Innehållsförteckning för 07-Dec-2017 från Chat

NUTS SO FAST! This squirrel was caught red-handed trying to steal a snowman’s hat, which doubles as a Christmas present, for his own seasonal stash. He even stands in Frosty’s eye before turning tail! Good job he’s so adorable… O Want to see more pics of squirrels at their cutest? Head to lifedeathprizes.com/animal-lists/14-photosprove-squirrels-cutest CELEBRITY SPIN Do you know which celebrity we’ve put in a twist? Here’s a clue to help – this Gogglebox star became queen of the jungle… Take a look at the picture on the right and see if you can work out who it is. Puzzle 1 £50 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 88 for details or visit lifedeathprizes.com/win CASH for your story! Chat is your mag and we pay cash for your truelife stories. Contact…

She’d told Anderson she was getting back with her ex Struggling to come to terms with it all, I was in absolute bits. And, before we knew it, Christmas Day had come around. How on earth would we get through it without our girl? On Christmas morning, while the rest of the world celebrated, I just wanted to shut myself away. How could we enjoy ourselves at home while Michelle was all alone, on a mortuary slab? The pain of losing her was so raw, the whole family was in a grief-ridden daze. Someone cooked a turkey for lunch, but none of us felt like eating at all. I tried to be strong for the grandkids, but I missed Michelle terribly. I’d bought her a dressing gown and slippers, but…

Ask our Doc Don’t be shy – Chat’s Dr Martin Edwards is a family GP who’s seen it all before… Safe flight Q We’re visiting family abroad for Christmas but I’m pregnant – is it safe to fly? Candida, 30 A Most airlines let you fly up to about 36 weeks of pregnancy (32 weeks with twins), though they might ask for a letter from your GP. Flying’s generally safe, but there’s a slightly greater risk of a blood clot in your legs, which you can reduce by wearing flight socks. No sniffles Q How can I be sure of having flu-free hols? I’m fed up having the big day ruined! Mandy, 56 A A flu jab can prevent this year’s strain of flu, but you’ll need to pay your…

LETTER of the week! Miracle girl Reading about Charlotte, who was diagnosed with leukaemia at 11 years old (issue 40, 5 Oct), I was so moved. There must have been times when her family felt scared about the future. But Charlotte’s come through the ordeal with courage and is now raising money for the hospital ward. I went to her Just Giving page to donate – it was the least I could do. Kay Maddocks, Waltham Cross, Herts WE PAY CASH Laugh with the Lord On Christmas Day, the church’s electricity failed as the sermon started. Once candles were lit, the rector said, ‘Where was I?’ A voice at the back said, ‘Near the end!’ Hannah Bryan, Liverpool Merry text-mas My 8-year-old daughter Abbie was writing a text message for…

They're YOUR tips!! Framed This picture was made by gluing buttons on to black card in the shape of a tree. Then I framed it in a shadow-box frame. It makes a great gift. Connor McGuire, Cleethorpes, Lincs Clip on If you run out of little wire hangers to attach your baubles to the tree, just use paper clips instead! In gold or silver to match your other decs, of course! Bea Wilkinson, Cullompton, Devon Glow for it! These quirky DIY light features were so easy to make. I just used an empty wine bottle and a mug tree that we no longer need – plus some very cheap LED lights! Beverly Steer, Beer, Devon In the bag I made these Christmas gift bags from brownpaper sandwich bags. Just decorate…

ARROW- WORD Because of the restrictions on liquids, security staff at London City Airport confiscated more than 150 of what seasonal item over the Christmas season last year? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the two-word prize answer. Puzzle 10 £1,000 Your answer: SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle, then read down the numbers in the highlighted squares for the prize answer. Puzzle 11 £60 Your answer: WORDSEARCH Puzzle 12 £50 On 23 December each year, Oaxaca in Mexico holds a competition for nativity scenes carved from what? The answer is the one missing from the grid…

