Innehållsförteckning för AUTUMN SPECIAL 2019 från Chat Specials

Life can often be full of surprises, sometimes throwing us completely off track. But it’s those unexpected turns that keep our lives interesting – and sometimes even work out better than we ever expected. Being a parent comes with many unexpected turns, but when Emily (pg18) learned of her son’s devastating condition, she couldn’t see a way out. But over the years, little Oscar has defied the odds, and despite everything, he’s now a happy little boy. We also admire mum Kay (pg28). She always knew her little boy was special, but nothing could prepare her for what would come next. She was right about one thing, though – Hamish is exceptional. It’s always exciting when we move into a new home. But when Christy (pg58) and her husband settled…

Joy Turnbull, 40, Barrow-in-Furness. Watching the football with a drink in hand, I looked up at the handsome man standing next to me. ‘I’m glad I swiped,’ Chris, 41, shouted over the crowds, in September 2017. It was our first date and after chatting on Plenty Of Fish we instantly bonded over our love of football. Our first date at my beloved Barrow AFC was a no brainer. I proposed with a Haribo ring And as we stood in the crowds, screaming and cheering, it seemed like it was meant to be. I fell in love with him and so did my children, Royanna, 13, Reece, 11, Brody, six and Evie, three. In March 2018, I decided to take things one step further. Handing a Haribo ring to Chris, I…

Rachel Monaghan, 36. Looking at my school schedule and seeing the words PE flash up, I was filled with dread. I hated PE and couldn’t understand why anyone would enjoy exercise. ‘I don’t want to go,’ I’d say to my friends. But my fear of doing exercise was beginning to have an effect on my growing frame. By the time I was 12 I was already 14 stone and squeezing into an adult’s size 16 clothing. And my unhealthy diet was only making things worse. When I was little, I would turn my nose up at the plates full of veggies my mum, Gabrielle, had been busy making for me. ‘I’m not eating that,’ I’d say to her, totally disgusted. Mum gave up giving me healthy food My parents had…

Getting involved Q Since having our baby, my husband isn’t interested. He avoids holding our son whenever he can. He’s coming home from work later than ever. Why doesn’t he love his son like I do? Lydia, Merseyside A Bringing home a baby can be a daunting experience, and we all handle it differently. It can be particularly hard for dads, as they haven’t had nine months to adjust while carrying a new life inside them. Your husband may be feeling afraid, unsure, left out or under pressure to provide for his family. The only way to find out is to talk to him about it, ideally at a time when you aren’t trying to care for the baby. It is common for a couple’s relationship to feel under pressure…

Ann Anderson, 77, Surrey Standing at the front door, my beloved Yorkie Albert waited for the postwoman. Ever since I got him, he’d been obsessed with letters. Gas bills, birthday cards – they all ended up like confetti. So as soon as he started yapping, I knew the postwoman had arrived. ‘Sorry, he just wants the letter,’ I called out through the door. ‘Just leave the mail on the step.’ She happily obliged and fled the scene. Although Albert was overly hyper when it came to letters, I didn’t care. He was my soulmate. I’d got him back in 2015 from my daughter Donna, 53. He was a tiny caramel coloured ball of fur, and after my husband George passed away, Albert was great company. Then, one morning when I…

He lured women into his car, murdered them, then threw their bodies away like they were rubbish One cold morning on 4 March 2014, a pair of bare feet sticking out of a conveyor belt caught the eye of workers at Anaheim Waste Depot in California. Upon digging a bit deeper, they realised they weren’t looking at a mannequin, as they had originally suspected, but the dead body of a young female named Jarrae Estepp, 21. This discovery was the first major break in a case that eventually explained the fate of five missing women. And time was running out for one twisted killer... Born in 1969, Steven Gordon grew up in Norwalk and met his future wife, Lanai Lewis, working at Disneyland. In 1992, his sister accused Gordon of…

