Índex per 26 September 2024 a Chat

Welcome to this week's Chat… If you're a parent, you know how much you fret about your kids. So spare a thought for Emily, who has extra reasons to worry about her little girl (p10). Lola suffers with allergies and the list of things that can cause a dangerous reaction is truly terrifying. Even a kiss from her granny! It's a lot to deal with for anyone, let alone a child. Not that you'd know it from looking at her big smile. What a little star she is. Have a great week, PS If you're entering the puzzles online, this is the link to use: comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

TRUE-LIFE Shira Javaid, 51a The sound of bass boomed from my son's bedroom. My mum Jai, 74, looked at me, half laughing, half rolling her eyes. ‘It's OK, I'll go,’I told her. I made my way upstairs and tapped on Sachin's door. ‘Too loud?’ he asked and I nodded, sitting on his bed. He turned the dial down, carried on packing his clothes into a huge suitcase which lay open on the floor. ‘I'm going to miss you,’ I told him. ‘Me too,’ he replied, giving me a big squeeze. It was September 2022 and I'd been a single mum to Sachin, 18, and his sister Aimee, 16, since 2006. Until Sachin was 8, we'd lived in London. Then in 2012, we'd moved to New York to be with my…

Actor Mindy Kaling says her biggest challenge is being what? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to discover the two-word prize answer. WIN £1,001 Puzzle 4 ACROSS 11 Continent (6) 12 Study of finance (9) 13 Greek god of war (4) 14 Most rapid (8) 15 Have a wash (5) 16 Place surrounded by water (6) 17 Before the present (7) 18 Meanings of words (11) 20 Planet's path (5) 22 Choice (9) 24 Berkshire racecourse (5) 28 For the most part (7) 29 Squeezed sharply (7) 32 Take place (6) 34 Clark Kent's secret identity (8) 36 Jewellery item (8) 37 Marked correct (6) 39 Inhale and exhale (7) 40 For this reason (7) 45 Have faith in (5) 47 A building (9) 48 Shovel (5) 51 Dramatic production (11) 53 Place from which flights depart (7) 55 Curved yellow fruit (6) 56 Band (5) 58 Physical exertion (8) 59…

Could it be prostate cancer? Q My 58-year-old husband has recently had a really high PSA blood test result and a kidney infection. He's waiting for examination results and I'm worried that it could be cancer. Belinda, Norwich A Not all prostate problems mean cancer. Infections, inflammation and noncancerous enlargement can also increase PSA (prostate-specific antigen) levels. Which is why PSA tests aren't used for routine prostate cancer screening – they can be wrong about 15% of the time. Many men feel frustrated that the NHS doesn't do regular PSA tests because of these inaccuracies. So, while we don't know why your husband's PSA is high right now, consulting a urologist and getting a scan can help clarify things. My sex life has vanished Q I'm 49 and have no…

WIN 2x £25 Puzzle 9 Larus argentatus is the scientific name for what common British bird? To find out, solve the puzzle… Add a letter anywhere in each of the boxed-off words to fit the clue, eg, Use a razor = SAVE + H = SHAVE. Write the added letter in the space provided. Read down the added letters to spell out the prize answer. Use a razor Smallest Forest French hat Recoiled Serpent Boasts Croons Leap Defeats Ebony Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

As well as being twinned with each other, Bristol and which other city also share twinning arrangements with Bordeaux in France and Beira in Mozambique? Solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 1 Pushchair (4) 5 Wash with clean water (5) 7 Small horse (4) DOWN 2 Harry Potter's friend, _ Weasley (3) 3 Bartender from The Simpsons (3) 4 Stumble (4) 6 Pigpen (3) WIN 4x £20 Puzzle 13 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

I can't stop sleeping with my ex Q My ex and I broke up six months ago but we've slept together a few times since. He says he still loves me but doesn't want to get back together. We broke up because of constant arguments, but we've staved friends. He says it's over but every time we hang out we end up in bed. The sex is great, but I always feel bad afterwards. Hayley, 27 A You've got yourself caught up in an emotional whirlwind, petal. And it can be really hard to let go when there's clearly still chemistry there. But this bloke is having his cake and eating it too. You don't need to be stuck in limbo like this - if you can't stay out of bed when…

