Innehållsförteckning för July 2021 från Chat Specials

Searching online for a new home, me and my partner Lalli Castiglione, 31, weren’t at the estate agents looking for a mansion. Being an architectural designer, it was in my nature to think outside of the box – or in this case, inside of the box. The way for us to find a home without having to get a mortgage while being able to move around as we pleased was to find one with wheels. ‘The weight limit for the roads is 7.5 tonnes,’ I said to Lalli. It was a Friday in February last year when we came across an old rusty 6ft by 6ft horsebox for £3,500 on Facebook marketplace. ‘Let’s get it!’ Lalli agreed. I can deliver it on Monday, the seller replied to our enquiry. There…

Stretching my back after waking up one morning in 2018, I didn’t understand what I’d done to it. ‘It feels so much worse today,’ I groaned to my fiancé, Carlos, 33. ‘Maybe you ought to get it checked,’ Carlos replied. ‘The GP said it sounded like sciatica. ‘But you should get some blood tests done, if you go to A&E you can get them done quicker,’ he said. I wasn’t too concerned but I did as he said. Waiting for the blood test results at A&E took a while, it was midnight when the nurse came to speak to me. ‘You can’t go home I’m afraid,’ she said. ‘Someone will come and talk to you.’ Waiting with Carlos we spotted the doctor who was pacing back and forth. The doctor…

A team of scientists from Austria, Finland and the Netherlands has found that eating what makes you feel happier? The answer to each clue (apart from the first) begins with the last letter of the preceding answer. The shaded squares spell out the answer. 1 Mary Poppins’ flying machine? (8) 2 Type of car which changes gear itself (9) 3 One of the types of cards in Monopoly (9,5) 4 Person who will help book your flights and accommodation (6,5) 5 Skin picture (6) 6 Large group of classical musicians (9) 7 Buenos Aires’ country (9) 8 Ocean between Africa and South America (8) 9 Where you might by an espresso or a skinny latte (6,4) 10 Sowing of a movie before general release (7) 11 Hand pushed garden truck (11)…

Sudoku To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each column and each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle, then read down the numbers in the highlighted squares for the answer. Answer: 8, 2, 1 Brick trick Which author is credited with coining the word ‘nerd’ meaning an intellectual obsessed with technology? To find out enter the answers to the clues in the grid. Every word is an anagram of its neighbours, plus or minus a letter. Read the shaded squares in number order for the answer. Your answer____________________________ 1 Demolish 2 Floor of a building 3 Wheel parts 4 Relax 5 Solidified 6 Cooking fat 7 Cook in fat 8 Military greeting 9 Throb Answer: DR SUESS…

Explore Britain's international lookalikes this summer! EXPERIENCE ITAIMBEWZINHO CANYON, BRAZIL… AT CHEDDAR GORGE, SOMERSET This canyon of greenery is situated in the heart of the scenic Somerset county. Just a little over six thousand miles from its Brazilian doppelganger, Cheddar Gorge hosts a unique variety of wildlife as well as adventurous walks and exhilarating cave tours. Cheddar Gorge is easily accessible by car and can make for an exciting day out or even a weekend staycation. A gorgeous alternative to the Aparados de Serra National Park in Itaimbezinho Canyon, Brazil. EXPERIENCE PROVENCE, FRANCE… AT HITCHIN LAVENDER, HERTFORDSHIRE Now for most of us, the Provence lavender fields in France are too far to travel to take Instagramworthy pictures. So, for those committed individuals who are looking to spice up their profile…

Throwing another ready meal into the microwave, I set the timer for two minutes and dashed upstairs to get my uniform off. After a long day working in an emergency services control room, I was ready to collapse into a heap on the sofa. Before I knew it… Ping! Dinner was ready and tonight’s grub was whatever ready meal I’d found in the fridge minutes before. And in truth, this had become a bit of a bad habit. Living on my own, I hadn’t been cooking proper meals for myself in years. With my job demanding so much of me, I was always picking up bites to eat here and there. Takeaways, ready meals - you name it, if it was quick and easy I’d eat it. But as the…

Strike it On your bingo card, cross out all the numbers that appear on the balls. Read the letters beside the remaining numbers on your card from left to right to spell out the answer. Your answer________________________ Answer: GODMOTHER(Cross out: 1, 14, 27, 34, 52, 77, 89) Word jumble Raisa Gorbachev, the wife of the former Russian leader Mikhail, once sent the British government a Russian recipe book including over five hundred different ways to cook what? Unscramble the six word pairs. Then read down the yellow squares for the answer. 1 PLACE PLUMBER (5,7) 2 POLL ARMY JOY (3,4-4) 3 TRUST ART CAD (7,4) 4 CARTEL TREAT (7,4) 5 STICK ODD PET (7,4) 6 ONE MUM REELING (5,8) Your answer ________________________ Answer: POTATO…