Prising open the last door on the Advent calendar, I popped the chocolate behind it into my mouth. ‘Have you eaten them all already?!’ my husband Dave, 50, gasped. Cheeks bulging, I nodded. It was the end of November 2014. My son Daniel, then 9, and daughter Catherine, 11, hadn’t even been given their Advent calendars yet. ‘I’ll replace them,’ I told Dave, feeling bad. If there was chocolate in the house, I just wolfed it down. And didn’t it show on every inch of my vast, 24st body... A secret sweet-eater as a child, I was already a size-16 by the time I reached my teens. I met Dave at 20 and, when we walked down the aisle in 2000, I was a size-20 bride. During my first pregnancy, I…

I got a real buzz from seeing myself on screen! I got a real buzz from seeing myself on screen! Who doesn’t want their 15 minutes of fame? That one chance to dazzle in the spotlight, with all eyes on you? Well, I certainly do. And it’s a dream I’ve been chasing since I was 19. I’ve always longed to be on the telly. So, 13 years ago, in 2004, I decided to try and make my dreams a reality. To gain some experience, I applied to be an extra in a TV ad. It was for Oxfam, and I’d seen an advert on an audition website. Why not? I’d thought, putting myself forward. In the advert, I had to walk around markets and pretend to be shopping. ‘That’s me!’…

Mice found in fields had holes ripped through them… On Christmas Day 1964, Mildred Head was woken at 1.25am by a loud noise coming from the roof of her home in Warminster, Wiltshire. It didn’t sound like Santa’s sleigh... Instead, Mildred described them as strange lashing noises, like giant hailstones. But, looking out of her window, the weather was clear… Around 6.30am, Marjorie Bye was on her way to church for a Christmas morning service when she heard a bizarre crackling from above. She looked up to the sky but saw nothing. The noise grew louder until the pounding vibrations knocked poor Marjorie to the ground, leaving her unable to move. She later told people that she felt ‘pinned down by invisible fingers’. There were more reports of similar experiences,…

I make sure it’s always in the postbox on time… Picking up the familiar envelope from the doormat, I smiled. ‘It’s back again!’ I exclaimed clocking the Australian postmark. The tradition of Christmas cards may be dying out. But not in my family. And this wasn’t just any old Christmas card – it was a historic one. In 1949, my mum Phyllis and my dad Alan had posted a card from their home in Wallasey to Dad’s brother Bob, who lived nearby. Designed by cartoonist Rowland Emett, the card showed a train of carol singers travelling through the snow. The message inside the card read, This is our favourite, so you can send it back to us next Christmas! Mum and Dad may have just been joking, but Bob did…

As I sat at the desk, the head teacher walked in… Presents under our tree, decorations draped along the walls... All that my kids, Laiella, 8, Evie-Rose, 6, and Albert-Lee, 2, could talk about was what Santa might be bringing them. ‘There’s weeks to go yet!’ I told the girls as we got ready for school on 7 December last year. The kids’ dad Ricky came to look after Albert-Lee. Blowing kisses and waving to their brother and Sandy, our Yorkie-cross dog, the girls hopped into the car. The kids went off to class, and I started work as a teaching assistant. A normal morning, we had breakfast club, then assembly, then lessons. As I sat there at the desk, enjoying the familiar buzz of the classroom, suddenly, the head…

Seeing my baby sister convulsing and going blue was so scary My little sister Ruby danced about my room, excited. ‘It’s Christmas!’ she sang in my ear. From my bed, I checked the time – it was 6am. ‘One more hour,’ I groaned. Not a chance! Ruby loved Christmas and wanted to get going on the events of the big day. It was 2004. Ruby was 7 years old, I was 8, and our little sister, Sapphire, now 14, was 2. Ruby and I were so close. We were typical sisters, squabbling one minute and playing happily the next. But this year had been a little different. I’d turned into an overprotective big sister, too. In May, Ruby had began having seizures, and was diagnosed with epilepsy. Seeing my baby…