TRUE-LIFE Emma Spencer, 35, Benfleet, Essex Watching my fiancée inject a needle into her leg, I flinched on her behalf. ‘You're so brave,’ I told Lucy, then 27. It was December 2022, and this was what starting a family looked like for us. I'd popped the question two months before, but we'd decided we wanted to start a family before the wedding. Despite working as a paramedic, I'd always been terrible with pain, so I felt daunted by the idea of birth. ‘I'll do it,’ Lucy had said. Now, she was taking the fertility drugs, hormones and pain in her stride. It'd been a rough ride. After finding a sperm donor at a clinic in Brighton, we'd tried two rounds of intrauterine insemination, where the donor sperm is placed directly…

WIN £500 Puzzle 18 The answers to all but one of these quiz questions can be found hidden in this wordsearch grid, reading forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally. To help you, we'll tell you that the answers are in alphabetical order in each section. However, one answer can't be found in the grid. This is your prize answer. DOWNING STREET CATS 1 The title of the official Downing Street resident cat since 2011 is chief _ to the Cabinet Office, referring to the duty of the cat in question? (6) 2 Winston Churchill's pet cat, which lived with him in Downing Street between 1940 and 1944, was named after which English admiral, known for an 1805 battle? (6) 3 What name has been shared by three Downing Street cats,…

W7 Mixology Eyeshadow Palette, £9.95, w7makeup.co.uk Create endless day and night looks with this autumnapproved eyeshadow palette, which offers 16 flattering shades, in both matte and metallic, for under £10. Starface Hydro-Star Recovery Patches, £10.95, Superdrug Use these protective patches as damage control after picking a spot or blemish. They work by absorbing fluid, minimising redness as well as preventing unsightly scarring. Kitsch Hair Wax Stick, £12, beautybay.com Slick and secure strands with the help of this allday hold hair stick. The solid stick keeps hair looking polished without creating a greasy or sticky finish. H&M Wash Bag, £12.99, H&M This sturdy, two-tiered wash bag holds everything you need for your holiday or weekend away. Sold in five bold colourways, this is a must-have for travelling. Nails Inc Runway Ready…

TRUE-LIFE With one last check other make-up, Sabina Nessa, 28, headed to meet her friend in a local pub. Sabina loved her job as a primary school teacher. She adored children, and her year one pupils thought she was brilliant. But it was Friday night and she was ready to let her hair down. Checking the time, Sabina realised that she was late. She didn't stand a chance as he hit her 34 times She'd have to take the shortcut through Cator Park, near her home in Kidbrooke, London. It was usually a no-go zone at night for her. It was 17 September 2021 and just after 8pm – and it was already getting dark. But she didn't want to keep her friend waiting. So the park it was. She…

Puzzle 2 Spruce Puzzle 3 Venice Puzzle 4 A majestic eagle Puzzle 5 1B,1C,2B,3C,4C Puzzle 6 Help Puzzle 7 Saucer Puzzle 8 Scuti Gatwa Puzzle 9 Dover Castle Puzzle 10 Bassoon Puzzle 13 Lewis Puzzle 14 Norman Puzzle 15 Libya Puzzle 16 Watching herself act Puzzle 17 Potion Puzzle 18 Collins WE WON! Chat winners issue 26 (27 June 2024) £1,001 CASH I Finney, Doncaster £500 CASH J Saunders, Chatteris J Sweet, Maidstone £250 CASH L Houghton, Malmesbury T Bowtell, Alton £200 CASH S Furniss, Castleford £100 CASH J Bell, Reading S Ouate, Pudsey E Duncan, Peterhead £50 CASH S Smith, Leigh-on-Sea C Ford, Bristol S Moles, Bristol N Yeovil, London S Hughes, Tamworth E Palmer, Stockport £40 CASH A Pearce, West Molesey £30 CASH W Faint, Boston D McBrearty, London £25 CASH J Banfield, Norwich J Broom, Halesworth £20 CASH L Meades, Coventry H Toplis, Ripley B Audley, Bedford P Hind, Derby S Ellis, Nuneaton J Johnston, Manchester A Knapton,…

