Innehållsförteckning för November 2025 från Pick Me Up! Special

Boo! We’re celebrating all things spooky in this month’s Pick Me Up special. You’ll find it packed with Halloween tips, pics, and on p50 there are some deliciously terrifying treats to bake at home. There’s your usual bumper crop of true crime and real life too. My heart went out to Luisa who lost years of precious family snaps to social media hackers. Learn how to keep yourself safe on p40. And if you want a Halloween experience with a difference, you’ll find Roz and her mannequin graveyard on p60. We’ve got puzzles, fun and bargains galore too, so turn the page and get stuck in.…

Charlotte Conn, 27, Ingleby Barwick, Teesside The smell of toast drifted into the room as I sat down on my nan’s sofa to watch cartoons. Moments later, she appeared with a tray. ‘Dippy eggs and soldiers,’ she said, setting my dinner down in front of me. It was 2002, I was 5, and Nana Lin, then 53, always picked me up from school. Looked after me while my mum Elaine, then 33, was busy working at her HR job. Nan took me to dance class, stopping at the shop to buy me some sweets on the way home. She was the best! But as time passed, Nan started to slur her words, grew unsteady on her feet. As I was still so young, I barely noticed. But when I turned…

Wren Harris, 43, Leicestershire Cobwebs gathered in the corners of my parents’ attic, a spider scuttled along the floorboards, but it didn’t bother me. Climbing the loft ladder, I crept into the darkness, poking around to see what I could find. I loved looking at bits and bobs, digging up treasures from times gone by. Picking up a box marked ‘jumble sale’, I tentatively opened the lid. Inside, a pile of old books stared back at me. A thick, heavy black book, titled Cult & Occult, grabbed my interest. I was 12, had never seen anything like this before. I devoured the pages. My eyes widened as I read about witchcraft, casting spells and the history of paganism. I squirrelled it away under the eaves. Over the next few months,…

According to Guinness World Records, how many centimetres long was the longest ever baguette, served with Nutella in May 2024 to celebrate the product’s 60th anniversary? Fit these numbers into the grid. One number doesn’t fit. This is the answer. 3 digits 132 135 167 308 372 452 467 539 693 900 4 digits 1218 2390 3373 4220 4422 5320 5387 6577 6805 7159 7396 7607 8603 5 digits 14053 28827 30953 31926 41133 48506 50102 61608 69935 75302 77797 85699 6 digits 133548 208935 347227 7 digits 1347704 7522473 8003942 8 digits 27365323 31392893 39663705 42474020 Your answer:…

1 PLUMPING POWDER Great for adding lift at the roots, PS… Volumising Hair Powder, £3, Primark, is designed to create volume and body when applied to your strands. This lightweight powder boosts thickness by creating volume at the roots to fake thickness. Massage into your scalp then brush out for a boost of fullness. 2 MIRACLE MASK Hair masks have so many amazing benefits, but this bargain buy’s main benefit is plumping. Garnier Ultimate Blends Watermelon Hair Food 3-in-1 Hair Mask, £8.99, Boots, is formulated to help boost the volume of fine hair. It’s packed with vitamins C, E and F to nourish, strengthen and add shine. Use twice a week. 3 GROWTH GUMMIES Sometimes, boosting from within is the best option, and UKhair Hair Vitamins, £20, Boots, is one…

SAVE SPEND SPLURGE…

Acodeword is like a A crossword puzzle but there are no clues! Every letter of the alphabet has been replaced by a number, the same number representing the same letter throughout the puzzle. To start you off, we’ve revealed the codes for three letters. Once you’ve filled in these letters throughout the puzzle, you’ll have enough info to guess words and discover other letters. Use the letter checklist and letter grid to keep track of the letters you have found. ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ…

Meringue ghost pops Boo! These lollipops are great for adults and kids alike MAKES 7 PREP 20 MINS PLUS COOLING COOK 1 HR ● 150g egg whites● 300g caster sugar● 50g dark chocolate, melted You will need: ● Large piping bag● 1.5cm plain piping tube● 7 lollipop or cookie sticks (not plastic)● Small disposable piping bag● Baking sheets, lined with baking paper 1 Heat the oven to 100C Fan/Gas ½. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Slowly add half the sugar, a spoonful at a time, whisking well after each addition, then whisk in the remaining sugar. 2 Spoon the mixture into the large piping bag fitted with the plain piping tube. Pipe ghost shapes onto the baking sheets, at alternate sides of the sheet so that there’s…