Words can’t describe how proud I am of my Colin To say it came as a shock is an understatement… ‘Your son has Stickler syndrome,’ a doctor said. It was 1992, and I’d just had my only child Colin. The doctor said the rare condition affects the body’s collagen. It causes joint hypermobility, hearing and sight loss, chronic fatigue, osteoarthritis… The list went on and on. There’s no known cure, and it’s progressive. I was devastated. ‘Stickler syndrome’s genetic – but you’d know all about that,’ the doctor said. ‘What do you mean?’ I asked. ‘You have it too, right?’ he asked me. My mind was racing. I’d always had poor vision and hearing, and I suffered from weak, achy joints. But it’d never even occurred to me I might…

I watched in horror as Rainbow tumbled to the street… T he bar was heaving. It was Boxing Day night last year, and there was one face that kept catching my eye… I knew Daryl Mathews, 28, through friends. Good looking, with the gift of the gab, he was just my type. ‘Let me buy you a drink,’ he smiled. The bar was owned by my mum Charlie, then 49, and I was lending a helping hand. ‘Maybe later,’ I told him. Over the next few days, I couldn’t get Daryl off my mind. A single mum-of-three, I hadn’t had much luck with men. But Daryl made my heart flutter. When he wasn’t working as a welder, he was at the gym. And it showed. His rippling muscles sent my…

He thought that, at most, I had six months to live It was bad news, I could just feel it. Sitting in the doctor’s office with my friend Adam, then 28, he smiled reassuringly at me. For months, I’d been poorly. At work, I’d struggled to keep my eyes open, and constantly felt sick. I ran my own flooring business, assumed I’d just been overdoing things. But, after I’d collapsed at home in January last year, my GP had referred me for tests. And now I was facing the results. ‘The cancer is back,’ he said. My heart sank. I’d already battled and beaten breast cancer twice before. ‘I’ll fight it again,’ I said, determined – but the doctor didn’t look convinced. ‘I’m really sorry,’ he said. ‘This time, there’s…

THE BIG QUIZ Puzzle 9 £500 The answers to all but one of these questions can be found in this grid, reading forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally. The answers are in alphabetical order in each section. But the answer that can’t be found in the grid is your prize answer. See page 88 for entry details. THE SILVER SCREEN – CHRISTMAS 1 Which character has been played on screen by Alastair Sim, Albert Finney, Bill Murray and Michael Caine in various different versions of the Charles Dickens book A Christmas Carol? (8,7) 2 Which actor played the Grinch in the 2000 movie How The Grinch Stole Christmas? (3,6) 3 Which controversial Monty Python movie begins with the Three Wise Men calling in to the wrong stable at the Christmas nativity?…

The game was over in seconds and I’d won £1,000! Since Christmas last year, I’ve had one aim – to lose weight. At 17st 5lb, I was feeling chubby and wanted to shed some pounds. I cut out all the unhealthy foods I often scoffed and soon I was on a healthy diet. The weight fell off me. I’d discovered other ways to indulge, which didn’t involve chocolate. One thing I did continue to do was play bingo! I’ve always loved bingo, both online and at the hall. Chat Mag Bingo is great fun, really friendly and there are some super bingo and slot games to play from just 1p. My favourite room is Tiki. On 15 July this year, my husband Len, 68, and I were chilling in the…

ZOOMED IN! We’ve got up close and personal with a festive object. If you can make out what it is, that’s your prize answer. Puzzle 15 £100 Your answer: WHAT’S ON TELLY? As you can see, our TV’s gone on the blink and we can’t make out what programme’s being screened… If the show looks familiar to you, that’s your prize answer! Puzzle 16 4 x £30 Your answer: WHAT’S WRONG? This comedy film starring Will Ferrell is a popular choice at this time of year. But something about this still from Elf isn’t as it should be. If you know which item doesn’t belong, that’s your prize answer. Puzzle 17 £100 Your answer: HOW MANY? Can you work out how many gold bells are in the jar? If so,…

Aries 21 March - 20 April You’ll do it. You just haven’t got round to it yet. But each time you put it off, the chances of ever doing it get smaller, so maybe you should ask if it still matters. If it does, do it now – or another year will pass by. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May You and a certain someone have become very close lately. So close, in fact, you’re getting in each other’s way. Put a little distance between you and it will give you room to move – and do the relationship good. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June If you catch your coat on a door handle, it…

