Innehållsförteckning för September 2022 från Chat Specials

September is a time of beginnings and endings – the start of a new school year, marking the end of the long summer holidays. But don’t worry, because there’s still plenty to look forward to! Keep those summer vibes going for as long as possible with home buys inspired by the Mediterranean (pg32), and soak up some culture on an educational day out (pg40). This month, we meet inspirational sisters Pam and Sue (pg31), who set off on an epic challenge to cycle all the way across Britain – and it’s all the more impressive because they’re both pensioners! Roy and Ann used their luck at the amusement arcades to do a good deed (pg25), and if you need a feel-good pick-me-up, check out Simon’s amazing Hobbit-style mouse village (pg58).…

A pair of thieves who stole two exotic cars in Switzerland, a BMW 7 Series and a Bugatti Veyron, and were caught on a German autobahn have been handed a bill for EU import tax of how much in pounds? 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 103 204 308 351 452 498 513 685 708 816 855 977 4 DIGITS 1267 2656 3755 4022 5164 6191 7803 8230 9242 5 DIGITS 19181 26057 38575 43453 59702 65274 66614 78438 85212 94977 96236 6 DIGITS 323677 496368 591804 698540 846405 903142 7 DIGITS 2357694 3342163 6284319 9633287 8 DIGITS 87122433 Your answer Answer: £323,677 IMPORT TAX…

Research by a holiday company has found that the traditional bucket and spade holiday is on the way out to be replaced with other activities. What is the top activity that kids want to try on holiday? To find out, solve the puzzle… Add a letter anywhere in each of the boxed-off words to fit the clue, eg, WATER SLIDE = CUTE + H = CHUTE. Write the added letter in the space provided. Read down all the added letters to spell out the two-word answer. • WATERSLIDE • STOCKPILE • HOBGOBLIN • BIRD’S PERCH • WOOD CLEARING • SMASH • LANDOWNER • LIVE IN • COMPOSURE • LONG FOR • PROD CUTE HARD TOLL ROOT GLAD BEAK LARD WELL POSE YEAR NUDE Your answer CUTE HARD TOLL ROOT GLAD BEAK…

Keri Benting, 45, from Telford Catching the ball and pivoting towards the goal, I then took my chance. Suddenly, the netball team emerged into a cheer, my sister Karen, looking smug from the other side of the pitch. We just loved to play sports together, especially netball. To the crowd, nobody would have known any different, but behind closed doors there was something else going on. At just 13, Karen had been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that affected her immune system. And despite our eight-year age gap, with me being just five when she was diagnosed, it was clear how poorly Karen was. Sharing a room, I was used to seeing my mum Brenda, and dad Martin, injecting Karen with her home treatment, with hospital visits replacing fun…

With us all feeling the affects of the cost of living crisis, it’s a difficult time to navigate your life, let alone your everincreasing expenses. We all know that unplugging a switch at night will save us a few pennies, but there other options out there that you may have not realised can actually help. Here’s how to beat the rising living costs, whilst also creating a life admin routine… HOUSE SWAP Channel your very own The Holiday moment by ditching hotels and holiday rentals and offering your house as a swap. Love Home Swap opens the doors to incredible properties that meet every need. Plus, by choosing to stay in a home swap instead of a rental, you could save yourself up to a whopping £2,000 per trip, based on a…

Asking the right questions Gemma Campbell is Clinical Lead and Counsellor at Kooth – the UK’s longest-established, largest and most trusted provider of digital mental health support. She answers some of the most common questions and concerns you may have about suicide… For advice please visit: kooth.com What are suicidal feelings? Suicidal feelings can be different for different people. For some, it might be fleeting thoughts about not wanting to be alive in response to other distressing feelings or events.  For others, it might be feeling like the world or people would be better without them. And then at the other end of the spectrum, it could be making actual plans to end their lives. Many people have suicidal feelings at some point in their lives, and it’s important to…

