Innehållsförteckning för 13 March 2025 från Chat

Welcome to this week’s Chat… If you’ve ever been pregnant, it’s hard to believe that you could be expecting and not know it. There are usually plenty of signs, from morning sickness to growing a giant bump on your front! That’s why stories like Ashleigh’s are so fascinating. Not only did she have no clue that she was about to be a mum, she thought she was infertile. Then out popped baby Ella! Can you imagine the shock? Read her amazing story on p30. Have a great week,…

Josie Clark, 32, Lancashire Climbing into the back of the sports car, my tummy flipped. It was 2002 and, aged 11, my friend Claire had invited me out with some older men she knew. Sitting in the plush leather seats in my school uniform, gazing out of the blacked-out windows, I felt a world away from my normal life. When I was 4 my dad was murdered and afterwards Mum hadn’t been able to cope. So I’d gone into care and had been there, on and off, ever since. Now I’d settled into a new children’s home. Claire, then 15, seemed cool, so I’d jumped at the chance to hang out with her and her friends, even though they were older. As the men drove fast, we squealed. Afterwards, they…

A study by the Endangered Languages Alliance concluded which district in the US was the most linguistically diverse in the world? Make three nine-letter words using all of these three-letter sections and enter them in the grid as the starter letters indicate. Then make an anagram of the letters in the shaded squares to form the answer to this question. RED PAU REA LIN DEC RTE QUA SES TAR Your answer: WIN 5 × £20 Puzzle 3 TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

BLOUSES STYLE TIP Romantic and feminine, offset the busy print with something simple – jeans or tailored trousers will work like a charm. SKIRTS STYLE TIP Make sure you tuck in your top half to show off the waist and create a gorgeous hourglass silhouette. BAGS STYLE TIP A subtle nod to the trend, a printed accessory will lift a more pared-back outfit in an instant. FROM £12.50 DRESSES STYLE TIP Worthy of any spring occasion, a printed midi-dress does all the legwork. Just add a colour-block accessory.…

Amanda Fuller, 53, Portsmouth, Hampshire True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK Slumped on the sofa watching Davina McCall’s documentary, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It was May 2021, and for years now I’d not felt like myself. Angry and stressed, my joints ached. I was tired all the time and I had no sex drive whatsoever. ‘It’s like I’ve died from the eyebrows down,’ I’d joke to friends. I put it down to stress. Keeping my sports-therapy business afloat during endless lockdowns. Going through a painful break-up. Besides, I’d been drinking and eating more and put on some weight. No wonder I didn’t feel sexy. I just felt drab. Watching the Channel 4 doc, Sex, Myths and the Menopause, I had a lightbulb moment. I…

WIN 2 x £25 Puzzle 9 Heinrich and Wilhelm Hildebrand and Alois Wolfmüller began the first commercial production of what items in 1894 in Munich? To find out, solve the puzzle… Add a letter anywhere in each of the boxed-off words to fit the clue, eg, Slopes = RAPS + M = RAMPS. Write the added letter in the space provided. Read down the added letters to spell out the prize answer. Slopes Defensive ditches Fence post Broths Sharp point Chopped up Slightly drunk Set or group Warning light Lumps or knots Speed Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Whoogle? Before the World Wide Web became available in 1993, and Google was founded in 1998, the only way to find stuff out was by opening an actual book. Imagine! Bulky encyclopedias and dictionaries were essential for getting homework done, but they took up a lot of shelf space and so much time to find the right page. Tape it or leave it Online music streaming didn’t become widespread until the 2000s, and buying singles was expensive. Instead, you’d tape the latest tunes from BBC Radio One’s iconic Top 40 singles chart. It meant spending Sunday afternoons glued to the radio, pressing record on your cassette player when your fave songs came on and praying the DJ didn’t natter over the end. Playground perils A fun trip to the park?…

As a little girl, when Tameka dreamt of falling in love, she couldn’t have imagined how life would pan out for her. She grew up, got an honourable job as a prison officer, but she was yet to find that special someone. ‘I started at the Department of Corrections in 2015,’ she explains, describing the job as ‘very tough’. ‘You are around some of the worst criminals in the city of New York all day,’ she says. ‘We use a snap tie so we don’t get choked.’ And you have to have a thick skin. ‘They call you names, at times your co-workers are just as foul as your inmates, so you’re in an environment where you don’t know who to trust.’ So when she received a letter from a…

