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RE A L L IFE &

T U O K C K NO

G N I D D E W Our SUMO silliness FRIED C a r o l ’s BR A IN

SNARE! I nabbed a fella ...on the neonatal ward

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PRIZES!

Hang in there Caleb FAT SHAMED HELP my 14st son...

STARVED Lyndsey’s murder chills to the BONE

7 es ate is a funny old game. Sometim Fa e just spins on a dime and you’re life left facing a completely new path. ake, for example, Nancy and Ta C rol (p7). At a wedding, the two Ca d m ms-of-the-bride merrily toaste mu their daughter’s happy ever after a then wriggled into two sumo and w stling costumes, as you do. It wre h been laid on for the kids, but had n’t thought, ‘Why who of us, after a wine or three, has it deeply and Carol’s not?!’ Only, they’d come to regret nt. Then there’s Jodie future now looks profoundly differe on the neonatal ward who’s nursing her severely ill baby d another new mum’s one minute – the next, she’s pinche t read her story (p44) fella in the neighbouring cubicle! Bu ut Lorren (p16)? She before you judge her. And what abo blue. And then fate was born with one green eye, one le Dalmatian with decided she should have an adorab k Forrest Gump got similarly mismatching peepers. I thin it right, life is like a box of chocolates... Karen Bryans, Editor

(stories@realpeoplemag.co.uk)

16 her Eye eye! Lorren with pawfect pal, Loki

What seemed fun changed this pair’s lives

16 We’re lookielikies – honest!

25 Murder on the meter

Eye on the prize

Terry’s ﬁnal pick-up

3 Cash Cow 18 My triplet trauma 27 Mum to mum 6 The Whopper! Hang in there Naughty gnashing 15 Real People Caleb 28 Animal crackers Roulette 20 Starved Depawture 26 WIN! £100 Lyndsey’s murder lounge to spend at ﬁgleaves.com! chills to the bone 30 Your Stars 44 Intensive snare! 32 The silent killer 28 WIN! A retro pop-up hot I nabbed a fella Valerie’s murderer dog toaster! on the neonatal kept quiet for years 30 Lost In Moo-sic ward 37 Cookery & Cow-Culator! Life of pies 10 driving 38 Scooby Doobie 31 WIN! lessons! High old time 34 Just For Fun! 40 Bob’s big Puzzles 4 Our mad world! treasure hunt! 35 Reader And Solutions Plus soap highlights Jewel or junk? 36 Playing 16 Quick reads The Field Short stories 38 WIN! A set of 7 Knockout wedding 22 Health & family games! Our sumo silliness Happiness 41 X-Factor fried Carol’s brain Seventh heaven 42 Puzzles Email: 12 My fat shame 24 Get drawer, o.uk ag.c plem For Prizes peo stories@real Someone help my ganised! ple, or write to: Real Peo 43 Entry Coupon 14st son – I sure Declutter with 4AJ Y SW1 on Lond et, Stre 30 Panton 46 Diabolical as hell can’t! these fancy ﬁxes This magazine can be recycled either through your kerbside collection, or at a local recycling point. Log on to www.recyclenow.com, and enter your postcode to find your nearest sites.

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WEEK 6

Real People’s Puzzle Trail starts Use the arrows to take you directly to the next puzzling Our beautiful bovine puzzle mascot, Fl will kick things off with her Cash Cow Venture into the land of milk and money h get your hands on a grand prize indeed! For your chance to win £1,000, collect the letter that appearss with Flo, right, every week for eight weeks. When you collected them all, rearrange them into an eight-let er word and write this on the entry coupon in issue 4.

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E R O L F W O L L FO

FAB! 6 C E T O PA G E

A NAME?

L R O W o t d e e t n a r a Gu

Cute O PERI MERRY!

My son Arlo, two, loves his Nando’s! Here he is, going spare, with his favourite stripped plain chicken and chips before going to see a Cinderella pantomime.

I’m a oy! c-lucky b

UK What happens when do-gooders and doggers meet? Fisticuffs! Good Samaritan Michael Everett, 25, was patrolling a suicide spot by Bristol’s Clifton suspension bridge. But chancing upon a public sex romp, he got punched. A 56-year-old man has been arrested.

PIC TURES: GET TY

KET – the Vietnamese for K huot tui) D EAGLE – the Chinese for o ying) PIGEON – the Sindhi ( r gecko COON – the Korean for l ineoguli) RUBY – the Japanese for ebee (maruhanabachi) OF TREES – the Zulu ana) for giraffe lamithi) A woman in LUTTER MOUSE Tennessee had red – the German for bat sauce rage when she was (ﬂedermaus) given ketchup instead of jam – SOURCE: Talltails.com and pulled a gun on McDonald’s staff! Asia Vester, 20, was charged d with aggravated assault and unlawful possession of a wea wit

U A

T O N N A C O Y , D R A H ! D RIC E I R R A GET M

Kim Coopey, Cardiff

DOPPLE

Around the world, mals have some anim weirrd and wonderful monikers...

barmy son was arrested for dressing up as his 60-year-old mum. Why? Brazilian Heitor Schiave, 43, wore a grey wig and ﬂoral blouse so he could pass his mum Maria’s driving test! But the examiner grew suspicious of ‘Maria’s’ large hands and unusually high-pitched voice.

Become a fan of Real People on

hen a vicar asks, ‘If sa anyone present know le reason why this coup ,’ we all clench our up , speak shouldn’t be married nd nervously – and a little ou buttocks and look ar lling ex bursting in at that moment a ye hopefully. Because t? Well, have a is for the soapps, righ y in Mexico, look at thhis ceremon oman gaatecrashed by a w you I EL , sscreaming, ‘Richard g around ve n ot get married. I lo cann of Haifa for .’ ry you, you cannot mar yo ﬁs , stray cat Izzy rike She even goes to st spied a cosy spot on a boat. an thhe bride. It deserves . Only, it was a whopping great oof.. cargo ship. After 12 days and EEastEnders Doof... D 2,000 miles, the furry stowaway dooof, doof, doof. was sprung from a container an d VVi si t yo ut ub e. co m in Southampton and taken ts ea rch ‘Wom an bu rs a w ed di ng ’.

