Pick Me Up! 04-Nov-2021

Iyawned loudly whilst staring at my computer. It was November 2017, and my job in PR meant meeting deadlines and having late nights. ‘Why don’t we all head down to the gym after work? I heard they do boxing classes, it could be fun,’ my colleague suggested. I loved watching major boxing matches on the telly, but didn’t really think much of a boxing class. ‘Why not? I could do with a break,’ I replied. With that, me and my work friends all headed to the gym. The class lasted for an hour-and-a-half and I loved every single second! As a group, we decided to go back every week – I looked forward to every session. But I soon realised I had a talent for boxing and it was something…

Support Black History Month BOOK OF THE WEEK Three black women building new lives in Stockholm become linked in unexpected ways to the same influential white man. Told through the perspective of each of the three women, In Every Mirror She’s Black In Every Mirror She’s Black by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström is a timely, rich nuanced novel that touches on important social issues of racism, classism, fetishism, and tokenism, and what it means to be a black woman navigating a whitedominated society. A must read this Black History Month. • In Every Mirror She’s Black, £16.99 in hardback, from Waterstones 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…

My pensioner husband David complained of a bad back – he’d been doing a 1,000-piece Lion King jigsaw and it still wasn’t finished! Margaret Anderson, Sunderland I think Petal loves me… Kat Easton, Ysceifiog STAR LETTER This is our new kitten. He’s called Murko and this is his first day at home. He’s settling really well. He’s very cheeky and likes cuddles. Maria Van Raalte, Norfolk Here is my daughter and her cousin. They get on like sisters, I tried to get a nice photo… Vicky Burgess, Malton Burgess, Malton This is my gorgeous granddaughter Mia at 12-months. She was a bridesmaid at my son’s wedding on a cruise ship in Norway. Doesn’t she look adorable? Mary Hadley, Cradley Heath…

Growing up, my son Jack was such a quiet but cheeky young lad. After splitting with his dad when he was three-years-old, it had always just been the two of us, and we were so close. Jack absolutely loved dinosaurs, cars and dragons. Like most boys his age, as he grew, he became obsessed with his Xbox, but he always wanted his mum. I loved that about him. When I met my now husband Andy, 43, in 2009, Jack was super supportive and the two of them got along well. Although Jack still saw his dad, it was nice that he accepted Andy. And when his little sister Lucy, now eight, came along, he was the best big brother. That being said, I think he would have preferred a brother!…

Everything stopped. Nothing made sense. I was in shock. Jack couldn’t be gone. Not my Jack. On 28 July 2020, at just 15-years-old, my darling boy was pronounced dead. He’d taken his own life. Officers allowed Andy and I to see him, but we couldn’t touch him. I just wanted to wake him up. After just 10 minutes, Andy and I were escorted out of the woods. Leaving Jack there – alone. I didn’t ever think he would do this. It never even crossed my mind. It just didn’t feel real. How would we tell Lucy? How would we tell anyone? That night, Andy told Lucy that Jack had a broken head and heart and wouldn’t be coming home. I had to break the news to Jack’s dad. After that,…

It was my cousin’s wedding, the dancefloor was full of life and I was showing off my best moves. I was around five years old, full of energy, spinning around in my pretty dress. ‘Shall we dance?’ my grandpa, Nelson, now 94, asked me, taking my hand. My grandpa was a way better dancer than me and was set on pulling out all of the stops. He span me around and around until I felt dizzy. We spent the whole night dancing together! ‘I can’t wait to dance with you at your wedding,’ he whispered, proudly. I didn’t get to see my grandpa that often as I lived in Virginia and he lived 800 miles away in Florida, but we would try and spend Christmas and birthdays together. My dad,…