Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2024 i Chat Specials

Create an autumnal centrepiece by adding these to your fruit bowl…

Louise Prashad, 31, from York Tucking into yet another hot dog in brine, I couldn’t get enough – one of my stranger cravings, I was still getting used to being pregnant. Me and my now husband Max, now 36, had only been together for seven months when we found out we were expecting in 2015. Neither of us had expected it – I was just 21 at the time. But finding out we were having twins, I had a sudden longing to be a mum. Moving in together, my first two trimesters went smoothly as we got the nursery ready. With the support of my parents Stephen, 67, and Maria, it was all going swimmingly. And at 20 weeks, we found out we were having a boy and a girl.…

Want to bag your new autumn wardrobe at the same time as your supermarket run? With F&F at Tesco you can. On-trend and in style, pimp out your wardrobe for less. There are plenty of dupes hitting the shelves, too… • Available to shop in-store at Tesco now…

Cassidy Rainwater never really had any solid foundations around her. She was searching for her roots, somewhere to settle down and call home. Her own mum, Tracy, had gone missing when she was 18 and perhaps it had left Cassidy feeling a little lost. At 33, a mother herself to six children, maybe Cassidy wanted to find somewhere permanent – somewhere she wouldn’t feel lost anymore. And in summer of 2021, Cassidy found herself sofa surfing around the Ozarks. It was here she found herself around Moon Valley Road. But Cassidy knew the area well – her grandparents had once owned property nearby. Cassidy also met James Phelps here. James was an ex-pastor and a trucker, who resided in a rented cabin on Moon Valley Road. His bestie and childhood…

Autumn Reese, 41 Hearing the front door open, I couldn’t wait for who I’d see next. My husband Jax, 38, had just got home from another day of work as a local handyman in our hometown in Florida. As a stay-at-home mum to our now 11-year-old son and nine-year-old daughter, Jax coming home from work was something we all looked forward to. Only, Jax came through the door with a huge sigh, dumping his bag on the floor. ‘How was work?’ I asked him. For the past few months, I could tell that he was unsatisfied with his day job. ‘I feel like I’m not chasing my dreams,’ he replied sadly. It was the first time he’d ever really complained about work. After all, he was the most caring and…

Nikki Barnes, 28, from Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire Glancing at the kids playing outside, it was a sunny day. On 3 September last year, it was the last day of the summer holidays. And my son Marli, now six, was making the most of it while I cooked dinner. ‘Stay on the street where I can see you,’ I’d told him earlier. That day we were at my Grandad John’s house with my parents Mandy, 45, and Steven, 49, and my two girls Milli-Mae, eight, and Rayne, one. ‘Tea’s almost done,’ I called out to Marli, checking the chicken kievs. ‘Not yet Mummy, I’m playing with my friends,’ he begged, pedalling on his Sonic the Hedgehog bike. ‘Can I have five minutes?’ ‘Yeah, go on then,’ I smiled at him.…

Debra Stuart, 63, from Cambridge Running the tap, I lathered up the soap in the water. But I wasn’t drawing a relaxing bath for myself. Instead, I was preparing it for the gentleman in the corner, looking rather worse for wear. And he was none other than a vintage teddy bear. Don’t you look sorry for yourself? I thought, emerging him in the water. With matted fur and the threads for his eyes coming loose, he’d been through the wars. But rescuing pre-loved teddy bears just like him, bringing them back to life with some special treatment, was something me and my daughter-in-law Nathalie, 35, loved doing. My teddies meant so much to me All my life, I’d been a lover of cuddly little teddy bears. Treasuring a red dragon…

Follow it Solve the puzzle to spell out a term related to the picture. The arrows show you where to put your answers. The answer is spelled in the yellow squares. Your answer ___________________________ Riddle me this Put your brain to the test and solve this tricky riddle. Your answer _____________________________ I have a body, arms, legs and a head, but I’m heartless and have no guts. What am I? Answers on page 60. Spot it Can you spot the 10 differences in the two pictures below? Riddle me this What has 13 hearts but no other organs? Put your brain to the test and solve this tricky riddle. Your answer _____________________________ Answer on page 60. Wordsearch According to research by a dating website, the men in which UK city or…

