full of hatred. ‘Don’t tell me what to do,’ he snapped. I was taken aback. We’d been together seven months and Greg had never so much as raised his voice to me. ‘You’re pathetic,’ he slurred. Then, out of nowhere, he slammed his fist into my face. Sparks flashing in my eyes, I fell backwards into a hedge. Next, like a wild animal,…

Mummy!' my 4-year-old girl, Mikayla, shrieked, as I collected her from nursery. Then her teacher asked me for a chat. ‘I'm concerned about Mikayla's eyesight,' she said. ‘She's having difficulty reading.' Worried, my husband Ian and I took her to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. And after tests… ‘We've found a large mass brain tumour,' the consultant said, gently. In time, we discovered it was cancerous. It was so entwined in my girl's brain, docs could only remove 15 per cent. Devastating . But my brave girl took it in her stride, even when she had chemo. During her 18-month course, I gave birth to a baby boy, Luke. Mikayla doted on her little brother, cradling him and singing to him. Even pretended she was his mummy. ‘When…

Every woman who’s ever tried for a baby will know that the three minutes you have to wait for a pregnancy test to develop are torturous. So you might imagine someone in her mid-40s, having spent a financially crippling £30,000 on three cycles of IVF, would be delighted upon seeing a positive result. Yet as I stared at the pregnancy test that told me I was to become a mother, I didn’t feel jubilant – just horrified. And instead of excitedly ringing friends, I opened my laptop and Googled ‘earliest possible abortion’. That was nearly three years ago and today – single, childless and aged 48 – I can’t believe what I put my body through in trying to conceive a baby I now know with absolute certainty I do…

Sitting in the pub with my best mate, I could feel someone’s eyes on me. Turning, I spotted an attractive man playing pool. Brown hair, chocolate-brown eyes and stocky... Just my type. He smiled, then blew a kiss! ‘Bet I have a date with him,’ I joked to my mate. A single mum to three grown girls, I was enjoying single life. But having someone to share things with would have been nice. When the guy didn’t come to say hi though, I forgot about him. Until a few days later… Back at the pub with some mates, I was having a ciggie outside, when... ‘I’m Martin,’ he smiled. It was my mystery man! Martin Dark and I got chatting and we hit it off. ‘Fancy a date?’ he asked…

I shuffled down the street with my head down, but I still heard them… ‘Pudding pincher,’ a man said, as he and his girlfriend burst out laughing. So cruel. And although I’d heard these jibes since I was a kid, it never stopped hurting. Even as a 42-year-old married woman! I’d been a chunky child, but the weight piled on when I left home, as I chose my own meals. And when I learnt to bake, well it was game over! When I wed Roy in 1987, I was in a size-24 wedding dress. Neither of us cared a jot about my size. He was my first love. My second was cheese. And pastry! In fact, me and Roy both loved grub, my home baking especially. But he was a…

Waking up, I could already feel the pain and stiffness. Everything hurt. Using my rigid hands, I slowly eased each aching leg out of bed. I hobbled to the bathroom, ran my hands under the warm tap until they loosened up. You’d think I was 80, not 18! I’d had problems with my joints from a young age. My ankles were extremely weak and my joints often locked. Doctors had assumed it was growing pains. Only now, in December 2010, I was in my final year of school and in the process of auditioning for the Royal Academy of Music as an opera singer. Perhaps it was the stress and tiredness causing my problems? But days later, I struggled to dress myself. I couldn’t lift my shoulders up properly to…

Snuggled up on the settee watching Corrie, my mobile beeped. What's she done to her hair? read the text from my mum Carole Mudie, 68. If it wasn’t someone’s hair, it was the latest storyline or an outfit someone had on. Me and Mum were best pals. Dad had passed away six years earlier and I was an only child. We only had each other. Not that Mum was a moper. She loved going to bingo with her friend Rose. It paid for most of their girlie holidays. So a few weeks later, on 6 January 2013, when my phone buzzed, I knew who it was. Just won £100! she wrote. Hooray! I replied. But later that night, I woke to the phone ringing. ‘Your mum’s been attacked,’ Rose blurted.…

The music was pumping and a long queue of customers snaked down the street. It was 9pm on a Friday night and I was in my usual spot – standing in the doorway of the bar where I worked as a bouncer. You don’t see many girls in this line of work! Sometimes, customers even mistook me for a bloke. I couldn’t blame them. Well, I didn’t exactly look feminine in my bouncer’s uniform of black suit and slicked-back hair. But it was my size that really got people confused. At 6ft 2in and almost 29st, I was butch rather than beautiful. I certainly lived up to my nickname, ‘Big Al’. ‘You look like a bloke, you fat cow,’ one drunken charmer yelled as I bundled him out of the…