Pick Me Up! 22-Sep-2016

What A Wimp! A friend is so terrified of sharks, he’s trying to overcome his fear... by watching the DreamWorks animation Shark Tale . Good job there aren’t too many sharks here in London! £1,500 I play in a pub quiz where each team gets a raffle ticket. The cash prize now stands at this phenomenal amount! To scoop it would be a huge bonus – especially as our team never actually wins..! What A Rug! I’m thinking I may need to have a re-think about this hairpiece. A few people have told me it doesn’t suit me. I have no idea what they’re on about… What A Memory! Who can forget school trips? For me, memories of mischief spring to mind. Visit www.lifedeathprizes.com/ school-trips…

Little STAR Heading off on her first holiday abroad, my 18-month-old daughter Ella is determined not to lose her passport. Amy Davison, Gateshead In case you didn’t know… Hmm… Can anyone tell me how old my son Sean is? Elizabeth Williams, Llanelli G-Iggle! My daughter Jasmine Rose had such fun when she met Igglepiggle! Stacey Hill, Torquay Perfect pile-up We saw this lovely family of lemurs at a French petting zoo. Tina Saunders, Crowborough Water babies Very proud of my children Owen, 8, and Ava, 5, who both passed their swimming tests! Gemma Breakingbury, Gateshead Cheeky cocktails I enjoyed a Slippery Nipple with my hubby Steven in Fuerteventura. I’d only bought it for the name, but it was actually quite tasty! Amanda Hadley, Cradley Heath Peak position After a tough…

‘Mum didn’t recognise me at first and Dad wept’ Drinks were flowing at a mate’s house in August last year when I got chatting to a familiar face. ‘You were two years above me at primary school!’ I laughed to Jamie Mitchell, 27. As kids, we’d not been close. Now, cracking jokes, he seemed a nice guy. Living in Yeovil, he told me he was a chef. Impressed, I confided that I’d like to do that, too. ‘I’ll get you a job!’ he said. The restaurant he worked in was recruiting and, a week on, I was a kitchen assistant. And I’d bagged more than a job... Jamie and I became an item. Working together all week, we spent weekends at his place. But I was worried I’d lose my…

Sentencing Jamie Mitchell, Recorder Peter Towler said he had to weigh up the ‘extremely serious’ assault on the victim against Mitchell’s difficult upbringing and the progress he’d made in prison. Towler said, ‘I understand you have had a difficult childhood which has caused a number of problems in your life which require treatment. In prison, you have been very keen to take treatment and, in the past, you have shown that you can stay out of trouble and be successful. It’s clear that you’ve made very clear progress in prison and I’m keen for that to continue.’…

‘When I saw him, my heart would skip a beat’ As I prepared the equipment ready to start the dialysis, I tried to make small talk. I worked as a healthcare assistant, and always found it helped to keep my patients occupied with something other than the needle in their arm. ‘Are you up to anything nice after your session today?’ I asked Ethan Gabriel, 23. ‘Not much,’ he replied quietly. He was obviously a bit shy. But in the brief second he looked up at me, I couldn’t help noticing his beautiful eyes. ‘Try not to be nervous, the first time is always the hardest,’ I reassured him. Ethan had just found out his kidneys were failing - the cause was unknown - but he’d need dialysis three times…

Ethan says, ‘After being ill for months, I was finally referred for tests which revealed my kidneys were failing. ‘The doctor was very clear – I needed a new kidney or I’d die, but dialysis could help me survive until I got one. It was a scary time, but Kirstie made me feel at ease from the start. She was so bubbly, friendly and caring. ‘I finally plucked up the courage to tell Kirstie I had feelings about her, and I was thrilled when she said she felt the same. ‘I feel incredibly lucky to have not only been given a new organ, but to have found love, too. Now I can look forward to a bright and exciting future.’…