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picture perfect

My cousin's Pomeranian loves to sit on her treadmill if she's not using it. So I bought her some sweatbands - now she really looks and feels the part! Gillian Jackson, Todmorden I love this photo of my sister Helen, 73, meeting ‘Charlie Chaplin' at a drinks party in London recently. Ann Rowe, Plumstead Here are my children - Harry, 10, and Rosie, 6 - enjoying themselves dressing up to go to see Alice in Wonderland . Joanna Hoskin, Carterton Specs-tacular! My daughter Aliyah Mae, 3, made us laugh with her stylish frames! Gemma Clayton, Nottingham Not so nutty… this lovely squirrel visits us every day for his treat! Heather McEwen, Norwich We couldn't believe it, when we found out we were expecting a baby after eight years of trying. Our baby boy is due in March 2020 and we…

the five year itch

Lynn Watt, 55, Blackpool Peeking through the window of the Indian restaurant, I wondered if my date had arrived yet. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door. My first date in years. I’d been craving company. See, it was 2008 and the last 12 months had brought endless trauma. I’d split from my husband, and lost close relatives. I just needed a little comfort, someone to put a smile back on my face. Just then, a tall, grey-haired man with smiling eyes walked in. ‘You must be Les,’ I said – recognising him from his online pictures. We’d chatted on a dating site. Les, 48, an engineer, seemed calm, stable, exactly what I needed. And as I sat down opposite him, I must admit, it wasn’t love nor lust at first sight. But I wasn’t looking for another husband. Les…

just genius

Picture perfect I wanted a picture for my newly decorated bedroom so made one myself by cutting out a section of wallpaper and putting it in a cheap frame. I was very pleased with the result and it pulled all the colours together well. Tina Saunders, Crowborough A cut above the rest If the key from a tin of corned beef is missing, simply use your scissors instead and it will open with ease. Pamela Hamer, Gowerton Sofishticated To get rid of the smell on your hands after preparing fish, rub some butter on them before washing with warm water and soap. Kelly Martin, Morley A fruitful tip For a more eco-friendly way of wrapping presents, I use brown paper and decorate it by stamping with cut-out shapes from fruit, such as lemons, dipped in paint. Linda Whitehead, Sheffield Water great idea! I…

a gift from the grave

Rachel Goodchild, 30, south London Turning at the bar, I bumped into a man. ‘Oh, sorry…’ I began, then froze as my eyes fell on the stranger’s huge smile. ‘I’m Jude,’ he grinned. It was early 2013 and I was out with friends. Giving this Jude the once-over, I liked what I saw. And as we chatted, there was an instant spark. Arranging a date for the following week, we discovered we both loved new restaurants, trips to the beach, were both gym bunnies. Jude was gentle and charming. By October, we’d moved in together. And in May, I found out I was pregnant. Not exactly planned, but we were excited. When our daughter Serenity was born in January 2015, Jude fell in love all over again. ‘I want to make her dreams come true,’ he’d say. A year later, we moved…

payback...for what? you’re the judge!

On 5 May 2017, a former concierge at a luxury block of flats in South Boston, USA, entered the building where he’d once worked. His name was Bampumim Teixeira, 32. On the 11th floor, in the penthouse suite, lived Colombian Lina Bolanos, 38, and her British partner Richard Field, 49. And that’s where Teixeira was heading. Both doctors and anaesthesiologists, Richard and Lina were a happy and hardworking couple, described as ‘dedicating their lives to caring for others’. Lina arrived home first, at around 5pm, followed by Richard at 6.30pm. Over the next few hours, five phone calls were made from their apartment to the emergency services. Four times, they hung up or the call was disconnected. The fifth and final time, the line was silent. Desperate messages Meanwhile, across town, the couple’s friend Matthias Heidenreich received a text…

what 's the verdict? guilty

The jury of nine women and three men deliberated for eight hours over two days. Finally, Bampumim Teixeira was found guilty of the first-degree murders of Lina Bolanos and Richard Field, as well as kidnap, armed robbery and home invasion. And as the judge Mitchell Kaplan made his closing statement, his shock was clear. ‘Quite frankly, in this case, I don’t have any words for closure,’ he said. Last December, Teixeira, 33, was handed two consecutive life sentences, without the chance of parole. Lina’s mother Ana spoke through an interpreter after the sentencing. ‘She loved Richard very much and he loved her. They were a gorgeous couple,’ she said. ‘He was the love of her life and they will love each other forever in heaven.’ Outside court, she added, ‘I know I will never get to see…