Innehållsförteckning för October Special 2017 från Chat Specials

Our families shape our lives in so many unexpected ways. Kiran (pg34) was abandoned in a phone box when she was just hours old, but she feels blessed because it set her on a path to gaining three families instead of one. When Jane’s family opened their hearts to a new family member, his shocking betrayal would cause irreparable damage (pg36) . Finding the strength to overcome life’s challenges is something Bianca (pg49) knows more about than most, as living with her scars is a constant battle. Linzi’s problems started at a young age too – no one can explain why her teeth started to fall out when she was just a teenager (pg31) . Everyone has a vision for their perfect wedding day and we love something a little…

I woke up on a filthy mattress I escaped but the attack haunted me My little brother Ryan, then 15, plodded behind me. ‘Come on slow coach!’ I teased him. It was 2004 and I was 17. We were walking back home. I had a few mates coming around that night and I wanted to have a shower and a quick tidy up. ‘I’m coming,’ he pretended to grumble, flashing a grin. About five minutes from home, I saw a neighbour I recognised from the area. He shot me a smile. ‘I’m Abdalla Ali Hemed, nice to meet you properly,’ he said. We both shook his hand. He was really friendly, which made a nice change for our area. ‘Would you guys like to come for a drink at mine?’…

I was dizzy with fear as she went to theatre My phone trilled, and the name of my daughter Megan’s friend flashed up on the screen. Call it a mother’s instinct, but panic shot straight through me. Something’s wrong, I thought. It was 7.10pm on 29 January, and Megan, 15, had gone out with her mates only half an hour earlier. ‘Please, can you answer it?’ I asked my mum Linda, 60, my voice shaking with fear. Mum’s face went pale as she spoke to Megan’s friend. Then… ‘Megan’s been hit by a car,’ she told me, panicking. 'We have to get to the hospital. Now!' My stomach churned and my blood ran cold. Leaving my dad Graham, 67, looking after my younger girls, Abigail, 12, and Katie, 11, Mum…

He pulled out all the stops I was on a night out with my girlfriends when a fair-haired man sidled up to me at the bar. ‘You’re stunning,’ he smiled. ‘Can I buy you a drink?’ Over 6ft tall and with bulging muscles, there was no denying Leighton Walker was very attractive. It was October 2014, and I’d seen him around town. But this was the first time we’d chatted. ‘You’re a real heartbreaker,’ he told me. What a charmer! Polite, with a gorgeous smile, he was persuasive, too. And so I started seeing more of him. And, boy, did he pull out all the stops?! He sent flowers to my work, and showered me with jewellery, chocolates and clothes. After about a month, I’d moved into the three-bed semi…

Mostly A: Friends As the song goes, you’ll always be there for your friends, like you’ve been there before. You’re easy-going, sociable, you love having a good time with your mates, and no matter what, you are there for one another through all their ups and downs - friends for life. Mostly B: The Royle Family You come from a typical family – you may all argue and bicker most of the time, but at the end of the day, you really do love each other. You’re easy-going, and you’d be much happier snuggling up on the sofa in front the telly than going out – so long as all the family is together. Mostly C: Sex and the City You live for the latest fashion trends – whether it’s…

I pored over the details of my past As I was growing up, Mum and Dad were loving. I never wanted for anything. They were even foster carers too. But the older I got, the more I became convinced that, biologically, I wasn’t theirs. I looked nothing like them, and they were quite elderly compared to my friends’ parents. When I was 10, my mum, Gulfin, admitted I was adopted and my dad, Abdul, then 65, called Social Services so someone could visit and explain more about where I came from. ‘You can’t read your file until you’re 18,’ I was told. ‘But you were found in a phone box in East London.’ I was abandoned when I was just a few hours old. At 18, Dad helped me get…

Dreams Come True is a national children’s charity serving the whole of the UK. Their mission is simply to make dreams come true for children suffering from serious and life-limiting conditions. Over the last 29 years, they have brought happiness and joy to more than five thousand children as well as their families and carers. Their vision is that every child or young person with a serious or life-limiting condition should have the opportunity to fulfil a dream. For more information, visit www.dreamscometrue.uk.com…

WEEK FOR CHOCOLATE Get ready to celebrate Chocolate Week, when fine flavours and delicious delicacies come together to tempt your taste buds. From 10 to 16 October, choose from hundreds of events across the country where you can meet top chocolatiers and taste the finest chocolate. Finish off the week at the Chocolate Show at London’s Olympia National Hall which will see the very best of the chocolate industry together under one roof. Visit www.chocolateweek.co.uk A brief history Over 4000 years ago, ancient Aztec tribes revered cocoa beans, believing that they came from paradise. They soon discovered they could make the beans taste better by roasting them, grinding them into a paste and dissolving them in water – the first drinking chocolate. In the 1500s, Spanish conqueror Hernando Cortez visited…