Quickie kedgeree A great midweek meal or weekend brunch that’s healthy and delicious. SERVES 4 PREP 10 MINS COOK 10 MINS ● 1tbsp sunflower oil ● 1 onion, finely chopped ● 1 red pepper, finely chopped ● 3tbsp medium curry paste ● 325g frozen peas, defrosted ● 500g smoked haddock fillet, skinned, boned and cut into chunks ● 2 x 250g packs microwave basmati rice ● 4 eggs, boiled until hard, peeled ● ½ small bunch parsley, chopped ● Juice 1 lemon ● Mango chutney, to serve 1 Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and pepper and cook for 5 mins until softened. Add the curry paste and cook for 1 min. Stir in the peas, fish and 100ml boiling water. Cover with a lid and cook gently…

Aries 21 March-20 April With Mercury and Venus in your sign, you can attract the right opportunity to make a significant change in your career. So, aim high and stay focused, Aries! ● Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May When unsettled, you feel out of sorts. Now is the time to prioritise the things that bring you a sense of security and stand firm on your most important needs. ● Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June It can be hard to keep things simple as an Air sign. You have a million ideas before breakfast. If you’re overwhelmed, write down your thoughts to gain clarity. ● Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July On 8 March, the Moon makes…

Q I’m looking for a new mascara – are there any good options under a tenner? Nicola Bell, Chelmsford A The truth is that you absolutely don’t have to spend a fortune to get a good-quality mascara. Some of our favourite reasonably priced ones are from the high street and offer results that rival luxury brands. These include Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara, £9.99, Boots, which works to volumise every lash and separate each one for a full-fan effect with a jet-black finish for extra definition. It’s a classic buy that has remained one of the most popular mascaras for many years. Collection Cosmetics Eye On Me Volume Mascara, £4.99, collectioncosmetics.com, is another fabulous option. The jumbo brush creates amazing volume that lasts all day long. Choose from black, brown and…

Chat winners issue 48/49 (5 Dec 2024) Anyone from your town in the list this week..? £1,001 CASH J Taylor, Bishop Auckland £500 CASH S Hardy, Darlington R Price, Macclesfield £250 CASH P Whitney, Market Drayton J Atkins, Norwich £200 CASH B Wilson, Nottingham £100 CASH J Miller, Ellesmere Port L Anderson, Stirling P Hutchinson, Derby £50 CASH L Buttery, Boston I Watson, Ballymena J Foster, Morpeth P Hegarty, Epsom P Foster, Lincoln S Siddall, Accrington £40 CASH J Colecliff, Bathgate £30 CASH R Beeby, Kettering T Billingham, Gateshead £25 CASH S Grundy, Hyde P Smith, Harrogate £20 CASH G L Foster, Cambridge K Betty, Bournemouth M Stewart, Belfast I Emerson, Peterborough S Jones, Fleetwood L Coy, Liverpool A Thomas, Bridgend K Johnson, Stoke-on-Trent E Greenwood, Grimsby J Barron, Coventry…

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WIN £1,001 Puzzle 4 What sort of biscuit does comedian Aisling Bea like to serve with tea? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the three-word prize answer. ACROSS 11 Put up a fight (6) 12 Using one’s ears (9) 13 Opposite of low (4) 14 House with one storey (8) 15 Joint between foot and leg (5) 16 Mad, crazy (6) 17 Hopelessness (7) 18 Amazing (11) 20 _ Newton, scientist (5) 22 Wrong (9) 24 ‘Doing’ words (5) 28 _ Chaplin, comic and actor (7) 29 Christopher _, The Sound of Music actor (7) 32 A Grand _, Wallace and Gromit film (3,3) 34 Fantastic (8) 36 Inability to sleep (8) 37 Evil (6) 39 Keyboard player (7) 40 Part of…

