Pick Me Up! 05-Jul-2018

Margaret has been like a sister to me. We’ve been through so much together and it means the world to have her by my side. We’ve been friends for over 22 years. Even when we both got married, it didn’t stop us spending time together. Our husbands became fast friends and the four of us began to spend time together. Between holidays and daily chats we were inseparable. In 2016, she lost her husband John to cancer aged 66. And just one year later, I lost my husband Roger, then 69, to a neurological condition. We were both there for one another and she is still my rock. Wherever we go on holiday we take a photo of our men. We’ve now had matching tattoos on our shoulders. Each has…

This was just what I needed on the seven-hour journey from St Ives to Paddington. A Pick Me Up! on the train home! Ella Bucknall, Lambeth I loved seeing these cheeky apes while on holiday in Uganda. I had a tough hike to get to them, but it was worth it. Claire Essex, King’s Lynn My mum Karen and my kids Kieron, 12, and Paris, 10, all felt a bit green after their Colour Rush for charity. Stacey Hill, Torquay My son and I looking spiffing for Ladies Day at Aintree. Elizabeth Williams, Llanelli I don’t think Ruby, 6, was a fan of feeding the animals after this cow licked her hand. Yuck! Amy Willis, via e-mail My nephew Arthur does a killer impression of Freddie Mercury. ‘Don’t stop me…

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He was always ringing and texting to find out where I was Typing a flirty message into Facebook, I clicked send. James Llewhellin, 27, was my kind of man - tall, dark and handsome. Plus, we got on really well. A friend of a friend, he’d caught my attention the moment I saw his profile photo. We’d started chatting after I mustered the courage to add him on Facebook. In March 2017, after we’d been speaking for a couple of weeks, we arranged to meet at my local pub. Heart thumping as I walked through the door, I saw him sitting at the bar. ‘Katy!’ he said, spotting me. His smiling face instantly put me at ease. After that, we’d spend all of our spare time together, having dates at…

My friends were falling pregnant. Why wasn’t it happening for me? It felt strange that they’d been made nearly four years earlier… A natural-born mummy, that was me! I loved kids so much that, after leaving school, I’d trained as a nursery nurse, worked as a nanny and as a children’s outreach worker. So when Steven and I got married at 23, starting a family was a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if ’. After four years together, we were ready to start trying. A couple of months passed... ‘Not happening yet,’ I’d say. After six months had passed, I bought some ovulation kits and started to track my cycle. However, as my periods came and went, my friends started falling pregnant. ‘Why isn’t it happening for me?’ I sobbed after…

Natural choice Cawston Press sparkling drinks are made with simple, natural ingredients, and they showcase the flavour of real fruit. The range includes Rhubarb, Cloudy Apple, Ginger Beer and Elderflower Lemonade. Their multipacks are down to £2.61 (usually £3.99) at Waitrose until 10 July. Fine dining Young’s Gastro Signature Breaded Fish range includes succulent fish fillets wrapped in a light crumb. They’re two for £5 at Iceland (usually £4 each) until 15 July. Offer includes the sweet chilli, and lemon and pepper varieties. Beautiful  bargains Escentual.com, which sells a range of skincare, haircare, sun care, fragrances and gifts by a number of brands, is offering up to 25% off a range of French brands, including Avène, La Roche-Posay and Vichy. Offer valid 1-31 July. Very pop-ular! Popcorn is the perfect…