THAT’S SO BRITISH RUSHING TO THE SHOPS TO FIND AS MANY LAST MINUTE BACK TO SCHOOL BUYS AS POSSIBLE. THE SUMMER SUN STAYS AROUND JUST AS THE KIDS GO BACK. THE COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS STARTS AND IT’S ALL ANYONE NOW TALKS ABOUT!…

Fran McElhone, 40, from East Devon Sitting on the sofa, I reached for my phone. It was a cold October evening, in 2019, and the Tinder app glowed as I opened my lock screen. My marriage with my husband of 16 years had fizzled out, the last five years of it being platonic. Even though we had a six-year old son together, we thought it was best to split. In fact, I was excited to be back on the market again. Dating, romance and meeting people was a fabulous thought. So, I added a few photos of myself to my Tinder profile. What to write in the big white empty box? How could I best sell myself on here? High vibe, high octane and au naturel! I wrote Perfect. Moving…

The LoveCrafts Show Calling all crafters! Merion Willis and Jamie Chalmers return for a third season of The LoveCrafts Show. Chatting all things crafts – from sharing news from the making community, to discussing the joy of it – Merion and Jamie will be making waves once again. The last two series have seen the likes of Tom Daley and Christine Leech and this upcoming season promises more fabulous guests. From turning your passion into a hustle to saucy cross stitch and craftism, this podcast won’t disappoint! OUR MOVIE PICK Pinocchio, Disney+ Let conscience be your guide this September with the live-action adaptation of Pinocchio. Out on 8 September, everyone’s favourite wooden puppet comes to life for a marvellous adventure. Staring Tom Hanks (Geppetto), Benjamin Evan Ainsworth (Pinocchio) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Jiminy…

What happens to all the instruments used by the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra after every performance? The answer to each clue (apart from the first) begins with the last letter of the preceding answer. The shaded squares will spell out the answer. 1 Public transport vehicle (3) 2 Car driver’s safety harness (4,4) 3 Theme or chocolate bar (5) 4 Supermarket till area (8) 5 Item for taking the top off cans (3-6) 6 Charity working in war-torn areas (3,5) 7 Boiled food item in a sausage meat shell (6,3) 8 Venetian taxi (7) 9 Vienna’s country (7) 10 Soak up (6) 11 Caribbean Island, capital Bridgetown (8) 12 Canal that links the Med Sea to the Red Sea (4) 13 The twelve star signs (6) 14 Regular examination at the…

WHERE DID THE LAST MEAL ORIGINATE FROM? The concept of a last meal stretches back centuries in America – it even goes as far back as Jesus’ last supper which is where most people think it originates from. Another idea stems from Ancient Greece, where they would feed the dying so that they wouldn’t come back as a hungry ghost… TWO PINTS OF MINT ICE CREAM… Timothy McVeigh, the American terrorist responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, requested two pints of mint chocolate chip ice cream for his death row meal. The bombing was the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in the US prior to 9/11. He was sentenced to death for 168 counts of murder and six years later in June 2001, he died by lethal injection…

GREAT AND SMALL Us Brits love a pub garden and Emmy and BAFTA award-winning British documentary filmmaker Doug Allen has been exploring these humble habitats. Teaming up with Warner’s Gin, this mini-series highlights how nature can thrive amongst us in the most unexpected of places. The short documentary brings the same filming techniques from blockbuster nature films to chart a day in the life of a quintessential pub garden. It captures pubgoers of all shapes, sizes and species! • Watch on YouTube – Warner’s Nature Marque Documentary BARGAIN HUNTER! Are you a bargain hunter? Do you love the BBC hit series? Well, you’ll love this book! Bargain Hunt The Spotter’s Guide To Antiques is packed with information from the Bargain Hunt experts on finding those hidden gems. After all, a bargain hunt is more…

Joanne Chesney, 39, from Southend Pouring a pint, I leaned across the bar and passed it to the handsome stranger across from me. ‘Here you go,’ I blushed. ‘Thanks,’ he grinned. ‘Any chance I can get your number?’ I first met Peter Chesney, then 27, in 2007, back when I was a barmaid in our hometown of Dagenham, Essex. He was sweet and charming – I fell for him quickly. On our first official date, he told me he was a single dad of two girls – Jodie, then six, and her sister Lucy, then eight. He wasn’t in contact with their mum, and he had sole custody. ‘Does that bother you?’ he asked apprehensively. ‘Not at all,’ I smiled. ‘I’d love to meet them.’ I’d never really planned on…

