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WIN £££ WITH OUR PRIZE PUZZLES! FREE 3 JUNE 2021 ISSUE 22

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CRIME MAG!

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Worth £4.99 T&Cs apply. See p26

My miracle CON-ceptiupon Hubby’s locked but he still got me KNOCKED UP

DEAD IN A BIN, AGE 10 What did her stepmum do?

JUST MARgRrooImED! But my had TWO secret double lives

Do-it-all dresses!

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How dare he?

KILLER AT THE FUNERAL Brazen butcher murdered mum then pretended to grieve

Come on in!

Welcome to this week’s Chat...

W

hat did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a journalist, inspired by Lois Lane on The New Adventures of Superman!

I must admit it’s not quite as glam as it looked on the telly…

Ayesha had a much more moving reason to pursue her dream career (p37). Her incredible story will really make you think.

Meanwhile, Sasha’s dream was to M become a mummy. Read why she be he thought it was impossible, and how tho she proved everyone wrong (p10). ).

We’ve got all your fave W puzzles, the latest fashion pu bargains (p12), health (p21) ba and an beauty tips (p49), plus loa loads more.

S Stay safe and well this week.

Kate Williams, Editor Ka

p12

p10

Contents

p49 p21

On the cover

More true stories Your favourites

Get puzzling

6 Just married! But my groom had TWO secret double lives 12 Do-it-all dresses!

16 Dead in a bin, age 10 26 Free crime mag!

Worth £4.99 34 Hubby’s locked up but he still got me knocked up 40 Make more with mince 54 Killer at the funeral

10 All I ever wanted 19 No more jelly belly 20 Patient casebook: Heart of gold 24 Pack your pooch!

27 Crime map: Birmingham 30 Back from the dead!

37 Fight for life at 14 44 No answers, no remorse 58 A letter to…

My patient kids

8 8 8 15 18 23 23 23 23 28 28 28 30 32 32 36 36 47 56

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Picture perfect Remembering the good times...

My daughter Fleur, 5, loves dinosaurs and was thrilled to see this stegosaurus painted in rainbow colours on a recent visit to Teessaurus Park in Middlesbrough.

Donna Gray, Stockton-on-Tees

I was able to get up close with a friendly seal during a fantastic trip to Taronga Zoo in Sydney in 2018. He liked having his tummy tickled and I was only too happy to oblige!

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I just love this photo of our labrador Riley being introduced to Bunny for the first time..

His face says it all!

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I never manage to get a picture of all three of my girls smiling. So when I snapped this one of Jessica, 8, Olivia, 6 and Rosie, 4 months, I was so delighted and just had to share it.

Vicky McLaughlin, Canterbury

I’m so proud of our cocker spaniel Buddie, who qualified as a Pets as Therapy dog last year.

Lockdown meant she had to do a lot of virtual events, but she’s excited to get started in the real world when restrictions ease.

Janice Gardner, Edinburgh

I certainly c ‘left my heart in San Francisco’ when I visited v last year. It was such a wonderful wa experience to walk over ex Golden Gate Bridge and Go escape from Alcatraz. es Hopefully I’ll be able to Ho catch some Californian ca sunshine again soon. su Alan Willans, Lytham St Annes Ala

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Email chat_magazine@futurenet.com

MAN OF DISHONOUR Liam: away, doing his duty

What w he hid Turned out my soldier hubby was a Casanova in camo Vicki Glister, 32, Salisbury

under the bed.

I also knew his password, and straight away, I spotted erching on the Southampton, two hours an email to a letting agency ladder, I brushed after little Aurora was born. in Northern Ireland. pink paint along ‘She’s beautiful,’ Me and my girlfriend are the wall. he grinned proudly. looking for an apartment...

‘Perfect colour,’ Liam was home three Liam knew there was no I beamed. weeks on paternity leave, chance we’d move there.

It was October 2016, and I and when it was time for Must be for someone else, was eight months pregnant. him to go I felt sad.

I thought.

Excited for the arrival of Didn’t want our blissful Heart pounding, I scrolled my little girl, I was putting newborn bubble to end. through his contacts. the finishing touches to ‘Don’t forget to call me,’ Found a number stored her nursery.

I said, hugging him goodbye. as ‘my girl’.

Only, with my fiancé Liam, ‘I promise,’ I immediately then 24, away in the Army, he said. dialled it.

I had to decorate on my own.

But as weeks ‘How do you After three years together, passed, he called know Liam?’

I was used to Liam working less and less.

I snapped as long stints abroad.

And by April a female voice But sometimes, with two 2017, I couldn’t answered. ‘I’m children from a previous shake the feeling his girlfriend,’ relationship, Paige, then that something she said, eight, and Jenson, five, wasn’t right. confused.

I struggled.

‘I’ve been so busy,’ My stomach dropped...

It got lonely. he reassured.

As we talked, I realised Now, Liam was based In the end, I put it down he’d been seeing her over in Northern Ireland, and to my hormones. a year, behind my back. wasn’t due home until our Anyway, with a newborn She’d no idea about me girl was born. and two kids, I had enough and the kids.

What do you think? on my plate.

‘I’m so sorry,’ she gasped, I texted, alongside a photo Only, one night weeks clearly mortified. of the painted wall. later, I called Liam and, He had a whole other life But he never replied yet again, he didn’t pick up. with this woman. straight away, was always So I decided I would check Was planning to move in busy working. his emails. with her.

Weeks later, in November To put my mind at ease, Whenever he’d been home 2016, my waters broke.

I told myself. on leave, he’d told her he After boarding a My hands were shaking was away with work. plane, Liam arrived at when I dug out the laptop His job in the Army Princess Anne Hospital, that I knew he had left made it easy for him to get

P WORDS: HANNAH CROCKER, FRANCES LEATE. PHOTOS: MEDAVIA

I found a phone number stored as ‘my girl’

6

away with it.

I was devastated.

Our baby was only four months old. It’d been going on throughout my pregnancy.

Hanging up, I called Liam.

‘It’s not what it looks like,’ he pleaded.

But I had the proof that I needed.

Heartbroken and furious, I was sure it meant the end for us.

Eventually, though, I realised I didn’t want to lose him.

We’d made a life together, planned on getting married.

Besides, I wanted Aurora to have a mummy and a daddy. And it was over with his other woman.

So when he next returned on leave a month later, we patched things up.

‘I love you,’ Liam promised.

‘I know,’ I told him.

It’d take Keeping the time to family together...

Me, Liam forgive and the kids him, but

was ding?

So happy, the day we married

I thought things would be different.

That he’d learnt his lesson.

Only, he barely messaged.

‘It’s the time difference,’ he said.

Like before, he never answered when I called.

Stopped replying to texts.

Again, my gut told me something wasn’t right.

In August, he came home and we went on holiday to Cornwall.

But Liam just seemed distracted.

Almost like he didn’t want to be there.

As newlyweds, I’d imagined we’d be sneaking off to bed early, but he didn’t want to know.

‘I’m shattered,’ he groaned.

After three days, he announced he was returning to Canada early.

‘I’ve been called back,’ he shrugged.

I was gutted.

Over the next months, I constantly worried Liam was cheating on me again.

And when he returned home that December,

the minute I spotted his phone while he was out with the kids, I seized my chance.

I clicked the screen on... and my heart lurched.

I scrolled through messages from Liam declaring his love to a mystery woman.

Love you, miss you...

I felt sick reading them.

It was clear something had been going on a while.

The rat.

This time, though, I didn’t feel upset.

I was fuming.

The ink was barely dry on our wedding certificate and Liam had been jumping into bed with another woman.

Furious, I messaged her.

She confirmed they’d met through work in Canada.

But they’d seen each other back in the UK, too.

He’d even taken her on holiday, to the same place in Cornwall we’d been just a month before.

I was staggered.

He’d told her he was getting a divorce.

‘Divorced? We’ve only just married,’ I spat.

I felt sick.

I can’t believe you’ve done it again, I texted him.

Liam claimed it was only friendship, but I didn’t believe him for a minute.

I felt stupid for letting

it happen again.

Liam spent a week on the sofa, and we barely spoke a word to each other.

Eventually, though, I gave him one last chance.

It wasn’t easy, but I had to swallow my pride for our family’s sake.

A year on, and while we’ve had to work at it, we’re much happier.

We’re focusing on what really matters – quality time together, and with the kids.

Of course, I still worry he’ll cheat again.

How could I not?

But if he does, it’ll be his loss, not mine.

‘100% REGRET’ Liam, 29, says, ‘It did all happen and eventually I came out about everything. We went through the right methods of dealing with things, and now we’re better than ever. The job caused most of it, really.

I’ve probably spent more time away from Vicki than with her.

I regret every bit of it, 100% – if I could turn back time, then none of it would’ve ever happened. It’s definitely made us both mentally and emotionally stronger, though.’

VICKI IS DONATING HER FEE FOR THIS STORY TO A MENTAL-HEALTH CHARITY

wasn’t it worth it, to keep my family together?

Meanwhile, Liam got a posting in England.

I hoped it’d be a fresh start.

We started planning our wedding, and when we married in April 2019, it was the happiest day.

A couple of months later, Liam was sent to Canada for training.

I knew that it’d be tough, but this time

7

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Genius Your tips are the tops!

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Winner, winner

For every photo tip that we print

I put some unused mini toiletries in unwanted drinking glasses and candle holders, before wrapping them up to create a selection of inexpensive gifts that I can donate to charities or that can be used as raffle prizes.

Janet Dandy, Burnley

Simply grate

Out of the blue

Use a nail brush to remove lemon, lime or orange rind from a grater. It cleans the utensil very easily without ripping any sponges to shreds.

Abbey Swinburne, Hartlepool

To stop bottles of food colouring from leaving stains in the cupboard, simply place them into the small plastic sleeves that come with greetings cards before storing away.

Mitra Zehtabi, Bristol

Liner ’em up!

Save yourself some time by keeping the bin bags for your pedal bin underneath the current bag you’re using. It makes it so much easier for you when the time comes to change to a fresh liner.

Emma Worthington, York

Cheers to that If you happen to stain your carpet with red wine, blot as much of it as you can with a paper towel before covering the entire stain with salt. Let it soak into the wet stain until it’s absorbed and, when dry, simply hoover.

Alexandra Low, Halesowen

Fresh idea If you haven’t got a sealable bag to keep your foodstuffs fresh, cut the top off an empty drinks bottle with a screw lid, feed the top of the bag through the bottle top, then screw on the lid.

It works a treat.

Robert Hill, Lincoln

Tips must be your own idea, and not appear in other mags. If published, we pay £25 for tips with photos.

Send tips, photos, name and full address to: Tips page, Chat, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP or email us at chat_magazine@futurenet.com. Remember, these are YOUR tips – we haven’t tried them ourselves

9

HAPPY EVER AFTER

All I ev wante

More good news for Laura (right) and me

I feared I’d never become a bride Sasha Jones, 26, Bangor

lipping into my fitted, white, satin gown, I took a deep breath.

I can’t believe it’s really happening!.

It was 1 August 2016, and today was my wedding day.

My dress was simple and elegant, but it made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world – something I’d thought would never be possible.

Growing up as a young boy in Bangor, I’d always known I was different.

Aged 5, I was drawn towards playing with the girls at school. Teachers would drag me away and encourage me to join

WORDS: FRANCESCA WOODSTOCK, EMMA PEARSON

S

We support each other

10

the boys instead.

It was confusing.

I couldn’t understand why there was such a gender divide.

Still young, it was difficult to explain how I felt.

So I buried my emotions.

As I got older, the feeling of injustice grew stronger.

Why do I have to hide who I really am?

Yet, it was only when I reached my teens that I understood what was making me feel this way.

In 2009, I stumbled across a TV documentary about a child with gender dysphoria.

They explained they’d been born into the wrong body, and had known since the age of 2.

That’s me!

I hadn’t known it was possible, but suddenly everything made sense.

Hearing somebody describe the feelings I’d never been able to verbalise was a huge relief.

Gave me a sense of clarity.

