Table of contents for 12 September 2024 in Chat

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What does actor Benedict Cumberbatch say is a perfect day? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the six-word prize answer. WIN £1,001 Puzzle 4 ACROSS 11 _ Stone, Basic Instinct actor (6) 12 Metal (9) 13 One who inherits (4) 14 Fungus (8) 15 Person who avoids animal products (5) 16 Red semi-precious gem (6) 17 Blue cheese (7) 18 Small country in Rome (7,4) 20 First Greek letter (5) 22 Long-running game show about letters and numbers (9) 24 English county (5) 28 Stumbled (7) 29 Gives up work (7) 32 Where boats are kept (6) 34 Said again (8) 36 Married men (8) 37 Attractiveness (6) 39 Canadian city (7) 40 Tools for harvesting crops (7) 45 Liz _, former PM (5) 47 Exactly the same (9) 48 Author of Wuthering Heights, _ Brontë (5) 51 Vegetable often cooked with cheese (11) 53…

Spot of bother Q My 13-year-old daughter has started getting acne on her face. What can I do to help, as it’s affecting her self-confidence? Zoe, Banbury A Suggest she follows a good skincare routine with a gentle cleanser designed for acne-prone skin. Choose non-comedogenic skincare products (ones that don’t clog up the pores) to minimise breakouts. Remind her to avoid touching or picking the acne to prevent inflammation and scarring too. Encourage her to lead a healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep. If her acne is severe or causing distress, see a GP who can give stronger treatments, like antibiotics and special creams. Above all, be supportive and reassure your daughter that acne is common and can be…

1 Eat good fats Tweaking your diet to include more antiinflammatory foods could help turn back the clock. ‘Reducing omega-6 fatty acids and increasing your omega-3s can help to lower inflammation in the body and create a robust immune system,’ says functional nutritionist Pauline Cox. Eat less sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, deep-fried foods and sugar and top up on fatty fish, such as sardines and mackerel, eggs and cold-pressed nut oils. 2 Chill in the shower Switching from warm water to cold when showering is great for the nervous system. Our body’s immediate response to cold water is to speed up our metabolism and blood circulation, as we trigger the release of an anti-inflammatory hormone – all brilliant age-busters. Plus, a shot of cold water makes skin appear tighter and brighter. Try it…

My newborn slept in his pram as I lunged and squatted my way around the living room. ‘Just one more!’ Jane Fonda called from my TV. It was December 1989 and my first child Tobias had arrived a few months before. ‘Sleep while the baby sleeps,’ was the usual advice. Instead, during Tobias’ naps, I’d been working out. Aged 26, I’d always been trim and active. But after me and my husband Chris, then 29, welcomed Tobias, being fit felt all the more important. I wanted to be around for my family for a long time. Fitness became a way of life. I was still working out regularly when Poppy was born in June 1994. In my 30s I joined a gym. Started weights and resistance training. Gabriel arrived in…

Spanish baked egg Simple tomato sauce with a runny egg, perfect for dunking toast into! SERVES 1 PREP 5 MINS COOK 20 MINS ● Low-cal cooking spray ● 25g red onion, finely chopped ● 100g tinned chopped tomatoes ● 1 garlic clove, crushed ● Pinch smoked hot paprika ● 1 medium egg ● 1 slice wholemeal bread, toasted 1 Heat the oven to 160C Fan/ Gas 4. Spray a small pan with cooking spray, then cook the onion over a medium heat for 5 mins until soft. Add the tomatoes, garlic and paprika and cook until the sauce begins to thicken. Season to taste. 2 Spoon the sauce into a ramekin or shallow ovenproof dish, make a small well in the sauce, then crack in the egg. Put in the oven…

TRUE-LIFE As I opened the door to my son’s flat, I took one look and burst out laughing. ‘Are my eyes deceiving me?’ I said. It was May 2022 and Ben was 19, single and living in his own place. I’d expected a bomb site. But Ben’s place was immaculate, and he was doing the washing up! Gone was the little boy who’d loved space and car-racing games, replaced with this lovely lad who’d learnt to make chicken curry and had worked hard to get an apprenticeship in electrical engineering. All grown up. ‘What have you been up to?’ I asked over a cuppa. No getting a word in edgeways after that! Ben told me about the parties he’d had at the flat, his driving lessons, his plans to go…

