Innehållsförteckning för 23-Jan-2018 från Chat

Dad had hurtled down a hill, crashed into a tree. He’d broken his neck... Knocking on Mum and Dad’s front door, my stomach was doing backflips. It was 2006, and I was bringing my boyfriend Liam, then 17, home to meet my family. ‘So this is the lucky lad,’ my dad Paul grinned, shaking Liam’s hand. They hit it off straight away. Dad, then 47, had been a professional rugby player when he was younger, and Liam was mad about sport, too, so they got on great. ‘He’s lovely,’ my mum Rhian grinned when Liam left. ‘You’ll have to hold on to that one.’ So I did! In 2012, we moved into our first home together. And in February 2013, our daughter Martha was born. Liam proved himself to be…

I’m not there yet, but I see a brighter future... CALL THAT JUSTICE! Molested and threatened Labelled a liar in court and forced to give evidence A pathetic four- year sentence me,’ I I was 11 years old when my mum Vivienne got together with Steve. He was a nice bloke. And along with a new father figure, I had a whole new family. Steve’s dad, Allan Lewis, lived just three doors down from us. Soon I was calling them Dad and Grandad. A friendly man with grey hair and glasses, Grandad bought me sweets. And he was always showering me with compliments. ‘I love your long hair,’ he’d smile, twirling it in his fingers. ‘Make sure you never get it cut.’ Once, at a quiz night, Allan turned to…

Feeling fruity Blitz fresh pineapple to a thick, foamy sauce - deliciously sweet and a light, healthy option poured over pies and desserts instead of cream. Great for dieters! Jacqueline Wilkins, Frome Sock-cess! Every week, I pop my make-up brushes into a pair of socks, tuck in the tops of the socks to keep the brushes inside, and put them in the washing machine with my other laundry. The result is lovely, clean brushes! Debra Stapley, Dover Sneaky treats Help ration ice lollies by keeping them in frozen veg packaging in the freezer. Kids (and hubby!) will never find Mum's secret stash - genius! Gemma Davies, Gloucester Big date  My nanna's eyesight isn't very good, so I use a permanent marker to write the best-before date in large print on…

Asda Summer Fruits & Banana Smoothie Mix, 500g, £1.75  This great-value mix of frozen banana slices, strawberries, blackcurrants, blackberries and raspberries gives a classic, thick smoothie with a beautiful colour from the berries. M&S Tropical Vitamin C Boost Smoothies, 440g, £2.50 A tropical mix of exotic fruits blended with smooth coconut to give a slight creaminess to your smoothie. Starting your day with this sunny blend of passion fruit and mango will transport you straight to summer! Sainsbury's Glowing Greens Smoothie Mix, 480g, £2.50  This super smoothie pack is filled with healthy greens, but tastes so good you'd never tell! Add apple juice for extra sweetness, if you like. NEW Teissere Le Sirop, £2.50, Sainsbury's  This much-loved French cordial brand is now available in the UK! Add water for a…

Next... my bum! I want it to be as big as possible Walking through the supermarket, my eyes were transfixed on the toy aisle. Barbie’s long, blonde locks glistened under the bright lights. Her pearly white smile beamed back at me. ‘Stacy!’ Dad called. ‘Come on, we’re in a rush.’ My parents were very religious. As Jehovah’s Witnesses, they didn’t celebrate birthdays or Christmas, and I wasn’t allowed to play with dolls. But, around 5, I longed for a Barbie doll to dress up in colourful clothes. ‘Please,’ I’d ask Dad. But he’d tell me to focus on Bible study instead. Because of my strict upbringing, I felt like an outsider at school. I was bullied by the pretty girls. So when I hit my teens, I rebelled, stopped going…

The next bloke who walks in is getting asked out... For me and my workmate, it was a normal evening on the nightshift… Me, grumbling over a cuppa about the fact I was 29 and still single. ‘It’s been 18 months since I had a boyfriend,’ I moaned. ‘I feel like a flaming nun.’ It was December 2010 and I was working as a night traffic planner in Bristol – organising lorry drivers and their routes. I munched on a digestive thoughtfully and came up with a daft bet. ‘Right, that’s it!’ I said suddenly. ‘The next bloke who walks in through that door is getting asked out with us.’ ‘No way! You wouldn’t dare,’ she laughed. ‘Watch me!’ I cackled. Moments later, another colleague, Kelvin Johnson, walked in. I…

Serves: 4 Prep: 15 min Cook: 25 min Cost: 95p 1 Mix together ¼tsp each ground turmeric, ground nutmeg and ground ginger, plus ½tsp each ground cumin and ground coriander in a small bowl. 2 Heat 2tbsp oil in a frying pan and fry 1 chopped onion on a low heat for 10 min. Remove onion and add 1tbsp oil. Turn up heat, add 500g sliced courgettes and fry for 2-3 min per side. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves, the spice mix and onion. Fry for 2 min, stirring, and season to taste. 3 Heat the grill to medium. Whisk 6 eggs with 100ml milk in a large bowl, stir in a handful of chopped fresh herbs (parsley, mint and chives) and pour over the top of the courgettes. 4…