NUMBER JIG ANSWER: 14,053 WORDSEARCH ANSWER: MELBOURNE SPIRAL XWORD ANSWER: GRIEG THREE IN A ROW ANSWER: RAVENS ARROW WORD ANSWER: PIONEER CODEWORD WORDWISE ABET, ABETS, ABSENT, AMBER, AMBIENT, AMBIT, BAIRN, BAIT, BAITS, BANE, BANES, BANISTER, BANS, BANTER, BANTERS, BARE, BARES, BAREST, BARM, BARMIEST, BARN, BARS, BASE, BASER, BASIN, BASINET, BASNET, BAST, BASTE, BASTER, BATE, BATES, BATS, BEAM, BEAMS, BEAN, BEANS, BEAR, BEARS, BEAST, BEAT, BEATS, BEMA, BENT, BERM, BEST, BESTIR, BETA, BETS, BIAS, BIER, BINE, BINS, BISTRE, BITE, BITER, BITES, BITS, BRAE, BRAIN, BRAINS, BRAISE, BRAN, BRANT, BRAS, BRAT, BREAM, BREAMS, BREAST, BRENT, BRIM, BRIMS, BRINE, BRINES, BRIT, EMBAR, EMBARS, IAMB, NABS, NIBS, RABIES, RIBS, SABRE, STAB, TABS, TIMBER, TIMBERS, TIMBRE, TRIBE ANSWER: TRIBESMAN SUDOKU SUDOKU THE BIGGIE ANSWER: AN AMERICAN TRILOGY JUMBO PUZZLE ANSWER: TABLE MOUNTAIN LINKWORDS MODERN, FINGER, ANIMAL,…

Sagittarius 22 November – 21 december Remember, remember the 5th of November, when Mars rockets into Sagittarius, firing up your temper. Don’t burn out. Tread carefully after the 10th. Call 0905 789 4158* and choose weekly, monthly and yearly updates Capricorn 22 december – 19 January Watch for communication slip-ups after the 10th – you risk your true feelings emerging accidentally. At November’s end, a stalled situation gets going again. Call 0905 789 4159* and choose weekly, monthly and yearly updates Aquarius 20 January – 18 February Potentially a big month for your career and relationships with authority. Hidden or ongoing issues could erupt. Negotiate any changes before the 10th. Call 0905 789 4160* and choose weekly, monthly and yearly updates Pisces 19 February – 20 March Double-check travel plans…

If actor Austin Butler could only listen to one Elvis Presley song for the rest of his life, what would it be? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares for the three-word answer. ACROSS 11 Shriek (6) 12 Capital of Scotland (9) 13 Comedian, _ Stirling (4) 14 Royal, regal (8) 15 Educate (5) 16 Root vegetable (6) 17 Film, _ of the Lost Ark (7) 18 Going to sleep for the winter (11) 20 Fourth month (5) 22 Oceanic bird (9) 24 Large stringed instrument (5) 28/60 Director of Pulp Fiction (7,9) 29 Army officer (7) 32 Continent (6) 34 Long race (8) 36 Minus (8) 37 Give up work (6) 39 Pupil (7) 40 Ballroom dance (7) 45 Disney film about a deer…

J.Lo Love don’t cost a thing, and neither does bed and board for this chancer. In 2013, guards patrolling Jennifer Lopez’s posh property in the Hamptons, New York, didn’t notice a 49-year-old ex-firefighter sneak into her back garden. After bedding down in her plush pool house for a full week, he even uploaded pics to Facebook before finally being spotted by workers. He was arrested and charged with burglary, stalking, possessing burglary tools and criminal contempt. Luckily, the singer wasn’t at home at the time. Brad Pitt In 1999, Athena Marie Rolando, then 19, broke into heartthrob Brad Pitt’s Hollywood home through an open window. Once inside, she dressed herself in Brad’s clothes and got into his bed. When a housekeeper discovered her under the covers, 10 hours later, the intruder…