Mary Davis-Doyle, 29, Newport He was tall with sharp features and dark hair. ‘This is Mark,’ my mum said, as a stranger made his way into our home, behind her. ‘Alright,’ he grunted, barely glancing over in my direction. I wasn’t interested in another of mum’s boyfriends and headed to my bedroom to keep out of their way. She’d had a string of men visit the house and I couldn’t keep up with who was coming and going. But unlike the others Mark hung around and it wasn’t long before he’d moved in with us in Blackwood, South Wales. While Mum was laid back, Mark was strict and snappy. I felt like I was treading on eggshells around him and tried my best to keep out of his way as…

Cruise the waters Your pass also includes a free Thames River Cruise, provided by City Cruises, so you can experience the beauty of London from the water. There are four piers across the route, including Westminster Pier, Tower Pier, London Eye Pier and Greenwich Pier. Your 24 and 48 hour pass takes you from Westminster Pier by Big Ben right up to Tower Pier by the Tower of London, and with a 48 and 72 hour pass, you can extend your route all the way to Greenwich. Walk the streets Your 24, 48 or 72 hour bus ticket also includes three 90-minute complimentary walking tours! A guide will accompany you and share fascinating tales of the city. The tours run at certain times, so check the website for details before…

Opening the front door to her mother’s house in Clearwater, Florida, Melissa Dohme’s new boyfriend Robert Burton was standing there with a fresh bouquet of flowers. She was 18-years-old and had met Robert in school. To begin with, Robert was the most charming young man and would frequently turn up with flowers and chocolates. The couple did everything together, and soon, they were madly in love. But Robert had a difficult home-life. She wanted to leave, but couldn’t For most of his childhood, he was passed between his mother and grandmother, depending on who had more tolerance for him. Then, when his mother remarried and had more children, he became the family outcast. Kind Melissa just wanted him to be loved and accepted, so he spent most of his time…

Shelley Sheppard, 45, Nottinghamshire Twirling in front of the mirror, I was grinning from ear to ear. ‘You look fantastic, Mum,’ my daughter Chloe, 24, said proudly, commenting on my recent weight loss. ‘How much have you lost? You look like a new woman!’ It was true – I looked and felt like a much better version of the ‘old’ Shelley, and had lost over 6st. As a mum of five wonderful girls – Alesha, 25, Chloe, 24, Keira, 21, Kaylea, 18, and Shannon, 16 – they’d helped me buy lots of new outfits so I could show off my new svelte figure. But I kept feeling dizzy, and thought maybe I should stop trying to push myself too hard at the gym. ‘Thanks love, I do feel so much…

Screen time I often lie in bed scrolling on my phone and it takes me ages to go to sleep. Could it be affecting the quality of my sleep? Vicky, Yorkshire When you’re constantly on your devices, providing your brain with external stimuli, you’re not getting any ‘mental downtime’. These days, we are lacking a mental ‘switch-off’ point for our bodies and minds to relax, restore and prepare for sleep. Your phone shouldn’t be the last thing that you look at before you go to sleep and it shouldn't be the first thing you look at when you wake up in the morning. Try and avoid using your phone before bed if you can as it will help teach you not to rely on it so much as part of…

Catherine Furness, 44, Leeds Slipping out of my shoes and into my slippers, I breathed a sigh of relief. Home, sweet home, I thought. It was February 2019 and it was lovely to get back from my supermarket job and get cosy. I'll play a quick game of bingo, I thought, settling down on the sofa. I usually played online once a week or so, but I’d just been too busy recently. I only had one number to go Opening the app on my phone, I deposited some money in my account. I spent £1.80 on 10 tickets on a Superlinks game in the Diamond room, a 90-ball game like the ones I used to play in bingo halls with my sister, when we were younger Every Friday, we’d dress…

