Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2015 i Chat Specials

Summer may be a distant memory, but how better to welcome the shorter days than with a hot cuppa and a flick through your favourite mag? This month’s issue is filled with amazing stories! Like the Bradford Barbie (p73), a bigamist groom (p66) and the poor woman whose cancer left a hole in her head (p8)! We also have a 23-page mini-mag packed with tales of murder and mayhem, like the evil boss whose infatuation led him to murder (p28), and the cannibal and vampire who plan to marry (p44)! Check out top readers’ tips and cash prize puzzles too. And don’t miss Chat Winter, in the shops from 5 November.…

Strolling around my village, I always turn heads. Well, it’s no surprise. If you saw a woman walking down the street wearing a 50s halterneck dress and cat’s-eye glasses, with victory rolls in her hair and accompanied by five poodles, you would too… Yes, that’s right – I’m a vintage vixen! And me and my hubby Frankie, 49, are a retro couple. I’ve been this way ever since I can remember. Growing up, I was fascinated by old things – especially photos of my mum June and dad Keith, dressed in 50s fashions. ‘People looked a lot more glamorous back then,’ I’d sigh. I also enjoyed old films, like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Girl Can't Help It. The stunning starlets of the time inspired me. And when I turned…

Ever thought the Mona Lisa was missing something? Or maybe Munch's The Scream was just too scary? Well, Russian artist Svetlana Petrova has the pawfect answer. And it comes in the form of Zarathustra. The spoilt ginger cat was left to Svetlana by her mum in 2008. Though she adored her new moggy mate, the loss of her mum hit Svetlana hard. But one friend had an idea… Svetlana had included previous pets in her work, so why not her Mum's well-fed feline, too? Prone to lounging about making silly faces, the quirky cat is as pretty as a picture...…

As the bells jingled, I looked down at my son Harrison, 2, in his pushchair. He was mesmerised. It was early 2013, and we'd been strolling through town, when some Morris dancers started performing. It was so lively, I wasn't surprised Harrison was fascinated. 'What were they doing?' he asked. 'It's a traditional English folk dance,' I said, and later showed him clips online. I assumed that was it, he'd forget about it. But, days later, I heard a racket coming from the kitchen. Harrison was bashing a rolling pin and a wooden spoon together! 'I'm a Morris man!' he shrieked. And by April last year, it'd become an obsession! His face lit up when my mum gave him elastic with bells attached, for his ankles. So I took him…

L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection Purifying Gel Wash, £2.50, ASDA Our skin felt so clean after using this, and we noticed had fewer blackheads too. At that price we can’t fault it! Simple Clear Skin Oil Balancing Exfoliation Wash, £3.99, Boots This worked into a nice lather, and was very gentle. Perfect for those with sensitive skin. Benefit Foamingly Clean Facial Wash, £17.50, Debenhams The bottle looked very chic in our bathroom cabinet. A little goes a long way, and after a few days our skin was spotless. White Brightening Even Tone Cleanser, £29.50, Elemis.com Yes it`s a bit pricey, but we loved this delicate foam cleanser. It smelt great and our skin felt rejuvenated.…

The woman’s face was inches from my own, and beside it, I could see a syringe filled with Botox. It was destined for the small vertical line that lay between my eyebrows. I closed my eyes, ready for the short sting. But the needle didn’t swoop and when I opened them again, I saw that it was my chin, not my forehead, the woman was staring at. ‘If I were you, I’d do something about that line,’ she frowned, pointing just beneath my lips. I didn’t even know I had a wrinkle there. But looking in a mirror, suddenly it was obvious. So ugly. So I agreed for her to inject it with a dose of dermal filler. It was 2008 and I already had my Botox injections on a…