But although I took comfort knowing I wasn’t the only one, I wasn’t ready to admit it to anyone else.

At 18, I left home to study Special Education at Bangor University.

But having my own living space gave me

time to think.

I knew to be truly happy, I needed to be honest about my gender-identity issues.

So, in late 2013, I saw my GP. ‘I want to change gender,’ I told my doctor.

I spoke about the years I’d spent suppressing my feelings and she referred me to a consultant psychologist to start the process.

It felt like a weight had been lifted.

And it gave me the strength to tell friends and family what I was going through.

Mum and Dad struggled to understand at first.

It took a lot for them to realise I was born this way – being transgender wasn’t a choice I’d made.

I gave them time to come to terms with it, and when the new year came round, I adopted the name Sasha.

Threw myself into my new image.

After dying my hair from brunette to blonde, I started using clip-in hair pieces as I grew my own hair out.

Unwilling to wait for an NHS appointment, I got a private consultation in January 2014 to start hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

It’d boost my oestrogen

levels and help reduce testosterone.

Gradually, my size 12 body took shape.

My boobs grew to a bra size 36D, and at 5ft 7in, I started becoming the woman I’d only dared dream I could be.

Presenting as female in public was nerve-racking at first.

I thought people were staring because I was trans.

But then I realised they were seeing me as an attractive woman...

It felt incredible.

In May 2014, with my new-found confidence, I went out for drinks with friends in Llandudno.

‘I’m Laura,’ said one girl.

I knew her through mutual friends, but we’d never had a chance to speak.

We spent the whole night chatting.

Then, after adding each other on Facebook, we agreed to meet up again.

I quickly realised I had feelings for Laura.

And when she told me that she never put a label on

The woman I’d only dared dream I could be

ver ed

or a mum

her sexuality, I knew this was the start of a special relationship.

Laura was supportive of me transitioning.

We talked about the future, how we both wanted to get married and have kids.

We realised we were in an extremely fortunate position to try for a baby, as I hadn’t had genderreassignment surgery.

‘Shall we start trying?’

I suggested.

I explained I could take a

Us two beautiful wives-to-be

Me before...

break from my hormones for us to conceive naturally.

Laura agreed – and, amazingly, fell pregnant almost straight away.

It was incredible to see Laura’s body change as our baby grew inside her.

And although there was part of me that longed to carry the baby myself, I was glad to be able to do my part.

In July 2015, baby Toby was born.

‘I’m your Mammy,’ I told him.

‘And I’m your Mummy,’ Laura added with a smile.

At last, my life had fallen into place.

Finding Laura and becoming a mum had made me happier than I’d ever known possible.

I never wanted to let them go.

So, in August 2016, as I stood in my wedding dress, I took a moment to reflect on

...and today.

Loving my life!

everything I’d been through to get to that point.

I realised being transgender was the best thing that’d ever happened to me.

With time, my parents had accepted me as Sasha.

And my dad proudly walked me down the aisle.

‘Thank you,’ I smiled, as he gave me away to Laura.

I loved everything about being a mum.

Coming home from my job as a primary-school teacher to a beaming face and a big cuddle. Reading stories as I tucked Toby into bed.

This April, Laura and I welcomed our second child Cleo. She was also conceived

naturally, and although I’ll continue taking hormones for life, I’ve decided not to have full genderreassignment surgery.

With Toby, 5, and newborn Cleo, life is exhausting – but you never know, we might want another one day.

It’s taken time, but with the love and support of my wife and children, I’ve finally learnt to accept who I am.

When I first realised I’d been born into the wrong body, I was scared at what it meant for my future.

But I want others to know that transitioning won’t put barriers up in your life.

It breaks them down.

11

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hat connects US actors Jennifer Aniston and Tina Fey? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the four-word prize answer.

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ACROSS 1 Presents (5) 4 Stitches (4) 6 Watchful canine (5,3) 13 Classic film, The _ Queen (7) 14 Tom _, actor who plays Spider-Man (7) 15 Farm bird (5) 16 Footwear (4) 17 Blurred (6) 18 Rubbed out (6) 20 Singing voice (4) 21 Whirls (5) 22 Depended (6) 25 Christmas carol, _ Merrily on High (4,4) 28 Wax light (6) 30 Very good, outstanding (5) 32 Cured pork (8) 34 In agreement (6) 35 Fizzy drink (4) 38 Voucher (6) 39 Blow up (5) 40 Tedious (6) 43 Smell strongly (4) 44 Relating to teeth (6) 45 Taking small bites of (8) 48 Foe (5) 49 Inhabit (6) 51 Great or intense (8) 54 _ McCartney, designer (6) 55 Instrument played by Ray Charles (5) 56 On a single occasion (4) 58 Pondering (6) 60 Excellent (6) 61 Rate of speed for boats (4) 65 Musical play (5) 66 Cut out (7) 67 Dried grapes (7) 68 Despairing (8) 69 Before long (4) 70 Vends (5)

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15

BEATEN AND STARVED

!

EDIT WAR OR’S NING

‘A blessing’ Where was little Emani?

16

Throw like ru Wicked stepmothers are only the s he was a sweet girl with a bright smile who loved wearing pink and enjoyed school.

Emani Moss’ teacher described her as a ‘precious’ child and a ‘wonderful friend’ to all.

Lisa Neil, who taught Emani from 2012 to 2013, even considered the conscientious 10-year-old a ‘blessing’ because she was never rude or naughty.

But when she noticed Emani struggling to do homework and suggested talking to her parents, the girl seemed distraught.

Scared even.

The truth was Emani’s smile hid inner sadness.

When she’d been tiny, her mother, battling addiction, lost custody and Emani had gone to live with her dad Eman Moss.

He was no angel.

Had been convicted of beating Emani’s mum.

But now he was with nursery teacher Tiffany Moss.

The couple had

S

met at church, had two children and had married in 2009.

Yet their home in Georgia, USA, was not a happy one.

Over the years, authorities investigated troubling claims of Emani being beaten.

They were dismissed until 2010, when a school nurse spotted Emani covered in bruises and welts.

The girl, then 6, said her stepmother had beaten her with a belt.

Tiffany Moss admitted child cruelty.

She was given five years probation and lost her job.

Emani was sent to live with her grandma Robin Moss, but after Eman and Tiffany completed parenting courses, she was returned to them.

Treated like trash In 2012, Emani tried to run away.

Then, in autumn 2013, Emani’s friends noticed she hadn’t returned to class.

Eman and Tiffany claimed to be homeschooling her.

But on 2 November 2013, authorities were called.

And they made a chilling discovery on the pavement.

A tiny, burnt body inside a galvanised steel bin.

Emani: thrown out like trash.

Eman Moss was arrested

wn out bbish tuff of fairy tales...aren’t they?

cross-examine witnesses or give evidence.

But one person was willing to talk.

That was Eman Moss.

In a green jumpsuit, feet shackled, he was the prosecution’s star witness.

His motivation?

He’d agreed to testify in exchange for the authorities not seeking the death penalty against him.

YOU’RE

wasted away without food or water, lived in her own waste, too weak to move.

Prosecutors showed texts Tiffany had sent to Eman.

At least twice, she’d sent pictures of meals she’d prepared for him and their children – who remained happy and healthy while Emani lay dying.

He told the court that, days before Emani’s death, in late October 2013, he’d found her in the bath, shaking and with her eyes rolling from side to side.

He’d put her on a mattress but hadn’t called emergency services.

‘I’m not God,’ he said, claiming he knew she was ‘beyond repair’.

After Emani died, days later, he’d wrapped her body in blankets and moved it to the spare room. Said Tiffany urged him not to tell police.

‘Why did you agree?’ the prosecutor asked.

‘I was trying to fix the

THE JUDGE!

Punishment The details he gave about his daughter’s fate were so horrific, jurors covered their mouths in horror.

The court heard Eman was working two jobs to pay the rent – was barely home.

Tiffany would constantly text him, claiming Emani was misbehaving, smearing faeces on walls.

He said Tiffany confined Emani to her room and starved her.

Punishing the little girl because she blamed her for losing her job.

He said he’d noticed his daughter getting thinner – but put it down to growth.

A medical examiner described how Emani

Tiffany Moss said nothing in court

problem I couldn’t fix,’ he said.

He’d bought a metal bin, bin bags, charcoal and lighter fluid.

The couple had stuffed Emani’s body into the bin.

Days later, they loaded it into their car, with their two children in the back.

After driving to a secluded spot, Eman had put the bin on the ground and set it alight.

But when he’d realised the plan wouldn’t work, he’d smothered the flames and put the bin back in the car.

He claimed to have called the police the next day, in a fit of conscience.

Throughout, Tiffany Moss was expressionless.

Said nothing in her own defence.

But was Eman Moss – a convicted murderer – a man whose account could be trusted?

He’d only agreed to testify to save his own skin.

And was Tiffany the ‘evil stepmother’ he said she was?

It was up to a jury to decide...

Guilty or not?

Turn to find out 17

WORDS: LOUISE BATY. PHOTOS: ALAMY

and told police he and Tiffany had attempted to ‘cremate’ Emani after she’d died from accidentally swallowing chemicals.

But he kept changing his story, blaming Tiffany for poisoning the little girl but also saying, ‘I’m guilty, I killed my baby.’

Tiffany Moss was arrested, too.

A post-mortem found Emani had starved to death.

She’d weighed just 2st 4lb, under half the weight of an average girl that age.

‘My baby went through hell,’ Robin sobbed, telling police how her son and his wife had kept Emani away.

In court, in August 2015, Eman Moss pleaded guilty to felony murder.

He was jailed for life without parole. Sobbed in court as he read out a letter he’d written to his little girl.

In April 2019, Tiffany Moss stood trial.

She denied murder, cruelty to children and trying to conceal the death of Emani.

If convicted, she faced the death penalty, and yet she insisted on appearing without a defence team.

Claimed it was God’s will for her to defend herself.

In court, the prosecution portrayed Tiffany Moss as an ‘evil stepmother’.

She said nothing.

And declined to

Cash!

Moss showed no reaction

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iffany Moss was found guilty of all counts, including murder, cruelty to children and trying to conceal the death of Emani by burning her body.

At her sentencing hearing, after several hours of deliberations, the jury of six men and six women agreed to the death sentence by lethal injection.

Her death sentence was the first handed down in Georgia in more than five years and the judge polled the jurors individually to establish that their decision was unanimous.

Moss showed no reaction as her death sentence was

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declared, but Emani’s grieving family, who were present in court, were emotional.

After the trial, Emani’s grandmother Robin Moss said that she didn’t support the death penalty, but explained, ‘I was happy when she got sentenced for all six counts, that made me feel good, that’s some justice, that’s like, “Wow, finally justice after five years.”’

Tiffany Moss is now the only woman on Georgia’s death row, and will become the third to be executed in the state’s history, although no date is currently set for the sentence to be carried out.

4

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WIN0 £3

5xPuzzle 5

Look closely at these two pics – there’s a difference in 5 squares.

The 5 grid references (eg, 1A, 2B, 2C, 3C, 4D) is your prize answer.

Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details

PHOTO: GETTY

THE VERDICT?

3

MUMMY MAKEOVER Now, I can't believe the difference

No more jelly belly Pregnancy had left my body – and confidence – in ruins Jenna Wingrave, 39, Braintree ushing my son Dylan into the world in October 2003, I heard my mum Jill gasp.

‘He’s a whopper!’ she cried as the midwife wrapped him in a towel.

Weighing 9lb 9oz, he certainly was a big baby.

At just 5ft 3in, my stomach had been like a beach ball when I was pregnant.

And now, the skin on my belly hung down like an empty kangaroo pouch.

An ugly, draping W shape hanging from my waist.

‘This will go, won’t it?’

I said to Mum, then 50.

‘Course,’ she smiled.

Only, I soon noticed other women at baby groups didn’t have the same problem.

Within months, they were

WORDS: FRANCES LEATE

P

wearing slim-fit jeans, while I was still tucking I hated my excess skin apron of skin into my pants.

I started to hate my body.

Some days, I’d starve myself, thinking if I lost weight it would help.

