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Our pug Bruce, 5, is our little girl’s guardian angel. He never leaves the side of Penny-Lou, 6 months. They make the sweetest pair! Vikki Recsetar, Blackpool This huge salmon sculpture next to my brother Paul was impressive enough before we realised it was actually made from recycled cutlery and tools. What a catch! Philip Ridler-Edwards, Dorset After having her wedding postponed twice due to COVID-19, my cousin Dianne and her partner John are finally tying the knot in July. Here’s a pic of them celebrating! Terri Reid, Glasgow My 5-year-old puss Poppy loves to unwind with a bit of cat yoga. She didn’t seem too keen on the downward dog pose, though! Helen Woffinden, Leeds Our new puppy is the paw-fect poser. Here she is sitting proudly during her first trip to the…

JOHN DUNN, 79, UPMINSTER, ESSEX SAYS: My wife Lesley is my Local Hero. During lockdown, we started watching Monkey Life on TV and loved one of the chimps, Bart, who we spotted on a trip to Monkey World in Dorset. When we were told cheeky chimp Bart had diabetes, Lesley decided to raise money for his care. She challenged herself to virtually walk the 500mile round trip from our house to Dorset, by doing laps of our 60ft drive. Walking 2-3 miles a day since December 2021, Lesley’s hoping to finish her challenge in June. She loves listening to Chesney Hawkes on her Walkman while walking. And when BBC Radio Dorset found out about Lesley’s challenge, they even arranged for Chesney to congratulate her live on air. It really gave her a boost! Lesley, when it comes…

Karen Macdonald, 45, Nottingham Climbing off the bus, I shivered, pulling my coat around me. ‘Thanks, ’ I said to the bus driver as the doors creaked closed. It was a freezing cold night in November 2017, and I was travelling to my boyfriend’s house on the other side of town. After a long bus ride, I was still facing a 40-minute walk in the dark. We’d been seeing each other for a while, but had decided not to live together. Besides, it was nice living on my own. I’d had a difficult previous relationship years earlier. Got hooked on drugs, went to desperate lengths to pay for my addiction. At the time, my three daughters were only little, and they had to move in with my mum. But I turned my life around, got myself off drugs, built…

NUMBER JIG To the nearest centimetre, how wide is the goal’s crossbar on a professional American football pitch? Fit these numbers into the grid. One number doesn’t fit. This is the prize answer. 3 digits 230 288 350 389 409 411 564 577 587 871 925 4 digits 1216 2965 4291 4430 5251 6223 6265 6685 6731 7899 8238 8573 9310 5 digits 10629 11919 17122 19738 29013 42650 49559 61356 81803 84536 88929 6 digits 675674 854939 964157 7 digits 3854055 5268275 6168426 8 digits 17792871 51269945 66174532 80487667 Your answer: WIN £250 Puzzle 1 SPIRAL XWORD Sericulture is the process of producing what natural material? 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. Your answer: 1 Root vegetable (6) 2 Pensive, contemplative (10) 3 The _, 2021 series starring Bradley Walsh (7) 4 Lapsang _, Chinese tea variety (8) 5 Attend a party uninvited (4-5 6 Nun’s dress (5) 7 Oil-carrying ship or lorry (6) 8 Shakespearean star-crossed lover (5) 9 One who looks on the bright side (8) 10 Hand-held percussion instrument (10) 11 The ‘King…

Tablet trick If you’re on medication, cut the named end off the packet(s) and stick on a piece of card to keep in your purse/wallet. When asked at a medical appointment what medication you are on, you’ll have it to hand. Barbara Cable, Camberwell, London Cup of wisdom I hate it when my cups and teapot get stained inside. Put a denture tablet in them with hot water and leave to soak for about 45 minutes, then wash before use. The stains will have vanished! Joan Reilly, Almondbury, Huddersfield A tip fur you Owning a pet is a joy, but if cat fur and dog hairs are a problem just pop on your rubber washing-up gloves, make them damp and then rub your hands over the affected furniture. The hairs will cling to the gloves…

Cliodhna Cosgrove, 29, Belfast Hopping in my boyfriend’s car after work, he looked at me in a funny way. ‘Something’s different about you, ’ he said. ‘You’re glowing!’ I laughed. ‘You flatterer, ’ I said. I was a lucky girl, used to Marc making me feel special. It was May 2020 and I’d met him a year earlier at a friend’s house party. We’d fallen in love and, ever since, he’d treated me like a princess. Buying me little pressies, like cosy new PJs when he knew I had period pains. He’d even surprised me with a proposal on my 27th birthday. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to being made to feel so loved. Still, catching sight of myself in the rear-view mirror, I caught myself agreeing with him. I do look different. Back home, I followed my instinct and…