Pick Me Up! 12-Apr-2018

When I was 24, my mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I was devastated, but Priya was so supportive. She came to visit Mum in hospital with me, and while Mum was having treatment she made me dinners, was always there to talk to and gave me a place to stay as her house wasn’t far from the hospital. Even after she had a baby, her door was always open to me. When my mum came home with me, Priya always called to see if we needed anything. When Mum passed away in July 2015, Priya drove all the way to my house late at night to make sure I was OK. Her whole family were good to me. My dad passed away from cancer, too, just two years after…

All aboard! My daughter Jennifer, 8, couldn’t stop smiling on our trip to the Making of Harry Potter tour! Samantha Twist, St Helens This mischievous monkey thought my head would be a good place to snooze, but I wasn’t so sure! Claire Essex, King’s Lynn I love this selfie of me and my lovely mum Kay. I think we look rather glamorous! Genna Cooper, Cheshunt Who could resist kissing this face? My nephew Conor is already a dashing young fellow! Eileen Webber, Lancaster After many years of trying, I finally passed my driving test with flying colours! Jonathan Morrison, Bracknell My wife and I were blown away by the beautiful blooms on display at this amateur flower show! Tony Harper, Plymtree Here’s me loving my trip to the Bahamas! Gillian…

It was my torture chamber. There truly was no escape Memories from the milking barn came flooding back Whenever I tell people I grew up on a farm, with acres of land and bucket-loads of fresh air, I always get the same response... ‘What a lovely childhood you must’ve had,’ everyone says. Inside, I want to scream. If only you knew! See, all my memories of that time are tainted. I lived on the farm with my parents, grandparents and mum’s brother Arthur. Arthur, who was in his late 20s back then, always made a fuss of me. ‘You’ve got to learn the ropes, kid,’ he’d say, showing me how to milk a cow. Then, one day when I was 5 years old, I went upstairs into Uncle Arthur’s room.…

The pain came back as I was busy making my dad’s dinner. ‘Oh, no, not again,’ I grumbled under | my breath. Dad clocked me wincing. ‘Shouldn’t you get that checked out, love?’ he asked me, looking worried. ‘It’s just a tummy ache,’ I told him, pasting on a smile. The last thing I wanted to do was make him worry. My dad, Peter, 65, had kidney failure and I was his full-time carer. Diagnosed five years earlier, only a transplant would save him. But he’d never been well enough survive the op. He spent much of his time in bed or hooked up for dialysis. He was so weak, there wasn’t much he could do for himself. With my children Shannon, 21, and Thomas, 17, all grown up now,…

Signature Love Online boutique Signature Love features beautiful gifts for babies, children and pets. Pick Me Up! readers can get 10% off orders placed before 19 April. Use code PMU10 when you check out at signaturelove.co.uk Soften and protect The fantastic Cetraben range of emollient skin products is on offer, with 15% off until 24 April in Boots stores nationwide and online at boots.com . Products include the daily cleansing cream, which is now just £6.79. Cool treat Make your own gourmet ice-cream cones with deliciously decadent Salted Caramel Ice Cream from Morrisons. The 900ml tubs are 2 for £3 (usually £2 each). Offer ongoing. Top tresses Cantu creates award-winning haircare products. Until 24 April, save a third on the range in Superdrug stores and at…

Tea clean Soak your dishes in warm water with a couple of used tea bags to break up the grease and loosen stuck-on food without using harsh chemicals! Dion Daly, London In the bag When travelling with a suitcase, keep a plastic bag handy – it’ll keep the case and its contents dry if it starts to rain! David Anderson, Sunderland Bunting fun We recently moved house and my daughter couldn’t decide which wallpaper she wanted in her room, so I cut diamonds out of the samples and made some bunting. Now she can look at a bit of each one she liked! Karen Floyde, Barnstaple Go bananas! I’d been looking for a banana tree for a while, so I made my own! I simply bent a wire clothes hanger…