FILM AND TV 1 Who are the main presenting duo on ITV’s This Morning? a Ant and Decb Richard and Judyc Holly and Phillip 2 Which Marvel series came out in March 2021? a Lokib WandaVisionc Falcon and the Winter Soldier 3 How many contestants are on each team in University Challenge? a Threeb Fourc Five 4 Who is the alter ego of Scott Lang, as featured in the 2015 and 2018 Marvel films? a Ant-Manb Spidermanc Ironman 5 What is the name of the bear in Disney’s Jungle Book? a Baloob Chipc Winnie 6 Who plays Steve Arnott in BBC’s Line of Duty? a Adrian Dunbarb Craig Parkinsonc Martin Compston SPORT 7 Which footballer has scored the most goals in World Cup history? a Ronaldob Gerd Mullerc Miroslav Klose…

On our jollies My pals and I had the loveliest day together swimming in the sea and sunbathing. Lauren, Cardiff Time for a tipple There’s nothing better than a cool pint in the sun on a Saturday. Monica, Bristol Feeling free This hike up Pen Y Fan was amazing until I realised I’d left my car keys up there once we’d already got to the bottom of the mountain. Immy, Barry Blooming beautiful I cannot get over how gorgeous my dad’s Wisteria is – it smells as good as it looks, too. Julie, Warwick Made with love This was the first homemade apple cake I’ve tried, and it was incredible. Max, Seaford Garden treats You cannot beat homegrown tomatoes, they’re so much sweeter than shop-bought! Amy, Falmouth Rock on! Look…

When she was in Sixth Form at school, for what did BBC presenter and newsreader Fiona Bruce act as a model for? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the answer. ACROSS 11 Strong type of coffee (8) 12 Compact middle of a cabbage or lettuce (5) 13 Intense and often irrational fear (6) 14 Depend upon (4) 15 Small peach-like fruit (7) 16 Royal female, Charlotte Elizabeth Diana being the latest (8) 17 Indications displayed by a student driver (1,6) 18 Operating-theatre doctor (7) 19 Lupine animal (4) 21 Years in a golden wedding (5) 23 Nunnery (7) 24 ‘Sunshine’ state of America (7) 28 - - - The Engine, children’s story character (4) 29 Chest bone (3) 30…

Spanish music blared from the speakers as my husband Dale, then 36, walked over. It was July 2014 and we were in sunny Tenerife. I’d sent Dale to the bar to get me and our son Callum, then 10, a cold drink while we lounged by the hotel pool. But, almost in time to the music, Dale’s arms started to jerk. ‘Dad’s doing the Macarena!’ Callum laughed. ‘Oops!’ Dale grimaced, as he lurched towards us, our drinks spilling everywhere. ‘I can’t take you anywhere,’ I teased him. Poor Dale, he was so clumsy. We made a joke of it, but he was forever dropping things or tripping over on the stairs. Constantly coming back from his delivery-driver job covered head to toe in bruises. ‘Trust you,’ I’d sigh, fetching him…

Movie links Name the films in which these stars appeared together to link Ana De Arma with Lisa Kudrow. Answer: Ana De Armas - KNIVES OUT - Jamie Lee Curtis - FREAKY FRIDAY - Lindsay Lohan - THE PARENT TRAP - Elaine Hendrix - ROMY AND MICHELE’S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION - Lisa Kudrow Number jig A performance of John Cage’s Organ 2 (ASLSP - As Slow As Possible) is being performed at a church in Germany. It began in 2001, in what year will it finish? To find out, solve the puzzle… Fit these numbers into the grid, reading across and down. One number doesn’t fit. This is the answer. 3 DIGITS 173 221 329 407 462 544 642 760 891 895 947 970 4 DIGITS 2036 2125 2140 2214…

Quietly reaching into my bag of crisps while sitting down on the sofa, I glanced over to look at my parrot, Bud. Phew, I thought to myself as I noticed she was still napping with her head tucked into her feathers. It was impossible to sneak a snack in without Bud demanding a naughty nibble. One crunch of my cheese and onion Walkers later and she was flapping around squawking and giving me the eyes. In March last year my husband, Jason, 34, and I welcomed our feathered friend into the family. I work as an animal welfare manager at the RSPCA for the Mid-Norfolk and North-Suffolk branch, where I came across Bud. ‘I have to give her up,’ the woman said to me down the phone. She’d had her…