PS… Tropical Body Mists, £3.50 each, Primark Body mists are lighter than perfumes and also much cheaper, so you can afford to play around with different aromas. This new range comes in three fragrances – there’s Hawaii Paradise, a soft floral musk; Maldives Sunset, a tropical blend of sweet almond and caramel; and the refreshing Capri Breeze, which transports our mind to a walk along the beach. Bristows Sol Fiesta Heat Protection, £1.99, Poundland We all know that heat styling isn’t great for hair. Straighteners, dryers and tongs strip moisture, making strands more prone to breakage. Using a heat protector before styling will shield locks, and this one smells amazing, with a sweet, creamy salted caramel and pistachio fragrance. It’s enriched with pro-vitamin B5 to strengthen, and keeps hair safe…

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Neither! When I was at uni I would go to bed at 3am and still make my 9am lectures. Now I prefer to be in bed by 10pm and I hate early mornings! What’s a recent achievement that made you feel proud of yourself? Big or small. Leaving a toxic job and starting something brand new with no experience. I love my job now and they really recognise hard work. It’s made a world of difference to my wellbeing. Tell us your best joke. I went to the high street the other day and all that was left was Specsavers, Boots and Greggs… It’s all specs, drugs and sausage rolls! If you could play any instrument, what would it be? I…

An overlapping double blue plaque commemorating which mathematician can be found in Hull, the city of his birth? 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. WIN £100 Puzzle 2 1 Inflatable item (7) 2 Pasta strings (7) 3 _ Dalí, Spanish artist (8) 4 Wireless set (5) 5 Building with a telescope (11) 6 Shout loudly (4) 7 Red and black-spotted insect (8) 8 Small dark-purple plum (6) 9 Tabloid or broadsheet (9) 10Multi-shot pistol (8) 11 _ of the Lost Ark, 1981 film (7) 12Noise made during sleep (5) 13 Teach (7) 14Quilted bed cover (9) 15Capital of India (3,5) 16Bars of gold (6) Your answer:…

As I walked into the bar and made eye contact with a tall, dark and handsome stranger, I giggled with relief. ‘You look exactly like your photo!’ I grinned. ‘You too!’ he laughed. It was December 2016 and I’d met Tom on a dating app. Now it was our first date and I wasn’t disappointed. As well as handsome, Tom, 33, was funny and kind. He had a job at a recycling plant, worked weekends for a charity supporting young people with autism. A nice bloke and gorgeous, I thought. Thankfully, he was just as keen on me and from then on we were inseparable. In time we bought a house together and did it up. And in November 2022 we started trying for a baby. Soon after, on holiday…

It was shortly before 2.30pm on New Year’s Day 1991 when emergency services were called to a house fire in California, USA. On arrival, they found Karl Karlsen. He said he’d managed to rescue his three children, Erin, then 6, Levi, 5, and Kati, 4, from the burning building. But inside the house, one person remained. Karl’s wife, the mother of his kids, 30-year-old Christina. The fire blazed and smoke poured from the attic, but it was too late. Christina’s lifeless body was found in the bathroom. ‘Mommy’s gone to heaven,’ Karl told his children as they watched their family home smoulder from his truck. Officials determined that the fire began directly outside the bathroom, where Christina had been in the bath. At the time, Karl had been working in…

Q I have a tight foreskin and can’t pull it back. I get white stuff stuck in it and now have a lump. Help! Charlie, Darlington A This sounds like a condition called phimosis, which happens when the foreskin is too tight to be moved over the tip of the penis. The white stuff you see could be smegma – a build-up of dead skin cells, oils and other fluids. Sometimes, smegma may form into white lumps called smegma pearls under the foreskin. Unless you’re in pain or experiencing other symptoms, this is usually not a cause for concern. In some cases, phimosis can be treated without circumcision. Try gently stretching the foreskin, or using creams prescribed by a doctor, to help loosen it over time. It’s important to see…

TRUE-LIFE Sitting at the table across from my new boyfriend Johny, I giggled as he roared like Chewbacca. ‘Stop it,’ I laughed. ‘We should watch Star Wars together,’ Johny beamed. ‘You’d love it.’ It was the summer of 1999, we were in our early 20s and had been dating for a few months. Johny had grown up hooked on Star Wars. In fact, he loved anything to do with space. Documentaries on TV, his phone app that showed him all the constellations. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I wasn’t bothered about Luke, or who Luke’s father was. Fast forward a few years, I’d only seen snippets of the Star Wars films. I found them tedious. But while I wasn’t a fan of Star Wars, I was a…

3 ways to… save on home insurance Don’t pay more than you need to protect your home. 1 Never take it lying down The average home insurance quote jumped by 41.6% in the 12 months to April, according to Consumer Intelligence – the biggest hike since it started tracking prices in 2014. So it’s more important than ever to try to cut costs. Always shop around for the best deal, don’t just let your cover auto renew. Get quotes from comparison sites but also get quotes from insurers that aren’t on them, like Direct Line. And do it early; the cheapest time to buy a home insurance policy is 27 days before your renewal is due, says Go.Compare. If you need to buy buildings insurance as well as contents insurance,…