Micellar Cleansing Facial Wipes, £1.29, Superdrug Great for late nights, these sensitive-skin wipes will dissolve make-up without causing irritation. Your Good Skin Soothing Micellar Cleanser, £5.99, Boots Apply onto a cotton pad and use until there's no make-up left on your skin. A gentle way to cleanse without rinsing. Simple Micellar Facial Gel Wash, £4.99, Tesco Nourishes your complexion as it cleanses, for softer, smoother skin. Nivea MicellAIR Oil-Free Micellar Gel Eye & Lip Make-up Remover, £3.59, Superdrug This newly formulated gel removes even waterproof make-up without any rubbing.…

A hitman? I couldn’t believe what I was hearing Was she all talk or willing to go through with it..? As the Latin music played, I shuffled my feet on the dance floor. It was 2007 and I was at a salsa bar with friends. It was a lively place and everyone was dancing. Suddenly, I caught the eye of a stunning woman with thick, dark hair. With her bronzed skin and dark eyes, she was gorgeous. ‘I’m Maria,’ she said, introducing herself. ‘But everyone calls me Lulu.’ We spent the night chatting. Lulu told me that she had moved to Texas from Mexico. At 34, she was a single mum to two kids, then 12 and 8. I also had three kids of my own from a previous relationship,…

Delayed wee Q Sometimes I go up to 12 hours during the day without a wee! Is that safe? Oxana, 32 A We make an average of about 1.5 litres of urine every day but this varies enormously according to how much you've drunk and how much fluid you're losing through sweat. Going 12 hours or longer can be quite normal but if it happens constantly, despite drinking plenty, see your GP. Dribble concern Q Recently I've started dribbling when I eat, and sometimes when I'm talking or even doing nothing. How can I stop it? Evelyn, 58 A Ask your doctor about any drugs you're taking, as dribbling might be a side-effect. Dentures that don't fit properly can be to blame, so see your dentist if you wear them.…

She was gone. I held her in my arms and sang to her... My little girl was helping me cook and that only ever meant one thing. A mess! Flour dusted everywhere, including in Sherry’s blonde hair, spilt milk pooled on the kitchen worktop. But I didn’t mind. Sherry loved cooking and, at the age of 4, she was already a mini Mary Berry. ‘Come on, Mummy,’ she ordered as we made her favourite, cauliflower cheese. ‘Stir the sauce.’ I had to laugh. An only child, Sherry was the light of mine and her dad Shannon’s life. You’d often find me singing Stevie Wonder’s My Cherie Amour to her. ‘My cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore...’ In time, of course, my pretty little one grew up. But she…

Unconditional love I was horrified to read about people making nasty comments about little Vitoria (issue 46, 16 November). I admire her parents for ignoring them. As we always say, beauty's in the eye of the beholder. No matter what disabilities a baby may have, we love them unconditionally. Let's hope these cruel people never have a child who looks different to others. June Channon, Falmouth Silly Grandma… My granddaughter, six, was helping wash the dishes and some marks weren’t coming off. I told her to use some elbow grease, to which she retorted, ‘Mummy says I should just use a sponge and Fairy Liquid.’ Denise Roberts, Clwyd Cheers, bro! Jack, my brother, came to visit my newborn son, who was just six hours old. I couldn’t believe my ears…

Serves: 10 Prep: 20 min Cook: 40 min Cost per serving: 40p 1 Preheat oven to 180C/ Gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm-springform tin. Soak 55g pitted prunes in 50ml brandy for 30 min. While soaking, beat 3 medium egg yolks with 140g caster sugar in a bowl until thick and creamy. 2 In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt 200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces, with 2tbsp water. Stir until smooth. Slowly add 110g diced, unsalted butter. Pour chocolate mix into bowl with egg yolks, and gently fold in. Sift 100g ground almonds and 40g cornflour over the mixture, add the prunes and brandy and gently fold in. 3 In a clean, dry bowl, whisk 3 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir…

1 You can go any time There's never a bad season to visit the island. With 300 days of sunshine a year and an average temperature of 24ºC, you're practically guaranteed great weather. 2 Make a splash There are plenty of water sports for adrenaline junkies to enjoy in Gran Canaria - from jet-skiing to parasailing. Or, for those who prefer to stay dry, enjoy a trip on a glass-bottomed boat. 3 Shop till you drop Make your way to the capital of Las Palmas for the best shopping experience on the island. The shopping malls offer plenty of choice - try FEDAC stores for gorgeous, locally made souvenirs. 4 Be at one with nature Thanks to its sunny climate, Gran Canaria abounds with unusual plants. See some for yourself…

After over a year in custody, on 21 January 2016, Vera Maresova was acquitted of murder. The court found there was no direct evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that she’d killed patients. ‘I wanted to faint when I heard the verdict,’ she said. Stibor appealed the decision on the spot, but Vera’s acquittal was upheld. Vera sued the state for damages, and demanded five million koruna in compensation. Her claim was partially met, and she received one million koruna (around £35,000).…

