Chat 17 March 2022

Did someone call for a doctor? My Ronnie makes the cutest little doc! Alexandra Low, Halesowen This is Bella, our 4-month-old sproodle. She makes it look like butter wouldn’t melt! Lauren, West Lothian I love this photo of me with my wife Rebecca, 31, our daughter Ella-Rose, 12, and our son Riley, 8, at a family party. I’m so lucky to have such an amazing family. Adam Key, Norwich Dust bunny! My 1-year-old bunny Buster is so helpful – here he is helping to clean my new flat! Tayla Smith, Surrey I’m a big Bargain Hunt fan, so it was a pleasure to meet telly expert Philip Serrell at his book signing in Sheffield last October! Linda Keen, Sheffield Oh deer! Our son Toby was trying to feed this friendly little guy on a trip to the farm, but the…

Carol Higgins, 52, Pontefract Lying in bed, terrified, I’d hear my parents screaming and yelling downstairs. My dad Elliott, then 26, came home drunk most nights and picked fights with Mum. It was 1974, and I was only 5, but sometimes it felt like my only comfort was my beloved springer spaniel. He’d never hurt me. Not like Dad. Dad had various leather belts, and he’d choose one based on the severity of my apparent crime. He’d hit me with it until he was satisfied by the raised, red welts. ‘Crimes’ included wetting the bed or taking a biscuit without permission. ‘Carry on crying and I’ll give you something to cry for!’ he boomed. I soon learnt to keep quiet. Dad would sometimes take me and my brother looking for scrap metal to sell. When I was 12, he began leaving…

NUMBER JIG How many times are the vowels a, e, i, o and u used in the text of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s 1818 poem Ozymandias? Fit these numbers into the grid. One number doesn’t fit. This is the prize answer. 3 digits 115 168 206 462 482 541 689 723 791 798 950 4 digits 1211 3019 4117 4653 5794 5989 6247 6272 7630 8149 8908 9410 9593 5 digits 15213 16197 23111 23915 31816 52742 61284 62172 72440 75571 90000 6 digits 197011 224166 876119 7 digits 3282764 4461595 9084675 8 digits 11756493 52642157 63637979 67180949 WIN £250 Puzzle 1 Your answer: SPIRAL XWORD The heads of state of seven of the thirteen constituent states of Malaysia, including Selangor, Johor and Perak, use what title? The answer to each clue (apart from the first) begins with the last letter of the preceding answer. The shaded squares will spell out the one-word prize answer. 1 Cluster of bananas or grapes (5) 2 Period drama set in Aidensfield (9) 3 Korean martial art similar to karate (9) 4 Rectangular object (6) 5 1990 Robert De Niro crime film (10) 6 Taunton’s county (8) 7…

Ear’s the thing Lost an earring? Frustrating, isn’t it? But you can always use the other one as a pretty brooch instead. Yvonne Karusseit, Melbourne Eggcellent advice I save the plastic eggs from inside my children’s Easter treats. They are perfect for taking salt or sugar to a picnic or barbecue. The contents stay fresh and dry and it’s much easier to carry than a large container. Mark Attwood, Basingstoke Get to the root of it! I didn’t have time to colour my hair and my white roots were on show, so I used my eyebrow colour to cover up the roots and it looked great. It was enough to tide me over until I had a moment to colour it again. Barbara Walker, Brigg Blind luck If you need to shorten a roller blind to fit your window, use…

Fiona Myles, 56, Salford Holding my boyfriend Brian’s hand, I took a deep breath. There was something I needed to say. ‘I want to have a baby with you, but I don’t know if it’s possible,’ I whispered. Then I broke down in tears. It was October 2003 and, at 37, after nearly a year of knowing my lovely boyfriend Brian, then 23, I was feeling broody. Only, my life had always been a struggle. At just 6, I’d discovered a shocking secret. ‘You’re special because your dad and I chose you,’ my mum told me one night. She explained she hadn’t grown me in her belly like she had my older brother and younger sister. I’d been adopted. My birth mum had given me up as a baby. I learnt that I had an older sister, but she’d stayed with them. I…

STYLE TIP We love the versatility of a denim dress. Smarten this look up by switching the trainers for heeled boots. STYLE TIP Wearing a belt over a longline jacket will cinch in your waist and enhance curves. STYLE TIP Make dark denim work for spring by teaming it with pastel shades and fun floral prints. Stylish staples that you’ll find yourself wearing every day STYLE TIP A denim skirt is a stylish alternative to jeans. Tuck your top into the waistband for a more flattering fit.…