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NETHERLANDS

LARDER LOUT

Is catcalling a crime? A 36-year-old Dutch man has been cleared of harassment on appeal. He’d hollered at two women and chased after them when they ignored him – but a court has ruled he had a right to free expression.

P A O SON A ROPE

Work yourself into a lather with our sneak peek at what’s soon to be bubbling over and under in y fav a e shows show sh o s… your fave WEEK COMMENCING 13 Jan

Lisa and Bex are worried about Louise and how she’s struggling to cope with baby Peggy. However, when Lisa finds her ts out that Keanu’s dead, Lisa daughter in a state a bit later and she blur plot, gone cuckoo, living with is ready to certify Lou as having lost the Lou-Lou isn’t la-la, is she? rats in the attic – and she should know! But tasking Martin with offing Surely it’s brother Ben who’s bonkers for h and, despite her exploding Keanu! Phil thinks so. He tells Lisa the trut Louise will be fine. Hmmm... in the face of the facts, reassures her that come to question him, though! Phil’s not so reassuring when the police e of Honey’s eating disorder Elsewhere… Billy really pushes the issu call that forces her to accept with her. In the end, she gets a wake-up ng pretty drastic action. that she’s unwell, which results in her taki a’s still a lush. Oh! And Sonia has a shocker, while Lind

h no, no Torbyn’s Torbyn s in the pantryy again looking for his cat food!

Rikki McMullen, Tyn Y Parc, Rhuthun

I DIG IT!

SUNNY SIDE UP

While cooking breakfast the other morning, I couldn’t believe my eyes yes – the egg in my pan was smiling back at me! T children were so eggcited to see it – groann! Tina Williams Ebbw Vale, Blaenau u Gwent

y daughter and I were a bit worried by this sign in the local reclamation yard, threatening to hide the bodies of trespassers. We decided not to hang about! Christine Hamori, Whitefield, Manc Ma M nche h ster t

GGERMANY A lovelorn teen has en into a prison to his ex-girlfriend. In a terpretation of the cene in Romeo and Juliet, the 18-year-old scaled a 4m wall to get to his ex’s window. Fire crew in the city of Vechta helped him down. Still single? We don’t know.

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Rhona and G h ’ t way ddream turns into a nightmare! Threatening Graham’s escape is Ryan, who tells Graham he knows he’s been ﬁddling the books. But, big G does have dirt on Ryan. Is it enough to do a deal? Meanwhile, Leo’s passport isn’t where Rhona left it and she ﬁngers Marlon as the one responsible for its sudden disappearance. The accusation, however, riles Marlon, who guesses she needs it to take Leo away. All the hassle merely serves to concentrate Rhona’s mind: she wants them to leave in days! Elsewhere… Aaron takes it very badly when Pete delivers the news that Rebecca won’t let Seb visit any more. In the aftermath of his extreme sorrow-drowning exploits, he tells Liv he’s made a decision. Oh! And Jai’s under serious pressure at HOP. Will he be able to resist ‘medicatin

On the cobbles this week, Geoff cranks up es his campaign to control Yasmeen. He leav ning clea ous her to crack on with some seri duties while he goes out. However, Cathy n from her scrubbing with pops round to No.6 and distracts Yasmee ﬁnd the pair tiddly, Cathy a bottle of plonk. When Geoff returns to leave. Geoff lays into Yasmeen senses Yasmeen on edge and takes her the tip of the iceberg. Within for failing to do her chores but that’s only vinced Cathy, Brian and days, a cruel and conniving Geoff has con the news is broken to Alya, Peter that Yasmeen is an alcoholic. When n she doesn’t believe it. she dismisses it as absurd and tells Yasmee , though, isn’t it? Hmmm... it’s what Yasmeen believes now ess but it quickly becomes Elsewhere… Shona regains consciousn s. She confuses Max with clear that she has serious memory problem He’s devastated. Clayton and doesn’t recognise David at all. e back in, Bernie tries Oh! And Fiz moves out so the girls can mov arry him! to trapp Kel and Steve asks Tracey to rem

DON’T MISS FRIDAY! Marilyn struggles to describe her loneliness and anxiety.

DON’T MISS WEDNESDAY! Shane surprises Dipi, while Elly and Finn struggle.

E L Z U P

WHOPPER! h n bel

ll age 43.

DOWN 60 Tricky question (5) 2 Rips (5) 63 ___ Swash, actor, former 3 Fastest bird on land (7) Extra Camp host – now 4 ___ Clegg, visually Dancing On Ice competitor impaired Paralympian (pictured top) (3) taking on the rest in Dancing On Ice (5) 64 Go wrong (3) 5 ___ or tails, coin toss game (5) 65 Fruity shade of green? (5) 6 One circuit of a racetrack (3) 66 Message on your answer 7 Give forth (5) machine (5,4) 8 Foe (5) 68 Spanish party island (5) 9 Division in a book (7) 69 Opposite of day! (5) 70 ___ Higgins, Love Islander 10 Perhaps (5) taking part in Dancing On 11 ___ George, Coronation Street star competing in Dancing On Ice (4) Ice 2020 (5) 12 ___ Goddard, TV talk show host and 71 Kebab stick (6) DOI challenger (6) 21 Curved (5) PRIZE QUESTION: What was the last reality TV series on which 52D competed? (6,2,3,4) 22 Banish (5) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 8 10 11 1 24 ___ Schofield, Dancing On Ice host (7) 25 Unwell (3) 12 \ 26 Not real, imaginary (3-8) 27 Chap who helps schoolchildren cross 13 14 15 the road (8,3) 28 Mexican dish of a tortilla filled with 16 17 meat or cheese and served with chilli sauce (9) 18 19 18 20 30 Astonished, amazed (9) 32 Sweetener (5) 33 Last but not ___, saying (5) 34 ___ Kiely, Diversity star and 2020 21 22 23 24 25 26 DOI competitor (5) 38 Urge (7) 44 Stinks (5) 46 Dupe, trick (3) 27 28 29 30 48 ___ Hanlin, magician and DOI star (3) 50 Topic, theme (7) 52 ___ Bourret, model, mainly known by her first name, taking part on Dancing 31 32 33 34 35 On Ice this year (pictured bottom) (7) 53 Not casual, official (6) 36 55 Fibbing (5) 56 ___ Kilbane, footballer turned pundit – 37 38 38 39 turned ice dancer? (5) 57 Poppy drug (5) 40 58 Exotic fruit (5) 59 Shouts (5) 41 42 43 44 61 Nutmeg or paprika, eg (5) 62 ___ Barrowman, entertainer joining the DOI judging panel this series (4) 67 Australian bird (3) 45 46 48 47