But after slimming from 12st to 8st, it was clear my apron was going nowhere.

Gym visits and sit-ups wouldn’t shift it either.

‘I can feel muscle hidden behind this,’ I frowned to Mum, prodding my skin.

When Dylan was 6 months old, my doctor referred me for surgery to have the skin removed.

Only, the NHS refused it.

At 21, I was too young.

I’d have to put up with it.

But it was difficult.

Girls’ holidays were spent feeling self-conscious.

On dates, I struggled to

Supportive partner Chris Mia and me

take things any further.

I did meet someone eventually, and in February 2009, I had my daughter Mia. Only, after I’d given birth to 8lb 12oz Mia, my belly hung around my waist like before.

After breaking up with Mia’s dad, I met Chris, 33, in January 2014.

‘You’re beautiful,’ he told me.

But I still wished that I could magic my tummy away.

One day in 2019, I spotted a post from a plastic surgeon on Instagram, showing off his ‘mummy makeovers’.

Removing excess tummy skin, repairing the muscles underneath, he created a new belly button and lifted the breasts.

A complete body overhaul.

But at £15,000, I couldn’t justify it.

Besides, working full-time as a credit controller, I’d never get the time off work.

But the following year, when lockdown hit,

I started working from home.

With savings, and finance options available, I decided it was now or never.

‘I’m getting rid of my jelly belly,’ I told the kids last November.

Chris drove me to London for the five-hour surgery.

Afterwards, I was in pain, but it was bearable.

At home, I struggled to get in and out of bed by myself.

But a week later, when the nurse pulled off my bandages, I burst into tears.

My stomach was flat!

‘I’ve not looked like this since I was 21,’ I gulped.

The transformation was incredible.

It was another five weeks before I felt like myself again.

I have a scar on my tummy, below my underwear line.

But now, I’m so glad I had my ‘mummy makeover’.

Because, finally, after all these years, I love my body.

My only regret is not doing it sooner. ● Follow Jenna on Instagram @jen_sw_mummymakeover journey

When the bandages came off, I burst into tears

19

Health

Gabriela in hospital: just 1 week old

The advice you need

Heart of gold

Doctors warned us our girl might not survive Evita Bolmane, 29, Liverpool s I was ushered into a small room, my heart was pounding.

‘We’ll find your husband,’ the nurse smiled to me.

‘OK,’ I nodded, mind whirring. Something was wrong…

It was April 2020, and due to COVID-19 restrictions, my husband Ziggy, 29, had had to stay in the car while I’d had our baby’s 24-week scan.

Now he joined me.

‘There’s a problem with your baby’s heart,’ the doctor told us.

She had a condition called hypoplastic left heart syndrome – only half of her heart was working.

My body went cold.

We already had two healthy boys – Oscar, then 6, and Raivis, then 8.

‘If she survives birth, chances are she won’t make it very long after

A

True-life

PATIENT CASEBOOK

tiny bundle had her first open-heart surgery. that,’ the doctor added.

Seven hours rolled past We were sent home before we could see her. with leaflets and an awful ‘She’s done really well,’ decision to make – whether the surgeon told us. or not to terminate our baby.

She continued to progress Taking to Google, I found and, after three weeks, lots of stories like ours and, Gaby was discharged. while many had When we walked through a devastating the door at home, her ending, some brothers came running up. babies had ‘She’s home!’ Oscar survived into beamed, delighted. childhood, In December, she needed even adulthood. her next surgery.

‘We’ve got This time, her oxygen to fight for her,’ levels dropped to 40%.

I told Ziggy, determined.

She started bleeding ‘I agree,’ he said.

After telling the hospital our decision, every day with our girl felt like a miracle.

Then, on 21 July, our beautiful Gabriela was born, weighing 6lb.

We were warned that she might be blue and silent.

Yet she was a healthy pink, and came out kicking Our family and screaming! today!

At just 6 days old, our

WORDS: BESS BROWNING

She was a healthy pink, and kicking and screaming!

20

during the op and we feared that we’d lose her.

But, yet again, our girl pulled through.

‘You’re amazing,’ I told Gaby in Intensive Care.

Soon, we were home as a family once again.

Now, Gaby’s 10 months and doing so well, saying her first words.

She loves animals and going to the park with her big brothers.

One day, she may need a heart transplant.

That’s terrifying.

But the invaluable charity Tiny Tickers linked us up with families going through the same thing, which has really helped.

For now, we just have to take one day at a time.

More info?

Tiny Tickers is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the early detection and care of babies with serious heart conditions. For more info, visit tinytickers.org

FOCUS ON… First-aid kits Here’s what the experts say you should have at home for minor injuries and medical emergencies Bandages They have multiple uses, from covering wounds and helping dressings stay in place, to holding pressure and supporting strains. Include safety pins and sticky tape to keep in place.

‘Bandages come in three forms,’ says LloydsPharmacyy pharmacist Matt CourtneySmith. ‘Roller, triangular and tubular, each having a different purpose. Roller bandages support joints, limit swelling and help maintain

WORDS: ROSE GOODMAN. PHOTOS (POSED BY MODEL): GETTY, ALAMY

It’s a wrap!

pressure on wounds to reduce bleeding. Triangular bandages are used to wrap and dress larger wounds or act as a sling support. Finally, tubular bandages support injured joints as well as securing and protecting dressings on the fingers or toes.’ finge

Tweezers T Th They’re one of the most overlooked items in a firstov aid kit, but essential for ai removal of foreign objects. re ‘A good pair of sterile ttweezers can be used tto remove splinters, help peel off bandages and p rremove debris from cuts aand grazes,’ says Matt.

Sterilise tweezers before use by popping b th them in boiling water for a few minutes or clean

Pulse oximeter This little device clips to your finger and measures the oxygen levels in your blood, a key complication of COVID-19. The virus can affect your body’s ability y to absorb oxygen but you may nott Check spot it happening. your levels ‘If you’re gasping for breath, then you obviously need to call 111,’ says TV medic Dr Michael Mosley. ‘But the odd thing about COVID-19 is that your oxygen levels can fall quite low before you start gasping.’

A pulse oximeter can check your levels at home.

WE PAY

CASH

Make sure it’s clean

Antiseptic creams and wipes If you cut or graze yourself, make sure you clean the wound with an antiseptic wipe or running water before applying a plaster or dressing.

‘This will help to reduce the risk of infection and encourage the healing process,’ says Matt. them with cotton wool soaked in surgical spirit.

Plasters Useful when treating cuts, grazes and blisters.

‘Make sure the plasters you buy are flexible, breathable and washproof, and feature a strong adhesive backing with a non-stick gauze pad that protects the wound,’ advises Matt.

Some, such as LloydsPharmacy Hydrocolloid Faster Healing Plasters feature substances to speed up wound healing. (£3.79 for six plasters, lloydspharmacy)

Allergybuster!

Antihistamines A tihistamines ‘Cream or tablets can be important if a family member is allergy prone, a hay-fever sufferer or responds suffe badly to bites,’ says b Dr Shikha Pitalia, D GP and Director at G Pall Mall Medical.

P The tablets can also ease the itching a of chickenpox. o

We’ll pay cash, or mention a charity of your choice, if we print your health story. Write to Your Health, Chat, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP or phone 020 3148 6150. You can send your story or email the Doc at chathealth@futurenet.com. Always consult your pharmacist or GP before using any over-the-counter or prescription remedies, and read the packet carefully.

Turn over for more health 21

ASK

Dr Martin

Dr Martin Edwards is a family GP whose advice you can trust

Could it be cancer?

I found a lump on my testicle... My doctor thinks it’s a cyst and I’m waiting for a scan.

But could it be serious?

Tony, Darlington

You’re right to check any testicle lump, but if the scan confirms your doctor’s suspicion, it’s likely to be harmless.

Fluid-filled cysts are common on your epididymis, the sperm-collecting tube which lies on the top part of each testicle. The cysts can be any size, from barely there to several centimetres across, and you may have several. They feel smooth and round and separate from the testicle itself. A hard, irregular lump that’s fixed to your testicle is more worrying as it could be cancerous.

Cysts don’t usually cause any symptoms or need any treatment and can be safely ignored, but if one’s particularly large or troublesome, a doctor can drain it through a needle or remove it with a small op.

A

I suffer from vitiligo, pale patches of skin that won’t tan. Is there any way to get an all-over tan this summer?

Erin, Redruth

Q

No-one’s sure what causes vitiligo, but most likely your own immune system starts to attack melanocytes, skin cells which make brown pigment. This leads to pale patches.

It’s important to protect the patches from the sun as they’re liable to burn. Artificial tanning creams can disguise them, and the Red Cross offers trained volunteers to teach you how to use skin-camouflage creams.

A

A specialist might try treatments, including creams, to dampen your immune system, ultraviolet light therapy, or even skin transplants.

In extreme cases, there’s an option to bleach the remaining skin so it’s all one, paler, colour.

More info at vitiligosociety.org.

My restless legs lead to restless nights I suffer from restless legs syndrome (RLS) and can’t get comfortable at night...

Adina, Newport Pagnell

Q A

RLS can be extremely uncomfortable. There’s an urge to move your legs to ease the sensation, but this only brings temporary relief.

An imbalance of chemicals that

transmit messages inside part of your brain seems to be responsible.

Sometimes this is inherited, or it might be the result of pregnancy, or iron or vitamin deficiency.

Drugs from your doctor can ease symptoms and you can help by not smoking, exercising regularly and keeping a regular bedtime routine. You can find more tips at rls-uk.org.

Help rid me of itchy boobs!

Every summer, I get a horrible sore, itchy, red rash under both breasts.

How can I stop it?

Kaye, Tonbridge

Q

This sounds like intertrigo.

Heat, sweat and movement combine to inflame skin, usually in areas where there’s constant rubbing, such as groins, armpits and under your breasts.

Because these areas are generally covered, they’re also

A 22

dark, warm and humid – ideal conditions for fungus or thrush infection. As the skin becomes inflamed and broken, bacteria might also move in and create a raw, weeping area.

Treatment means antifungal and steroid cream, antibiotics if there are bacteria, and regular washing and thorough drying.

Shower after exercise, avoid perfumed soaps and creams, wear natural fibres and allow air to circulate as much as possible.

Want Dr Martin Edwards’ advice? Write to chat_magazine@futurenet.com. Sorry, he can’t reply personally

PHOTOS (POSED BY MODELS): ALAMY, GETTY

THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED TO SUBSTITUTE PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED ON AS HEALTH OR PERSONAL ADVICE. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING IT. ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR PHARMACIST OR GP FOR GUIDANCE. IN AN EMERGENCY, CALL 999 AND SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP IMMEDIATELY

Q

Can I tan safely?

£375 cash!

OVER TO YOU an you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p3. There’s £20 for every one we use!

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This week’s puzzle was compiled by Irene Emerson Grimsby, NE Lincs

W5INx

£25 Puzzle 6

1

2

3

4

2

ACROSS 1 Cooked potato slice 2 Wandered 3 Woodwind instrument 4 Toil

3

4

DOWN 1 Black bird 2 Homeless person 3 __ the Engine 4 Furtive glance

Your answer:

BRICK TRICK rimson King, Foxwhelp and Brown Snout are traditional fruit varieties used to make what product? To find out, solve the puzzle… Enter the answers to the clues in the grid. Every word is an anagram of its neighbours, plus or minus a letter. Read the shaded squares in number order for the prize answer.

C

HALF & HALF

SKINNY ONE

WIN

hich actor appeared in the video for the Ed Puzzle 9 Sheeran single Lego House? To find out, solve the puzzle… Add a letter anywhere in each of the boxed-off words to fit the clue, eg, Bird sound = CHIP + R = CHIRP. Write the added letter in the space provided.

Read down the added letters to spell out the prize answer.

W

£50

Bird sound Charming Answer 2020 sci-fi film Card game

n 2009, the car Inspiration set a new land speed record of 139.8mph for a vehicle powered by what? Cross out a letter in each square to get a grid filled with words. The uncrossed-out letters in the shaded squares give Puzzle 7 the prize answer.

