Innehållsförteckning för September 2021 från Chat Specials

Scrolling through Facebook, I spotted photos of a friend holding her newborn baby. ‘That’ll be us soon,’ I whispered softly. I couldn’t wait to be a mother It was February 2020, and I’d just found out I was six weeks pregnant. It felt like a miracle. The doctors had always said I would struggle to conceive due to my polycystic ovary syndrome syndrome. Yet here I was, having my first baby with my boyfriend Nathan Lowerson, then 24. We’d only been together for a few months, but we both wanted this more than anything in the world. We were both so excited to be parents. However, the following week, as I sat on the loo, I noticed something wasn’t right. ‘I’m bleeding!’ I yelped. Nathan rushed me straight to Royal…

You may have heard of a babycino, but what about a puppuccino? Well, an adorable French Bulldog got his first ever try! Dubbed the ‘cutest thing ever’, the tiny pup was left wide-eyed and covered in whipped cream. Andrew Lovos, 20, and his parter Johana Alvarez, went on a drive to Starbucks in LA, California, and seized the opportunity to buy 11-week-old Yoda his first ever sweet treat. But he couldn’t stop laughing at his pup’s unexpected reaction as photos show him starring into the cup before going ‘crazy’ and tucking in, getting whipped cream all over his muzzle. Andrew said; ‘We thought it was the funniest and cutest thing ever. We couldn’t stop laughing. ‘It was very unexpected as we thought he was going for a regular lick, but…

ACROSS 11 Early evening as it gets dark (8) 12 Number (5) 13 Longest river in South America (6) 14 Heavenly body (4) 15 Rower (7) 16 Voting time (8) 17 Hen (7) 18 Broken sharply (7) 19 Makeshift boat (4) 21 Kick at a goal (5) 23 Authentic, real (7) 24 Pained expression (7) 28 Financial institution (4) 29 Wet soil (3) 30 Creepy crawly with 12 Across legs (6) 33 Italian red wine (7) 35 Tuck into (3) 36 Leg joint (4) 38 Settee (4) 39 Man’s neckwear (3) 40 Window drape (7) 42 Sewer’s implement (6) 43 Dedicated poem (3) 44 Stopper for a bottle of 33 Across (4) 48 Perform surgery (7) 50 Sea creature with 12 Across legs (7) 51 Large striped cat (5) 54…

It was Angelikque Sutton’s wedding day, and she was on her way to the Bronx Courthouse in New York. She was due to marry her boyfriend of eight years, Patrick Bradley, and start a new phase of their lives together. Angelikque, 22, was eight-and-a-half months pregnant, and with their first baby coming in a matter of weeks, the couple wanted to be married before becoming parents. They’d booked a slot for a simple civil ceremony on 20 November, 2015. Angelikque, the daughter of a bishop, had a baby register on a gifting website. On it, she’d announced that she was due to have her baby girl on 2 December, less than two weeks after the wedding. But Angelikque wasn’t the only one making plans to welcome a newborn daughter An…

Holding onto the wall, I suddenly felt a strange rush come over me. What’s happening? I thought, puzzled. Seeing stars, I sat myself down, moments before passing out. ‘Are you okay?’ my boyfriend, Bradley, 20, asked. ‘I’m not sure what happened,’ I replied to him. ‘You had a fit,’ he said. In January 2019, I was 19 years old and living with my boyfriend when the fits started. I’d experienced a few blackouts when I was 14, but never like this. ‘I passed out again today,’ I told my mum, Joanne, 46. They were coming on very fast and very often. ‘I’m worried,’ I said to Bradley one night. I could I could feel when they were coming on, but I couldn’t do anything to stop them. ‘We’re going to…

SILK MUST-HAVES In case you didn’t already know, silk is really good for your hair. Not only does it keep it hydrated, but it also prevents breakage, tangles and frizz. So, say hello to your new favourites from Only Curls – the go-to brand for cute, silk hair accessories. Available from OnlyCurls.com ONLY CURLS SATIN SLEEP TURBAN, £16 Wake up to gorgeous hair with this fully lined, sleek Satin Sleep Turban. Regular cotton pillowcases can often zap your hair of moisture, which leads to dryness and frizz, and disrupts curl pattern. Satin absorbs significantly less, leaving moisture levels intact for gorgeous tresses! ONLY CURLS SILK SCRUNCHIES, £10 Keep your gorgeous curls intact with these 100 per cent mulberry silk elasticated scrunchies. These super cute hair accessories help reduce tangles, breakage…