ACROSS 1 Leisurely walk (6) 5 ___ Willoughby, host of Dancing On Ice, back on our screens now fora new series (5) 9 Humped beast (5) 13 Respond (5) 14 Take God’s name in vain (9) 15 Deep chasm (5) 16 Burgle (3) 17 Atlas picture (3) 18 Japanese rice dish (5) 19 24 hours ago (9) 20 Long arduous journey (4)

PICTURES: ITV

62 65

21 ___ Banjo, Diversity front man and DOI judge (6) 23 Practise boxing (4) 25 ___ ‘H’ Watkins, Steps star donning skates for this year’s competition (3) 27 ___ Millarini, newreader and 2020 DOI star (8) 29 Hormone diabetes sufferers lack (7) 31 Duke’s wife (7) 33 Part of the mouth (3) 35 Rest, put your feet up (5) 36 Employ, utilise (3) 37 Worshipping (9)

39 Journalists (9) 40 Knight’s title (3) 41 Musical drama (5) 42 Decay (3) 43 Cutting tooth (7) 45 ___ Barrymore, entertainer set to be DOI 2020 star – until he broke his wrist! (7) 47 Compliant, dutiful (8) 49 Convent sister (3) 50 Animal fat used to make dumplings, eg (4) 51 Crisps, peanuts etc (6) 54 Cry noisily (slang) (4) 56 Deliberately (9)

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Wedding BELLES

O M SU

ot wanting to miss out, Nancy and Carol donned their wrestling suits. What could go wrong?

ottering, my arms flailed and I pitched seawards. SPLASH! The water rushed into my ears and I came up spluttering. I heard a big laugh from my wife, Carol, 52. ‘Get back up,’ she giggled. We’d signed up for a course on paddle-boarding. She had no trouble staying upright, seemed to walk on water like Jesus! It had been Carol’s idea – she was always enthusiastic about trying new activities. Me? I worked as a nurse and relished a lie-in. I spent hours cheering her on as she took part in triathlons. But Carol wore me down and I found myself rolling up my sleeves for whatever sweat-fest she had planned this time. So here I was, with a mouth full of sea water. Carol worked in IT at Falmouth University in Cornwall. We had met on a gay dating website. She had a sparkle in her eyes and a mischievous grin that told me she’d bring adventure into my life. And she didn’t disappoint. Six weeks after meeting, we sat together in a teepee in Wales and I proposed! Too soon? Of course! But I’d gone the traditional route before – I’d married my childhood sweetheart, Colin, and had three lovely children. But it was time to embrace the new, the uncertain.

Carol encouraged me g to try paddle-boardin

We swapped our frocks for sumo suits

n the c weeks I measured the bridesmaids, m sshouting out their vitals to Carol as she made a note of C them. Two of the dresses needed to be taken apart completely and b made up from scratch again. m ‘Here, drink this,’ said Carol, pushing a cuppa towards me, affter I’d spent two hours with w my head bent over my ewing machine. se Fastening off the thread, I ook a welcome sip, as Carol to rubbed my shoulders. ru All that hard work... and these gowns would be hidden under big inflatable sumo suits! Yes, you heard right. Yvonne was as playful as her second mum and told us she’d hired sumo costumes for the wedding. In a ring, guests – mostly the kids – would boing into each other, rolling around in a fit of giggles. ‘Something for everyone,’ I’d laughed. Though I couldn’t imagine me and Carol squaring up to each other in nappies. We were the mothers of the bride after all. Our job was to wear twin sets, pearls and hats the size of sombreros. Well, not quite. ‘You look beautiful,’ I said to Carol on the morning of edding as sh she the wedding

Seven months later, in April 2006, we had a civil partnership ceremony in Brighton Pavilion. My two sons, Luke, 28, and Adam, 25, gave us away. And, on our 10th anniversary, we had a proper wedding do at Tunbridge Wells register office. My white gowns on each occasion were silk, and Carol’s were satin. My sons and daughter, Yvonne, came to view Carol as their second mum. Now it was time for us two to revel in our daughter’s happiness. Yvonne, 38, was getting married last August. ‘Can you do something with these, Mum?’ she asked desperately when the bridesmaids’ dresses arrived. On paper, they’d sounded lovely – chiffon, each a different, delicate, pastel shade – lemon, peach, pink, lilac and sage. Carol, left, had But they’d been so much fun at ordered from a the wedding Chinese website and didn’t fit! ‘It’ll be a big job,’ I said to Carol, shaking my head. I was a dab hand at sewing, but this...?

slipped on an elegant, cerise gown. No trainers today! I pinned my blue fascinator securely and smoothed down my white floral dress. In a barn on the grounds of Milwards House, in the Sussex Downs, we watched as Colin led Yvonne down the aisle to her waiting fiancé, James, 37, an engineer. ‘The dresses look fantastic,’ whispered Carol, as the bridesmaids followed. After me and Carol had eaten our fill of jerk chicken at the buffet and downed some red wine, we strolled out of the marquee to have a wander. ‘Let’s see what the kids are doing,’ I said, drawn to their yells of laughter. They were play-fighting in the sumo suits. Carol nudged me. ‘Let’s have a go,’ she winked. ‘They look a bit snug for adults,’ I said. ‘Come on,’ urged Carol. Oh, why not! It’ll be fun! I unpinned my hat and took off my high heels. Picking up the bulky costume, I tried to work out the best way of putting it on. ‘I’ll help you, Grandma,’ said Logan, eight, Yvonne’s son, running up to me. After a lot of wiggling and giggling we were in...

Yvonne with her bridesmaids

Turn the page to read more...