You can save money, time and effort at your fingertips when you have useful apps downloaded on your phone. Here are some of our favourites to bear in mind… • Download for free on your app store This month Google Lens Have you spotted a flower that you don’t recognise? Or could you buy that jumper cheaper elsewhere? That’s where Google Lens comes in. You can literally search what you see. Using the app via your smartphone, snap what you are after. That could be an instant translation of a menu if you’re on holiday, identifying plants or animals or seeing exactly what that rash on your hand might mean. It can track everything down in just a few seconds. Seatfrog Booking train tickets can be a pain at the…

Waking up at the crack of dawn and checking the back passage behind the pie shop, it’s a must to see if there have been any fresh deliveries overnight. My best-selling pies just wouldn’t be the same without the leanest hunks of meat! And making sure that the operation runs smoothly, I spend the entire morning grinding meat, rolling sheets of buttery pastry and portioning lavish amounts of thick, blood-coloured gravy. That’s all before getting the pies all wrapped up in the oven before the sun comes up. You see, the smell of freshly baked pies wafting in the Fleet Street air is the perfect way to draw in my customers. The scent lures them in, my charm makes them stay and then they buy a few – perfect! And…

Chloe Smith, 27, from Staffordshire Pulling the duvet over my eyes, I squeezed them shut and tried to ignore it. Moments later, I summoned the courage to pull the duvet from my face. Surely she’s gone now…I thought to myself. But when I cautiously peeked into the corner of my room, she was still there. A woman in old fashioned clothes, staring at me. And it was always the same, night after night. I was only eight years old, but I saw people in my room – old ladies, children, even pets. ‘It’s your imagination, love,’ my mum Emma said when I told her. But I knew it wasn’t. As I grew up and went through school, I learnt there was a name for people like me. I was psychic.…

Did you know that out of more than 6,000 UK islands, only 136 are inhabited? BROWNSEA ISLAND, DORSET The largest island in Poole Harbour, Brownsea Island is a must-visit for wildlife lovers. Owned by the National Trust and only accessible by ferry, it has breathtaking views across to the Purbeck Hills. It’s one of the last remaining places you’ll catch an elusive red squirrel in the wild – until 3 November, you can join daily guided walks to help you spot the critters. With lots of habitats including woodland, heathland and even a lagoon, you’ll spot lots of wildlife on your trip. Island admission is free for National Trust members, with the ferry fare on top – for non-members, admission starts from £5. You can catch a ferry from Poole…

HOW TO REGISTER It’s FREE to enter and it’s so easy to do. Just visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com and register by hitting the Create Free Account button, then you can enter as many competitions as you like. Go on, have fun! For website rules of play, go to comps.lifedeathprizes.com/rules. Terms and conditions apply, UK only…

Julie Bigg, 56, from Winchester Bending down to pick my bag up, I felt a horrible pain in my lower back. Oh no, I thought in frustration. Not again. But I was used to it – I’d dealt with horrible back pains for the last 20 years, with flare-ups happening up to six times a year. And each time it would take about six weeks for me to be back on my feet again. I’d spend two weeks in a lot of pain and then the next four weeks recovering. It had started back in the early 2000s – I’d been at an exercise class when I felt my lower back go into a spasm, and the pain took weeks to fully settle. Taking time off work as a nurse,…

Riddle me this page 12 Answer: A SKELETON Follow it page 12 Answer: GARDEN Wordsearch page 28 Answer: CARDIFF The slim one page 47 Answer: SPRING CLEAN Strike it page 47 Answer: QUALIFIED (Cross out: 8, 12, 26, 39, 67, 73, 88) Hide and seek page 3 Answer: 55 Spot it page 22 Riddle me this page 22 Answer: A DECK OF CARDS Brick trick page 28 Answer: SPONSOR Name it page 34 Scream, IT, The Purge, Hocus Pocus, Sinister Word jumble page 47 Answer: ROBOTS Sudoku page 47 Answer: 3, 5, 1…

Little donkey I met this adorable fella at a local farm. He was so fluffy! Rhiannon, Newport Sail away On a trip to Falmouth we hired a boat to sail around the bay and stopped off at a nearby pub. It was lovely, but I don’t think Skye liked the wind. Zoe, Salcombe Snuggle up My kitty Maiko loves to cuddle up under a blanket – sometimes I think she’s more human than cat! Josie, Bath Peekaboo Frankie isn’t keen on the chillier weather – here, he’s trying to hibernate under my pillow. Meg, Chester THAT’S SO BRITISH DASHING OUT TO BUY A PUMPKIN ON 30 OCTOBER TO FIND THEY’RE ALL GONE WRAPPING UP WARM FOR AUTUMNAL WALKS GETTING UNDER A BLANKET AND BINGE-WATCHING A NETFLIX SERIES…