Strangers made cruel comments I took a deep breath, raised my hand to cover the side of my chin, and braced myself. Anything to limit the horrified gasps and hushed whispers from strangers disgusted by my appearance. See, my jaw, ears, chest and back are littered with unsightly keloid scars. I tried to cover up as much as possible, but as I was working as a spa therapist, I had to wear my hair up. It started when I developed acne, aged 11. Prescribed medication, it helped, and by 13, the spots were beginning to die down. ‘Thank God!’ I’d grinned to my mum Nicola, 43. But as the acne faded, scars began to take their place. They felt hard and rubbery. When the smooth, hairless marks kept coming, my…

Partners in crime Smokey and Pepper are best mates and always stick together. We got them at the same time when they were kittens, and they have never been apart since! Melanie, Fishguard Feline fitness Our cat Harrison in his favourite spot – the weight lifting bench. Needless to say, he never actually does any exercise! Lauren, Kent Pampered pooch My dog Bailey loves nothing better than to relax with his favourite blanket after a day of pampering at the spa. Emma, Cheltenham Scaredy cat We only just got our cat, Jasmine, a few weeks ago, so she is still very shy, but we love her and think she is so pretty. Beth, Northampton…

Denzil thought I'd run a mile I've always had a thing for bald men, so I went into Denzil Morgan’s dating profile and started reading… 'There are two sides to me. Hopefully, if you like them both, we will have fun together…' I’d been single for over a year following a 21-year marriage, and my eldest daughter had encouraged me to be brave and give online dating a go. So I contacted Denzil and, over the next 10 days, we messaged each other constantly. 'I want a proper relationship,' I admitted. Denzil felt the same. He revealed he had had one long, 18-year relationship and some shorter ones, but that he had never been married. Childless, he owned a house and worked as a train driver. I told him about…

BUTTER ‘EM UP! A long-standing tradition in Canada is the practice of birthday nose-greasing. This well-planned, coordinated attack on the birthday boy or girl sees family members pinning them to the ground and smearing butter on their nose. Tradition states that the butter is to make the person too slippery for bad luck or negativity to get hold of them in the coming year. SWEEP FOR A KISS In certain parts of Germany, a long-standing tradition states that single men upon turning 30 are required to go out and sweep the front steps of the town hall or local church, presumably to show off how good they are at keeping a house clean and tidy. Who could resist such a man? The tradition also dictates that they are not allowed…

Swap shop I was having a few friends round for dinner, but as always, I’d left it all to the last minute. I did an online supermarket shop that would arrive two hours before they were due. But when it turned up, they’d replaced lots of the important ingredients with alternatives! It was too late to do anything about it, so I had to cook with what I had. My banana crumble and chicken with frozen vegetables was understandably, not a huge hit! Clara, Derby You’re fi red When I was at university, I got myself a job at a café. Turns out I was the world’s worst waitress. As well as always being hungover, I spilt food into people’s laps, ruined cakes with my awful cutting, and I broke…

Just like Ant and Dec we’re a perfect match In shock, we forgot to ask for a photo Make plans on a Saturday night? Nah! For me, when the weekend arrives, it’s about what’s on telly! Especially when Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway is on. My fella Don, 38 and I love the Geordie japes. When the show returned last February, Don read online that the show’s famous ‘Supercomputer’ was heading to Edinburgh. It travels the UK each week and gives lucky viewers prizes, in exchange for them performing a talent – aka making fools of themselves! Don loves the limelight, so when he told me, I was excited. ‘Let’s go!’ I agreed. So on 22 February last year, Don donned a kilt and sporran to wow the crowd,…

CHEESY COTTAGE PIE SERVES 4-6 YOU’LL NEED… 1 tbsp of olive oil 1 chopped onion 500g of minced beef 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 beef stock cube 3 tbsp of tomato puree 1 can of diced tomatoes 3 tbsp of mixed dried herbs, keeping some to top 1 tbsp of Worcester sauce 3 medium potatoes, thinly sliced 4 handfuls of mozzarella cheese HOW TO DO IT… 1. Preheat the oven to 180C degrees. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and garlic, stir until the onions soften. Add the minced beef and stock cube, stir until the meat starts to brown. 2. Add the Worcester sauce, dried herbs, chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Using a mandolin or…

My mouth flooded with blood and pus For most, losing your teeth is something you expect in old age, not your teens! My nightmare started in 2012, aged 14, with a bad toothache in my four back teeth. ‘It’s so painful!’ I cried to my mum Joanne, 46. ‘Maybe your wisdom teeth are coming through,’ she suggested. Unfortunately, it was way worse. The dentist explained my nerves were touching my roots, so she removed my lower-left back tooth and three nerves. I’d never even had a filling until then! But the relief was short-lived, as the pain returned in July 2013. Waking in agony one morning, the left side of my face had ballooned. I ran to my mum in tears. The dentist suspected an infection. But as soon as…