I

Rob Marriage partner Fish

WIN0 £10

False name Naming words Engine

PHOTOS: GETTY

Coiffures Salad vegetable The _, London skyscraper Hurry, rush Owned Your answer:

Your answer:

Cranium Was sore Pursued Collided

WIN0 £10

Puzzle 8

Your answer:

TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles

23

DOG GONE

*PETSPYJAMAS

There’s been a barking 80% increase in pup-friendly holidays booked in 2021.* With the pandemic and hols abroad limited, we’re all turning to the British staycation.

And we’re taking our four-legged mates with us! Some youngsters, adopted during lockdown, will never have felt the sand between their paws.

So, here, pet charity Blue Cross gives some top tips to pet owners taking their furry family members on hols...

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Pup name and number Mischief and mayhem are to be expected in the great outdoors.

Plus it’s an unfamiliar area, and your pooch won’t know their way home – so, like this safetyconscious canine, make sure your mobile number is on their dog tag.

Pac Everything

Creature comforts After a day running in and out waves twice his size, this littl’un is glad to curl up in his own bed – so don’t forget to pack it, or their warmest blanket!

Contingency plans take the lead You never know what adventures – or scrapes – your cuddly canines are going to get into on holiday. Especially when there’s so much big, wide world to explore and endless water to swim in, as these pals discovered. So always check contact details of the nearest vet and pack a doggy first-aid kit. Just in case!

ck your pooch! you need to know about taking your mutt on holiday Dipping your paw into new things Remember getting on a plane for the first time? Pretty scary, eh? It’s the same for your pet’s first hol – even just getting in a paddling pool for the first time, like with this tentative pup.

So pack their food, treats and a chew to help them relax.

Having fun is thirsty work Travelling, and playing on the beach all day, can leave you gasping for a drink and refuel.

But don’t forget about your fur-baby when stopping for an ice cream, cake or coffee!

Always have clean water for them – whether it’s to drink or cool off in!

Entertain m me!

Would you g go without away witho your mobile phone? Or the t latest thriller? thrille Or tablet even your ta with Netflix for those rainy days?

Course not. So take your pal’s pa favourite toy, to too.

Smells like wet dog You’re on hol in the UK. Whether it’s the sea, a paddling pool, the nearest sprinkler (this guy’s loving it!) or just the good old British weather, your dog will get wet.

So take a dog towel and their grooming brush.

FOR MORE ADVICE AND IDEAS BEFORE YOU GO, VISIT BLUECROSS.ORG.UK/PETHOLIDAY

25

DOWNLOAD£4.99 YOUR FREE DIGITAL COPY TODAY A WORTH

s depraved as it is fascinating, the murky world of the serial killer has captivated people for centuries.

Packed with interviews with the killers, crime-scene photos, case histories, court testimonies and much more, the world’s most notorious murderers are featured within these pages, from American psychos such as Ted Bundy and Edmund Kemper to British butchers including Peter Sutcliffe and Fred West.

On top of that, you’ll discover the shocking story of the man who slaughtered women and fed their bodies to his pigs, and the English nurse who strangled hundreds of babies. So if you’re ready, let’s take a look inside the minds of the world’s deadliest serial killers… * To get your free copy of Real Crime Book of Serial Killers, use this link bit.ly/3rtLLVB Offer available from 27 May to 27 June 2021 *First published 6 December 2018

Check out more of our amazing bookazines at magazinesdirect.com/guides-and-specials/

CRIME MAP

Missing: David and Patrick

Rosemary and Carol

THE MILKL LKCARTON N KIDS

KILLING SPREE

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M A H G N I M BIR First victim Jodie

EXPLOSIONS HIT THE CITY

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DRUG KING CAUGHT

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he Birmingham pub bombings of 21 November 1974 saw explosions rip through two pubs, killing 21 people and injuring 182 more.

Six Irishmen, who became known as the Birmingham Six, were arrested within hours. They maintained The blasts their hit two pubs innocence,

conspiring to import and export class A and B Mulvey drugs on an industrial scale. l IIn JJune 2018, he got 32 years for running the drugs-trafficking empire worth £100 million.

saying they’d been coerced by the police, but got life the following year.

After 16 years in prison, the convictions were declared unsafe and quashed by the Court of Appeal in 1991.

In 2020, a man was arrested in connection with the murders, but released after questioning.

BIRMINGHAM’S CLAIMS TO FAME John and the chocolate factory

lli g began sellin C dbury b In 1824, John Cadb drinking chocolate, and his sons went on to build the village of Bournville, to create homes for low-paid locals. His factory is one of the UK’s most popular attractions.

Big Brother alumni and This Morning presenter Alison Hammond is from Birmingham and still lives in the city, vowing that she’ll never leave.

Proud Brummie Alison

S Shop till you drop..? y

is now a ng is llriiing ull Bullr h mB ingham Birmingha The Bi Th large shopping complex, but from the 116th century, it was a public arena to watch bull-baiting, which lar at the time. p was popu

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WORDS: KARA O’NEILL. PHOTOS: DAVE BENETT, GETTY, ALAMY, NATIONAL CRIME AGENCY, PA IMAGES

O

avid Spencer, 13, and 11-year-old Patrick Warren n vanished on Box Boxing xing Day 1996, on the way to the house of Patrick’s brother in Solihull.

After four months of door-to-door questioning and TV appeals by the police, the boys’ photos became the first printed on milk cartons across the country, as part of a campaign by the National Missing Persons Helpline.

It yielded no leads but, after a decade, in 2006, the case became a murder investigaton, despite no bodies being found. The boys’ fate remains unknown.

olihull gangster James Mulvey enjoyed a jet-setting lifestyle for years, thanks to his international drug empire.

After being monitored for two years by the National Crime Agency, Mulvey, then 42, was caught by the police in Lithuania and convicted on two counts of

ver four days in November 2000, Philip Smith killed three women in Digbeth.

After meeting at the pub where he worked, Smith strangled Jodie Hyde, 21, to death before setting her body on fire.

Three days later, he met 25-year-old mother-of-three Rosemary Corcoran at the same pub. He drove her to a wooded area and beat her to death.

Then, as he returned home, he ran over 39-year-old Carol Jordan and beat her so severely she had to be identified through her dental records.

Killer: Smith, 35, admitted Philip the three murders and Smith got life imprisonment.

£1,110 cash!

W, IN00

ARROW WORD

£1 0

Puzzle 10

ompeting in the men’s giant slalom skiing in 2010, Dow Travers was the first Winter Olympian from which island group?

Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer.

C

Your answer:

SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle and the numbers in the highlighted squares will give you the prize puzzle answer.

WIN

£60

PHOTO: GETTY

Puzzle 11

Your answer: 28

WORDSEARCH

WIN

£50 Puzzle 12

r P Le Fras Nortier was a founding figure in the production of what type of tea?

The answer is the one missing from the grid.

D

BLACK CHAGA CHAI CHAMOMILE GINGER

GREEN LEMON MATCHA MINT NETTLE

Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles

OOLONG PU-ERH ROOIBOS ROSE WHITE

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Tidy up your home with these pretty but practical boxes and baskets

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Studio rectangular baskets, £13 for set of two, Very

Zebra basket, £20, Matalan

Blue-patterned fabric bucket, £12.99, TK Maxx

29

LITTLE ONE T

he main attraction in the Old Library of Trinity College Dublin is an artefact from which monastery? Solve the crossword, then read down the shaded squares to spell out the prize answer.

the dead!

I truly thought my beloved Frank was a goner...

Larissa Palmieri, 30, Haslingden

ACROSS 1 2008 film starring Liam Neeson (5) 4 Spanish cry (3) 6 Wartime partner (4) 7 Spike _, film director (3) DOWN 1 Large US state (5) 2 Hillock (5) 3 Born as (3) 5 Caustic substance (3)

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£50 Puzzle 13

Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes. com/puzzles

30

S

eeing Frank for the first time in October 2017, I gasped.

I’d gone to meet him after spotting a Facebook message about an iguana that needed rehoming.

Only Frank was much smaller than he should’ve been – barely 1ft long.

He was malnourished and he couldn’t walk properly.

Frank looked as if he was dragging himself along, his little legs unable to carry the weight of his body.

His toes had been cut off, his tail hacked, too. There was no question…

‘I’m taking him home, right now,’ I said.

I wasn’t sure who’d mistreated Frank so appallingly – I couldn’t imagine what the poor little guy had been through with a previous owner.

All I knew was that he needed a loving home.

No stranger to all sorts of animals myself, I had seven snakes, two geckos, a frog and a rabbit.

Oh, and my cat Alfie.

Adding Frank into the mix didn’t bother me, although I knew that he’d

need extra attention.

I guessed he was about 10 years old – pet iguanas can live up to around 20.

I got him a vivarium enclosure, and set it up in the living room.

I fed Frank two small meals a day to help him gain some weight. He had spring greens, salad leaves, broccoli, with a sprinkling of calcium powder for his bones.

And I let him out for half an hour a day to stretch his legs and get plenty of exercise.

In just a few weeks, Frank gained strength and weight.

When friends visited us, they were stunned by how much he’d grown.

‘He looks much healthier,’ they told me.

The snakes lived in a glass enclosure in a bedroom on the first floor.

For the first year, I kept Frank away from them.

He was just so weak and vulnerable, I worried one would eat him up!

But by October 2018, amazingly, my Frank

had doubled in size.

‘Time for you to move house,’ I told him, settling him into his new 6ft enclosure inside a triple wardrobe upstairs.

During the day, Frank roamed free downstairs, along with Alfie the cat.

Sometimes, he climbed onto the back of the sofa, hanging out with me while I watched telly.

If the sun was shining, I took him outside so that he could lay in the heat.

Iguanas, being coldblooded reptiles, need to stay warm, so he’d also spend time under a special UV lamp.

And in the evenings, I’d carry him back upstairs and into his enclosure for the night.

But, one morning in April 2020, I got home at 7.30am, after dropping my boyfriend Kirk, 32, at his construction job – and noticed that Frank wasn’t moving.

He was slumped over in his vivarium, his body drooping awkwardly over a log, his legs dangling.

Heart thumping, I rushed over and lifted him out.

His body felt cold.

‘Frank!’ I cried, grabbing

During the day, Frank roamed free with Alfie the cat

My cuddly housemate

L-R: My, how he’s grown!

some blankets to swaddle him.

Cradling him in my arms, I spent the next couple of hours sitting g against the radiator. ator.

If an iguana’s body temperature drops ops too low, their body dy goes dormant.

I prayed Frank k had just got too chilly, that he’d warm up and be OK. But as time passed, his body stiffened and his gums turned grey.

I’d lost him.

Devastated, I called my mum m Gill, then aged 50, sobbing.

‘Frank’s dead!’’ ht.

I cried, distraught.

Mum calmed me down, called thee animal nd arranged crematorium and for them to collect him.

Because of the pandemic, I had to leave him outside in the porch, still wrapped in a blanket. I watched heartbroken from the other side of the door as they took him away at 2pm.

Kirk was at work, but I left him a tearful message and, for the next two hours,

Now he’s all smiles again!

I was engulfed by grief.

Only, then Mum called...

‘I think Frank’s alive!’ she blurted.

‘What do you mean?!’

I gasped, shocked.

Mum explained that the crematorium had called her.

They’d told her that Frank had twitched and opened his eyes while the staff got

hi him ready.

A miracle!

B But, still, I couldn’t co beli believe it.

Not until I saw it myself.

Racin Racing to the cremator crematorium in disbelief, I spotted the staff arou around a car.

They explained that Frank needed hea heat so, thinking quickly, they’d put him in the boot, with the car heating cranked up.

I peered inside.

‘Frank?’ I called.

Slowly, Frank opened one eye, turned his head and looked in my direction.

I broke down, crying happy tears, before scooping him into my arms.

My cheeky Frank was

very much still alive.

The vet checked him over, but all the tests came back clear, with no real explanation or answer as to why he’d seemed lifeless.

It’d been a cold day, but all Frank’s heat lamps had been working.