She didn’t understand why she was different She was a little bundle of pure perfection. When my daughter Emily was born in January 2015, me and fiance David, 26, were besotted. ‘Meet your baby sister,’ we told her brother Bailey, then 3. I’d been induced with Emily at 38 weeks, when scans showed she wasn’t gaining weight. But when she was born weighing 5lb 1oz, doctors were confident she was healthy. Back at home, we soon settled into a routine of feeds, nappy changes and naps. Emily seemed a little slow in her development – but all babies are different, I reasoned Then when Emily was 6 months, she was diagnosed with a chest infection and admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital. There, she underwent tests. Doctors were concerned she was…

I managed the London marathon during treatment! We are a group of friends having a giggle... As I sat in the doctor’s office, it hit me like a ton of bricks. ‘I’m really sorry, but you’ve got breast cancer,’ the doctor said gently. That word cut through my heart like a knife. Cancer. ‘Are you sure?’ I asked, trying to hold it together. Two weeks earlier, in December 2011, I’d found a small lump in my right breast. I often got sore boobs before my period. And I’d just put the lump down to hormonal changes before my monthly cycle. How wrong I was. I drove myself home in a daze. My husband Phil, then 46, was working away in Grimsby. And my kids, Charlie, then 13, and Lily, 11,…

I’m heading back to my home-from-home By Gail Ritchie, 51, from Aberdeen I was in Chat in 2014, after winning £1,000 in the Chat Mag Bingo Sapphire room and me and my partner Ray, 64, had jetted to Benidorm. Back home, I still played. And last June, I clicked on the 75-ball Bingo Lounge room where tickets were 10p each. There was a buy two tickets get two free promo running! I watched the balls called… Then the last number on one of my cards was called… First, I’d won £200 on the full house – and, as I’d won the full house in a set number of ball calls, I’d bagged the progressive jackpot of £1,505, too! I’d thought winning my first jackpot had been a one-off! ‘Ray!’ I…

Growing up, girls who enjoyed sex were called ‘easy’ Therapies include vaginal steamingand ‘yoni gazing’ Sex, vagina, orgasm… Did you cringe reading those words? Or giggle? Well, you wouldn’t be here without vaginas in the world – and yet some folk are still so embarrassed to talk about sex. As a result, many women and men know very little about the ‘mechanics’ of female pleasure and arousal. Putting up with about two and a half minutes of boring sex, and the lack of pleasure from male-focused intercourse. I found this from my own journey of sexual discovery. I grew up in Lincolnshire in a loving, down-to-earth family. Sex wasn’t something that was spoken about much. It caused embarrassment, or even shame. When I started having sex as a young woman,…

As the train drew nearer, the kids’ mouths fell open... Hiking down the side of the marshy hill, the kids skipped ahead, laughing and playing. Me and my husband Jon, 38, walked hand-in-hand behind them. It was the October half-term last year, and the start of our next adventure. Staying in a bothy – like a shepherd’s hut – in the Scottish Highlands, we couldn’t wait to begin our holiday. It was blustery and spitting with rain, but we’re a family who love the outdoors. We’d stayed in a bothy around 20 times before, and our kids Ellie, 12, Ben, 10, Rebekah, 8, and Allysa, 6, loved it. As we neared our hut, we had to cross a loch. Using a Canadian canoe Jon had bought six months earlier, we…

I became a pop princess and our fan base grew Music is in my blood. At 12, I had my first guitar. My parents were both musicians. Mum was in a band. So I wasn’t surprised when, one day, my brother Colin suggested we do the same. ‘Why not?’ I laughed. It was 1964, I was 19, Colin was 17. It’d be great fun! We quickly formed a band, with Colin on bass, our friend Peter on drums and Chris on guitar. I was the lead guitarist and singer. We decided to call ourselves Yakity Yak. Covering classics, with some comedy impressions thrown in, we started playing local pubs and clubs. It went down a storm! Over the years, we built a fan base. I became a bit of a…

Charles was a big lad – and I mean BIG. But such a gent You know what it’s like when you’re flicking through Tinder. Dodgy moustache? Doesn’t like kids? Swipe left. But then, if you’re lucky, you’ll clock a nice smile or something cheeky that makes you giggle. Charles Pask’s profile had both. A cute grin on his picture, and a bold comment. ‘If you’re shallow, don’t swipe right.’ Looking at his picture, I could guess what he meant. Charles was a big lad. And when I say big, I mean big. But I was intrigued, so I swiped right and discovered he was 37, an accountant, and trying to lose weight through Slimming World. ‘Good luck! Let me know how it goes!’ I messaged him. I’d lost 2st with…

Aries 21 March - 20 April Sometimes you’re dealt a card that’s not immediately useful, but you keep it for later. In the same way, what you learn this week isn’t what you wanted to hear, but could help make your future at work more secure.… Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May It can be a battle to make any progress at times, yet often it’s effortless, as it is now. It’s all about knowing the right people, and having them open doors and wave you through. Make the most of it while you can! Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June Two decisions this week. One’s easy, so you grab it quickly. The other is trickier - it…