Ebony Stevenson, 18, Oldham, Greater Manchester. Celebrating my 18th birthday, I was having the best time out clubbing with my friends. Raising our drinks together, we all clinked our glasses of prosecco. ‘Happy birthday, Ebony,’ they all screamed at me. We had a great night, dancing and drinking until the early hours. Usually a night out didn’t affect me the next day. I was one of the lucky ones that didn’t get a hangover. But in the days after my big celebrations, I started to feel extremely unwell. I prided myself on being fit and healthy and studied sports physiotherapy at college. But after the night out, I had a splitting headache. ‘I’m going to bed to sleep it off,’ I told my mum, Sheree. I felt awful and two…

A British farm has become the first in the world to offer pig pilates classes. Staff at Pennywell Farm in Devon offer classes where people can do Pilates – while holding or surrounded by a field full of pigs. They say touching animals releases hormones inducing phenyl ethylamine - which can have the same pleasurable effect on the brain as chocolate. Pilates teacher Harry Parkes will be leading the sessions - designed to help people relax and be at one with nature. He said: ‘While there is plenty of fun to be had, Pilates has many benefits including improving posture, movement quality, mobility, flexibility, mental cognition and core strength. ‘The advantages of interaction with animals of any kind are widely known and touching animals releases many hormones such as phenyl…

Gayle Evans, 50, Stourport-on-Severn As we headed for the next stop of our trip, I couldn’t wait for 11 blissful nights of pure relaxation. After a short stay in Havana, Cuba, we were heading to the Brisas del Caribe, an all-inclusive four-star resort in the town of Varadero. It was a once-in-a-lifetime trip to celebrate my 50th birthday, and I’d come away with my husband Steve, our 12-year-old daughter Gabby, and my kids, Ayla, 19, Jaz, 23, and Jaz’s girlfriend Laura, also 23. I burst into tears We’d planned the trip for months, forking out nearly £10,000 on flights and the two hotels, booking it all through the travel agecny The Holiday Place. But as we pulled our suitcases along, a thunderstorm was looming overhead. ‘It’s a shame about the…

Writing a CV Writing a CV can be very daunting, but it’s important you make sure all the key information is included and it’s easy to find. These are The Finance People’s top tips for writing a CV… What not to include Don’t include a photo, your date of birth, your address or your religion. Employers can make judgements based on your profile, age and location Social media Create a LinkedIn profile and include this in your CV. Employers can find out more about your professional life. Unless it’s relevant to the industry, don’t include any personal social media handles. Suit your CV to the job Change your CV every time you apply for a new job. If you can match the words to the job specification, it shows that…

Kay Robinson, 48, Bolton Holding my tiny newborn in the palm of my hand, I gently splashed his neck and chest with water. ‘Bath time, littl’un’ I said to Hamish, smiling. I’d only just been allowed to take my baby son home from hospital, a month after he’d been born five weeks premature. Still only weighing 3lb 3oz, he could fit into my hand. But doctors said he was healthy, and he’d soon catch up. I was overjoyed with my beautiful boy. I’d been a career woman for most of my 20s and 30s, working as an English lecturer, and when I fell pregnant at 38, after a short romance with Hamish’s father, I couldn’t have been happier. And from the moment he was born in May 2008, so vulnerable…

Erica Maggs, 47, Fareham Sitting in the airport departures lounge, I excitedly flicked through the brochure for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida. ‘I’m so excited to see Hogwarts!’ I beamed, giving it to my husband, Haydn. ‘You’re such a Harry Potter fan, I’ll be walking round with a right geek,’ he teased, winking at our daughter Molly*, 10. I couldn’t get it over my stomach We’d been planning to take Molly to Disney World and Universal Studios for years, and finally the day was here. They called for our flight, and we made our way through the airport terminal, rushing a little to keep up with the crowd. I started to feel warm and slightly out of breath. ‘You alright love?’ Haydn called as he strode on…