Funny to think all this started because of my sweet tooth… I can still picture myself, aged 9, and in my element, surrounded by cakes, sweets, buns… There were always plenty of treats around, growing up. So I scoffed what I liked and went back for seconds. My parents advised me not to eat so much, but it was a habit I never grew out of. Oh no, instead of that, I just grew – outwards! Just 5ft 3in, by the time I left school, I was 18st. But being big didn’t bother me much then. Until I met my hubby Stephen. After getting married, we wanted to start a family. We tried, but got nowhere. And when I got myself checked out, docs said I had polycystic ovaries. ‘I’d…

There are some things in life worth taking care of. Your family, your health… And for me, there's one other thing. My hair curlers! Back in 1971, I'd begged my first hubby for a set of Carmen Curlers Deluxe for my 21st birthday. At £16, they were dead pricey - but I knew I'd get my money's worth! I'd always hated my limp hair. Not for long… Packed into a vanity case, with a mirror and a light, the 20-piece set was incredible. They changed my life. I've used them pretty much every day since - even now. And, I'm not the only one who appreciates them. When my granddaughter Jasmine, now 20, was younger, she always begged me to pop her long, straight hair in rollers. Now she comes…

As I dished up grub for our miniature schnauzer Norman, he sniffed happily. Dinner! But, as he stood, his back legs buckled and he began shaking. The poor mite. Me and my husband Alan, 56, rushed him to the vet. They said his spinal cord was bruised - but had no idea how it'd happened. They said Norman might never recover. Back home, our poorly pooch couldn't walk on his back legs. We got him a special dog sling so he could walk just using his front legs, while I held his back legs using the sling. Helpful, but a palava and, when it came to walkies, Norman just couldn't do it. 'He's not in pain,' the vet promised. He was probably just fed up. Well,…

Jumping into the pool, I started my usual lengths. I swam every Saturday and Sunday. It was good exercise, relaxed me too. Later that evening, I hit the town with my friends. I was 22, sociable, outgoing and had a job as a carer. I was in a relationship, too. But a couple of months later, in the summer of 2012, I noticed a discharge in my knickers. It was yellowy-green in colour and jelly-like in texture. Yuck! I started using panty liners, hoped it would go away. But it got worse. And when my boyfriend wanted sex, I was so embarrassed about the discharge… ‘I’m tired,’ I said, always making excuses – I felt sick, had a headache, was having a period… ‘Is it me?’ he asked. I shook…

Typing a profile onto my laptop, I read it back to myself nervously. ‘Why don’t you try online dating?’ a friend had encouraged me. Still, I was cautious… I’d read all the horror stories about married men being on the sites, people telling fibs. But I’d been divorced for 13 years, and although my ex and I were still friends, it was time I met someone new. So I’d joined free online dating site Plenty Of Fish… Here's hoping! Soon, I found myself checking the site regularly. When I came home from my nursing job, I’d grab a cuppa and my laptop and scour my latest messages. Then, in September 2011, a Michael Evans contacted me. I run my own business, am going through a divorce and live in Kent,…

Why was Vinter freed to kill again? I was only 13 when I met Carl Edon in the shopping arcade in Middlesbrough. With his blond hair and denim jacket, he was cute! And we quickly got chatting. Soon, we were inseparable… Going to the cinema, sneaking into the Flamingo Land theme park. A couple of years older than me, Carl worked for British Rail. He was kind and caring, with a brilliant sense of humour. And, four years later, he moved in with me and my parents, and kept getting promoted at work. What a catch! I finished school, went to college, and we talked about getting engaged. Then, at my 17th birthday party, Carl got down on one knee. ‘Michelle, will you marry me?’ he asked. Of course I…

The shouts in the playground stopped me in my tracks. ‘Who ate all the pies?!’ At age 10, and already weighing 10st, it couldn’t be directed at anyone but me. Tears filling my eyes, I rushed home. Grabbing a family-sized bag of crisps, I crammed them in my mouth. I dreaded going to school. The other kids were so cruel to me. And the bigger I got, the more I ate. Junk food made me feel better. A vicious cycle. The only time I was happy was when I was acting and singing in school productions. Even though the leading roles always went to my slim, pretty classmates, while I was stuck in the chorus. Being someone else on stage, I didn’t have to be Kim the fatty. By the…