We all appreciated his help My sister Karen was beaming from ear to ear. 'This is Paul, my new boyfriend,' she said. ‘Nice to meet you,’ Paul smiled. It was 1997, and Karen, then 19, was like the cat who’d got the cream as she showed off her new man to me and Mum, Ann, then 54. Paul Brown, a decorator, was charming and very polite. They’d met through some friends, and he seemed to think the world of Karen. She was living at home with Mum and my dad, Gordon. Hitting it off, Paul quickly moved in, too. Mum welcomed him – family was all that mattered to her, and he soon became a part of ours. Not long after, Paul stopped working due to health problems, but helped…

We never got to go to his birthday lunch My son Jack looked at me, a cheeky glint in his eyes ‘Tally-ho, Rodders!’ he laughed across the kitchen. ‘I’ll get the juice.’ Next thing, he and I were in stitches together. Me and Jack, 21, had the same sense of humour. We were constantly spouting lines from Only Fools and Horses, always bantering away. Call me biased, but my son was gorgeous, with a great character to match. Although he lived about 30 miles away from me in Crawley, we saw each other all the time, and we were always phoning and texting each other. He had been hoping for a . promotion to Senior Sales Advisor in a mobile phone shop, and he’d been with his girlfriend Charlotte, 18,…

Double Take Q I’ve found a lump in my breast which the doctor says is just a harmless cyst, but I’m paranoid. At what point should I go back to the GP? Mary, Dorchester A It’s good to hear that you are breast aware. If you have an unusual breast change, even if you’ve seen your GP already, don’t be afraid to go back to get it checked again if things haven’t got better. As it’s a lump that you can still feel, your GP will probably want to send you to your local breast clinic to be seen and assessed. Beat The Nerves Q I’m due to have my first mammogram and I feel so nervous. What can I expect? Jean, Margate A Most people feel nervous when they…

Q My teenage daughter has asthma. She wants to look after her medicines herself, but forgets to use them. What can I do to help her? A Teenagers try to test the boundaries. She’s moving from you managing her health, to managing it herself, so you need to make sure she knows exactly what she’s doing. Take her for a Medicines Use Review at her local pharmacy. The pharmacist will talk with her about her medication and how she uses it. They’ll make sure that she is clear about what she should do if her breathing starts to get worse and you are not there to help. Giving her this foundation to build on will help her find out how she can manage her asthma so that it doesn’t impacct…

Aries 21 Mar - 20 April The 5th delivers excitement and attention, however October is predominantly about partnership, and working together efficiently. This should prove easy - bar the 19th, which presents resistance and rebellious notions. Focus on positive futures for your pairings around this date. You’ll soon be leaning into trust, bonding evermore closely in key relationships. Taurus 21 April - 21 May Your sex appeal is going to be sky-high as you enter October; expression will come easily, so embrace your private moments with a special suitor. You are heading into a growth cycle for partnership, and over the next year you will learn the true essence of joining forces. Meanwhile, you can now add the final touches to that important project that’s been keeping you busy lately.…

Our love of burgers made us a perfect match As first dates go, it’d been pretty knackering. Train to London, walk along the Thames and a trip to the London Eye. So when we passed a McDonald’s on the way home, we didn’t hesitate to pop in for a sit-down. ‘I love a Big Mac,’ I said to Joseph, 34. ‘Me too,’ he grinned. We’d met a couple of weeks earlier at a mutual friend’s birthday party and I’d liked Joseph instantly. Funny, good-looking, with a cheeky smile… And he loved a Big Mac as much as me. I’ve loved them since I was a kid. I was always collecting the Happy Meal toys as a child. My all-time favourite was a Big Mac with extra burger and extra pickles.…

GOING FOR GOLD Sparkle Sequin Cushion, £19.99, Very Add some stunning sparkle to your bed or sofa with this stylish cushion. With a gorgeous shade of gold, it will flaunt its shimmering velvet effect, enhanced with a sequin embellishment. Perfect for those who want a bit of glamour in their lives. Gold Hand Jewellery Holders, £3, Flying Tiger Stores Keep your jewellery in the palm of your hand and jazz up your dressing table with these snazzy jewellery holders. Designed with chic ‘peace out’ and ‘OK’ gestures, these hands help to create an elegant but functional look in any room. Gold Metallic Wine Glasses (set of 4), £24, Next Add a touch of class to your next dinner party with these beautiful wine glasses. The warm gold colour is sure…

I couldn’t bear to look at Jordan in the eyes, but at the same time I wanted to grab him and ask him why, why, why? He was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life with a minimum of 23 years. He’d spend his life on license. But justice felt hollow. We were no closer to understanding why he’d done it. In court, it was suggested Laura had dumped Jordan that day and he’d taken the rejection badly. We also heard that he had come from a broken home and had been bullied at school. But does that explain why he attacked her, or why he’d stabbed her not once, but 83 times? Then three months after he’d been sentenced, that letter - Jordan offering to help me understand…