PS… Poreless Prep + Perfect Pore Blurring Drops, £4, Primark You can’t actually shrink pores, but you can make them look less noticeable. These magic blurring drops glaze over enlarged pores so skin looks softer, smoother and more refined. Q+A Collagen Body Butter, £10, Boots This body whip contains vegetable collagen, a collagen-boosting peptide and nourishing shea butter to firm and plump skin from top to toe. Soft & Gentle Deodorising Body Powder, £3.99, amazon.co.uk This silky powder absorbs moisture wherever you need, preventing chafing and sweat patches. Don’t worry, it’s talc-free and made with 95% natural ingredients. E.l.f. Brow Laminating Gel, £8, Boots Brushing up your eyebrows creates a fuller-looking brow and a lifted appearance, which looks youthful. This clear gel formula holds hairs in place without any crunch or…

TRUE-LIFE My head pounded and the hospital ward was a blur. A fuzzy face came into focus. A doctor. ‘You’ve had a seizure,’ he explained. It was January 2020 and I’d been at my job as a carer when my face had drooped on one side and I was slurring my words. Thankfully, my colleague had nagged me to call 111 and they’d told me to go to Medway Maritime Hospital. Aged 30, this had never happened before. I was terrified. Days later, scans revealed I had a combination of two conditions, hemiplegic migraines and epilepsy. Despite strong medication, my seizures continued, at least one a day, and I was constantly drowsy. As a single mum, I felt so vulnerable. My sister Amy, then 27, had to tell my kids,…

What item, made for Queen Mary, was inherited by the late Queen Elizabeth and known in the family as Granny’s chips? Make three nine-letter words using all of these three-letter sections and enter them in the grid as the starter letters indicate. Then make an anagram of the letters in the shaded squares to form the answer to this question. IAN ERW HAR RAR ISE ICA LIB OTH MON WIN 5 x £20 Puzzle 3 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Sizes from 6-24 George at Asda STYLE TIP Meet your new wardrobe staple. This gorgeous dress will be perfect for wearing all year round, and it’s so versatile. Sizes from 6-22 F&F at Tesco STYLE TIP Like jeans, a denim skirt is very easy to wear. Simply team it with your favourite top and trainers or ballet flats. Sizes from 8-26 Tu at Sainsbury's STYLE TIP It’s never too early to pick up great knitwear pieces. We love this classic striped cardi that looks great worn with jeans. Sizes from 8-22 Nutmeg at Morrisons STYLE TIP This embroidered maxi dress looks much more expensive than its price tag. Buy now and wear it forever!…

True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK Perched on the plastic seat in the hospital waiting room, I looked at my right hand. My middle finger was throbbing and purple. I was 16 and had broken it a couple of years earlier while doing the washing up. I was told I’d need an op, but now, as I waited for a surgery date, it’d got painful and changed colour. My parents took me to the hospital. And it wasn’t just that finger. Both my hands were freezing cold. My toes, too. I sat shivering, not surprising given it was cold out. But by the time I saw the doctor, the warmth of the hospital had thawed me out. Gone was the purple tinge, my fingers back to normal. I was sent home, with no…

WIN 2 × £25 Puzzle 9 The 1981 horror film Ghost Story was the last original film starring which actor, born Frederick Austerlitz in 1899? To find out, solve the puzzle… Add a letter anywhere in each of the boxed-off words to fit the clue, eg, Long-barrelled gun = RILE + F = RIFLE. Write the added letter in the space provided. Read down the added letters to spell out the prize answer. Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

1 Where do you love to live? A A quiet little village in the countryside, where I can get back to nature. B A busy street, where I can keep an eye on all my neighbours’ comings and goings. C A busy square. I like to have everything I need – pub, cafe, market, laundrette, all within easy walking distance. D A cul-de-sac of new builds, where there’s always a bit of drama to get involved with. 2 What's your favourite dinner? A Something fresh from the farm shop – I’ve got no time for processed rubbish. B A homemade hotpot, served by a jovial barmaid in my local. C Pie and mash is my winner every time. D I’ll always order the works – a full English, no matter…