Playing in her sparkly pink bedroom, trotting around in cute outfits and napping in her buggy. My girl, Penelopi sounds like most toddlers, right? Only she isn’t a little human – she’s a micro pig! That’s right, Penelopi’s a pretty, petite porker! At the beginning of this year, I’d looked into getting a miniature pig. I’d read about them, and fancied owning one myself. Me and my husband, Brett, now 41, already had a schnoodle dog, Bailey, who’s half-poodle, half-schnauzer. But with no children, I was hoping to expand our brood. ‘What do you think?’ I asked Brett in March 2014. To begin with, he wasn’t too sure. But I’d done a lot of research and knew that a pig was the right choice for us. ‘Swine not?!’ he laughed,…

I’VE MADE THE RIDE DECISION Getting in the saddle helped me lose 8st I was a big kid, a chubby teenager and a fat adult. Just before my 40th birthday in 2012, I weighed 21st – a massive size 30/32. The tipping point came when I was going to a job interview. Three flights of stairs later, huffing and puffing, I couldn’t even breathe properly, let alone sell myself for the job. Needless to say, I didn’t get it! I was so desperate to lose weight, I even went to see a surgeon about the possibility of having gastric surgery! But instead, I joined Slimming World, and lost 6st in a year, but then reached a plateau. I needed to exercise, but jogging hurt! Encouraged by my husband Dean, who…

Usually when I visit creepy old buildings, it’s to work as a medium at a ghost hunt. But that night in February 2009, I was at a paranormal event at Warwick Castle as the guest of a children’s charity I’d previously raised money for. ‘I can relax and enjoy myself,’ I sighed, happily. Something else was different, too. I normally went to Warwick Castle in the day to sight-see or wander round the grounds. Thought of it as a calm, picturesque spot. This was the first time I’d been there at night. And, in shadows cast by the looming towers, I shivered. It seemed more sinister now… We assembled in the canteen. ‘Just nipping to the loo,’ I told my friends Philip, Carly and Jayne. But when I got back,…

I loved the soothing sound of my sewing machine. Tap tap tap tap tap tap. It was a gift from my dad yonks ago. And I enjoyed making my own Roman blinds. I found it relaxing. My hubby Steven, 53, put them up for me, and it was fab seeing my own handiwork around the house. One of the other many things I enjoyed was a good game of bingo. I joined Chat Mag Bingo a few years ago after reading some of the winners’ stories in Chat Magazine. That could be me, I thought. I used to go to the local bingo hall. But playing from home was so convenient – it meant whenever I fancied a few games, I could just pick up my laptop and play. So…

Lounging around at my mum’s house, I was at a loose end. Pottering online would give me something to do. Getting out my laptop, I trawled through endless YouTube videos, laughing out loud at people’s hilarious escapades. Then I found something really interesting… A tutorial on how to make home-made rocket fuel. Fancy that! It was a five-minute step-by-step guide. Just what every budding Guy Fawkes needed! Seriously, though, the video was not intended to make anything dangerous. It was just showing people how to create a smoke pellet. Hardly in the hazardous explosives category – you could buy them from most joke shops! White smoke shot up and out of the rocket on the online clip, though, and it looked so cool. I could just picture mine now, doing…

FILM/TV 1 Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard are starring in a film version of which Shakespeare play? a A Midsummer Night’s Dreamb King Learc Macbethd Romeo and Juliet 2 Former X Factor winner Shayne Ward joined the cast of which soap in 2015? a Coronation Streetb Emmerdalec EastEndersd Hollyoaks 3 Which actress will play Belle in a 2017 live action version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast? a Emma Bellb Emma Robertsc Emma Stoned Emma Watson 4 Which character from Game of Thrones was seemingly killed off in the last episode of this year’s series? a Jon Snow b Daenerys Targaryenc Tyrion Lannisterd Jaime Lannister 5 Which former Pussycat Doll won the 2015 series of…