Lucy copes by collecting pennies Being told my husband Nik, 54, had terminal bowel cancer was devastating. But breaking the news to our daughters – Zoe, 15, Lucy, nine, and Nicole, five – was even harder. Although surgery and chemotherapy held the disease at bay, Nik’s health began to deteriorate. After making the difficult decision not to have more chemo, he sat the girls down. ‘I’m going to be a star in Heaven,’ he said, giving them each a necklace with a star pendant to remind them of him. We decided Nik would go into the Florence Nightingale Hospice when he became really poorly. To make it a little less frightening for the girls, we took them to visit it. ‘What’s that chart on the wall?’ Lucy asked a nurse.…

It was time to take Mum up on her offer My mum, Megan, 48, popped her head around my bedroom door. ‘I’ve booked an appointment for you to see the doctor,’ she said. ‘OK, whatever,’ I groaned, a typical moody 14 year old. I wasn’t developing like ‘other girls’ my age, and Mum was worried that I hadn’t shown any signs of starting puberty. So she decided it was time to check everything was okay. ‘You have Mayer Rokitansky Küster Hauser Syndrome (RKHS),’ the doctor said over the desk, as I held my mum’s hand. ‘Mayer Roki – what?’ Mum asked. Looking at us sympathetically, she said: ‘It’s a rare reproductive condition where the uterus and cervix don’t fully develop. I’m sorry, but Maddie will never be able to carry…

Striped Knitted Slippers, £4, Tiger Stores Embrace the cold weather and keep your feet nice and cosy this autumn with these cute easy-to-slip-on slippers. Herringbone Throw Duck Egg 127x152, £8, Wilko Get some added comfort into your home with this super-soft throw in elegant duck-egg colour. You’ll find any excuse to snuggle up under it. Fig Leaf & Elderberry Boxed Candle, £5, Sainsbury’s Home Invite some lovely autumn smells into your home this season – sit back and relax while enjoying these warm fragrances. Fox Mug, £12, Laura Ashley Snuggle up with a lovely hot drink served in this sweet mug – a cute essential for any kitchen this autumn. Remember these are YOUR tips - we haven’ t tried them ourselves…

I knew we'd marry by date three Sat on the sofa with a cup of tea in hand and my laptop on my knees, I scrolled through pages of wedding gowns. Nothing was grabbing me. 'I'm never going to find one,' I sighed, frustrated. But tipping the scales at almost 20st and struggling to squeeze into a size 24, there was no chance I'd have the confidence to walk into a bridal boutique and try dresses on. I was too embarrassed of my size and worried I'd rip one or worse, get stuck in the changing room. 'I doubt they'd even have any to fit me,' I thought, whenever I passed a wedding shop. I couldn't help but gaze at the window displays, but I knew that I could only…

It was typical of Mia to think of others As my daughter strapped on her ice skates and glided across the ice with a big grin across her face, my eyes filled with tears of happiness. When Mia was born, I never thought I would see her walk, but now at 10, she was skating with ease and playing ice hockey. At just 18 months old, Mia was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. I knew something wasn’t quite right as soon as she was born, and after several tests, a doctor came back with the news. ‘There was a lot of fluid on the left side of Mia’s brain,’ he explained. ‘It means she has congenital hemiplegia, a form of cerebral palsy.’And then the worst news: ‘It’s unlikely that she will…

Q I’m a teacher, and am thinking about ideas for school trips. We’ll have a group of KS1 kids, and want to try something new, can you help? Kathy, Derbyshire A School trips are always exciting, and something that you want to make memorable! Conkers is in the heart of the National Forest, and is perfect for school trips. For KS1, they have a choice of activities, including bug hunting, teddy bear’s grand adventure, a map trail and even a multi-sensory barefoot walk! Plus, when they head up to KS2, there are even more adventures to explore! Q I’ve heard about farms where kids can bottle feed calves, and it sounds like something my little one would love! Can you tell me where our nearest is? Linda, Norfolk A Farms…

Healthy gut, happy mind With summer winding down to a close, many of us get the post-holiday blues. Optimising your gut bacteria may help to boost your mood. By taking care of what is known as the ‘gut-brain axis’ – the link between the gut and the brain – we can prolong that summer feeling. Bacteria in the gut produce serotonin, the ‘happy hormone’. Taking a probiotic or eating yoghurt regularly maintains a healthy balance of bacteria and will have you feeling summer fresh again. Boost for the brain As we head back to school and work this month, it’s important to take care of our brains and give them a boost for the year ahead. Memoraid memory and energy supplement (£19.99, Boots) works to maintain the four pillars of…