Pick Me Up! 09-Feb-2017

What A Match! If only..! Sadly, Channel 4’s First Dates maitre d’ Fred Sirieix is spoken for. But, as you can see from my insanely wide grin, I couldn’t have been happier to meet the reality-show heartthrob. 8.5 …that’s how many decades the longest-recorded marriage spanned! Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher, from North Carolina, USA, wed on 13 May 1924. Sadly, they’ve since passed away – both aged 105! What A Practice! From literally wearing a heart on your sleeve with your beloved’s name on it, to declaring your intentions with a spoon, read more weird and wacky Valentine’s Day traditions at www. lifedeath prizes. com What A Show! After the gap left by Channel 4’s Catastrophe…

Uplifting experience I was left buzzing after a spin in this mini hovercraft. It made me feel lighter than air! Shannon Workman, Birmingham Winning smile? My Border collie Duke apparently thinks grinning at me will convince me to let him sit on the sofa! Caroline Smith, via email Practically perfect... Our little girl Shola, 2, was so delighted to ride her first carousel that she said proudly, 'Mummy, I was on the horsies like Mary Poppins!’ Nina Rees, Swansea Mixed message Only the council could get something this wrong! Maria Cowie, Crossgates Solid friendship I made a new mate while I was out and about for the day. I wonder if he’ll be my bodyguard..? K Bishop, Harlow Little STAR This is my 6-month-old daughter Olivia Rose enjoying playtime with…

‘I tortured myself for not staying in touch with him’ Growing up, I often wondered about him... ‘Who’s my dad?’ I’d ask my mum Mandy, now 49. My parents had split when I was 3, and I couldn’t really remember Dad. In my teens, I wanted to know more. So Mum showed me some newspaper cuttings. They were reports about my dad, Jeffrey Shepherd. He’d had a few run-ins with police for petty crimes when I was a baby. Nothing serious, but I understood why Mum had ended things. I was still curious, though. ‘I want to find him,’ I told Mum. She agreed to support me. So I called family members, but nobody knew where Dad was. With such little information, I struggled to make headway. Years passed, then…

‘In August 2013, we celebrated my last bout of chemo’ ‘I started feeling bloated, had gone off my coffee...’ Grabbing hold of the wall, I powered my way to the top. Looking down, my climbing partner beamed at me. ‘Nice work!’ Chris shouted. I gave him a thumbs-up before jumping back down. Bouldering - a type of rock climbing - was my new hobby. Something to take my mind off my divorce... And my cancer. Six months earlier, in November 2012, I’d found a lump in my right breast. I’d just returned from a make-or-break holiday in Spain with my now ex-husband. Shelving our marital problems, I made an appointment at the Bristol Breast Clinic. A biopsy came back as abnormal but inconclusive. Finally, in January 2013, I was given…

If you microwave a lime or a lemon for 10 seconds, you can extract more juice when you squeeze it. Iona Ferguson, Glasgow When no more moisturiser can be squeezed out, cut the bottle in half and store it in an airtight container. That way, you’ll salvage enough to use for several more days. Maggie Cobbett, Ripon Keep sharp knifes and scissors in a drinking straw dispenser – they’ll be easier to find, safer than in a drawer, and out of the reach of tiny hands! Hilda Robson, Chester-le-Street Easily remove tarnish from silver earrings by dipping an old toothbrush, with a little toothpaste, into a bowl of water and rubbing on them gently – they’ll sparkle! Margaret Rymer, Much Wenlock A shoe organiser is great for storing your cleaning…

1 No Greasy Hands  Wrap some folded kitchen roll around a bottle of cooking oil and secur e with an elastic band. This’ll stop the greasy oil drips from sticking to your hands. Valerie Garner, Frome 2 Soften Sugar  To soften rock-hard brown sugar, put a moist paper towel over it and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Jo McCarrick, Bradford 3 Hold On To Your Herbs Keep your herbs wrapped in a wet piece of kitchen roll and they’ll last well past the expiration date. Gill Carey, Hartlepool 4 Dry Veg  Instead of buying a pricey salad spinner, just line a bowl or colander with paper towels and your greens will dry much f aster. Lisa Bowen, Knebworth…