I still remember gazing through that cafe window, seeing those smiling families inside. It was September 1982 and I was 8. I longed to feel that joy. Instead, I just felt empty. There were no happy times in our squalid home in Hackney, north London. No food or running water. Me and my brothers, then 6 and 5, wore dirty, smelly clothes. My parents, both alcoholics, disappeared every night, staggered home stinking of booze. Mum, a sex worker, even brought clients back. Horrifying. My only safe place was school, with kind teachers. But one night, in August 1983, when Mum and Dad were gone, a gang appeared outside our house and threw rocks through the windows. ‘I'm scared,’ one of my brothers wept, as glass shattered onto the floor. Next…

Emily Jones, 33, Portadown, Co Armagh My mum strolled through my door with a brown coffee shop bag, delicious smells wafting out. ‘I got you a hot chocolate,’ she smiled, plucking my baby Lola, then 7 months, from my hip and bouncing her on her knee. It was April 2019, and I was on annual leave. Lola was teething, and grabbed a milk sachet off the table, then chomped down on it. The sachet ripped, splashing milk on to Lola's lips. ‘Whoopsie,’ I said, grabbing a wipe. Suddenly, Lola's face distorted in pain. She started coughing, then screamed. Red angry blotches appeared all over her face, neck and chest. ‘What's happening?’ I gasped. Since I'd started bottlefeeding Lola a few months before, she'd been breaking out in hives, coughing and…

TRUE-LIFE On a hot and sunny afternoon, a group of teenagers explored Alki Beach, in Seattle, Washington. It was 19 June 2020. The teens were having fun with an online trend called ‘randonauting’. Using a phone app, they'd generated random map coordinates, which had directed them to the beach. As part of the game, they were supposed to film a video at their random location. Spotting a suitcase perched on rocks at the shoreline, they went to take a closer look. Joking that the suitcase might contain money or even treasure, they started filming. But what started off as innocent fun, soon took a much darker turn. They later uploaded the footage to TikTok… The video showed a girl scrambling across the rocks. Inching closer to the suitcase, she used…

1 Sleep on your side Snoring happens when there's an obstruction to airflow through the passages at the back of the mouth and nose, which typically occurs when you lie on your back. Struggle to stay sleeping on your side? Dr Tom Davis, medical director at livi.co.uk, recommends trying the tennis ball trick. This involves sewing a tennis ball into the back of your top to stop you rolling over onto your back. Alternatively, sleep with a stack of pillows behind you. 2 Clear your airways Try nasal strips to widen nostrils and let air flow more easily. A decongestant before you go to bed can help if you have allergies and suffer from nasal congestion. ‘If you're a mouth-breather, buy a chin strap to keep the mouth closed,’ says…

84p PER SERVING Meatballs with tomato orzo Packed with plenty of veg, this dish is great for getting goodness into picky eaters! SERVES 6 PREP 15 MINS COOK 20 MINS For the meatballs: • 1 small onion, roughly chopped • 1 small carrot, roughly chopped • 1/2 apple, roughly chopped • 1 garlic clove, crushed • 25g panko breadcrumbs • 200g beef mince • 25g Parmesan, grated • 1 egg, beaten • 2tsp thyme, chopped • 1tbsp olive oil For the orzo: • 2tbsp olive oil • 1 red onion, chopped • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 150g cherry tomatoes, halved • 200g chopped tinned tomatoes • 2tbsp tomato puree • 200g orzo • 1 beef stock cube • 25g Parmesan, grated • 2tsp balsamic vinegar • 2tbsp basil, chopped 1…

20-26 September 2024 Aries 21 March-20 April The autumn equinox on 22 September helps you to find a balance between doing and being. This can be difficult for you, so put boundaries in place. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May The Moon in your sign on 21 September marks a new beginning. Perhaps it's time to start connecting with new people, which could lead to romance. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June Since Jupiter moved into your sign in June, you've had an increase in luck and energy. Keep up the momentum by focusing on what's working in your life. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July While you are not always keen to take the…

Q I have pigmentation after summer – how can I safely get rid of it? Caroline Anderson, Cardiff A Too much sun exposure can increase pigmentation. It can be tricky to shift, but if dark spots have started forming on your skin, try incorporating the ingredient vitamin C into your skincare routine, which can help to reduce their appearance over time. Switch out your regular cleanser for one with the brightening ingredient, like Tesco Kind & Pure Vitamin C Radiant Skin Face Wash, £2.40, Tesco, which is bursting with vitamin C. It ensures your complexion is deeply cleansed and helps to balance your skin tone at the same time. Follow with a serum like Garnier 3.5% Vitamin C Brightening Anti Dark Spot Serum, £12.99, Boots: used daily, it works to boost…