‘I can’t believe it,’ Kirk said to me.

After two nights at the vet’s, Frank came home.

I worried, constantly checking on him. He was lethargic, his appetite a little smaller, and he needed to take antibiotics.

But soon, he was back to his sassy self.

‘You gave us a real fright,’ I told him.

I’d say his recovery was off the ‘scales’ – and ‘Frankly’, we couldn’t be more thrilled!

31

WORDS: MISHAAL KHAN, FIONA LOCKE

m !

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N I W £100 Puzzle 14

n which city was actor Antonio Banderas born? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers.

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I

Your answer:

CIRCLE TIME he Soho Factory in Warsaw houses a museum dedicated to what? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles.

PHOTO: GETTY

T

Your answer: 32

3 letters AWE AWL EWE MOP RID ROD SEE TOE WOE

WOO 4 letters BARN EPIC IDLE NEWS ROLL SARI SEAT

5 letters SEVEN SINEW SPOON

SESAME TEMPER

6 letters ANSWER EXPAND ORNATE SCRIBE

N I W £100

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Puzzle 15

TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles

ASK

Aunty Nelly tells it how it is

Walk away from my kids?

I no longer want to be a mum or wife – there, I said it.

I’m unhappy in my marriage, but don’t want to be alone with my kids.

They’re 5, 7 and 9 and almost feral because I have no interest.

My husband spends time with them, but he works away a lot.

Shall I leave and let him deal with them, or do I leave him and hope my relationship with I commend your honesty, the kids improves? petal. As parents, we love I’m scared he’ll want to share our kids, but it doesn’t custody when I don’t want to. mean we always like them. It can Please help me. be scary having children, not to Serena, 36 mention emotionally exhausting.

Can’t cope with the loss

Q

A

I’ll be seen as the enemy I want to become a police officer, but know my family won’t be happy.

My dad’s spent most of my life in prison and my mum’s been in and out. My family hates the police, sees them as the enemy.

Do I follow my dream and possibly lose the respect of my family? Or keep the peace?

Emmajayne, 23

Q

My 26-year-old daughter recently had her fifth miscarriage.

With each one, we’ve lost her bit by bit. She doesn’t go out, spends her days in bed and isn’t eating. It’s been difficult as her mum, as I haven’t been able to comfort her or look after her.

Her partner says she cries all the time, but that’s to be expected. She answers the phone, but she’s so sad and I feel helpless.

What can I do and say?

Tina, 54

Q Talk to your GP, explain how you’re feeling, and be brutally honest with your husband. Once you’ve done that, see how you feel and take it from there.

Have you actually sat down and had a chat with them about it? Or are you assuming you know how they’ll react?

Open up the conversation, tell them your plans, ask what they think. Tell them why you want to join the Force and describe what you’d be doing.

There’s a whole lot more to policing than their experiences.

Maybe they’ll support you if they see it makes you happy.

And if they still don’t like it, well, they’ll have to grin and bear it.

A

It’s hard to find the right words to comfort someone experiencing this kind of grief.

Tell her you’re sorry she’s hurting, and that you are, too, seeing her in pain. Be careful not to say things like ‘it was meant to be’.

Have a quiet word with the doctor and don’t forget about her partner, who’ll need support, too. Bereavement counselling may help, and there are charities out there that provide support.

A

I’m balding and miserable I already have anxiety, but how on earth am I going to get a girlfriend when I’m already going bald?

I feel like a loser and that nobody will ever love me.

I just want to hide away and am starting to hold a grudge against my parents for bringing me into this world, knowing premature baldness runs in my mother’s side of the family.

Any advice, Nelly?

Ben, 22

Q

Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry you’re going through this.

Maybe you’re focusing too much on it. All you can see is your balding head, but there’s so much more to you.

When girls meet you, that’s not all they’ll see. There’s a world of opportunities and a lack of hair won’t stop you – only you will.

There are so many handsome bald men… Look at Bruce Willis and Jason Statham. Embrace it – it’s not the be all and end all.

A

Want Aunty Nelly’s advice? Send your problems to chat_magazine@futurenet.com

33

FACEBOOK.COM/ANTONELLAUNCENSORED. INSTAGRAM.COM/ANTONELLAUNCENSORED. NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. AUNTY NELLY PHOTO: PHILIPPA GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY. PHOTOS (POSED BY MODELS): ALAMY, GETTY

Our Antonella

Our weekly showcase of the challenging world that is Truly.

This issue, Sigrid, 39, explains why she turned her life upside down to start a fami familyy with a man who’ll never be free... radling his yawning newborn son, Alan Wade, 33, beams at the camera.

Standing next to his smiling wife Sigrid, he looks like any other adoring new father.

Swept up in his happy little family bubble.

It’s only the orange jumpsuit that gives away that all is not as it seems.

Because Alan is an inmate on Florida’s death row.

Convicted of the

C

Alan Wade: husband, dad, prisoner

Daddy death 2005 kidnap, robbery and murder of an elderly couple who were buried alive.

A horrific crime, some might say unforgivable.

Not Sigrid.

‘I believe in second chances and rehabilitation,’ she says.

Originally from France, Sigrid first began writing to Alan for companionship.

Sigrid says, ‘I started

writing to death row inmates because I was against the death penalty.

Pretty quickly, Alan and I began writing all the time.

‘When I started to realise I was having feelings for him, and him for me, we both got scared, because it wasn’t just a prison relationship, it was also a really longdistance relationship because I was in Europe.

‘We took a step back and tried to stop writing to each other.

‘But we were both miserable, and after six weeks, he wrote back. His first words were I love you.’

Their relationship blossomed and, after a year, Alan proposed.

A behind-bars wedding soon followed.

‘He just made a little speech saying how sp much he loved me, how much I matter to him, and that he really wanted to spend the rest of his life with me,’ says Sigrid.

After the wedding, Sigrid moved to Florida, where she lives an

hour’s drive from the prison.

But not no everyone was happy with the couple’s couple s big news, and Sigrid faced a lot of criticism from family and friends.

She says, ‘When people learn about my relationship, most of the comments I have are that I don’t care about the victims.

‘It’s hard to be in a relationship that is based on something that is so tragic.

‘My family was not happy.

They were like, “He’s like the worst person ever.”

‘When they found out his name and looked him up, that’s when they all disappeared.

‘They were really scared for me and wondering who he was, and if he was being honest with me.

‘I sent 60 weddingannouncement cards to my own family and I got four I got your card replies, a couple of congratulations, and that was it.

‘A few people deleted me from their Facebook account,’ says Sigrid.

And it’s not just the judgement that’s difficult.

Being married to a man who’s in prison has other challenges.

Sigrid says, ‘I only speak pho to my husband on the phone once a month.

‘It’s harder than we

both thought it would be.

‘When I go to visi visit, it is always bittersweet alway because I’m really becau happy that we can happ spend six great spen hours, and we can hour touch – which is touc really important real – bu but I’m sad I have to leave l him there.’

And, during a phone call A with Sigrid, Alan adds, wit ‘I w wish we could spend more quality time together, it’s qu probably the most difficult pr part of a prison relationship. pa People P sstigmatised Sigrid just S ffor being in a relationship with me. But I know that people who judge that way are a waste of skin anyway.’

And, against the odds, the couple managed to have a son, now aged 1, although they are keeping details of his conception a mystery.

Sigrid says, ‘We don’t want to say how my son was conceived. I think it’s important that we can sit and explain to my son how he was conceived before someone else does it for us.

‘I like to respond that he [Alan] is in prison – but

One day, Sigrid will explain to her son

that I’m not!’ she says.

‘It was really hard, but we managed, and now we have a son. Everyone who has had a baby knows how fast they grow and how much they learn in such a short amount of time.

‘I try to send short videos but it’s not the same.

‘I will tell him his dad is not who people are going to tell him he is.

‘That his dad is an amazing person, that he’s really caring and sweet and that he loves him very, very much.’

And Alan isn’t the only inmate to whom Sigrid has written.

She and a friend have started their own pen-pal website.

She says, ‘We really, truly believe that people are more than the worst action of their

They’re keeping details of the conception a mystery

life. We know that if they find a pen pal, it could be life changing. We’ve been just regular pen pals to other people and have made a difference in their lives.’

Despite the challenges she faced, and the struggles of being a single mum in a new country, Sigrid is firm in her decision that she chose the right partner to share her life with.

She says, ‘He makes me happy, and I don’t get why it bothers people so much.

‘I’m loved unconditionally by someone who I love in the same way. And now we have the little guy here.’

ce Trul leb y is wo ratin the nd g d hom er iff e a e Se nd corenceof Am yo arch nfron , mai azing utu ‘t ting nta Tru be ruly the ining e Sto .co ’ a ext a s rie m t rem ense s – e. o f

PHOTOS: GERRIT MESSERSMITH, BARCROFT STUDIOS

y’s on h row

35

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hat does British actor Martin Clunes say is the worst job he has ever had?

To find out, solve the puzzle...

Fill in the grid. Each letter of Puzzle 16 the alphabet has been replaced by a number from 1 to 26. When you’ve completed the grid, the shaded squares will spell out the two-word prize answer. We’ve given you five letters to start off.

B C D E N O P Q R

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WORD JUMBLE M

elissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega and Jack Quaid are set to star in the fifth instalment of which film franchise, due for release in 2022?

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1 INN HEIGHTS 2 SHY COP 3 RACIER 4 IN ALE 5 DUAL ARC 6 EEL MINT

IN W £100 PHOTO: GETTY

Puzzle 17

Your answer: 36

TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles

STOLEN CHILDHOOD

Fight for life at 14 The docs told me that my survival chances were slim

Determined to stay strong

Ayesha Slader, 29, Plymouth ying in the hospital bed with my mum by my side, I wanted to burst into tears.

‘I’m afraid we found lots of tumours,’ a doctor said.

It was April 2006 and I was only 14.

A few months earlier, I’d felt a deep, dull ache in my stomach.

Doctors had assumed it was a virus at first.

When the pain got worse, they suspected a cyst, agreed to operate to remove it.

Only, now I was being told that when they’d opened me up, they’d found something more sinister.

My uterus was riddled with cancerous tumours.

They’d taken out one of my ovaries there and then.

Two weeks later, a diagnosis confirmed it.

Ovarian cancer.

I felt sick as the doctors said those words.

Two of my grandparents died with cancer.

I saw it as a death

WORDS: KARA O’NEILL, EMMA DUNN. PHOTOS: AYESHA SLADER/SWNS.COM

L

sentence. And doctors told us now that my chances weren’t good.

‘We need to start treatment immediately,’ one said.

I began an intense course of chemotherapy, followed by radiotherapy.

For a year, life was paused.

The chemo exhausted me.

I lost all my hair, too.

Most the time, I was in Derriford Hospital, fighting infections.

Couldn’t go to school.

Despite doctors telling me I had a 20% chance of survival, I was determined.

Put on a brave face.

Refused to think about what’d happen if the treatment didn’t work.

One silver lining was the

friends I made.

A lot of the time, when I was on the ward, other teenagers with cancer would be admitted, too.

Like me, they all tried to stay positive.

We’d laugh together, play games.

Just like any normal kids.

And when one of us was having a bad day, someone would be there to cheer you up, make you smile again.

But despite having my friends to support me, when I got to the last round of chemo, I couldn’t take it any more.

‘Please, I can’t go through it again,’ I pleaded with doctors.

Thankfully, after tests, they

agreed that I didn’t have to.

And in March 2007, finally, the news I’d been waiting for.

‘There are no signs of cancer any more,’ my oncologist said.

‘We’re giving you the all-clear!’

After months of pain and suffering, thinking I was facing certain death.

It was over.

I’d need to go back in for scans every few months.

But, otherwise, I could go back to living my life.

In April 2007, aged 15, I went back to school, part-time at first.

And while it was hard catching up, I was just so grateful that I’d lived to tell the tale.

Suddenly, I had a future again – and I could choose to do anything I wanted.

Only, despite my good news, death was still all around me...