We were just having so much fun, as always

PICTURES: TRIANGLE NEWS

he kids explained the idea was to nt push your opponen out of the circle orr to pin them down

on the mat. And soon we went at each other like two walruses on the beach! She pushed me and I overbalanced… staggering ungainly out of the circle. ‘Best of three,’ I roared with laughter. The kids cheered us on as we tussled again, breaking out in a very un-mother-of-the-bridely sweat. SPLAT. I tumbled to the ground. Carol landed on top of me. ‘You win,’ I grinned, as we rolled off each other. The rest of the day was just as fun. Yvonne surprised everyone with a hot pink skirt and a cheerleading routine. James wore a pirate hat cutting the cake – he had a thing about pirates. And the night ended in an ’80s knees-up. Next day we went for a family pub lunch at The Ringles Cross, where my son, Adam, was landlord. Carol’s quiet – shattered, I suppose, like me! That night we stayed at our old house in Tunbridge Wells. We’d lived there as a couple, but it was just me now as Carol got her IT job in Falmouth. The plan was I’d join Carol

Carol was all giggles in her sumo suit

T U C

once we’d e’d bought bo ht a place la down d there. I was working the next day and Carol was due to drive back. Back to our day-to-day life of work, property-hunting and the odd day paddle-boarding. I set the alarm for 8am and we went to bed early. But in the night I woke up. Carol was fidgeting. I lay down again and tried to drift off to sleep. But Carol was still moving. I tried to ignore it. But still she fidgeted. By now the bed was shaking. I sat up. ‘Look, just get up and get a cup of tea,’ I snapped. Then I looked at Carol and my heart froze. Her right arm and leg were shaking, lashing out. Was she trying to get out of bed? My eyes travelled to her face. The left side had drooped. Her eyes were wide and scared. I was a nurse and knew immediately it was a stroke. Frantically I jabbed in 999. ‘It’ll be all right,’ I tried to soothe, squeezing her hand and stroking her brow. ‘An ambulance is on its way.’ I was in work-mode.

II’d d seen this countless times, times but b when I caught her frightened eyes, my heart filled f with panic, Carol was no w normal patient. n At Tunbridge Wells Hospital, a scan showed the stroke had been caused by a blood clot in the brain. I watched anxiously as Carol was able to answer the doctor’s questions. She could remember her date of birth – but her voice was worryingly slurred and hesitant. I smiled encouragingly, rubbing her hand, trying to stay positive for her. But she could see the profound concern etched on my face. A part of her brain had been starved of oxygen-rich blood, but for how long? How deep did the damage go? ‘You’re going to be fine,’ I id said.

Carol used to love running

Carol tried to nod. We travelled by ambulance to King’s College Hospital, London, where Carol was to have a thrombectomy to take out the blood clot. Just 48 hours earlier we’d been celebrating at Yvonne’s wedding. But now I watched, helpless in fear as Carol’s body rattled with fits. And after a two-hour op, the outlook wasn’t good. A CT scan showed the thrombectomy had caused a bigger bleed. Doctors said they’d have to remove a large chunk of Carol’s skull to relieve the pressure – a craniectomy. ‘We’re trying everything we can to save her,’ said the consultant. ‘But if she survives, Nancy, she might not be able to walk or talk.’ ‘Please do anything you can to I pleaded, gripping save her,’ h

Yvonne’s big day changed our lives forever

Wrestle MANIA

I couldn’ bear seein my beautif wife like th

Carol didn’t resemble the woman she’d been

her limp, unconscious hand. That night Carol had the craniectomy. In the critical care unit the next day, I peered at her, desperately trying to see any signs of movement. A twitch of a finger, a flicker of an eyelid. Yvonne came in. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she gasped. I’d phoned her in tears the night before and she came as soon as she could. Just two days ago she’d been a happy bride jigging on the dance floor in a pink, sparkly skirt. Her honeymoon to Antigua wasn’t booked for another couple of weeks. She put her arms around me as I wept. For the first 24 hours Carol was on a ventilator. Then I felt a gentle squeeze of my hand. Carol was beginning to come round. I cried with relief. ‘I love you,’ I sobbed. But Carol didn’t resemble the woman she’d been. Her hair was shaved, an ugly train track of stitching snaked where her chestnut curls had been. The right side of her head sloped unnaturally over the hollow left by the craniectomy. She’d need a titanium plate fitted to reshape her skull. But she was still my Carol!

‘We will do everything to help you get better,’ I whispered, looking at her still closed eyes. ‘We are going to get through this. We are a team.’ After four days, Carol blinked awake, but she couldn’t speak. Tentatively she raised her right hand and made a writing

I glanced at the photos – there we were in our sumo costumes. Could I have caused this? Nervously, I asked the consultant if play-fighting could have resulted in the neck strain, which led to the brain bleed. ‘That is the most likely cause,’ he replied. Guilt overwhelmed me. Carol must have been injured sumo-wrestling. I winced, thinking of the grappling, the shoving, crashing into each other, on top of each other. The laughter, the baying grandkids... the whole scene

She put her arms around me as I wept motion with her fingers. Quickly I grabbed a pen and some paper and pushed it towards her. Her fingers curled around the pen and she slowly began to scribble. Puppy. We’d talked about getting a dog when we both lived full-time in Cornwall. ‘Yes,’ I said, my eyes filling. She continued to write. Wine. ‘My darling, you can have as much wine as you like,’ I laughed. Carol was taken to Maidstone Hospital to continue her recovery. I pinned up photos from Yvonne’s wedding around Carol’s bed. The consultant said her stroke had been caused by a carotid artery dissection – a tear in her neck artery.

sent shivers down my spine. It wasn’t a cherished, fun memory any more. It became sinister in my mind, something shameful, that poked and prodded me every time I saw Carol hunched and weak in her bed. ‘I wish we’d never put those costumes on,’ I said to Yvonne, shaking my head. I kicked myself for being g so foolish. Why didn’t we just leave the kids to it? ‘You mustn’t feel guilty, Mum,’ said Yvonne firmly. ‘It’s no one’s fault. ‘It’s just one of those things.’ Carol spent two months in a rehab unit. We’re now living together in Cornwall, but it’s so different to what we envisaged. She won’t look at old