Riley Edwards, 21, from Sheffield What's your best way to unwind on a Sunday afternoon? I love playing on my PS5 with my friends. We have a good laugh while chatting to each other on our headsets. I What was your dreampb when you mere growing up? To be a journalist or an author. I've just finished a three-year course at university studying creative writing, and next year hope to sit my masters. Hopefully, my dream will come true. If you could be any person for a day, who would you choose and why? I'd love to be Bob Marley. I was brought up on reggae, especially Bob, due to the fact that my dad is a massive fan. So to live life as him, especially performing on stage, would be…

What term denotes the theory, from ancient Greece, that diseases were spread by bad air and gases? The answer to each clue (except the first) begins with the last letter of the preceding one. The shaded squares spell out the prize answer. WIN £100 Puzzle 2 1 Poisonous fungus (9) 2 Painting or photograph format (9) 3 Listen in secretly (9) 4 Flightless Antarctic bird (7) 5 _’s Column, London landmark (6) 6 New stone age (9) 7 Humped animal (5) 8 Nevada casino city (3,5) 9 Easy-peeling citrus fruit (7) 10 Emergency vehicle (9) 11 Bird of prey (5) 12 Adrian _, comedian and actor (9) 13 US five cent piece (6) 14 Lariat (5) 15 Egg-shaped (4) 16 Scottish lake monster (4,4) Your answer:…

JUMPERS STYLE TIP Deep V-necks flatter larger busts, creating a balanced silhouette, while round necklines work well for smaller bust sizes. SLEEVELESS VESTS STYLE TIP The knitted vest has made a strong comeback. Great for layering, wear it on its own or with a long-sleeved tee. SHORT-SLEEVED TOPS STYLE TIP The perfect alternative to a basic T-shirt when the temperature drops. It adds warmth without sacrificing style. CARDIGANS FROM £11 STYLE TIP Layer a cardigan over a plain top and high-waisted jeans for a cosy yet chic look. Size up for a slouchy fit.…

3 ways to… avoid pension scams Falling victim to fraud can be devastating. Here's what to be aware of… What to watch out for 1 Reject any unexpected offers. Cold-calling about pensions is banned so you shouldn't be contacted by any company about your pension, unless you've asked them to. Other red flags to beware of include offers of free pensions reviews and guarantees that they can get you better returns on your pension savings. Scammers also often use high-pressure sales tactics, and may try to pressure you with ‘time-limited offers’ or even send a courier to your door to wait while you sign documents, according to Action Fraud. And don't be talked into something by someone you know. They could be getting scammed themselves, so check everything yourself. Check who…

TRUE-LIFE Rachel Quail, 36, Darwen Scrolling through another dating app, I groaned. ‘This is pointless,’ I muttered, chucking my phone aside. It was April 2023 and I was feeling fed up with being single. Most of the men on dating apps only seemed to be after one thing. A busy mum to my 16-year-old daughter, I wanted a relationship. I'd dated someone for a bit after splitting from my daughter's dad when she was 13. But now I was on my own again, looking for love. ‘It's slim pickings,’ I confided to friends. I was lonely but my family and mates picked me up. We'd go out drinking and dancing, having a good time. On Good Friday, my mum, then 57, invited me out to the local boozer, with her…

Boots DermaCare Ceramides Replenishing Mist, £6, Boots Delivering a surge of soothing and radiance-boosting moisture, this lightweight facial mist is essential for any skincare routine. Packed with a triple ceramide complex that supports the skin's natural barrier, probiotics to balance irritation, and hyaluronic acid to deeply nourish and plump, this is soothing and supportive. PS… True Destiny Eau de Parfum, £6, Primark Adelectable blend of bergamot and cedarwood, resting on a heart of peach, vanilla and jasmine, makes for a moreish scent. This bargain perfume not only promises to look so luxe on your shelf, but also smells just like a Jimmy Choo perfume. Just a couple of sprays will have you smelling floral and fresh all daylong.…