What’s this big lump? Q I’ve been reading and working a lot over the past week and a large lump has appeared on the end of my elbow. It feels boggy and slightly sore, but not painful or red. What is it? Priya, Cambridge A It sounds like you might have bursitis – a fluid-filled lump that forms near a joint, such as your elbow. It’s sometimes called ‘student’s elbow’ because it often occurs when people lean on their elbows for long periods, like while studying or reading. As it’s not painful or red, it’s unlikely to be an infection. Apply ice and take anti-inflammatory medications to help reduce the swelling and avoid putting pressure on it. In most cases, these don’t need to be removed unless they’re very large,…

Ashleigh McClelland, 28, Liverpool Heaving on the zip on my trousers, my workmates all giggled. ‘It’s no use, it’s not budging,’ one said. ‘Let me have a go,’ another said, giving it a tug. Everyone took a turn, but it was hopeless. I was stuck in my trousers. Humiliating. It was February 2024 and, aged 28, I’d put on a bit of weight recently. I’d developed a love of McFlurrys, couldn’t get enough of them. Would nip to Maccy D’s on my lunch break every day from my investment associate job. Enjoy a creamy ice cream with chocolate toppings. Yum! It was no wonder my trousers now felt a bit tight. As me and my workmates all huddled in the ladies toilets, we couldn’t stop giggling at my predicament. ‘I’m…

3 Ways to… save money on your mortgage Could you claw back some serious cash every month with these tips? 1 Take action If you’re on your lender’s standard variable rate, you may be able to save by remortgaging onto a new deal. This won’t be right for everyone because there’s no one size fits all for mortgages, so do your research to find the best option for you. You may find that getting advice from a broker is helpful, though bear in mind that some brokers only recommend mortgages from a select panel of lenders, while others charge fees. Check information on finding a mortgage broker at which.co.uk. 2 Can you overpay? If you can afford to make overpayments, you can save on the total amount of interest you’ll pay, and…

Ten Pound Poms BBC1 ● It’s time to go back Down Under for the second series of the drama about Brits forging new lives in 1950s Australia. The first episode rejoins the story as Kate Thorne (Michelle Keegan) has an emotional reunion with her lost son, Michael, who she had travelled across the world to find. Meanwhile, Kate’s friend Annie Roberts (Faye Marsay) has her hands full after her teenage daughter Pattie (Hattie Hook) gave birth to a baby girl, and she’s not exactly relishing being a grandmother. Warren Brown returns as her husband Terry. DON’T MISS DON’T MISS Belgravia: The Next Chapter ITVX ● Based on the novel by Downton Abbey creator Lord Julian Fellowes, 2020 period drama Belgravia followed the Trenchard family as they moved to the posh…

Morgane Chapman, 25, Stroud, Gloucestershire As a little car pulled up outside my house, I felt excited and nervous. ‘He’s here!’ I shouted to my mum Sue and dad David, then both 44. It was September 2016, and, aged 17, I was about to have my first driving lesson. ‘Good luck,’ Mum said, giving me a squeeze as I dashed out the door. I couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel, get my licence and gain some independence. As I approached the car, the instructor smiled. ‘Hi, I’m Mike,’ he said. Michael, then 56, was a well-known driving instructor in our area. With decades of experience, I felt in safe hands. ‘So, are you at college?’ Mike asked, turning the key in the ignition. I told him I was studying…

WIN £500 Puzzle 18 The answers to all but one of these quiz questions can be found hidden in this wordsearch grid, reading forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally. To help you, we’ll tell you that the answers are in alphabetical order in each section. However, one answer can’t be found in the grid. This is your prize puzzle answer. McGONAGALL 1 In the Asterix books, what is the profession of Cacofonix, or Magonaglix in the Scots-language version, in honour of bad poet William McGonagall? (4) 2 What’s the first name of Professor McGonagall in J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books? (7) 3 The late Dame Maggie Smith, who the professor in Harry Potter, won an Oscar for her role in the 1969 film The _ of Miss Jean Brodie?…

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Alan Dandy, 70, from Burnley What’s your favourite way to spend a Saturday evening? Babysitting our 2-year-old grandson. Our other grandchildren are all grown up now, so it’s been great having a little one in the family again. If you could be anyone else for a day, who would you choose and why? I wouldn’t swap my life, even for a day, as I feel lucky to have a comfortable home, a loving wife and wonderful friends and family. What was the last good deed someone did to help you out? A friend gave us free tickets to watch our local football team, Burnley FC. Brilliant! WE PAY £50 to everyone we feature on this page! Your favourite song ever? Kites by Simon Dupree and the Big Sound. It was a…