Eric Morecambe plays ‘all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order’ in a sketch featuring music by which composer? 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 answer. 1 Relating to France (6) 2 Dinner jacket sash (10) 3 River running through Vienna and Budapest (6) 4 Infinite time (8) 5 Pull sharply (4) 6 Leg joint (4) 7 Famous physicist (8) 8 Most badly behaved (10) 9 Bicycle for two (6) 10 Study of weather and climate (11) 11 Showing signs of tiredness (7) 12 Board used to access a ship (9) 13 Large marsupial (8) 14 Normal, customary (8) 15 Colour of the rainbow (6) 16 Undomesticated…

Spanish baked egg Simple tomato sauce with a runny egg, perfect for dunking toast into! SERVES 1 PREP 5 MINS COOK 20 MINS ● Low-cal cooking spray● 25g red onion, finely chopped● 100g tinned chopped tomatoes● 1 garlic clove, crushed● Pinch smoked hot paprika● 1 medium egg● 1 slice wholemeal bread, toasted 1 Heat the oven to 160C Fan/Gas 4. Spray a small pan with cooking spray, then cook the onion over a medium heat for 5 mins until soft. Add the tomatoes, garlic and paprika and cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Season to taste. 2 Spoon the sauce into a ramekin or shallow ovenproof dish, make a small well in the sauce, then crack in the egg. Put in the oven for 15 mins or until the egg white…

Danielle Searle, 37 Scrolling through my camera roll, I should have been beaming. It was September 2015, and like most mums, my phone was full of photos – of my twins Connor and Alex, both then 3, and my baby, Hunter, 4 months. I’d just taken a few new ones of them cuddling. Adorable. Except in each pic, Hunter’s pupils were glowing white and I knew what that could mean. My husband Adrian, then 27, had survived childhood bilateral retinoblastoma, causing tumours in both of his eyes. A hereditary disease, when we had kids we knew that white-glowing pupils in photos were a sign. Now, here they were in our newborn baby. Next day, the GP sent us straight to the oncology ward at Princess Margaret Hospital, where our fears…

Megan Atkins, 24, Desborough, Northamptonshire Abunch of blue balloons floated into the air and I let out a squeal of excitement. ‘It’s a boy!’ I announced, throwing my arms around my partner Jordan, then 21. It was May 2021, and at 16 weeks pregnant, we were having a gender reveal party at a local football club. I was thrilled to know I was carrying our son. But deep down, as we celebrated with friends and family, I was worried. I’d only been with Jordan for three weeks when I’d found out I was expecting. Although we’d known each other for years, growing up in the same town, we’d got together after connecting on social media. He’d been brilliant when I’d told him I was pregnant. ‘I can’t wait to have…

Kaylee Thompson, 35, West Yorkshire Waiting by the front door, I picked up my backpack. Checked my toothbrush and favourite horse-print pyjamas were inside. ‘Ready, love?’ my mum Helen, then 26, smiled. After calling for my brother Sam, then 6, we both piled into the back seat of the car. It was June 1994 and we were heading over to my auntie’s for a sleepover. My cousin Michael, then 17, was going to babysit while Mum and my auntie let their hair down for the evening. Only 4, I loved it when Michael looked after us. Arriving at my auntie’s house, we headed upstairs. ‘Be good,’ Mum smiled. Changing into my PJs, I climbed into the double bed in Michael’s room next to Sam. Tucking us in, Michael said goodnight.…

ARGYLE KNITS STYLE TIP Have a go at print clashing and pair with other checks. The key is to team with smaller checks so the argyle can take centre stage. CORDUROY SKIRTS STYLE TIP Play around with textures. Corduroy looks striking paired with leather, or add a corduroy jacket for a bold head-to-toe look. LACE-UP BOOTS STYLE TIP Ditch the white socks and create a tonal look with shades of cream, beige and brown, keeping the length below the calf but above the ankle. COATS STYLE TIP Go for an oversized fit that will allow you to layer with chunky knits.…