■ As told to Moira Holden and Liam McInerney

(stories@realpeoplemag.co.uk)

hotos of her running, doing ph he adventurous things she so th herished – she lives more daych o-day. to Carol can speak, but her ersonality has changed. pe She’s like a loud child. ‘Where have you been?’ sshe asks me continually. And texts demanding Where arre you? pile up. She remembers the wedding nd the sumo wrestling. an ‘Unbelievable what appened,’ she says. ha But she’s pragmatic. ‘It’s nobody’s fault,’ she said, n a matter-of-fact tone. in She is in a wheelchair, but she can move her left leg slightly by moving her hips. Her life is one of physios and carers – I am now her part-time carer, too. Yet the determination that propelled her through gruelling triathlons is still there. ‘Not walking again is not an option,’ she said, steely. We’re still waiting for the titanium plate to be fitted – there’s nothing to protect her brain except skin, and I’m worried she’ll hurt herself badly if she falls. But just as she wished, we’ve got a dog. Our puppy, Dilly, a Cockapoo, snuggles on to her lap in the wheelchair. She’s trying to train Dilly, but her voice isn’t commanding enough. ‘Sit,’ she said, struggling to be authoritative. But Dilly merely ran off. ‘Totally ignoring me,’ said Carol, with a throaty laugh. Some of the old Carol is gone, but plenty remains! She can walk on water, this one – it’ll just take time. Nancy Dickson-Fisher, 57, Helston, Cornwall Helston

We’re taking things one day at a time

Darren Rivers as Elvis

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Jacky W ebbe as Dian a Ross

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ikes History was repeating itself with my son

PICTURES: ADAM GERRARD/SUNDAY MIRROR, BIGSTOCK, DONNA RAWLINS/MIRRORPIX, GETTY, MEDAVIA

nd a e s o n r e h , s e y e r e h Donna’s lad has ut B . ts e g g u n n e k ic h c her addiction to ? e r u c c ti s a r d r e h d e e does he n nscrewing i th the tteat, t I picked up a rusk and scrunched it to sand between my fingers. Down into the bottle of milk k the biscuity dust went. It treat for my baby boy’s last was a tr bottle of the day. Ben, 10 months, was such a good baby, always chugging contentedly with that faraway look in his eyes as he sucked. I still couldn’t quite believe I’d made him. This perfect little body, emerging from my big, ugly 25st one. I’d been even heavier than that once – 34st at my biggest. It’s why it had taken me six years to fall p ith Ben.

Why he was so special. Just dribbly him J tad ibbl smile il ffrom hi and I turned to mush. He was all I’d ever wanted and now we went everywhere together. Things weren’t going well with his daddy, Peter, 42, so I carried Ben about like a security blanket. My other comfort? Lots of lovely grub.

Ben was all I’d ever wanted

Now my body had given me my baby, I’d abandoned all thoughts ti l b bi off di dieting. I’d always been big. I would always be big. Might as well eat what I wanted... So I stayed massive, while Ben stayed perfect. In time, his bottles became little jars of baby food. I lived on sausage sarnies, crisps and chocolate. As he grew, Ben liked to copy the things I said and did. It made me chuckle, delighted. ‘That’s my boy,’ I’d think. But he was finicky like me, too. ‘No, Mummy,’ he’d yell if I served him whole sausages. He wanted the ends cut off. And he’d scream the house down if I presented him with r meat th bones in…

I could hardly complain, with my aversion to anything fresh or green. The very thought of a banana or a salad leaf made me feel ill. But Ben didn’t settle at nursery. I was forever being called in for chats. If I sat him on the naughty step, he’d howl until I gave in and picked him up. And then, when he was four, Peter left for good. ‘I want Daddy back,’ Ben wailed, tears sliding down his gorgeous apple cheeks. ‘I know, but he’s not here any more,’ I sniffled. I cooked him up his favourite chicken nuggets and mash for tea, and cuddled him as he cried. But then he started acting up at school, in the hope his dad would come to pick him up. I didn’t know what to do with him. His behaviour was getting me down. And sure enough, my comfort came in packets. Popping myself down on the sofa one afternoon while Ben watched telly, I opened a giant 24 pack of crisps. Before the cartoons were halfway done, I’d put away a dozen of the bags. ‘Can I have one, Mum?’ Ben piped up. ‘Course,’ I agreed, handing him a pack of the salty snacks with greasy fingers. When his was done, Ben’s eyes darted to me splayed on the sofa still eating. ‘Can I have another?’ he asked. ught

Padi and Jack Falber

realpeoplemag.co.uk)

a abou ut say yin ng no. ut how Bu could I? I was 220 bags in myself y ! So, I gave them to him. The first toe on a slippery slope... The more Ben ate, the more he wanted to eat. When he was five, I looked at him one day and got a shock. There was a little roll of flesh over the band of his elasticated trousers. Puppy fat? Had to be. With me now working in patient transport for the ambulance service, we ate what was quick. Chicken nuggets, sausages, crumpets, washed down with cans of Coke. Ben was a growing boy and tucked in happily. He grew. And grew. I knew I was setting a bad example, plating up huge mounds of pasta with chips on the side for tea, then a packet of biscuits for afters. When Ben was seven he came home from school, crying hard. ‘The other kids are saying you’re a whale,’ he sobbed. My stomach dropped. My weight had got me bullied in school. Now it was doing the same to my son. I felt so ashamed. And I

Bullies told Ben I was a whale

started t notice mo nd more echoes of my life in Ben’s. Two years on, he’d taken to hidi away in his bedroom, just like I d done with my Kylie Mi gue tapes. For him it was an Xb x not a ghetto blaster, but he wass hiding just the same. ‘II want chicken nuggets and sh,’ he’d tell me every night, d if I didn’t serve it up, he’d fuse to eat altogether. I decided to try to be strict. I plonked a plate of chicken and peas down in front of him. Ben’s eyes darkened. ‘I won’t eat,’ he yelled. ‘You will,’ I insisted. CRASH! He’d swiped the plate, sending it flying into the wallpaper. I ran into the hall and cried. What kind of mum was I? I signed up to parenting classes social services arranged for me, but nothing changed, except my little boy’s waistbands. Out and out they went. He was just copying me. ‘Why should I when you do it all the time,’ he’d shout if I tried to stop him eating his 10th biscuit. I started cutting his portions. For his breakfast just two crumpets with cheese instead of six... Only one glass of cola a day,