My uterus was riddled with cancerous tumours

Mum by my side

You should SEE ME NOW 37

EASING GRIEF Continued from previous page

I gained experience in other areas.

Learnt how to care for a body after the person had passed away.

How to help bereaved families, offering them support or advice.

It was a tad strange at first.

Washing the deceased, combing their hair, dressing them.

But I took pride in my work.

And when It is a privilege the families to do my job came to pay their respects, I realised what an important part I played.

Then, in 2018, I lost Mum suddenly.

It was a terribly difficult time.

But arranging her funeral, I understood just how much families have to go through – all the admin, planning.

Being able to empathise made me better at my job.

Now, I’m a fully qualified funeral director.

I work mostly with families, helping them plan funerals for their there to learn about. loved ones.

‘Thank you so much,’ It’s been particularly I said, shaking the funeral difficult during the director’s hand. pandemic, of course.

In the months that Sometimes, families followed, I thought about won’t have seen the the funeral home a lot. deceased for months.

In early 2009, when But we do everything we I was 18, I contacted Co-op can to make sure as many Funeralcare to ask for a people as possible are visit to their premises, too. involved in the send-off.

‘We might have a job I’m desperately hoping going,’ one of the managers that things will be back to said as I was leaving. normal soon.

It was the first time Despite everything, I still I’d considered a career love getting up for work. as a funeral director.

Death is hard but it’s a And I had to admit, the part of life. job appealed.

Being able to help people I started training in April through that difficult time 2012, aged 20. is a privilege.

I loved every second.

I remain grateful that, At first, I mostly drove unlike so many others, the hearse, taking care of I was given a second chance. the vehicles.

And I’m not wasting a But as time went on, moment of it.

Time to give back A year after my all-clear, I lost a close pal who’d been having treatment at the same time as me.

I cried buckets.

He’d been told he’d had a decent chance of survival, yet he’d lost his life to a rare form of tissue cancer.

Whereas I was still alive, despite the odds being against me.

I felt so guilty.

‘I need to know what happens when you die,’ I told Mum. I needed to know they weren’t left in a morgue.

That they weren’t forgotten.

So I rang funeral

directors. Explained my story. And Pengelly Funeral Service, a local company, agreed to help.

So, one morning in summer 2008, I went along to learn their processes.

Throughout the day, I was talked through what initially happens when someone dies, and what plans need to be made for their funeral.

I saw them wash and dress the deceased.

My heart was in my mouth as I walked into that room.

But after a few moments, I felt strangely at ease.

It was calm, peaceful, and so respectful.

Exactly what I’d gone

I felt strangely at ease. It was calm, so respectful

38

MONEY MATTERS

CASH

SMART

Go green, save cash Check out Nosh, an app (free on iOS and Android) that aims to cut the amount of food you waste by tracking expiration dates of the food you have at home. It has a recipe-suggestion feature, too.

We help you make savvy choices, so your hard-earned goes that bit further

ways to... boost the value

3

of your home

If you’re planning to sell your home, you’ll want to get as much as you can for it. Here’s what to do, says the HomeOwners Alliance.

1

Make a good first impression

Most buyers make up their

mind about a property in the first few minutes, so make sure your home has maximum kerb appeal.

Tidy your front garden, paint your front door if it needs it and hide your wheelie bins if you can, too.

Inside, clean everything thoroughly – making the windows sparkle, scrubbing and repairing tile grout and getting rid of all odours.

2

Show it off

You’ll want potential buyers to see how much living space you have, so if your rooms are filled with clutter, have a clear-out.

Painting walls in a neutral colour will also make your

WORDS: REBECCA GAMBLE. PHOTOS (POSED BY MODELS): GETTY. *FOR A DETAILED GUIDE ON HOW TO SAVE ON CAR INSURANCE, VISIT MONEYSAVINGEXPERT.COM

SAVING

home seem lighter and bigger. Wall mirrors can have a similar effect, so consider putting some up, especially in smaller rooms or hallways.

3

Fix it up

Make any minor repairs necessary – whether that’s holes in walls, cracked tiles or torn or threadbare carpets. Unless a buyer is looking for a renovation project, they may be put off if it looks like work will need to be done as soon as they move in. Plus, doing these repairs will make your home appear well cared for.

For more tips, visit hoa.org.uk.

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seeing premiums increase by an average of £42. So, always rather than let it shop around. Start auto-renew, but is by looking on priceit really worth it? comparison sites, then L Hughes, Southend-on-Sea check insurers you Yes, it is! A recent won’t find on them, survey done by like Direct Line. Then MoneySuperMarket see if your current found that 41% of insurer will match or drivers let their policy beat the best quote auto-renew last year, you’ve found for the with those consumers cover you need.*

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39

NO-FUSS FOOD Top tip Add in any spare veg you have in the fridge – strips of red peppers or carrot would work well.

Minced meat makeover Skip the spag bol this week and try one of these tasty alternatives

Easy beef curry stir-fry Minced meat is great to use in stir-frys – it cooks quickly and gets beautifully coated in whichever sauce you add to it SERVES: 4 PREP TIME: 4 MINS COOK TIME: 10 MINS

O 300g minced beef O 2tbsp soy sauce O 1tsp sugar O 75g spinach

O 2tsp sunflower oil O 1tbsp red or yellow

Thai curry paste

40

O 4 spring onions, sliced

Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan and fry the curry paste for 1 min.

Add the minced beef and stir-fry for 3 mins, making sure to break up the beef.

1

Add 100ml water, the soy sauce and the sugar, and simmer gently for 5 mins.

Add the spinach and spring onions and cook for 1 min until just wilted.

Serve with rice.

2 3

Dallas-style burger A must-make juicy burger, even better when the weather is right to grill on the barbecue

O 500g minced beef O 1 small onion, grated O 1 garlic clove, crushed O 1tsp mustard O 1tsp Worcestershire sauce O 1tbsp vegetable oil O 4 burger baps O 2tbsp mayonnaise O 1 large tomato, sliced O A small wedge of iceberg

lettuce, leaves separated O 1 small carrot, grated O A small wedge of red cabbage, shredded To serve: O Gherkins and barbecue sauce

Top tip You can cook the meatballs and sauce a day ahead and leave covered in the fridge.

Bring to room temperature then finish with the cheese.

Put the mince, onion, garlic, mustard and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Season and mix well together. Lightly wet your hands then press the mixture firmly into 4 burgers. Brush the burgers with oil and cook under a medium grill for 15 mins, turning occasionally, until completely cooked through.

Split and toast the burger baps, spread the bases with mayonnaise, then top with a slice of tomato and some lettuce leaves.

Put a burger on top and add some grated carrot and shredded red cabbage. Serve with gherkins, barbecue sauce and the burger lids.

1

2

Top tip Make 8 of these and freeze half for later – put baking paper between each burger and put in a sealable container.

3

Meatball and mozzarella gratin This tastes as rich and delicious as it looks SERVES: 4 PREP TIME: 15 MINS COOK TIME: 40 MINS For the meatballs: O 500g minced beef O 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped O 1 free-range egg, beaten O 2tsp dried oregano O 3tbsp fresh breadcrumbs O 2tbsp milk O 1-2tbsp seasoned four, to coat For the sauce O 2tbsp olive oil O 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped O 2 garlic cloves, chopped O 400g can chopped tomatoes O 1tsp caster sugar O 1½tbsp tomato puree For the toppIng: O 125g mozzarella, torn

INGREDIENTS WE LOVE Schwartz Oregano, Tesco Large White Baps, Asda Red Thai Curry Paste

For the meatballs, simply mix all the ingredients together and season. Using your hands, shape into golf ball-sized meatballs (you should have around 12).

Toss the meatballs in the flour. Heat half the oil in a pan, brown the meatballs all over, remove and set aside.

For the sauce, heat the remaining oil in an ovenproof dish or saute pan and cook the onion and garlic until softened. Tip in the tomatoes and stir in the sugar and tomato puree, bring to the boil then simmer until starting to thicken.

Return the meatballs to the pan. Cook on a low heat until cooked through. Top with mozzarella and grill until golden and bubbling.

Serve with buttered pasta and a green salad.

1

2

3

41

COMPILED BY: ROSIE BENSBERG. PHOTOS: FUTURECONTENTHUB.COM

SERVES: 4 PREP TIME: 10 MINS COOK TIME: 15 MINS

’ This week s TV Our top telly picks – you’ll kick yourself if you miss them

WORDS: MICHAEL DARLING. PHOTOS: APPLE TV, BBC, CARLTON TELEVISION, GETTY, FRANK MASI, ITV, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC/RICHARD DUCREE

The Masked Dancer ITV If you loved ITV’s hit show The Masked Singer, you’ll love this hotly anticipated spin-off in which 12 celebrities perform unique dance routines in bonkers costumes that conceal their identities. Like the original show, it’s hosted

by Joel Dommett, while the panel is slightly different as Strictly’s Oti Mabuse joins Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall and Mo Gilligan to hazard a guess or two about who’s bopping away in the disguises, which this time include Zip, Beagle, Beetroot, Frog, Rubber Chicken and Carwash!

DON’T MISS Will Carwash spin to victory?

Julianne Moore and Clive Owen star

Other disguises include Frog and Beagle

Genius: Aretha DISNEY+ After telling the stories of Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso, the drama series returns to chronicle pivotal moments in the life of Aretha Franklin, from starting out as a young gospel singer in Detroit, Michigan, to becoming a global superstar, known as the Queen of Soul.

Joey Essex opens up

DON’T MISS

Joey Essex: Grief and Me

Lisey’s Story APPLE TV+ Based on the novel by Stephen King and adapted by the author himself, this thriller follows the story of widow Lisey Landon (Julianne Moore), whose late husband Scott (Clive Owen) was a world-famous novelist.

42

The eight-parter begins two years after Scott’s death as a series of unsettling events brings back memories of their marriage that Lisey has deliberately blocked out of her mind. The cast also includes Joan Allen and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Joel Dommett will present

Follow the life of The Queen of Soul

BBC1 The former TOWIE star was just 10 years old when his mum Tina took her own life.

In this deeply moving documentary, he begins therapy to process the grief that he has bottled up for 20 years and to understand the impact that the trauma of losing a parent has had on his life.

28 May-3 June 2021

Coming soon...

Your STARS

What’s in store in the months ahead...

The Tomorrow War

Chris Pratt travels in time

Time BBC1 In this Stephen three-part Graham stars drama aboutt life behind bars, Sean Bean plays a prisoner consumed with guilt for killing an innocent man, while Stephen Graham is the prison officer protecting those in his charge. Sue Johnston also stars.

Monsters at Work DISNEY + Based on the hit animated film Monsters, Inc., this series follows eager mechanic Tylor Tuskmon (Ben Feldman), who dreams of working on the power plant’s Laugh Floor with Mike and Sulley. John Goodman and Billy Crystal also reprise their voice roles.

Mike and Sulley return

The Real al Games ITV Holly Willoughby

by Freddie and Freddie Flintoff hosts Flintoff host this five-part sports show that follows 12 famous faces as they train to compete against each other in the athletics arena, swimming pool and gym. The celeb with the most medals will be crowned the winner!

Aries

Libra

21 March-20 April

24 Sep-23 Oct

Your intense energy will last, so make the most of it by tackling difficult tasks.

Then put your feet up, relax and recharge with a good book or TV show.

There’s acknowledgment of your hard work when you complete a project.

You’ve moved mountains to get where you are and it’s recognised.

O Call 0905 817 0690* for more

O Call 0905 817 0696* for more

Taurus

Scorpio

21 April-21 May

24 Oct-22 Nov

You’ve a new idea, which would allow you to work from home. An online business would suit you.

Cooking and entertainment are your forte.

Take a step back from the situation and regroup. It’s easier to see a solution if you’re looking at something from the outside. Your abilities will be noticed.

O Call 0905 817 0691* for more

O Call 0905 817 0697* for more

Gemini

Sagittarius

22 May-21 June

23 Nov-21 Dec

Love is on your mind and you’re preparing a special meal. A day trip may involve something romantic like a long walk or a visit to a local beauty spot.