PLOUGHMAN’S CHEESE & PICKLE TART SERVES 6 YOU’LL NEED... • 1 sheet of shortcrust pastry • 1 tsp paprika • 4 free-eggs, beaten • 1/2 cup of milk • 1 cup of Branston pickle • 250g mature Cheddar, grated • 2 tsp dried thyme HOW TO DO IT… 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a tart tin and line with pastry, trimming off any excess. 2. Prick the base of the pastry with a fork. Line with some baking parchment and fill with dried beans, then bake for 15 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, mix the eggs, milk and paprika. Spread the tart base with pickle, sprinkle over half the grated cheese, pour over the egg mixture, top with the remainder of the cheese and top with dried thyme. 4. Place…

Good for the gut! New research has suggested that red wine could have positive benefits for our gut. The study by scientists at King’s College London found that wine can increase the number of helpful bacteria in the gut, with a glass a fortnight said to be enough to make a difference. The benefits are from polyphenols – compounds that white wine, beer and cider have much less of. However, researchers reiterated that the findings were not an excuse to binge. They instead advised to enjoy a glass of red wine in moderation. Menopause manual With a recent survey suggesting that one in four women experience severe symptoms of the menopause that detrimentally affect their family, home and work life, this menopause manual offers support and advice on how to…

START YOUNG TO LOOK YOUNG If there’s one thing that is always on our beauty minds, it’s ageing. It’s something we all want to avoid and many of us start using anti-ageing products as early as possible. So, to help you on your mission to reduce the signs of ageing, cruelty free make up artist Viorela Coman is here with her top tips. www.viorelacoman.com 1 Sunlight is the number one cause of skin ageing, so apply a minimum of SPF 30 all year round to prevent premature fine lines and pigmentation. Remember, UV’s can break through the clouds. B. PROTECTED ANTI-POLLUTION SHIELDING PRIMER SPF30, £12.99, SUPERDRUG 2 Create a beauty routine that your skin loves and desperately needs: cleanse, tone and moisturise before applying your makeup each day. Do the…

FILM AND TV 1 Who voices Simba in the 2019 live action version of The Lion King? a Morgan Freeman b Will Smith c Donald Glover 2 What year did actress Kara Tointon leave EastEnders? a 2009 b 1999 c 2019 3 Who plays Prince Phillip in season one and two of The Crown? a Matt Smith b Leonardo DiCaprio c Michael Fassbender 4 Which Marvel character have Disney recently axed? a Rocket b Thor c Spiderman 5 Which Harry Potter star will appear in the 2019 version of Little Women? a Emma Watson b Bonnie Wright c Evanna Lynch 6 Which film starts with; I had the craziest dream last night. I was dancing the White Swan? a The Swan Princess b Swan Lake c The Black Swan 7…

NOT SO INNOCENT POOH TUSZYN, POLAND In 2014, whilst discussing which cuddly friend should be the face of a new playground, councilors for the small town of Tuszyn decided that Winnie the Pooh was far too inappropriate. The much-loved animated bear was even described as a ‘hermaphrodite,’ in the meeting, for his lacking wardrobe and unknown sexuality. Since that meeting, all Pooh bear memorabilia has been banned in the town. Whilst it’s unknown what would happen if an eight-year-old turned up to school with a Winnie the Pooh lunchbox or backpack, it’s clear from the council’s meeting, that it would not go down well! Who knew Winnie the Pooh could be so sinister? Sorry kids! A NOT SO HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERYWHERE We all know that humiliating feeling when a waiter…

LET THE FUN BE-GIN! Raise a glass to everyone’s favourite mythical creature with this magical new gin. From the independent Manchester distillery, Zymurgorium, that brought us the Parma violet gin, the latest gin-based liqueur adds a touch of shimmer to your G&T. Bursting with marshmallow, vanilla and marzipan flavours, just add ice, lemonade and fresh raspberries for a cocktail with a twist. Zymurgorium Unicorn Gin based Liqueur, £20, Amazon. WORLD VEGAN MONTH With November marking World Vegan Month, plant-based eaters across the globe are coming together to celebrate their cruelty free lifestyle and encourage others to give veganism a try. If completely overhauling your diet isn’t for you, then ease yourself in gently by giving these vegan and free-from chocolate bars a go. NOMO is available in four delicious flavours:…