Pick Me Up! 04-Jul-2019

Stepping out onto the busy streets of London with my son Oak, we were on our way to Great Ormond Street Hospital. Oak, then 10, had been diagnosed with autism, Tourette’s and dyslexia. So, he’d been referred for weekly courses. He was quite excited about going to London, but when we arrived, he was shocked by the amount of homeless people. ‘Why is everyone ignoring them?’ he asked. For Oak, everything is black and white, right or wrong and for him, he knew it was wrong. ‘If you want me to come back, I want to bring things to give to them,’ he said after his first session. And so, we started collecting, wipes, toothbrushes, hats, gloves, socks and food. Week-after-week, Oak would hand out his bundle of necessities and…

Why didn’t we think of this?! Brie Reed was so frustrated at being unable to buy tights that fit, it inspired her to launch Edinburgh based tights brand Snag. ‘Traditional tights vary in length, but not by width, so it can be a real struggle for women who don’t have a ‘normal’ body shape to find tights,’ Brie explains. ‘At Snag, our tights are designed by women for women, and cater to all different shapes and sizes - from very tiny to super curvy. We create tights that allow everyone to love their bodies and express their personalities.’ Snag tights start at £6.99, range from sizes 2 – 28+, and come in a variety of height, waist, body shapes and colours. Thank you Brie! www.snagtights.com UNUSUAL BUY An online food…

Send us your stories and photos, including all namesand ages, a daytime phone number and full address.E-mailhello @pickmeupmag.co.uk WRITE TO Pick Me Up! Media Centre, Emma-Chris Way, Abbey Wood Park, Filton, Bristol, BS34 7JU PHONE 01174400607 FACEBOOK facebook.com/pickmeupmag SEE OUR WEBSITE lifedeathprizes.com TI Media Limited reserves the right to reuse any submission sent to Pick Me Up! magazine, in any format or medium. Unfortunately, we can’t return photos without a stamped sae. Letters/photos must not be sent to any other publication.…

Party time! Maddox just turned half a year old. Tyler Boyce, Bristol My son Matthew, 9, won a football tournament on Sunday. Christina Kendall, Hertford My husband Paul and I got dressed up for an Elvis-themed party. It was a great night! Christine Moxham, Bristol Me and my husband John competing in the Marathon des Sables . It was just a tad hot! Sarah Williams, Yeovil My friend Olive trying some fancy foods. We definitely consumed more wine than food! Hattie Bishop, Bristol If your letter makes Star Letter of the week, you will receive some beautiful blooms from Flying Flowers. With over 30 years’ experience of helping celebrate life’s special moments and FREE delivery by post, a gorgeous bouquet by Flying Flowers is a lovely way to celebrate  sharing…

Flicking through the magazine, my eyes lit up - Posh, Baby, Scary, Sporty, and Ginger - they all just looked so effortlessly cool. It was 1998, and at 12 years old, I was in full Spice Girls swing, spending all my pocket money on band posters, stationery and stickers. I was always dancing around my room, pretending to be part of their group. Who do you think you are? Some kind of superstar? I’d sing - it was my favourite hit. I was obsessed. I’d even convinced my mum Linda, then 42, to let me subscribe to their fan magazine - Spice. Every month, the magazine would arrive in the post, and I couldn’t wait to delve into their world. Now, paging through the latest edition, I couldn’t help but…

Over the years, I tried to forget about the past, but it was always in the back of my mind. As a teenager, I would have nightmares every night. I would see myself sitting on Jason’s sofa, watching him unzip his trousers, and I’d wake up screaming. I was flooded with horrific memories of singing to Jason, and I fell into a depression. And, in a strange way, it was the Spice Girls that got me through those years. It was their girl power that gave me the strength to move on with my life. Then in 2004, when I was 18, I met my boyfriend, David. He seemed different to other men, showering me with love and only ever wanting to take care of me. But even then, I…