You’ve got your mind on money, as you’re a luxuryloving sign. Focus on earned income and material possessions. Get serious about your finances.

O Call 0905 817 0692* for more

O Call 0905 817 0698* for more

Cancer

Capricorn

22 June-23 July

22 Dec-20 Jan

Joining an online fitness class is your priority. You’ve been thinking about Zumba classes and a friend’s invited you to join her group, keep an open mind.

Focus on introspection; think about plans, relationships and your career. If you’re looking to make changes ask advice from someone you trust.

O Call 0905 817 0693* for more

O Call 0905 817 0699* for more

Leo

Aquarius

24 July-23 Aug

21 Jan-19 Feb

You’ve a new attitude towards relationships.

Prepare yourself for one of the deepest conversations of your life. Relax and allow the conversation to unfold.

You would be wise to sleep instead of staying active, recharge your batteries and nourish your soul.

Taking it easy and enjoying gentle reading will help.

O Call 0905 817 0694* for more

O Call 0905 817 0700* for more

Virgo

Pisces

24 Aug-23 Sep

20 Feb-20 March

There’s light at the end of the tunnel, things will get better. Taking up a new creative hobby will bring you pleasure as it’ll enable you to relax more.

Your efforts won’t go unnoticed if you stand up for somebody who’s been wronged. This could relate to an injustice and you’re definitely on the right track.

O Call 0905 817 0695* for more

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SENSELESS SLAUGHTER

No answers, no remorse My beloved brother had only gone to his mate’s to play a video game Inese Muzikante, 27, Skelmersdale, Lancs fter a tap on raised me, then 10, and the back door, my sister, 9. my brother So, in 2009, when he Kristaps’ voice moved to Skelmersdale in floated through the UK for a new start, to the kitchen.

I was gutted.

‘Hey sis, I’ve got biscuits.

‘I’ll miss you,’ I told him.

Get the coffee on!’ he called.

And I did – so much so Before I could that, three years reply, my three later, my partner kids, then 7, 5 Maris and and 1, went I followed him. flying in to greet ‘You’ll love it their uncle. here,’ Kristaps They adored grinned at us, Kristaps as welcoming us much as I did. into his home.

‘I’ve picked some shopping For years, we all lived up for you,’ Kristaps said, together. Maris and putting a bag on the counter I had our three kids. and scooping his niece and And Kristaps saw my nephews into a hug. family as his own.

It was an afternoon in In 2018, we February 2020. got our own Kristaps, then 30, was five years older, we’d always been close.

We’d grown up in Kuldiga, Latvia.

I was a baby when our father was stabbed to death – murdered by a family friend.

I don’t remember it, but Kristaps – just a kid himself – took over as the man of the house.

Several years later, My big bro took care our mother died, and of me and my sister Kristaps, then 15,

A

WORDS: ANN CUSACK. PHOTOS: FOCUS FEATURES

Just a kid himself, he’d sacrificed his childhood to raise me

44

place, just a 10-minute walk away from Kristaps’ home.

We saw him almost every day.

Ate together at weekends, spent every birthday and Christmas as a family.

And he was forever popping round with I was trapped shopping or to babysit. in my grief ‘You’re still looking after me, even after all these years,’ I joked a week later, my phone rang that February afternoon at 10am. as Kristaps unloaded Not knowing the number, bread and milk.

I answered.

‘And I always will,’ he Didn’t recognise the grinned at me. woman’s voice on the other Kristaps was a sociable end of the line. guy, with a great circle ‘Your brother’s been of friends around him. attacked,’ the stranger said.

One of his best mates, ‘He’s going to be fine, but Janis Mikitovs, had been I wanted to let you know.’ to my house a few times.

‘What?’ I gasped.

I’d see him She wasn’t making sense, around town, I wasn’t sure I believed her. always said So I hung up. a friendly ‘hi’.

Started calling hospitals He lived and police in panic, trying to with his find out if it was true. partner and Only, four hours later, two young kids. police officers turned up.

In early My legs buckled as March 2020, I opened the door I saw Kristaps ‘Please, no,’ I begged. for a catch-up.

I didn’t want to hear what He was they had to say – if I didn’t his usual self, hear the words, it wouldn’t full of energy be true. and fun.

‘I’m afraid your brother But just was the victim of a violent

, Mikitovs could give no explanation

washed blood off any knives.

There hadn’t been an accident, he didn’t remember having to act in self defence.

He said he’d had no reason to stab my brother or intention of doing so.

All he did remember was Kristaps: loving lifting up Kristaps’ jumper and sociable as he lay on the sofa, and seeing blood. attack,’ one said. ‘He passed so our younger sister his 36th birthday.

An ambulance had been away soon after.’ was stuck in Latvia – and, It was late, Mikitovs’ called, Mikitovs had pressed I stared, numb with shock. crushingly, only 10 people partner and young kids a towel to the wound until ‘No,’ I said. could attend. were asleep upstairs. police and paramedics came.

‘I don’t believe it.’

‘You deserved better than But they played As paramedics had worked Kristaps was a healthy, this,’ I said as Kristaps PlayStation, were enjoying on my brother, Mikitovs had strong 30-year-old man. was cremated. a typical guys’ night in. become hostile.

How can this have The next months, with Then, the prosecution Had tried to force his way happened to him? a pandemic raging, were claimed Mikitovs had back into the living room, I was still in denial as the tough. We were isolated with exploded after playing but had been handcuffed officers drove me to hospital our grief, and the world was an ice-hockey game. and escorted from the house. to identify Kristaps’ body. on pause.

Plunged a knife into The lack of any real Maris stayed home with Life didn’t go on, there Kristaps’ abdomen, explanation made Kristaps’ the kids. was no school, no errands resulting in a fatal death all the more senseless.

Seeing Kristaps, the truth to run, no 23cm wound.

Poured acid on our pain. hit me and I broke down. distractions Under But, thankfully, the jury ‘I love you,’ I wept, not from my loss. questioning, found Janis Mikitovs guilty knowing how to say goodbye Our sorrow Mikitovs’ story of murder. He was jailed for to the big brother who’d just hung there, had changed. life, to serve a minimum of sacrificed his childhood to inescapable, First, he’d told 16 and a half years. bring me up. as we wallowed police Kristaps I’ll never forgive him.

Later that day, police told within our had been stabbed Kristaps was a peaceful, me Janis had been arrested four walls. outside the loving brother, uncle, friend. for killing Kristaps.

Janis Mikitovs, 36, house, then he’d suggested All my life, he protected me.

‘But they were friends,’ appeared at Preston Crown he may have been attacked I’m pregnant again, yet I sobbed.

Court in September 2020. near some local shops. it’s bittersweet knowing our Why would Janis hurt him?

He pleaded not guilty But in court, he simply fourth baby will never know As Janis was questioned, to murder. said he couldn’t remember their uncle. charged, I arranged The court heard Mikitovs what had happened.

I just want to know why.

Kristaps’ funeral. had invited Kristaps over He didn’t recall a row.

Yet, I don’t think we’ll Lockdown had kicked in, for some drinks, to celebrate Hadn’t seen, used, or ever have the answer.

The truth hit me and I broke down.

‘I love you,’ I wept

45

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£500 Puzzle 18

he answers to all but one of these quiz questions can be found hidden in this word search 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.

T

THE SILVER SCREEN – REBECCA The well-known first line of Daphne du Maurier’s book, on which the 1940 Hitchcock film Rebecca was based, reads, ‘Last night I dreamt I went to _ again’? (9) Which James starred as Brian Jackson opposite Rebecca Hall as Rebecca Epstein in the 2006 film Starter for 10? (6) What is the name of the William

PHOTOS: BETTMANN ARCHIVE, ALAMY, GETTY PHO

1

2 3

Makepeace Thackeray novel, a 2005 film adaption of which starred Reese Witherspoon as Rebecca ‘Becky’ Sharp? (6,4) WHERE IN THE WORLD? NOTORIOUS Cary Grant, who starred in the 1947 Hitchcock film Notorious, was born Archibald Leach in 1904 in which West Country city? (7) The gangst gangster Al Capone was imprisoned impriso for tax evasion in which whi US city where he was a notorious crime lord in tthe 1920s and 1930s? (7) The notori notoriously treacherous 1,800m-high treacherou icy north face of which Swiss mounta mountain is known as the Nordwand Nordwand? (5)

4 5

6

TO CATCH A THIEF In 1671 Co Colonel Thomas Blood wa was captured in the process of stealing what items from tthe Tower of

7 3. Reese looks Sharp

Your ans answer:

London, and Who pardoned played

by King Madeleine Charles Elster II? (5,6) opposite Who James starred Stewart in in three Hitchcock’s Hitchcock 1958 thriller 5. You can films, Dial M Vertigo?

(3,5) call him Al… for Murder, Rear Window and To Catch THE LADY VANISHES Which author a Thief, the latter disappeared from shortly before she retired from acting on her marriage her home in Berkshire in December 1926, turning up in April 1956? (5,5) 11 days later in Harrogate, According to the saying, apparently remembering you should ‘Set a _ to nothing? (6,8) catch a thief’? (5) What was the VERTIGO surname of Amelia, I See You Baby, and the famous aviator At the River are singles who went missing from the 1999 album Vertigo during an attempt to by the electronic music duo circumnavigate the world Groove _? (6) on 2 July 1937? (7) Acrophobia, often In Hitchcock’s erroneously referred 1939 mystery thriller to as vertigo, is an intense The Lady Vanishes, the fear of what? (7) title character disappears from which form of moving transport? (5)

12

8

13

9

14

10 11

15

TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles

47

YOU LITTLE BEAUTY

LOOK GREAT TODAY

Your questions answered, plus our pick of the products

I’m feeling guilty about the number of plastic shampoo bottles in my shower.

How can I make my haircare routine more sustainable?

Chrissy Gibbs, 41

Q

You’re not alone, 73% of Brits want to make their bathrooms more sustainable*, but don’t know where to start..

Making it easy to reduce plastic without compromising on your routine, Aussie, Head & Shoulders, Pantene and Herbal Essences now have a reu reuse-and-refill shampoo system. Buy sha the aluminium bottle once, and top up with on a recyclable pouch when you run out, w uusing 60% less plastic.

We like Head & SShoulders Classic Clean Anti-Dandruff Shampoo A with Reusable Bottle, w ££9.99, Boots (refills, ££4.80), and Aussie M Miracle Moist Shampoo

3 OF THE BEST PURSEFRIENDLY FOUNDATIONS Deputy beauty editor Jess Beech shares her top picks

LETTEeR of th ! week

C Collection Lasting Perfection Glow P FFoundation, £6.49, Superdrug £ TThe same great coverage as the co original, with added or glow and a variety gl of undertones for a rrealistic match.

A

with Reusable Bottle, £9.99, also Boots. You only need a little of each, so a bottle lasts for ages.

If you want to ditch plastic altogether, try Garnier Ultimate Blends Honey Treasures Strengthening Shampoo Bar,

WORDS: JESS BEECH. PHOTO: GETTY *SURVEY OF 2,000 ADULTS BY ONE POLL, FEBRUARY 2021

TRIED AND TESTED Soap & Glory Scrub For Joy Body Polish, £8, Boots There’s little that’s more satisfying than a grainy body scrub, and this one also has an uplifting scent. Notes of grapefruit and rhubarb linger on your skin after you’ve left the shower,, too.

Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Origin Squeezy Tinted Balm in Mandarin Granita, £5.99, burtsbees. co.uk Merging the comfort of a balm with the colour boost of a lipstick, this iss not only easy to apply, but a joy to wear, too. Lips feel er soft even after it’s worn off.

£7.99, Superdrug.

The bar’s packaging is 100% recyclable, and the formula is 97% biodegradable, giving you extra eco Brownie points.

The Body dy Shop White Musk Free ree Fragrance nce Layering g Topper, £10, Thee Body Shop Be your own expert perfumerr by layering this fragrance topper over The Body Shop’s iconic White Musk scent, or any other scent you like. It’s cool, fresh and perfect for every day.