How to enter TEXT Simply text CHATC followed by a space and your answer/s (spaces between answers please) full name, door number and postcode to 84988 Texts cost 50p plus standard network charge (maximum 160 characters per text). When you enter by text, you may in future get SMS marketing messages from Time Inc. (UK) Ltd and Chat. If you don’t want to receive these, please end your text with TINOINFO. Texting tips • Don’t put any spaces in an answer that has several words: eg: CHATISTHEBEST not CHAT IS THE BEST. • If the answer is a name, you need only give the surname: eg: CLOONEY not GEORGE CLOONEY. • You can use capitals or small letters, but don't use any commas, etc. • Leave out answers you don’t wish…

I didn’t think much of Carl... got bad vibes from him Confident, witty, bubbly – that was my lovely daughter Michelle, to a tee. Popular and pretty, she wasn’t short of a few admirers, either. But poor Michelle had never been lucky in love. She’d married in 2005, but it hadn’t lasted long, and had ended in divorce. Since then, she’d had a few relationships. But I longed to see her happily settled. Eventually, she met someone, seemed happy. But she and her boyfriend were constantly on and off. ‘We’re on a break,’ she announced in 2014. ‘Not again,’ I sighed. It was hard to keep up. Later that year Michelle, then 44, told me and her sister Tracey, 39, about a man she was seeing. ‘His name is Carl…

Poking my bump, I didn’t understand. ‘The other babies were such wrigglers,’ I puzzled to my fiance Paul Allen. ‘I really don’t understand why I haven’t felt this one moving.’ I was 22, and pregnant with our fourth child. I had Alicya, then 5, from a previous relationship, Angel, then 4, and 3-year-old Riley. We had so much to look forward to. In four months, we were getting married. This baby would complete our family. I was desperate to feel it move, though, as I loved feeling them jiggling about. I read up about it and discovered this could be normal in early pregnancy. But I was relieved when it was time for my 20-week scan. Finally, I could check baby was safe and sound… But, arriving at Kettering General…

Instead of exchanging gifts, I was going down to theatre! Aged 12, I noticed I had pains in my stomach after eating. My mum Sara took me to the GP, and I was given antacid medication. Then, one day, I was seeing a specialist about migraines I’d been having, so I mentioned the tummy aches, too. ‘Your liver feels very enlarged,’ he explained, on examination. Referred to a liver specialist at Leicester Royal Infirmary, I had countless tests. ‘Your liver’s severely damaged and has lots of scar tissue,’ doctors said. ‘You’ve got the liver of a 60-yearold alcoholic!’ I was just a kid – had never touched a drop of alcohol! They didn’t know why it’d happened. But, diagnosed with liver disease, I was put on steroids. It was so…

QUIZM atch the store with the Christmas advert picture Where in the world are these quirky Crimbo traditions from? 2 Instead of covering your tree with baubles and tinsel, this country opts for fake spider’s web. It’s believed to bring good luck. 3 A lot of people head to church on Christmas Day, but these brave souls roller-skate there! They even close the roads off especially for the journey. 4 Families set extra places at the Christmas dinner table for deceased relatives and this is thought to bring the family good luck. 5 With not a turkey in sight, this country tucks into deep-fried caterpillars on Christmas Day. A delicacy, apparently. 6Unmarried women stand by a door and throw a shoe over their shoulder. If the toe points towards the…

Serves: 12 Prep: 25 min (plus rising) Cook: 30 min 22p per serving Sweet treat 1 Dissolve a 10g sachet of yeast in 250ml warm milk in a large mixing bowl. Add 75g butter, 500g plain flour, 2 egg yolks, 75g caster sugar and a pinch of salt. Beat well until a dough is formed. Roll the dough into a ball, then put in a clean bowl. Cut a cross on top, cover with a damp cloth and let it rise until it’s doubled in size. 2 Knead dough again and roll it out into the shape of a rectangle on a counter sprinkled with flour. 3 For the filling, spread the dough with softened butter and sprinkle with 100g golden granulated sugar and cinnamon to taste, leaving a 3-4cm…

