Chat 27 January 2022

Kerry’s business is the proper dog’s doodahs (p30). Check out those pretty pups! I’m jealous – if I tried to get my beagle into a ball gown, it’d be a shredded pile of taffeta in mere minutes! Don’t forget to send us your fun pet pics. We pay for every one we publish! Elsewhere in Chat, you’ll discover why Effy was deemed a human health hazard (p37) and the miracle that united Cordelia and her stepsister (p10). We’ve got bakes worthy of Mary Berry that are a cinch to make (p40), a guide to the jeans that will actually suit you (p12), and bright bits to add colour to your kitchen (p29). Stay safe and well this week. GET IN TOUCH! EMAIL chat_magazine@futurenet.com FACEBOOK facebook.com/ChatMagazine POST Chat, 121-141 Westbourne Terrace, London W2 6JR CHAT MONTHLY JANUARY OUT NOW!…

My lovely daughter Sue celebrated her birthday recently and her friend invited her for a night out with Ant and Dec… Patricia Cordon, Cheltenham Our horse, Blue, is the most gentle creature we’ve ever known. We love being close to him and he doesn’t mind all those cuddles and kisses from my daughter Catrin. Ceri Collier, Dinbych Our garden fence is the perfect place for our hide-and-seek-loving 3-year-old, Kitti. Andrea Evans, Rhuthun My golden retriever Charlie was not impressed with having to wear his new bath robe after he got soaking wet, following a walk. The look of shame on his face! Laura Smith, Finedon I’m already counting down the days until spring comes round again. Yvonne Karusseit, Melbourne Having a snow day is always a bonus when you’re little, and 5-year-old Tommy had such a lovely time playing outside…

Mary Reading, 54, Liskeard Just hours into my shift, my phone rang. I sighed. Just as I feared, it was the school. No doubt asking me to pick up my son Alex, 12. ‘What’s he done now?’ I groaned, waiting to hear how he’d damaged something or been cheeky. My Alex was a handful, that’s for sure. Bringing him up with three other sons, a stepson and stepdaughter was hard. But I was his mum, I loved him just the same. And despite Alex’s wayward nature, he had a heart of gold. Would play for hours with his stepsister. When he was diagnosed with ADHD, everything made sense. We all accepted Alex the way he was. When he left school, he drifted in and out of jobs, never really settling down. He struggled to find his place in the world. But in November 2010, aged…

NUMBER JIG What do you get if you multiply the population of the Isles of Scilly in the 2011 Census by the number of colours on the Scillonian Cross flag? Fit these numbers into the grid. One number doesn’t fit. This is the prize answer. 3 digits 102 183 274 305 423 605 607 638 740 865 4 digits 2533 2694 3070 3247 6609 6845 7673 8494 8881 9001 9908 5 digits 16934 19538 21512 40945 47370 48879 50894 51857 58954 81752 90072 99411 6 digits 174214 592807 703736 752941 841558 927673 940023 7 digits 2875707 3154094 7033745 8 digits 49124072 WIN £250 puzzle 1 Your answer PIECEWORD Charles Fleischmann (1835-1897) was a pioneer of the commercial production of what food product? The number next to the clue tells you which line the answer’s in. We’ve put a section in to start you off! There may be two Across answers in one line. Down words fill themselves in. The shaded squares spell out the one-word prize answer. 1 Divides into three 3 Bit, informally • Doglike African mammal 5 Work for, deserve • Measurement of land area 7 Consume completely (3,2) • Female…

Knitting knowledge I store my knitting needles in cardboard tubes – it makes it really easy to find the pair I want and keeps them all tidy. Sheila Tivey, Brinsley Fresh feet To prevent my shoes from getting smelly, I pop a sock filled with baking soda into each one. It works for any style of shoe and keeps them odour-free. Corrina Williams, Tyn Y Parc Brush up… To keep your toothbrush super clean and minty fresh, leave it to soak overnight in a cup of mouthwash. Judith Cairns, Rowhedge Crispy chips When cooking oven chips, I place them on a pizza tray. The holes in the tray help them cook more quickly on both sides, without the need to turn them over. Maria Collins, Wickford Sock it to those puddles! Beat the condensation on your windowsills with the simple…

Cordelia Morgan, 22, Minster Snuggled up together on the sofa, I turned up the volume ready to watch Friends. ‘You’re going to love this,’ I told my sister Emily, then 11. Emily smiled. ‘Pass the popcorn.’ The theme tune played out and Emily threaded her arm through mine. A sister, at last! Of course, I loved my little bro Elliott, then 14, but growing up, I always dreamt of having a sister. So when my dad Robert had started dating Emily’s mum Rachel, a year before, in summer 2016, I’d been elated. I was a bit older, at 19, but we’d bonded immediately. I loved introducing her to new bands and telly shows, chatting about music and make-up. Only, while I adored Emily from the off, we were all worried about her, too. She’d caught E. coli after eating contaminated food on…