YOU WILL NEED ✱ Two pairs of jeans (if purchasing the jeans from a charity shop, buy the largest you can find. A light and a dark pair will give the best contrast and, ideally, the denim would have little to no stretch in it) ✱ 46x86cm lining fabric ✱ Seam ripper ✱ Sewing machine with denim needle ✱ Embroidery threads ✱ Embroidery needle ✱ Heat-erasable pen ✱ Cutting mat ✱ Quilting ruler ✱ Rotary cutter Finished size 38x42cm NOTE Sew 2cm seam allowances, and press seams open throughout unless stated otherwise. 1 Using a seam ripper, remove the belt loops, waistbands and back pockets. Cut away any zips, buttons and buttonholes, then tidy up any stray threads. Cut the two waistbands to the same length, then topstitch the raw…

Kirstie Gabriel, 32, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire Growing up, all I ever wanted to do was work in a hospital. I’d play doctors with my dollies, lining them up on the carpet and pretending my bedroom was a ward. When I finished school, I studied healthcare. And by the time I was 20, in 2013, I was working as a healthcare assistant at Bedford Renal Unit, caring for outpatients with kidney failure. There, I fitted IV needles and checked dialysis machines that filtered blood for patients whose kidneys weren’t working. I loved chatting with the patients. I saw the same faces at least three times a week for treatment. Most were over 50, as the risk of developing kidney failure increases with age. Talking to them about their families and lives outside…

Becca Heritage, 25, Southampton Rushing into the bathroom, I dropped to my knees and threw up. Must’ve been something I ate, I thought. It was November 2018 and I was studying medicine at university in Southampton. That night, I’d been out for dinner with friends. But now, in the early hours, I couldn’t stop being sick. ‘Are you OK?’ my friend, who was staying over, asked. I grimaced. Hours later, I was still throwing up. We called 111, who sent an ambulance to take me to Southampton General Hospital. In A&E, doctors gave me anti-sickness tablets and by midday, things seemed to have calmed down. But then, I collapsed. My heart rate was sky high, I had a fever and my blood pressure had dropped. I felt clammy too. ‘What’s going…

Gemma Griffiths, 30, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire Spotting my daughter across the playground, I gave her a wave. Dressed in the cutest pumpkin costume for her school’s Halloween disco, chocolate around her face, she’d clearly had a blast. It was October 2024, and Ella-May, then 5, was just weeks into her first term at school. ‘Are we walking home?’ she asked. I nodded, taking her little hand in mine. It’d only take 20 minutes. But as we set off, Ella-May sat down on the pavement and wouldn’t move. ‘Mummy, I’m really tired,’ she sighed. Putting it down to all the excitement, I called my husband Dan, 31. Bundling our other kids Charlie, then 2, and Mabel, 9 months, into the car, he picked us up. ‘An early night will sort her…

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In May 1999, a teenage girl walked into a Hong Kong police station. Ah Fong, just 14, trembled as she told police that for weeks she had been haunted by the ghost of a woman. The ghost, she said, had been bound by electrical wires, tortured and left to die. At first, the police dismissed Ah Fong, putting her story down to teenage nonsense. Until she made a horrific revelation. She told officers that the ghost she was seeing was a woman who she’d helped to torture. Was this more than a scary story? Police followed Ah Fong to a third-floor flat in Hong Kong’s Kowloon district. And there they made a sickening discovery. Inside the flat, stuffed into a large Hello Kitty mermaid doll, was a severed head. In…

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Showbiz royalty John and Chrissy looked incredible when they dressed up as actual royalty. Singer John’s take on the late Duke of Edinburgh admittedly had more hair, but the couple nailed the regal attire, with Chrissy, 39, opting for the late Queen’s matching overcoat and hat while John, 46, wore full military dress uniform. Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry as the Clintons Singer Katy, 40, is known for her OTT Halloween costumes – in the past she’s dressed as both a hamburger and a Cheeto – but in 2016 she managed to get then-partner Orlando, 48, on board. The former couple used prosthetics to transform into Bill and Hillary Clinton. They even convinced friends to wear full black…