GUILTY PLEA

sternly. ‘There’s nothing we can do.’ I left the surgery with the tears still streaming down my face. My little boy was stuck. Just like me. How many diets had I tried and failed? Too many to count. But if I didn’t start setting my boy a better example, he was going to be as lost as I felt. I had to set an example. Going back to the doctor, I announced, ‘I want a gastric bypass.’ I’d read all about the op, surgeons would join the top part of my stomach to my small intestine, meaning I’d feel fuller sooner and would absorb less calories through food. I couldn’t stop eating, but this would do it for me. But my doctor refused to recommend me for the procedure, saying I had to do it on my own due to funding restrictions. I didn’t give up – it was my only hope. I contacted six other docs until one finally said yes. ‘You’re booked in for April 2018,’ he told me, and I felt a thrill of excitement run through me. Then I thought of Ben. I knew some people would think having the op was cheating,

He’d shout if I tried to stop him eating and I refused my boy the energy drinks he loved so much. But Ben didn’t lose any weight. I tried to push him into playing football but he got teased for his jiggling size. I was at my wits’ end, eating even more myself through stress, and failing miserably to help my boy. When I made his bed, I’d hear a telltale rustling – a stash of empty chocolate wrappers he’d buy with his £5 a week pocket money. ‘Please, Ben, this has to stop,’ I demanded. But he started to cry. ‘Stop bullying me,’ he wailed. To him, I was no better than the kids at school who tormented him. ‘I just don’t know what to do,’ I confided in the GP when Ben, 11, reached 11st. Just like mine had, his weight was matching his age. Bitter history repeating itself. I’d vowed he wouldn’t have my problems. I’d made a hash of it. issue,’ the doc sa

but I was doing it for him. That night I sat him down in front of a YouTube video about how the op would work. He watched intently. ‘Will you be OK?’ he asked after. The risks of anaesthetic at my 25st size flitted through my head. ‘Yes,’ I nodded. ‘There’s always risks but I need this fixed, son.’ Not just for me but for him, too. He needed me to be healthy, to show him how it was done. My mum looked after him as I set off for Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth. The night before, I’d refused to let my nerves show. Ben knew all about the surgery from the video,

Turn the page to read more...

Ben was getting bigger and bigger but I didn’t dwell on the risks. When I woke up after the threehour op, he was there, gazing at me, anxiously. ‘Are you OK, Mum?’ he asked. I nodded gently. I’d done it. ‘When are you coming home?’ he wanted to know. ‘Soon,’ I promised. But first I had to eat. Hours on, the nurse placed a tiny bowl of broth down in front of me. I looked at it and something magical happened. For the first time in my 41 years of life, I had no interest in eating…

Tired of failing, I deci ded to have a gastric bypa ss

COPY FAT

my ! y o b

w woman I’d been and bu ursting with energy. But then I got a call from th he school. ‘Ben’s been injured,’ I was told. I rushed to hospital to see m poor little boy, his lip slit my w where his tooth had b been pushed t through it during Ben’s now a scuffle in the heavier playground. than me At over 14st, Ben was heavier than me. And facing bullies every day. I’d sttopped being their target hat thin soup p may y as well have been a bowl long ago, but I may as well have of dish water! painted a big red bullseye on my ‘You have to eat poor lad’s chubby body. before you can leave,’ His cheeks were huge, his the nurse explained. belly bulging. So I brought it to my lips and sipped. In seconds, I felt painfully full. Back home after three days, just nibbling on a Weetabix left me stuffed. Even when I was all healed, I’d have two chicken nuggets, while Ben had the rest of the bag. My excess weight melted away like wax from a candle. Just eight months on, I I’m half the alread l s 2st!

woman I once was!

And he was miserable. This had to stop. And finally I knew how. My boy didn’t need an example. He needed the same op I’d had. He was living my life, his weight had tracked mine. He was suffering for it in the same way. Couldn’t he solve his problems the same way as me, too? He was eager. ‘You’ve lost weight so quickly, Mum,’ he said one morning soon after. ‘Can I have it too?’

He was suffering That decided it. I made an appointment and took Ben to the doctors. ‘Ben needs a bypass like I had,’ I told the GP. He frowned. ‘Ben’s a growing child and the operation would severely restrict the nutrients he needs,’ he said, flatly refusing my request. ‘Don’t worry, son,’ I told Ben. ‘I won’t be giving up.’ That was over a year ago now and I haven’t. I’ll find a doctor prepared to help my son, just see if I don’t. Yes, Ben is only 14, but waiting will only see his problem get worse. I know because I lived it. He’s twice what he should weigh at his age. While me? I can’t keep the weight on. I’m down to 10st 8lb and doctors have ordered me to eat every two hours as I’ve lost too much, too fast. I can’t stop I want Ben moving to follow in

my footsteps

either. I drag Ben out every weekend, trampolining or on walks. ‘Slow down, Mum,’ he puffs, red faced as I stroll on ah ad I’m buying clothes in a 12 for me, but shopping men’ size large for my teenager. It’s not right. But don’t tell me it’s what m doing wrong! I’m over think this is all my fault. I give Ben scrambled egg for brekkie and try to limit the sugary stuff in my weekly op. But I have to work to keep roo over our heads and, while out, Ben makes his own te of chicken nuggets. He sneaks chocolate ba a begs me until I get his we McDonald’s. So, don’t blame me. I’v blaming myself. Ben has my nose, my eyes and my problems, too. He can’t lose weight, no matter what he does. He wants to be a police dog handler when he’s older and loves watching crime dramas, but how can he do that if he can’t run? I’m convinced that if he has this op all of his problems will be over. Yes, there are risks. Ben knows that. But the bigger risk to me is that he sees his life buried under rolls of heavy, chafing, ugly fat. Don’t get me wrong, if I could turn back time, I would. I’d be stricter after my divorce. I’d ban junk food. But we are where we are. ‘I’m sorry, Ben,’ I’ve told him countless times. And I’m fighting for him. Fighting tooth and nail. I’ll keep speaking to doctors and trying to get Ben a bypass. When I was pregnant with him, I vowed he would never follow in my footsteps. But now I think it’s the only way to save his life. Donna Rawlins, 43, Havant, Hampshire

9 Complete the joke: What do you get g if you cross a pig and a part in a film?

14 What word completes the saying, ‘When in Rome do as the ___ do’?

18 In what game might you score a double bogey or an albatross? 19 Penelope Cruz is a film actress who was born in what country? 20 In what sport might you score a touchdown? 21 Find and cross out four poets.