BOWLS OF FUN, CHINA One of the oldest, but maybe better known, magic tricks from China is the Water Bowl Illusion. This stage trick traditionally involves a lone magician waving around a piece of empty cloth to show the audience it is empty. They will then produce a huge bowl full to the brim with water from out under the empty cloth. Seems pretty boring right? Well, that’s not all. The magician will then make weird objects appear in the bowl. It varies from person to person as to what will appear; things like goldish have been the most common. Another variation of this trick is to turn the bowl of water into something else. The most famous version of this comes from a magician called Ching Ling Foo, who…

THAT’S SO BRITISH BRINGING TEA BAGS WITH YOU AS AN ESSENTIAL HOLIDAY ITEM. RESPONDING WITH NO MORE THAN, ‘YEAH NOT BAD’, WHEN SOMEONE ASKS HOW YOUR HOLIDAY WAS. BECOMING TOO HOT WHEN IT REACHES 21°C.…

Setting up the BBQ in the garden, I was ready to celebrate my birthday. With a bouncy castle and lots of booze, it was going to be a day to remember. You only turn 37 once! It was 23 April this year, and I was celebrating with my dad Robert, 67, my nieces, and my children, Keigan, 13, and Kayley, nine. ‘Another please,’ I smiled at my dad, handing him my empty glass. I was having such a good day, but there was one very important person missing. My mum Carol, 69, had been shielding for months. I hadn’t seen her since Christmas. I missed her so much, but my family had a way to get her involved in my bash. When my sister Karen, 40, walked in, she held…

Perfect balance Michelle Ogundehin, an internationally renowned authority on interiors, shares her top tips for creating a calming atmosphere at home… Discover your palette Take the time to work out your favourite colours, patterns, materials and finishes and add them throughout your house. Keep the energy moving Regularly open your window – it circulates air and gets rid of any gathered dust. Clear clutter Mess equals stress – get rid of broken things and stuff that doesn’t add to your life. Lower your toxic burden A clean home is a calm home and this starts with good air quality. Get rid of paraffin candles, instead, use essential oils. Authenticity is everything! Forget trends and must-haves, just decorate with what you love – don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.…

Success had come to Frank and Joyanne Warner through their hard work and well-earned loyalty from their colleagues and customers, and even though they were just weeks away from retirement, they had never once taken it for granted. The couple’s family business was the heart of their community in New Jersey and whether it was through their charity work, or sharing their time with whoever needed it, Frank and Joyanne paid their achievements forward to help others. They treated people with kindness, in the hope that they would go on to do the same. Frank and Joyanne, both 73, had met at high school when they were 15 and had been inseparable ever since. They’d been married 52 years and had a grown-up son and daughter. Both were kind-hearted, positive…

The West End showcases some of the highest level of theatre in the world SIX THE MUSICAL Divorced, beheaded, live! History is about to get overthrown as Catherine Parr (Danielle Steers), Katherine Howard (Sophie Isaacs), Anne of Cleves (Alexia McIntosh), Jane Seymour (Natalie Paris), Anne Boleyn (Courtney Bowman) and Catherine of Aragon (Jarneia Richard-Noel) take to the stage to share their story. From Tudor Queens to pop princesses, the six wives take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heart break into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. The rhyme gets a remix! • Tickets from £23 • www.sixthemusical.com FROZEN London is about to get an ice-cold makeover as Disney’s Frozen comes to the West End on 27 August. For the first time…

Digging into my fish and chips in the park with my partner Peter, 53, we watched the sunset. ‘It’s beautiful,’ I smiled up at him. On 31 August 2018, when I got home from work, Peter suggested we go out for an evening walk to Crickley Hill in Gloucestershire. Admiring the lovely sunset, I barely noticed when Peter popped a box on the park table. ‘What’s that?’ I quizzed. ‘Will you marry me, Julia?’ he asked, holding out a ring. ‘Yes!’ I smiled. ‘You are the only person I have wanted to marry.’ I was over the moon, and in complete shock. Peter and I had been friends for years, but officially got together in November 2015, when he asked me out for a dog walk one day in the…

CHICKEN SHAWARMA AND CARAMELISED SHALLOT HOUMOUS BOWLS SERVES 2 YOU’LL NEED: FOR THE CHICKEN SHAWARMA MARINADE • 350g boneless, skinless, chicken thighs• 1 tbsp olive oil• 1 tsp honey• Juice of ½ lemon• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped• 2 echalion shallots, finely sliced• 1 tsp ground cumin• 1 tsp smoked paprika• ½ tsp ground cinnamon• ½ tsp ground oregano FOR THE CARAMELISED SHALLOT HOUMOUS • Glug of olive oil• 2 echalion shallots, finely sliced• 400g tin of chickpeas• Juice of 1 lemon• 1 garlic clove• 6 tbsp tahini• 1 tsp sea salt flakes FOR SERVING • Pickled echalion shallots• Cucumbers, thinly sliced• Red cabbage, shredded• 100g feta, crumbled• Coriander• Extra virgin olive oil• Lemon wedges• Flatbread HOW TO DO IT… 1. Place the chicken in a large dish or…