Most people love going to the hairdresser’s. Not me, though. Just the thought of it filled me with dread. Why? Because I was scared of their chairs! It wasn’t just at the hair salon either. Restaurant chairs, cinema seats, dentist chairs and even office chairs gave me chills. The sight of one made my palms go sweaty, my knees go weak. Yep, I know it sounds ridiculous. But I had a very good reason for my phobia my massive behind! Every time I gingerly sat down on a seat, I’d have images of it collapsing beneath me – or worse, getting stuck in one. When you’re 25st and a size 32, it’s a very real hazard! Large since I was a teen, the fear had grown along with my podgy…

Nipping into a restaurant with friends, I did what I always did – checked where the loos were. Odd, maybe. But not for me… I suffered from IBS and sometimes attacks would come on so quickly, there wasn’t time to scout out the facilities. I’d just have to run! Knowing where they were gave me peace of mind… It started in 1999, when I was 17. I’d been at my cleaning job when crippling cramps shot through my stomach. ‘Ouch!’ I cried, doubled in pain. I’d never felt anything like it. I went straight to my GP. ‘The pain is caused by spasms in your bowel,’ she said. ‘You have irritable bowel syndrome.’ She prescribed medication. Only it didn’t help… The following year, I went to university, but my condition…

Aries 21 Mar - 20 April People see you as someone who is impulsive. Yet what primes your instincts to make such moves? It is your intuition, which can work very well this month. It can guide you around professional matters, but from mid-month relationships can gain from being tuned in. As far as work and finances are concerned, the New Moon on the 11th can power you to better things when attention to detail can pay off handsomely. • Call 09058 171760 for your year ahead forecast. Taurus 21 April - 21 May Your word power can be awesome as you burst into November, and this can see you at the heart of social activities but also highly persuasive. With Mercury advancing into your sector of relating on the…

How would I live with no forehead? There’s nothing like a new hairstyle to boost your confidence. I’d had a fringe for years but, in the 90s, I started wearing my hair swept back. I felt like a different person! But it meant that, in late 1995, I spotted a lump, about the size of half a pea, at the top of my forehead, in the middle of my hairline! Though I left the lump alone, it didn’t go. And when a few mates commented, I started to worry. ‘It’s probably a cyst,’ my doctor said when I went to have it looked at. ‘Should go away on its own.’ But, six months later, the bump had grown bigger. ‘Can you remove it?’ I asked the doctor. I had private…

I started to wonder, could I get justice, too? It’s strange to think how one small decision can go on to affect the rest of your life... It was the summer of 1984. I was 17. My boyfriend was walking me home after a night out in Paignton, when we had a row. I can’t even recall what it was about, but I’d stormed off. And I’d taken a short cut through the grounds of a big house called Oldway Mansion. It's better lit than the main road, I’d thought. There were a few people about, including one man, about 300m behind me. I carried on walking. He followed me. Something's not right, I panicked, and when I looked around, he was right behind me. He was holding something in…

Tiny fingers and toes were just visible on the scan picture. Alisha, 21, my beautiful daughter, was thrilled. And I couldn’t wait to meet my granddaughter. As a baby, Alisha was my world. She was eight when I married Joe and we became a family. We had two children together – Luke, now 15, and Breonna, 12, who Alisha adored. Independent, at 16 Alisha found a summer job in the flower department at a homeware store, making me so proud. One afternoon, I met some of the staff. ‘Mum, this is my boss Cooper,’ Alisha said. Brian Cooper, but she always used his surname. ‘You have such a lovely daughter,’ he smiled. ‘I know,’ I beamed back. After starting college, Alisha worked at the shop in the summer holidays. She…

We all need help sometimes. But some people just never ask. Like my dad, Tim Clayton, 45. He always looked out for everyone… Such a kind-hearted man. Growing up, he put me and my brother Jacob, now 22, first. And once I’d gone off to uni and my brother had moved to Scotland, he still kept a close eye on us. Only in May 2012, everything changed. Dad and my mum Andrea, 50, split up. They’d had their ups and downs over the years, but I thought they would always be together. Dad took the break-up really hard. Mum decided to move out while Dad stayed in the family home. He stopped looking after himself, and his epileptic fits got worse. It meant he could no longer work as a…