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13 Margot Robbie is a film actress who was born in what country?

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7 What is the name of the brandy distilled from the fermented juice of cherries?

11 Who hosted the Golden Globes last weekend? 12 Find and cross out four brands of deodorant.

15 Angela Rippon, Julia Somerville and Gloria Hunniford are the main reporting team on which BBC daytime show? 16 Assam and Darjeeling and orange pekoe are all types of what beverage?

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6 Eva Green is a film actress who was born in what country?

10 Which cricketer won BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year 2019?

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5 What song includes the lyrics, ‘Live together in perfect harmony, Side by side on my piano, Keyboard, Oh Lord, Why don’t we…’?

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Here’s one to get you in a spin! All of the answers to the questions can be found on Real People’s Roulette wheel. For your chance to bag £250, have a go at the quiz, eliminating the black or red section containing the answer, or answers, to each question as you go. When completed correctly, you’ll be left with just one section, which contains your prize answer. Write this on the entry coupon on page 43.

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Robert Burns

23 Which popular US singer-songwriter is sitting in Jennifer Hudson’s chair, as her replacement, on the new series of ITV’s singing competition The Voice UK ? 24 Which ancient Indian Hindu text is considered to be the standard work on human sexual behaviour in Sanskrit literature? 25 In what sport might you score runs and take wickets?

6 2 E G A P O T LLOW FLO

Quick

3 of the best

short & sweet stories

READS

Lorren thought she was one of a kind. Then she met her match in a mutt…

SPOT the difference between me and Loki!

UP TO

£2000 Send your story and photos to: Quick Reads, Real People, 30 Panton Street, London SW1Y 4AJ or email stories@realpeoplemag.co.uk

PEEP SHOW

ome people can’t wait for their independence, for others it’s a bit of privacy. The number one thing I was looking forward to when I moved out of my parents’ house? ‘I can finally get a dog!’ I grinned to my boyfriend, Daryl Halligan, 26. I’d been after one my whole life, but had never been allowed. So, moving in with Daryl, I sniffed out the perfect Dalmatian breeder – I’d been obsessed with the 101 film since I was little. I’d run away with the idea so much that I had plans to enter a pup in dog shows! ‘I’m really sorry,’ the breeder The little pup was perfect. His multicoloured eyes looked told me when the litter arrived. into mine and I knew he was what ‘Your puppy’s been born with one I’d been waiting 25 years for. brown eye, one blue. Do you still When I took Loki home last want him?’ January, our ‘Yes!’ I replied instantly. bond was OK, so he wasn’t going to win instant. Crufts, but it was fate he had He was those eyes... such a Leaping into my car, I looked in quick little learner, offering his paw my rear-view mirror. up for a handshake in days. My own eyes flashed back He even took to ringing a at me. One blue, one green. A quirky condition called When I ﬁrst saw heterochromia iridis. Loki, I knew he It was genetic and didn’t was paw-fect affect my sight at all. I’d been adopted, but when my birth mother tracked me down on Facebook she spotted me through my eyes that were just like hers. I’d never met anyone else with the condition. That is, until I walked into the kennels. I couldn’t believe my peepers – neither the green nor the blue!

AS TOLD TO MIYO PADI PICTURES: GEMMA WEBSTER, SWNS

Eye on THE PRIZE bell I had hanging from my front door when he wanted to go out. ‘Can’t ignore that now can I?’ I’d laugh, getting up off the sofa. Sometimes my wily pup would nip in and steal my warm spot, having tricked me on to my feet! Loki was so unique I set him up on Instagram. Soon he had thousands of fascinated online followers. Late last year, I was on the site when I saw a cottage company

‘THERE CAN’T BE MANY LIKE US’

16 6

was hosting a competition. Are you a dog-pleganger? it asked, searching for people that looked like their pups. It was the kind of comp where the winner would be a flame-haired owner and a red setter, or a salty-haired schnauzer and his beardy human. But what about me and Loki?! ‘There can’t be many like us,’ I beamed to Daryl, sending in a picture. A few days later, I was given a job as kitchen assistant in a nursing home. Thinking my day couldn’t get any better, I opened up my emails on my phone. Congratulations Lorren and Loki, you’ve won, it read. We’d bagged £500 towards a stay in a cottage! Loki might not be showable, but he’s a prize pooch. No one can eye up the competition like we can! Lorren Francis, 25, Oswestry, Shropshire

BIRTHDAY C-AHHH-R

Read it and WEEP Julie’s grandson loved opening cards, but never got any. Then Nanny came into play…

he community hall was was harrowing watching him be alive, with music blaring resuscitated, especially as having and a table heaving with been diagnosed with cervical chipolatas. cancer myself in 2007, I thought I’d ‘Thanks for coming,’ my never live to see his birth. But I’d pulled through. And so son-in-law, Darren said, last had Leo. October, greeting the guests for For a while he babbled and his 40th at the door. gurgled like other tots. He cast a concerned eye back Then, aged one, he’d stopped to his son Leo, seven, sitting in making noise or eye contact. the corner. At three, he’d been diagnosed Leo only looked up when his dad with autism. was handed a birthday card. I adored all my 10 grandchildren, ‘Open,’ he announced, a grin but Leo’s issues made his place in lighting up his face. my heart even bigger. Despite his age, he didn’t speak I’d been left with mobility much. problems after the Born in cancer, but he’d come to November, sit by me and lay his 2011, he’d head on my shoulder. quickly He was such a sweet stopped boy but not everyone breathing. could see it. By my Friends were terrified me as a ca I elusive. daughter witch for At parties, Leo Clair’s side, it