Strolling through my local Waitrose, I had my eyes on the prize. While my husband Rodney, 87, focused on filling up our trolley with the weekly shop, I had other things on my mind. Gazing keenly at other shoppers, I spotted little crumpled bits of paper sitting in their trolleys. Some shoppers even had them between their fingers, checking them before reaching for the next item. If only I could snatch them for myself… I thought. Shopping lists and receipts just drew me in! I wanted to know what people were having for tea, their favourite snacks and sometimes, I’d get the odd insight into what tasks they needed to do, too. Curiosity got the better of me ‘Not another one,’ Rodney would chuckle. He’d grown used to my quirky…

Martin Ralfe, 31, from St Helens Looking forward to a decent night’s kip, my day had felt like a whirlwind. Finishing a full day’s work in December last year, I’d left my wife Sam, now 33, and son Leo, now three, at home in St Helens before travelling to Wales to meet my parents. After receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, my mum Caroline, now 56, was booked in for an oncology appointment the next day. So, I’d offered to take notes for her alongside my dad John, 59. However, with a change of plan, Mum had to be admitted into Wrexham Maelor Hospital at roughly 10.30pm the night before instead. And after staying for a few hours, Dad and I decided to go and get some sleep. I had to…

Ask our doc With Cheryl Lythgoe, matron at Benenden Health (www.benenden.co.uk) Blocked nose Q My sinuses keep getting blocked. All year round, I seem to get no relief. My nose is always blocked and I get sore cheeks. What can I do to soothe it? Grace, Chigwell A We’ve got different sets of sinuses with narrow passages that connect them – one set behind our cheek bones, one behind the bridge of our nose and the ones behind our eyebrows. When any of these become blocked it can make us feel congested, decrease taste and smell, increase mucus or cause headaches. There are many reasons our sinuses may get blocked, from infection to allergies, asthma or nasal polyps. In the first instance I’d make sure you are drinking plenty of…

Do you believe in ghosts, ghouls and bumps in the night? The world is a mysterious place and sometimes a little spooky. Here are some of the most haunted locations around the world… LEAP CASTLE, ROSCREA, IRELAND Standing strong for 700 years, the castle has a foundation of blood. Built by the O’Bannon clan, it was a stronghold for violence, with the family known for their fierce warriors. And after being seized by the O’Carroll clan, the bloodshed increased. The Bloody Chapel massacre took place in the 16th century when one O’Carroll, a ruthless priest, murdered his brother during Mass. The priest is now said to haunt the castle wearing bloody robes. And after dark, a bright light can be seen pouring out the upper windows of the chapel. He joins The…

TRICK-OR-TREAT? Are you a fan of spooky season? The historic town of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, has you covered. Throughout October, there are a whole g-host of thrilling and chilling events in preparation of Halloween. Discover the secrets of Bury St Edmunds through a 90-minute guided walking tour where you’ll learn the history of murder, witchcraft and riots. Or you could sit down comfortably and watch a spooky themed play in the Royal Bury St Edmunds Theatre, such as Dracula. Visit Moyse’s Hall Museum and dive into the mystery of the Red Barn Murder. And to scare yourself silly, The Haunted Village at Kentwell Hall has a live-action experience for groups of eight to 12 people. • Tickets start at £10, visit: visit-burystedmunds.co.uk TICKLED PINK Ready to think pink? We are! As October…

FILM AND TV 1 Which actress is the voice of Sally in the 1994 film The Nightmare Before Christmas? a Jennifer Lawrenceb Catherine O’Harac Tina Fey 2 In over 100 years, how many film adaptations have been made of the Louisa May Alcott classic, Little Women? a 5b 6c 7 3 Which former The X Factor judge didn’t brave the Celebrity Big Brother house earlier this year? a Louis Walshb Simon Cowellc Sharon Osbourne 4 Which of the following is the UK’s longest running soap? a Coronation Streetb Emmerdalec EastEnders 5 In 2023, Harry Clark won series two of The Traitors UK. But what did he do for work prior to appearing on the show? a Evri delivery driverb Lifeguardc British Army engineer SHOWBIZ 6 Rowan Atkinson is best known for playing Mr. Bean on…