Why did she dump me? Q After about five months, my girlfriend suddenly ended our relationship and I don’t know why. She cut off all contact and blocked me on social media. I texted her a few times, but she never replied. I accept she’s no longer interested, but I’m bothered by how it ended. I’ve seen her around town, but she acts like we never knew each other. She basically erased me from her life and I still wonder why. Tom, 35 A I’m sorry you’re going through this, petal. It’s always tough when relationships end without any closure. But you’ve given your ex-girlfriend the chance to tell you why she broke up with you, and she clearly doesn’t want to. So you need to accept this for what…

With a hot, deep-fried king prawn between my teeth, I chomped down, closing my eyes in pleasure. Looking at the spread of foil cartons in front of me, I salivated at the thought of what to go for next. It was June 2023 and I’d ordered a Chinese takeaway to soak up the booze from the night before. But unlike previous hungover gorges, when I’d slob on the sofa in PJs, stuffing my face, this time I’d gone to the effort of slapping on some make-up, doing my hair, throwing on bright clothes. Made sure the lighting was just right. Because I was filming myself enjoying a feast of spring rolls, special fried rice and beef chow mein for my social media followers. I’d never done it before. As a…

6-12 September 2024 Aries 21 March-20 April While you like to live life at a fast pace, sometimes you need to slow down and smell the roses. Now is one of those times, so enjoy this present moment. ● Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May You are known for your perseverance, but life has been testing you lately. Know that you have the inner resources to get the results you truly want. ● Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June Jupiter in your sign is boosting your luck and self-confidence. Do take advantage of the exciting opportunities on offer, and make the most of them. ● Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Mars moves into your sign in early…

Q My hair is looking so dry after the summer months – how can I bring it back to health? Sheila Michaels, Liverpool Summer really takes its toll on hair. UV rays cause breakage, split ends and frizz. Show your locks some TLC with hydrating in-shower formulas like Noughty To the Rescue Moisture Boost Shampoo and Conditioner, £7.99 each, Boots. Follow with an intensive treatment like Palmer’s Coconut Oil Formula Bonding Hair Gloss, £9.99, Superdrug, which helps to repair the broken bonds to smooth and strengthen hair from root to tip. Before styling, apply Aussie SOS Super Serum, £12, Tesco, which promises 100 hours of moisture to leave hair soft, shiny and swishy. Then, after you’ve styled, top up the gloss and seal in hydration with OGX Rescue Fusions 24H…

1 Drink it in The city was named after the port wine, which was invented here in the 18th century. Head to The Vila Nova de Gaia to find traditional port cellars, which offer tasting sessions. Or visit the World of Wine, which has a museum, wine school, restaurants and bars (wow.pt/en). 2 Rooftop views Porto is spread over the steep sides of the River Douro. For great vistas, ride the Funicular dos Guindais from the historic centre on the riverbank to the top of the city. Or take the Gaia cable car across the Douro. You’ll see the Dom Luis I Bridge, built by a partner of Louis Eiffel (of the Paris tower fame). 3 Travel in style Its grand train station, São Bento, is decorated with more than 22,000 tiles –…

Ashley Dale was snuggled up on the sofa with her dachshund Darla cuddled in close. It was 20 August 2022, almost midnight, but the 28-year-old, who was alone in her Liverpool home watching TV in her PJs, wasn’t ready to turn in for the night yet. Jumping when her car alarm went off, she assumed that it’d been triggered by heavy rain. She texted her boyfriend Lee Harrison, who was out with mates, telling him she’d been spooked. Just over 20 minutes later he replied. Hahahaha you think your in a horror movie. R u okay? Alive? Ashley’s reply: No I’m dead. Half an hour later, now in the early hours of the next day, Ashley heard a noise at the front door. Somebody was kicking it. Seconds later, a…

Chat winners issue 24 (13 June 2024) £1,001 CASH S Raistrick, Bingley £500 CASH B Smith, Lanark J Bunn, Hexham £250 CASH E Cameron, Hook S Hanson, Dorset £200 CASH D Jackson, Stoke-on-Trent £100 CASH R Hill, Middlesbrough V Fitzsimons, Uxbridge F Hawker, Guilford £50 CASH B Orritt, Ormskirk E Denison, Bristol K Linnell, Aylesbury L Williamson, Liverpool J Probert, Rugeley M Scott, Selby £40 CASH M Bayliss, Birmingham £30 CASH P Jack, Sunderland J Dunning, Sale £25 CASH K Robins, Hope Valley M Stepney, Worthing £20 CASH C Greco, Swansea Anyone from your town in the list this week..? S Walford, Newcastle R Roach, Isle of Wight S Plowman, Scraptoft M Haigh, County Durham K Drummond, Lochgelly R Field, London M Findley, Powys A O’Connell, Chatham K Puttock, Salisbury…