JESUS, MARY, JOSEPH AND THE WEE DONKEY! Since Line of Duty ended, we’re all missing the action from our favourite AC12 trio – but now we’re sucking diesel as Hastings Hotels and McComb’s Coach Travel have launched the very first tour of Belfast filming locations from the hit series. The Line of Duty overnight experience features an action-packed guided tour of some of the show’s most iconic filming locations. Starting at the Invest NI building, the setting for AC12 HQ, you’ll visit a whole host of Line of Duty hotspots – including the Subway where Steve and Kate have their secret rendezvous. Finish off the afternoon with an AC12 cocktail or Wee Donkey mocktail at Ireland’s tallest cocktail bar in the Grand Central Hotel, before checking in for an overnight…

Growing up, my daughter Sam was such a bright and happy girl. As she became a young adult, I was so proud of the woman she was growing into. She was kind, smart and incredibly adventurous. Working in a bank, she had her dream career, and in her personal life, she loved being with her friends and going away. Sam had an infectious smile. She could brighten up any room she walked into. Only, when she was around 23-years-old, she began to feel unwell. ‘I feel bloated and my stomach is swollen,’ she told me. It was so unlike Sam to complain of being ill, and so she booked an appointment with the doctor. We never expected it to be anything serious, but in 2007, my world changed forever. Doctors…

Walking into the local community hall, I could hear the rock music thumping loudly. I’d read about Rockfit in a local magazine, and in June last year, I decided it was time to give it a shot. Standing at the back of the class, I attempted to join in. Flinging my arms in the air, I felt so out of place. The choreographer caught my eye and smiled. Oh no, was she being nice or smirking? I worried. ‘Move it girls!’ she shouted, perfectly executing every single aerobic move. I was definitely not a natural dancer – and weighing 17st, I was very out of breath. But surprisingly, I was thoroughly enjoying myself. After 10 minutes of high intensity, we had a break. ‘Welcome to the class!’ one lady said.…

STEAM GALA North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) has announced two of the headliners for its hugely popular Annual Steam Gala, which returns this autumn from 23 to 26 September, after a break in 2020. During the four-day celebration of steam, visitors will be able to view some famous guest engines including the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s 60163 Tornado, and Great Central Railway’s LMS 8F Class 48305 which have both been confirmed for the much-anticipated event. Visitors can marvel at heritage engines and enjoy a host of exciting events along the 18 miles of breath-taking countryside from Grosmont to Whitby, taking in the world-famous North York Moors National Park along the way. The Annual Steam Gala Beer Festival also makes a return to Goathland and Levisham stations, with the usual selection…

HOW TO REGISTER It’s so easy to do, just visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com and register by hitting the join button and then you can enter as many competitions as you like. Go on, have fun! For website rules of play, go to comps.lifedeathprizes.com/rules. Terms and conditions apply, UK only. This promotion is running concurrently in the September issues of Chat Monthly, Chat it’s Fate and Pick Me Up Special.…

Eye see! Did you know that two million people in the UK are living with sight loss that is severe enough to impact their lives? Often sight loss is avoidable, and an eye test can detect early signs of conditions which can lead to a loss of sight. On 21 September, it is National Eye Health Week – so take the time to get booked into your opticians to keep your eyes healthy. Glowing goddess It’s far too easy to end up with damaged, dry skin by the end of September, thanks to dehydration and high sun exposure. Replenish, nourish and hydrate your skin with Essence Lotion. With its waterlike texture, your body is able to instantly absorb the moisture into the skin. The formula has a clever combination of…

FILM AND TV 1 What is the name of Ewan McGregor’s character in Trainspotting? a Renton b Fenton c Tommy 2 Alfred Pennyworth is the butler to which of these superheroes? a Iron Man b Batman c Catwoman 3 Who were the original presenters of Top Gear when it launched in 2002? a Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, Jason Dawe b Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, James May c Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson, Ben Collins 4 The very first episode of drama Downton Abbey is set on the same day as which real-life historic event? a Sinking of the Titanic b Great Britain and Ireland compete at the Olympics in Stockholm c The first ever Chelsea Flower Show 5 In Benidorm, what is the name of the Spanish hotel? a Sol go-go…