DAYDREAMING Inspired by your biggest dreams and sweet sunny days, the Day Dreamer collection from Elegant Touch oozes good vibes! Available for £6.50, from Superdrug. • Head in the Clouds – Fly high in the sky as this soft blue and pink ombre nail has a touch of white clouds • Sunset Strip – We’re thinking sunset vibes with this coral and pink gradient nail • Day Dreamin’ – A super cute baby blue and baby pink ombre short stiletto nail • Crazy for Daisies – Get daisy crazy with this style which includes a floral and a yellow accent nail TAN-TASTIC Solait Express Fake Tan, £5.99, Superdrug This Solait bronzing mousse is easy to apply and quickly absorbed. With a guide tint to give you a subtle instant colour,…

Sploshing around in the water, my grandson Noah, two, had always loved his bath time. It had been more fun than ever before since his new friend, Spencer, had been joining him. ‘My duck-duck,’ Noah squealed. Spencer the duck had joined our quackers family in January this year. Noah and his new feathered friend adore each other. Every weekend Noah gleefully wheels Spencer up and down the street we live on in a little, plastic, yellow shopping trolley. How we came to meet the fella was quite a shock. Down in our allotment, which is five minutes from our home, lives our Pony, Tinkerbell, and half a dozen ducks. One day, my daughter, Faith, 25 – who is Noah’s mum, had gone to feed the ducks just like any other…

PROPELLER ISLAND CITY LODGE, BERLIN This wacky hotel will leave you feeling out of sorts. The hotel offers 27 different surreal rooms as a celebration of eccentricity and artistic creativity. There’s an upside-down room that has furniture stuck to the ceiling, the flying bedroom which has a slanted floor with a floating bed, a room full of mirrors, a prison room and more. If you’re into vampire movies, you can even choose to sleep in a coffin for the night. Spooky! FREE SPIRIT SPHERES, CANADA The perfect place for hanging out – you literally dangle in a sphere mid-air. Amongst the towering trees in a private forest on Vancouver Island are these sci-fi looking pods. Although they look as though they’d be cramped, they’re cleverly designed on the inside and…

Swimming in the pool, I was having the summer holiday of a lifetime. It was 2011 and my family and I were on a one-week getaway in Egypt At 11-years-old, I was having the time of my life. The day before we were due to leave, I decided to go and get some food from the pool bar. Getting out of the water, I didn’t think anything of it – I’d done it plenty of times before on the trip. Only, this time, a wire tripped and I was electrocuted. The shock sent me flying six feet backwards into the air. Thankfully, I was deemed fit to fly home, but things were worse than they seemed. It turned out, I’d completely smashed up my femur and had extensive injuries. I’ve…

Walking out of Lidl chatting to my mum, Lynn, then 65, we caught up on each other’s weekend. It was the beginning of 2015 and Mondays were our mum and daughter day – the most special day of the week. ‘Let’s take a trip to IKEA later,’ I said, clutching Mum’s hand. ‘I need to buy a few bits.’ In her other hand, Mum was holding a bunch of beautiful flowers from the shop. As we passed an elderly lady, Mum stopped. ‘Will you please take these flowers in memory of my mum?’ Mum said to the lady. ‘I can’t buy my mum flowers, so now I need to buy someone else flowers,’ she explained. Feeling a little embarrassed, I smiled and watched. This wasn’t anything new – Mum had…

Rainforests are diverse, complex and are some of the Earth’s oldest living ecosystems – some of which have survived for around 70 million years. If you’ve ever wondered why they’re so important, here are a few reasons… How much do you know about rainforests? WHAT’S HIDING AMONGST THE TREES? If you’re an animal lover, then you should be a rainforest lover, too. There are all sorts of adorable and unusual creatures of all sizes hidden away amongst the lush green trees deep within the rainforests. Here are some of our favourite’s which live there… BROWN-THROATED THREE TOED SLOTH These lovable lumps are the laziest animals around. How could you not love their chilledout nature, adorable big brown eyes and snout? They move so slowly that their fur grows algae on…

Losing a child is an unthinkable nightmare for most parents, and it caused an outpouring of emotional sympathy from the followers of the American online blog: ‘Living Without Z: A Journey Through Grief.’ It was written by Stephanie Smith and described the tragic death of her four-year-old daughter Zadie Wren Cooper. My beautiful girl… I miss you terribly, Stephanie wrote in one post. Every time it ebbs and allows me a breath, I think ‘maybe this is it. Maybe this is when I feel better.’ But then the wave engulfs me again and I’m back in that bedroom pounding on your chest, willing you to live. Stephanie expressed her heartbreak through updates on her blog and her Instagram page, and her followers truly believed that the young mum was suffering…