Fu Fudge Professional Blow Dry Aqua Bl Primer, £15.50, Pr beautybay.com be Frizz, begone. Not Fri content withh co pr protecting hair from ha heat up to he 23 230°C and boosting bo volume, vo thi this also hhas Fudge’s WeatherShield technology to keep fluffyy flyaways at bay.

E.l.f. Camo CC Cream, £14, Boots Brimming with skincare-worthy ingredients including peptides, niacinamide and collagen, this workss much harder than your average foundation.

M Factor Max FFacefinity All Day Flawless D 3in1 Liquid 3 FFoundation, £13.99, £ Superdrug S A primer, concealer aand foundation in oone, this base leaves sskin looking even aand glowing from morning to night. m

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Trade liquid b la ffor a smoky b ck eyeliner ro The result is m wn pencil. uch and will make softer, yo eyes look wid ur er.

Got a beauty question? Send your problems to chat_magazine@futurenet.com

49

HOLIDAY INSPIRATION

e h t f o 6 t... bes

Travel ideas for when things get back to normal

European b

We’ve selected our fave holiday to look l k out ffor on the h green lilist

Hungary for more Set on the banks of the River Danube, Hungary’s capital is really two cities – Buda and Pest – making it twice the fun. On the west side sits the historic Buda, with its castle and palace. On the east is Pest, with its shopping, eating and nightlife.

2 Golden beaches and blue seas

Grab a gift in the market

All eyes on Cyprus Everyone has been looking at Cyprus since it was one of the first destinations to offer restriction-free entry to vaccinated tourists. Whoever does visit will find a beautiful Mediterranean island, full of pine forests inland, and craggy coastlines alongside golden beaches. At its heart is Mount Olympus, set close to the dense Paphos Forest. Lively resorts can be found in and around Larnaca, but if it’s just sunshine and sea you’re after, head to Amathus Bay, a quiet enclave on the south coast.

WORDS: LAURA MILLAR. PHOTOS: GETTY, ALAMY

1

50

Paradise in Portugal Known for its Atlantic beaches, the sunny stretch of coast known as the Algarve – between Lagos and Faro – is brimming with villas, hotels, bars and restaurants.

You’ll also find quiet fishing towns, waterparks, dolphin-watching and castles; something for everyone.

You could walk the scenic Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos or discover authentic local products at the lively market town of Loule.

3

Visit Hungary’s historic castles and palaces

reaks destinations

Stunning Stockholm

A slice of Turkey Turkey’s Turquoise Coast – also known as the Turkish Riviera – stretches alongside the sparkling Mediterranean, taking in the towns of Fethiye, Oludeniz, Marmaris and Kalkan. The small, traditional village of Üzümlü perches in the hills overlooking Patara beach.

Here you’ll find excellent local wines, and narrow streets home to picturesque Ottoman-style houses.

6

Set on water, the spotless Swedish capital, Stockholm, is a delight. Take a cruise around the islands of the Stockholm archipelago – check out Viggsö where ABBA wrote their songs.

Visit the Vasa Museum; a huge wooden ship.

4

The capital is surrounded by water

Under the Spanish sun With an average of more than 300 days’ sunshine every year, the Costa Cálida is true to its name, which translates as ‘warm coast’. Located in Spain’s Murcia region, the rugged coastline west of the pretty port town of Cartagena is scattered with dozens of small coves and unspoiled beaches. The Calnegre and Cabo Cope Regional Park, dotted with more than 300 species of flora and fauna, is a protected wildlife reserve, perfect for bird watching.

5 The coast is covered in coves and beaches

Take a break in small, traditional beachside villages

Always check the latest travel advice before booking a trip 51

THE BIG CR I M E BEHIN HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

Body the bo A smirking killer sent a condolenc a donation, and even went to her

Colleague Daniel Myers

hen 28-yearold Heather Bogle took a job at a Whirlpool washingmachine factory in Sandusky, Ohio, USA, she hoped it’d be temporary.

Having just finished nursing school, the young mum dreamt of a new career in healthcare.

To build a better life for her 5-year-old daughter.

Heather did night shifts.

But although she worked hard and was well-liked amongst colleagues, behind closed doors, she was having a tough time.

Despite her best efforts, Heather had failed one of her nursing exams.

She was devastated.

And her one-year relationship with girlfriend Carmella Badillo had ended, as the couple rarely saw each other.

On 9 April 2015, Heather clocked off at 6.17am.

Then, she simply vanished.

When she failed to collect her little girl from school, her mother panicked and raised the alarm.

The following evening, Heather’s car was traced to

W

54

a block of flats in nearby Clyde, a mile from the Whirlpool factory.

Inside, police made a grisly discovery...

Heather had been brutally murdered and stuffed in the boot of her own car.

She’d been savagely beaten, her hair hacked, and her fingernails cut down to the cuticles.

Her wrists and ankles were bound, and defensive wounds on her hands suggested she’d fought back before ultimately being shot twice in the back.

Locals were shocked and frightened, her family utterly devastated.

Tributes poured in, and friends set up a fundraiser for Heather’s daughter in the mum’s name.

I am distraught that there will be no more of your smile at work. You will always be in my thoughts, wrote co-worker Daniel Myers, with a donation of $125 (around £90).

Detective Sean O’Connell ran the investigation. Swore to get to the bottom of what

happened to Heather, and immediately looked into her relationship with ex-girlfriend Carmella.

But although text messages and phone calls had turned acrimonious between the two, O’Connell was satisfied she had nothing to do with Heather’s murder.

Days later, O’Connell received an email tip from a Whirlpool employee, urging him to investigate Heather’s colleague Daniel Myers.

But O’Connell had other ideas.

He’d become suspicious of one of the tenants living in

Tributes poured in, a fundraiser set up in her name

Sandusky, Ohio

the flats where Heather had been found.

Single mum Keyona Bor had a good job at a nursing home and was only interested in providing for her kids, but O’Connell took a dislike to her.

Keyona’s friend, Omar Satchel, who’d been at her flat on the night of the murder, had served time for firearms and violence.

It was enough to convince O’Connell that the two had killed Heather.

Without revealing his source, O’Connell then maintained a third accomplice, Kayree Jeffrey, had disposed of the murder weapon.

O’Connell publicly named the three suspects, but didn’t have enough evidence

in oot

BIG CRIME HAD HE KILLED BEFORE?

to arrest them.

Traces of DNA were recovered from underneath Heather’s cuticles – which didn’t match any of O’Connell’s suspects.

But though they always maintained their innocence, he refused to rule them out.

For more than a year, he hounded them and even submitted a report to prosecutors omitting the vital DNA information which pointed to their innocence.

This was flagged by officials, and in June 2016, O’Connell was taken off the case.

Heather’s family feared her killer might never be caught.

In 2017, detective Chris Hilton took the case and vowed to solve the murder.

By gaining access to Heather’s Gmail account, Hilton discovered her exact movements had been stored

by Google from the moment she’d left work at 6.17am.

GPS coordinates placed her just a few miles from the factory, 13 minutes after she was last seen.

It was revealed to be the home of Daniel Myers.

On 26 May 2017, police

Aspiring nurse Heather Bogle

descended on Myers’ home.

‘Did you know her?’ they asked.

‘Very, very little,’ he said.

Odd considering the heartfelt condolence message and donation he had given.

Five days on, Myers’ DNA was found to match that under Heather’s cuticles.

He was arrested and charged with her murder.

Afterwards, a criminal investigation was launched against exdetective Sean O’Connell.

It showed he’d falsified police reports and ignored an email suggesting Daniel Myers could be the killer, just days into the investigation.

In September 2018,

O’Connell pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment.

In a statement, Keyona Bor said he destroyed her life, and she had lost her job, her flat and reputation.

She, Omar Satchel and Kayree Jeffrey were all cleared of the murder.

In February 2019, Daniel Myers, then 49, pleaded guilty to the kidnap and murder of Heather Bogle, with sexual intent.

He was sentenced to life without parole.

Myers admitted luring Heather to his home to console her after she had failed her nursing exam and received some

He tried to cover his tracks by removing evidence

upsetting texts.

Prosecutor Tim Braun told the court that Myers had attempted to seduce Heather, but had become aggressive when she had rejected him.

‘He physically overpowered her, beat her into submission, handcuffed her…and tortured her for a long time.’

She was then fatally shot, before Myers tried to cover his tracks by removing DNA evidence from her body and his home.

For two long years, Myers hid in plain sight – even attending his victim’s funeral.

Calling him ‘The Devil’, Heather’s ex-girlfriend Carmella said, ‘I do not forgive you. You took away a mother and a friend, and a loved one that no one could ever get back.’

55

WORDS: FRANCESCA WOODSTOCK. PHOTOS: SANDUSKY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, ALAMY

e message, funeral...

After Daniel Myers’ arrest, 10 women came forward claiming he’d raped them.

And Loriann Haley is convinced Myers shot her sister, Leigh Ann Sluder, in 2009.

Leigh Ann, Myers’ ex girlfriend, was found dead with a gunshot wound to her chest, a long-barrelled rifle lying next to her in bed.

Authorities ruled her death a suicide, which has been upheld.

Yet Loriann says, ‘I knew Danny had killed her.’

Observing how rationally and meticulously Myers attempted to destroy DNA evidence in Heather’s murder, Prosecutor Tim Braun said, ‘That usually takes experience.’

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How I trapped my rapist ENTER OUR BIG CASH COMPS!

WOW! I lost 20st!

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Onn sale O saal allee 3 June Juune ne

LIFE CHANGING

A letter to...

My patient kids To my amazing boys,

out, I realised I wasn’t It’s all following my own advice. for you!

What I really loved was looking after you, not long days working hen I met in the office. your dad And I wanted to be a Al, then 29, writer, not a banker. in 2002, ‘I’m going to write a I knew he book,’ I told your dad. was The One. ‘Go for it!’ he beamed, Yet he had to share me hopeful that I would be with my other love... home more.

As a financial trader in So I started London, my life revolved scribbling down stories around work. on a notepad on the ‘I’m sorry,’ I sighed, train home. answering yet another Thought about what work call during dinner you’d like to read about. one night.

Monsters, magic He got used to it. and animals!

When you, Jude, arrived Then, in December ember in 2012, I took maternity 2016, we went to leave, but was soon back a pantomime. to the grind.

You were so o It felt impossible to excited, yet ass the t juggle my long hours curtains opened, ned d, and childcare. my phone rang. ng g.

So we got a nanny, and My boss. after you, Flynn, were born ‘Can you in 2014, I went back to jump on a work again. conference Your nanny was call?’ he witnessing precious asked me. moments that I should’ve I felt so been part of. frustrated, la as Trips to the park, yet couldn’t last! swimming, school runs, say no.

Wi With it story time.

‘I’m sorry, mor more re he ed. time, We’d have an hour boys,’ I mouthed. together before bedtime, Spent the next e ext I had My real passion was writing then I’d start work in our hour in the theatre he eatre my idea for a children’s novel. home office again. lobby when I should’ve Only, in been en with you.

A funny and educationa educational October 2016, It wasn’t the book about a swamp fe I wanted monster, frustrated by I gave a careers life talk to some any ny more. a king’s plan to turn students So, in October b hi his swamp p into a roller rollerat work.

2017, I quit, and skate park.

I found myself we all moved In August 2020, King of telling them to a rural part the Swamp was published. to follow their of Essex.

‘It’s all for you,’ I said, passion in life.

By now, you, reading it to you before you ‘Find something you love, Archie, had been born, and went to bed. and work hard to succeed,’ I loved spending time with My next book, The Pet, has I said. all three of you. just been published.

But as the words slipped Proper family time. At And as I enjoy every

W

58

Lots of love, Mummy x Catherine Emmett, 41, Essex For more information on Catherine’s books (now available at amazon.co.uk), visit catherineemmett.co.uk

WORDS: BESS BROWNING

I enjoy every second of story time with you

second of story time with you boys – Jude, now 8, Flynn, 6, and Archie, 4 – I can’t believe I didn’t do this years ago.

I’m so sorry I wasn’t always there.

We’ve got a lot of making up to do and I can’t wait.