Pick Me Up! 24-Jun-2021

From the moment my little girl could talk, she’s always been such a caring person. When she was just eight-years-old, Charlotte began raising money for charity, after her friend was taken into hospital. She’s always wanted to help and so before long, she started doing pageant work. As her mum, I imagined it would be like Toddlers & Tiaras, but that’s not the case. Each pageant represents a chosen charity, and Charlotte picked the Royal Sapphire as they raise awareness and money for Crawford House in our local area. Run by The Sick Children’s Trust, Crawford House is a ‘home away from home’ for families with ill children. Close to the hospital, it keeps families together in a time of need. Charlotte immediately knew this was the charity she wanted…

Everyone’s talking about Introducing your new summer essential… teapigs kombucha! The UK kombucha market is set to grow by 33% this year, and teapigs is excited to announce that they will be the first recognised tea brand to make it! So, what is kombucha? Essentially, kombucha is tea that has been fermented using water, raw sugar and a live SCOBY. Available in three tasty flavours – original, ginger & lemongrass and peach & mango. All natural, with no artificial flavours or sweeteners – plus 5p from each can supports communities in Rwanda. • Available for £1.90 per can on www.teapigs.co.uk GET IN TOUCH Send us your stories and photos, including all names and ages, a daytime phone number and full address. E-mail hello@pickmeupmag.co.uk WRITE TO Pick Me Up! Media Centre, Emma-Chris…

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 smiles and happiness. See flyingflowers.co.uk for more details.…

As I sat up in bed, a message pinged on my phone. ‘Hello, I hope you don’t mind me reaching out, but I couldn’t resist,’ it read. I didn’t know the man who had sent it on Facebook, but I felt my cheeks flush crimson as I looked at his profile. It said his name was Andrew Armstrong, 35 - and he was a right catch. Good looking, he had dark brown hair and kind eyes. I replied straight away. ‘Hi, no worries,’ I typed, pressing send. Although we lived in the same area, Andrew was five years older than me, so I’d never heard of him before - he must have found me through his suggested friends. We started chatting nonstop and we hit it off. The two of…

Screaming in my face, he accused me of sleeping with other men once again. ‘How can I be?’ I cried, growing frustrated Suddenly, his hands were gripping my legs and he dragged me out of the bed. Slamming me on the floor, he began kicking and punching me relentlessly. ‘This is what you get for being a sl*g,’ he shouted. I tried to push away from him, but he grabbed hold of my throat and throttled me. Trying to yell out he put his hand over my mouth so no one could hear me. I couldn’t breathe. I’m going to die, I thought. Finally, just as I was about to pass out, he released me. For the next few days, Andrew refused to let me leave the house – it…

Sipping on a glass of water, I felt awful. I’d been feeling sick for a few days now and it wasn’t going away. Working in a special needs school, I needed to pull myself together… and soon. Only, the nausea wouldn’t pass and as the day dragged on, something dawned on me. I’d only felt this way twice before…. Whilst pregnant with my two children, Alice, 13, and Michael, seven. I couldn’t be… could I? My husband Peter, 39, and I were not planning to have anymore kids. We’d just got over the sleepless nights! Only with my suspicions rising, I decided to buy a pregnancy test on the way home from work. Rushing up to the bathroom, my heart was racing. I didn’t know how to feel. And two…