Pick Me Up! 19-Jan-2017

What A Surprise! We lost so many much-loved faces in 2016, it can sometimes be hard to remember who’s still alive! Take our quiz at www. lifedeathprizes.com/dead-or-alive-quiz What An Escape! My fiance and I went ‘glamping’ recently in the Cotswolds. It was fab to get away, although we did have a few nosy neighbours to contend with… What A Big Step! My friend Kate’s moved to Uganda to volunteer at a school there. She’s working on behalf of Red Earth, a charity that aims to bring better education to children in the area. To find out more, go to www. redeartheducation.co.uk 10 That’s how many years my friends Lauren and Simon have been married. They celebrated their anniversary with a romantic road…

Love birds In South America, I took a snap of these two beautiful birds snuggling up in their tree, paired for life. Isn’t it sweet? Louise Milne, Worthing Ballpit bonanza My 4-year-old daughter Nia was in ballpit heaven during our trip to Apple Jacks Farm. Mari Drury, Ewloe Czech, please! In Prague for my 93rd birthday, here I am having a sit-down with a well-deserved cuppa. Lovely! Sylvia Rowley, via email Chillin’ by the sea Though he’s usually bouncing around, full of beans, my grandson Elias, 7, enjoyed having a quiet moment watching the tide come in at Seaham. Denise Clough, Upper Heyford Look who I met! My own Prince Charming was very sweet when I met him in London! Louise Furtado, Tadworth Cat in the hat You might not…

‘I didn’t realise his abuse was about to turn so dangerous’ ‘He wore me down over time until I believed his lies’ I’d tried everything to sleep. The next morning I was on the early shift. I had to be at the taxi office where I answer the phones by 6am. I needed to be up by 5am, but I couldn’t sleep. My mind was racing, worrying about my boyfriend’s mood. Please don’t come home drunk, I prayed. That afternoon, last July, me and my other half Jamie Bamforth, 27, had gone round to friends for a few drinks, but, knowing I was working the next day, I’d stuck to cola. But Jamie, a driver at the taxi firm, was off the next day, so he was drinking - and,…

‘She’d rung 999 and explained what’d happened’ It was just a normal girlie Friday night in for me and my daughter Lilly-Mae, 6, in October last year. We were having a great time watching telly, staying up later than usual as it was the weekend. ‘I’ll get your pyjamas,’ I smiled to Lilly-Mae at 9pm, getting up to leave the room. But, as I did, I felt an odd but familiar feeling wash over me. I was light-headed, my muscles contracted, my heart racing. I knew exactly what was happening - I was having an epileptic fit. I had my first seizure aged 9, and had a formal diagnosis of generalised epilepsy at 15. My form of the condition means I don’t have a particular trigger. Anything from stress to…

‘We wanted her to run, jump, climb trees...’ ‘So many people told us how beautiful she was’ Before we set off for the hospital, I took a selfie and uploaded it to Facebook. Straightaway, my mates started hitting Like. Fab photo! one wrote. None of them could tell how terrified I was. Because as soon as we’d dropped our little girl Lillie, 5, at nursery, me and my partner Kent, 27, would be making our way to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary. There, I’d be induced. It was 21 July 2014, and although I was 11 days shy of my due date, 1 August, doctors couldn’t risk waiting any longer. Four months earlier, at our 20-week scan, the midwife said we were having a little girl. But there was something wrong…

Nail varnish will last longer and is easier to apply if you keep it in the fridge! Anna Hammett, Neston Add some flowers to an empty wine or Prosecco bottle, and you’ve got a lovely, original and cost-effective display for your table. Angela Garvin, Romford Instead of throwing away a used perfumed wax tablet from your burner, place it inside your bin and put the bin bag on top. Next time you open the lid, it’ll smell great. Margaret Anderson, Sunderland After washing out water bottles to reuse the next day, I place them in an egg stand, so they’re thoroughly dry, and easily found in the morning rush. Leah Finch, Wattlesborough If you want something more unique than a flowerpot, paint an old tyre and fill it with compost…