MONDAY Start the week with a bang… TOP TIP: Wear a midi dress for minimum effort but maximum effect TUESDAY Why not settle into Tuesday with a neutral colour combo?! WEDNESDAY Celebrate hump day in comfort! TOP TIP: Pleated jeans add a tailored element to your usual denim favourites THURSDAY Prepare for Friday with a little colour… TOP TIP: When wearing a midi skirt, tuck the front of your top in to create shape FRIDAY Your most put together look – add tights for the office! SATURDAY Bring sunshine to your weekend with a dress and a smile… SUNDAY Rest day means one thing – a lounge inspired style!…

June Davis, 57, from Edgbaston, Birmingham Slamming the front door shut, the smell of peonies lingered in the air. The green grass and clean path running along beside me as I headed to work. After a long shift of housekeeping, I’d come home and potter around in the garden, keeping everything in check. It was one of my favourite hobbies and it would help me to stay active, too. Bending down to the planters and walking the length of the garden over and over until I decided it was time to come inside. With the 20-minute walk to work and standing on my feet all day, plus all the gardening, I’d say I was energetic. You could say the same about my personality, too! That was until early 2016. Pulling…

Gianna-Skye Goulding, 19, from Liverpool Flicking through hanger after hanger, I finally found something to wear. A bright purple paisley print coat – a real‘60s vintage dream! Swinging it over my shoulders, it fit like a glove and my mind soared with all the styling combinations I could think of. Colourful tights, a pair of Mary Jane shoes and a matching purple makeup look – just perfect! ‘You look like you’re from Austin Powers, but I love it!’ my friend cheered as I gave her a quick twirl. Vintage shopping was something I was very used to. Ever since I started secondary school, in 2013, I liked to stay away from the norm in how I dressed. Back then, I used to love all things punk and goth. Scouring charity…

Not all plaques are blue – some are brown, terracotta, green or bronze! Who said historic days out should be boring? If you’re looking for a fun yet educational day out this September, English Heritage has just the tour for you. The London Blue Plaque Scheme links historical heroes of the past with the buildings of today. Starting in 1866, The Blue Plaque Scheme has dedicated over 950 plaques to prominent and influential people of the past. Why not go for a fun and educational walk around London, stepping by the homes of true icons? • Please visit: english-heritage.org.uk The lady with the lamp The former home of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) can be found at 10 South Street in Mayfair. Located a stone’s throw away from Hyde Park, you can visit…

HOW TO REGISTER It’s FREE to enter and it’s so easy to do! Just visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com and register by hitting the join button and then 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…

Carol McLean, 49, Aberdeen Sitting down at my desk, I took out a fresh sheet of writing paper and clicked the lid off my pen. Taking a deep breath, I started to write. As all my thoughts and feelings poured from my head and onto the page, I felt a comforting release. I wrote about all sorts – what I’d been up to that week, what I was doing at work, places I’d been, people I’d seen. By the time I’d scrawled over four full sides of A5, I was completely out of steam. Signing my name with a flourish, I carefully folded up the sheets of paper and slipped them into an envelope. I wrote an address on the front and then stuck a stamp on it, adorning it…

Simon Dell, 47, from Sheffield Turning off the lawnmower, I wiped my brow. As I went to put it back into the shed, I decided to grab my camera and take some pictures of the birds. I got my first DSLR camera five years ago, and ever since I’d loved taking wildlife photos in my garden. I’d often sit outside, taking pictures of the birds that came to my feeders for a bite to eat. Sitting down on the patio, I fiddled with the lens. Then suddenly, something caught my eye. There was a rustling in the pile of freshly-mown grass. Zooming in with my camera, I saw a little brown mouse, standing upright in the grass like a meerkat. Instantly, I just knew he was a little star. I…