L’Art du Deplacement is an alternative name for what sporting discipline? 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 one-word prize answer. WIN £100 Puzzle 2 Your answer: 1 Highest point (8) 2 The _ catches the worm (5,4) 3 Peril (6) 4 Uprising (10) 5 Country whose capital is Managua (9) 6 Having a disagreement, rowing (7) 7 Pungent edible bulb (6) 8 Outer part of bread (5) 9 Culinary measurement (10) 10 Planet whose moons include Triton and Nereid (7) 11 Moving staircase (9) 12 Play park item (10) 13 Portable light (5) 14 Fifty percent (4) 15 Large lidded wine jug (6) 16 Steal, pinch (4)…

Nursing student Laken Riley, 22, was known for having the ‘biggest heart’. Kind and hardworking, Laken had so many plans for the future. More than anything, she wanted to care for sick children. But first she had to finish her studies. In February 2024, Laken was living in student accommodation in the US city of Athens, Georgia, with friends Connolly Huth, Lilly Steiner and Sofia Magana. The girls loved having movie nights, ‘family’ dinners, eating chilli and catching up. They used a phone tracking app to check each other’s location, making sure everyone was safe. A keen runner, Laken competed in marathons. Loved jogging around the woods near her home. Early on 22 February 2024, she did some homework, then pulled on her white trainers. At 8.55am, she texted her…

1 Honey to heal wounds There’s a rumour that honey can help soothe cuts and grazes, thanks to its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and tissue-regenerative properties. ‘This is true, but don’t just use the honey in your cupboard,’ says GP Dr Sarah Brewer. ‘You need a sterile, medicinal honey designed for wound healing, which you can buy in tubes from pharmacies.’ 2 Peppermint for bloating Grow peppermint fresh on your windowsill and add it to boiling water to help ease the full-tummy feeling. ‘Peppermint tea is traditionally consumed after meals to help improve digestion, and it may also be helpful if you have IBS symptoms,’ says nutrition consultant Ian Marber. It contains menthol, which acts as a natural muscle relaxant, helping to alleviate stomach cramps and bloating and to ease the movement of…

She’s a different person Q I feel completely tricked by my girlfriend. We met online and spent the first six months just talking. Eventually, we planned a weekend away, and the chemistry was great. Then everything changed, and now we only meet when she wants me to buy her stuff. She’s like a completely different person. Most of the time, I feel like I just annoy her. Paul, 21 A It’s not unusual for a relationship that started well to go off the boil. It sounds like that’s happened to you. What you need to figure out now is whether it’s worth saving. Is this just a friendship? Let your girlfriend know how you’re feeling and allow her to be honest with you. Clear communication can bring clarity to a…

Stephanie Barwell, 38, Leicester As I danced round the room in my pyjamas, my nan clapped and cheered. ‘You get your rhythm from me,’ she said, giving me a twirl. It was 1996 and, aged 10, my nan Anne, then 52, was babysitting me and my big sister Laura, then 15. The life and soul of any party, with her big white hair and glamorous dress sense, she was always smiling, having a good time. ‘You can stay up late, but don’t tell your mum,’ Nan winked, giving us each a chocolate bicky. Our mum Josie and her sisters Jackie, Julie, Jenny and Janette, were very close. And Nan was like our queen – we all adored her. Nan lived with her friend Tom. They weren’t a couple, just got…

Phoebe Horrocks, 24, Bristol In 2018, aged 18, I had my first lesson with Michael Florek. Like Morgane, he took me to a quiet estate with no one else around. Already anxious, I felt alone and afraid. When he started talking about sexy girls in uniform and asking me about my sex life, I was horrified. Then, halfway through the lesson, he placed his hand on my breast. He groped me as he reached for the steering wheel, and touched my leg changing to fifth gear. Squeezed his hand on my thigh as he taught me clutch control. Frozen in fear, I had no idea what to do. I felt trapped. After that lesson, I was haunted by what he’d done to me. Too afraid to go back, I never…