There were two shadowy figures in the dark street. The woman was pressed up against the wall in high heels and a skirt. A man was kissing her roughly, his hands roaming over her breasts. It was 2am and I’d come to pick up my hubby Karl from a night out with his mates. Now I’d come across this couple. I was about to walk away when I realised the man kissing the woman had a jacket just like Karl’s, the same jeans… ‘Karl,’ I cried and as he looked round I saw my hubby’s face. In shock, I hurried off, Karl running after me. ‘I’m sorry,’ he kept calling out. But as we reached the car, I burst into tears. ‘How could you?’ I wept. We’d only been married…

With its quaint cottages and acres of fields, the village of Moorland in Somerset is a beautiful place to live. For 11 years, I lived there happily with my husband, Gavin, 35, and our children, Toby, six, and Elsa, three. But two years ago, something awful happened. The local river burst its banks and flooded our home. I never dreamed this could happen to us. Despite being a mile from a river, living in an old rectory house up on a hill, we never had any problems. When the rain first started falling in December 2013, we took precautions. We’d never been flooded before, but we propped the furniture up on bricks, blocked the doors with sandbags and moved things upstairs. With the water levels rising, I sent our guinea…

I’ll never forget the day I first saw my dad David Winfield looking unsteady on his feet. It was 2004 and he was walking when he stumbled and grabbed my arm to get his balance. Please God, no. Dad was only in his early 50s. Another time, we were having a cuppa when his hand jerked, sending his mug flying. ‘I’m just tired,’ he smiled. But I saw the worry etched across my mum Theresa’s face. And I knew. This wasn’t something a good night’s sleep could cure. Some families pass dodgy eyesight and flat feet down the generations. But there was something darker running in our family tree… Huntington’s disease. An incurable condition affecting muscle co-ordination and leading to cognitive decline and psychiatric problems. In later stages, patients can’t…

Cat in a hat Bertie can't face up to the fact that party season's over..! Vivien McLaren, Alsager, Cheshire Hop to it! Our rabbits Crystal and Spike are now 2. They aren't related but they do everything the same as you can see. Chloe Morris, Ashford, Kent Furry tired Ahhhhh! Life's just one big yawn for my sister Zoey's cat Bailee! Josie Drurie, Ewloe Let’s just wing it! Call Peanut, my African grey parrot – he'll wing over with the right tools! Katie Railton, Erdington Poorly pooch Even after surgery, our dog Saffron refused to compromise on style! Pam McDonald, Lydiate…

When I was a teen, I had a Saturday job waiting on tables for a catering company. I loved it, but not because of the fancy frocks or flowers. What I loved were the balloons! White, gold, silver, pink, purple or blue – they always made the reception look so beautiful. I'd love to do something creative like that, I thought, wistfully. But when I left school, I ended up working for a bank. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great job – but the grey world of finance was about as far as you could get from the colourful world of balloon sculptures. When I married Martin in 1999, I still wasn’t bothered about the fancy frocks or flowers. ‘I want balloons everywhere,’ I told the wedding planner.…

Most people do a double-take when they see me walking down the street. Long, jewel-encrusted false nails, eyelashes sprinkled with diamonds, a shock of pink tresses held up by shiny clips and crystal pins. Not forgetting my glittery stilettos covered in sequins. A rare sight in the West Yorkshire Pennines! But I’ve never wanted to be different. I just want to be me. And five years ago, I found out just who that me was. Back then, I was a bit of Goth, with dark make-up and skull necklaces. I began messing around online when I saw pictures of gorgeous Japanese women. Skyscraper heels, their hair every colour of the rainbow, bling make-up and bright clothes covered in gems… I had a lightbulb moment! ‘That’s me!’ I cried. ‘They look…