£1 Meal Deal Preparation time: 10 min Cooking time: 45 min Serves: 6 Cost per serving: 82p 1Cook 12 vine tomatoes in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 5 min, or until the skins just start to come away. Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon, and blend in a food processor with 2tbsp fresh rosemary for 20 sec to form a smooth sauce. 2Heat 4tbsp olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan, then add 1 chopped shallot and cook over a low heat for 10 min, until the shallot becomes translucent. Spoon the tomato sauce into the pan, add 100ml red wine and allow to cook for 30 min, until the sauce is ready. Season with salt and pepper. 3While the sauce is cooking, cook 500g dried…

Checking on her at 9.30pm, Sophie didn’t stir… A s my daughter Sophie blew out the three candles on her birthday cake I clapped and cheered. It was 12 December 2014. How had my baby grown up so quickly? With pink and blue birthday balloons up, Christmas on its way and a house full of children, I couldn’t be happier. ‘Shall we let her open the presents now?’ my partner Simon, 38, grinned. Simon wasn’t Sophie’s dad, but he loved her to bits. Tearing at the paper, Sophie squealed with delight at the pushchair we’d bought her. ‘Thank you, Mummy,’ she said as I hugged her tightly. My little princess. Suddenly, Sophie’s big sister Chloe, then 5, grabbed her hand. ‘Let’s play!’ she beamed. I felt so lucky. My girls…

Try a staycation in this pretty city 1 Visit the market… Get into the festive spirit with a mooch around Salisbury Christmas Market. Most goods are British-made – and there’s mulled wine to warm you up. 2 Stop for a pit stop… Take a break from sightseeing for a quick pint or lazy lunch at The Haunch of Venison – the oldest (and said to be most haunted) pub in Salisbury. It has plenty of stories to tell… 3 Get a bird’s-eye view… Book a Twilight Tower Tour at Salisbury Cathedral to see the city illuminated at night. There are 332 steps to climb to the secret roof space, but the cream tea afterwards makes them all worth it. 4 Travel back … Featured in the film Sense and Sensibility,…

The trio had their work cut out with an inhuman task… THE CRIME On Christmas Day 2015, Christopher West was lured to an apartment where he was beaten, choked, and threatened with a gun before his dead body was dumped and set on fire... THE STORY THE THREE COLL ABORATORS While most people spent Christmas Day with family, tucking into a turkey dinner, opening presents, and watching festive films, Amanda LaForce and Timothy Shawn McEachern had other plans. Together with their mutual friend Krystal Lane, they spent the day in their apartment in Kingsport, Tennessee, getting high on methamphetamine. The drug, also known as ‘ice’, is popular in America, and has been called the most dangerous, destructive drug of recent times. After injecting lethal amounts of the substance, Amanda received…

I was seen as clumsy, unlucky, a drama queen Since I was little, I’d always been extremely flexible As a child, I found my calling as a gifted and promising gymnast. Said to be double-jointed, I could put my legs over my head and do the splits with ease. My instructors were always so impressed. Unfortunately, the flip side was that I was constantly dislocating my joints, ending up covered in bruises. My shoulders seemed to pop out of their sockets several times a week, and I was plagued by frequent injuries. ‘You need to be careful, love,’ Mum fretted. But it wasn’t just during gymnastics, though. It seemed the tiniest knock or jolt would leave one of my joints dislocated. And that wasn’t all. I had chronic back problems…

CREEPYCRAWLY CHRISTMAS DINNER Turkey? Brussels sprouts? With all the trimmings? Try deep-fried caterpillars! The crunchy creepy crawlies of the Emperor moth are a traditional part of Christmas Day grub in South Africa. We’ll stick to the stuffing and spuds, thanks! IS IT A SEX TOY OR A TREE..? A questionable inflatable sculpture in Place Vendome in Paris in 2014 caused a stir. The installation, by controversial artist Paul McCarthy, was apparently meant to symbolise a Christmas tree. However, the consensus was that it looked much more like a butt plug! It wasn’t long before the sculpture was vandalised and deflated. TWINKLE TWINKLE The world record for Most Lights on a Residential Property is currently held by the Gay family, from New York. The family won the title in 2012, only…