SUITS YOU! Wearing the right swimsuit can do wonders for your confidence! Postlockdown, we might all be a little more shy than usual about stripping off (or maybe not!), but there are definitely style tips that can give your beachwear the ‘wow’ factor. Awardwinning stylist Susie Hasler (styledbysusie.co.uk) reveals how to pick the perfect bathing suit. Pears Pear-shaped women have narrow shoulders, broad hips and small waists. The key to balancing out a pear shape figure is to add detail and focus to the top half. This can be done with ruffled bikini tops, high neckline swimsuits and high-cut bottoms. Avoid ruffles and stripes on the bottom half, as well as low-rise bikini bottoms. TOP TIP Bardot styles are super flattering on shoulders! Rectangles The athletic rectangle shape is slender…

Growing up, I loved all things art From painting to music and theatre, I have always been a creative person Despite being a disabled person, I’ve never let it hold me back You see, I was born without any arms or legs, so I’ve had many obstacles to overcome. However, no matter what, I’ve always found a way. And it was as a child that I discovered the power of painting – with my mouth During my art lessons in school, I found a way to unleash my creative side Putting the paintbrush in my mouth, I got to work. I’d never known any different, so it was no more of a challenge. As the years passed, I dabbled a bit in painting, but I mostly focused on building a…

Spice things up Sometimes we find it tough to find the energy and motivation we need throughout our days. The Turmeric Co. say that Turmeric can change all this. Turmeric can help improve brain function and memory by increasing levels of the hormone NDNF in your brain. It has also been proven to improve your mood by helping against conditions such as depression, anxiety and fatigue. In addition to all of this, it also contains a powerful antioxidant that helps keep energy levels high. Soothing symptoms If you suffer from hay fever or allergy symptoms around the eyes – like itchy, red, watery, puffy or inflamed eyes then this could be for you. This unique mask has been designed with Hydrocool beads that have a calming and cooling effect and…

Chocolate is happiness that you can eat Could you imagine how fantastic it must have been to be the first to discover this sweet, addictive delight? Though it wasn’t neatly packaged in a shiny wrapper in perfect milky squares when it was first found. Back in around 250 AD the ancient Aztecs living in the Mesoamerican region, now known as South America, the cocoa seed was first cultivated. They believed it was a gift from the gods. A popular use for it was to make a chocolatey drink for the warriors to have after battle. Also, it was used during religious rituals and eventually the cocoa beans were used as currency – at a higher value than gold. MELT IN THE MOUTH TRUFFLES MAKES 20 These chocolate truffles are easy…

It’s British strawberry season! And Love Fresh Berries have some delicious recipes to inspire you to make the most of these sweet sensations. For more berry inspiration visit: lovefreshberries.co.uk Berries are bursting with flavour, antioxidants, nutrients and vitamins CHOCOLATE & PISTACHIO BERRY PAVLOVA SERVES 8 The undecorated pavlova can be made the day before, keep it loosely covered with non-stick baking paper or a clean tea cloth and then just decorate minutes before serving. YOU’LL NEED… • 4 medium egg whites• 225g (8oz) caster sugar• 40g (1½oz) pistachio nuts, very finely chopped TO FINISH • 100g (4oz) dark chocolate, broken into pieces• 300ml (½ pint) double cream• 550g (1¼lb) mixed strawberries, hulled, halved, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries HOW TO DO IT… 1. Preheat the oven to 140°C (120°C fan), Gas…

Our must tries this month!…

DON’T MISS IT! STABILO, best known for its eclectic range of pens and highlighters, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its iconic STABILO BOSS ORIGINAL highlighter, adored by stationery aficionados everywhere. To celebrate its half century milestone, all 23 colours of the STABILO BOSS ORIGINAL are now available to buy in a single epic desk set for £51.72. Including both neon and pastel variations, there is a colour to suit everyone and every task. Maintaining its iconic shape, the highlighters have been revitalised for the modern era thanks to its Anti-Dry-Out technology, which means he cap can be left off for up to four hours without drying out. STABLIO BOSS ORIGINAL highlighters are available on www.stabilo.com/uk/ WHAT A GREAT IDEA Life’s a picnic. Especially when you’ve got a wine to hand.…