Leo’s party

DRIVEN to PINK Forget cougars, great-granny June has spent her life on a panther prowl...

t was love at first sight. Those big yellow eyes, how could I resist? ‘He’s lovely!’ I squeaked to my husband Don, who in 1984 was turning 49. Legwarmers were all the rage and the term ‘smartphone’ meant a

I love hunting down Pink Panthers!

landline with regularly dusted keys. Me and Don were at London Zoo. But it wasn’t the tigers or lions that’d stolen my heart. It was a panther. A pink one at that. Don plucked the big cuddly toy of the telly character from the gift shop and bought him for me, probably for less than a fancy coffee these days. But it changed my life. I’d always loved the Pink Panther cartoon and films. Once home, every time I looked at the cuddly toy wrapped in his funny silver scarf, I smiled. Our children, Stephen and Suzy, were in their 20s, so the S oys had long since disappeared to frrom my life. It was nice having a cheeky little ace looking back at me as I fa

would open all the birthday Leo with kid’s presents and cards. his wall of Once, he smeared the icing birthday off the cake. It meant that now his only cards invites were to family dos. Even then, he’d sit in the corner with ear defenders on. Watching on as he went at Poundland spiderwebs and a his dad’s cards, my heart broke blow-up cat. for Leo. When he climbed off the bus Come his own birthday in two from his special school, he gawped. weeks, it’d likely be only us family ‘Nanny!’ he gasped. getting him them. I handed him a big black sack of He couldn’t read. But what did birthday cards. that matter? ‘This is awesome!’ he gabbled, A couple of days later, I put my stunned by the 160 cards inside. address on Facebook asking, ‘I can’t believe you did this, Mum,’ Clair said, a lump caught Can anyone send my autistic grandson a birthday card? in her throat. I kept it from Clair, 34, only Three days on and Leo was still expecting a couple. opening the cards! But within days, dozens of cards He insisted each one be plopped on to my mat. read aloud, then stuck on his The post online had gone bedroom wall. Dear Leo you’re so special and viral – swelling the post through we love you, one said. my letter box! I’ve always known how special I contacted the local paper, too. he is, but was touched to see that On Leo’s eighth birthday, last strangers did, too. November, the family held a little Halloween-themed bash. I dressed up as a witch, pimping Julie Burgess, 54, my mobility scooter out with Putney, London

CAT’S CRAZY decorated cakes for a living. ‘Oh that’s My collection sweet,’ I thought one keeps day out in growing! Ramsgate, spotting a little Pink Panther ceramic figure in a shop. So I bought it. Then got in a few more. Soon, friends and family were buying me the character’s bits for Christmas and birthdays. My pair went on to have seven kids between them. It was a case of – think Granny? Think pink! I became known for my crazy collection. ‘I saw a Pink Panther up at the antiques fair,’ a neighbour would say and off I’d pop. Soon the traders there got to know my panther passion and would keep bits aside. Before I knew it, I had Pink Panther lamps – seven of them – jigsaw puzzles, egg cups, posters, hundreds of ceramic figures and hundreds more cuddly toys. ‘Good thing this is a spare room

now,’ I told Don, clearing Suzy’s old bedroom for my collection. The soft toys went on the bed, the puzzles and other items neatly on the sideboards. In our lounge, I stuffed two glas cabinets full of the breakable ones. Bless Don, he just went along with it as my hoard grew. ‘Sorry there,’ I heard him mumble to a cuddly toy once when he accidentally knocked it to the floor. In a way they’re like part of the family. And we’ve been blessed in that department. We now have a great-grandson George, two. I adore him, but my panthers aren’t for playing with. They’re far too precious. Especially now they’ve fallen o of favour with the youth and become harder to track down. I feel like Inspector Clouseau o the case, hunting them on eBay. I have 1,417 items and dread to think how much it’s cost in total. My most pricey find, a mintcondition puppet, cost me £150. It’s a wonder my pink pound hasn’t left me in the red! June Amos, 81, Broadstairs, Kent

17 7

PICTURES: BIGSTOCK, MARK FERGUSON, SWNS

Karen Stirrat’s triplets came into life as an unbreakable unit, a team. The mum, 34, from Clydebank didn’t split them up in the womb and she damn well won’t now...

nuggle in tight, son, and let me tell you a story about the strongest little boy I’ve ever known. Caleb, this particular tale of struggle, magic and bravery begins with me. I’d always dreamed of having two children. Just two. It was 2008 when I met your daddy, Andy Stirrat, my handsome prince. I worked in the office at a supermarket and he was one of the drivers. One night, we were at the staff Christmas party when I stumbled. My drink went flying all over him. But Daddy was quick as Fireman Sam to the rescue. ‘Karen, didn’t do this,’ he breezed to my colleague. ‘I dropped it down myself.’ My knight in a soggy jumper. We got together soon after. In September 2009, we were away for the weekend at your auntie Tracy’s caravan in Ayr when Daddy proposed. That means he wanted me to be his wife. Of course, Caleb, the answer was yes. While we planned our big day, we tried for a baby, but nothing happened. Eventually, doctors gave us blood tests. It uncovered a little problem with Daddy. ‘Your only option is IVF,’ we were told. ‘But the waiting list is five to 10 years long.’ That’s a very long time, Caleb. And we couldn’t wait.

2EAL

18 8

PEOPLE

eb h r t e s e a m

After begging i our wedding guests for money instead of gifts, and saving up the rest, by July 2015 we had the £8,000 needed. We flew out to Cyprus where success rates for making babies in this special way are much higher. On the magical day, doctors took four eggs from Mummy’s tummy. And popped back in four little sparks of life. Four little maybes. Oh Caleb, we were so happy when we found out the treatment had worked. Six weeks on, we went to the hospital. ‘I can see two healthy embryos hanging in there,’ the doctor smiled at us. An instant family. It was all we’d ever hoped for. Two days on, I went back to be checked over again with Daddy and your granny, Liz, 50. ‘Three healthy babies,’ the sonographer smiled. One of you lot had just been hiding the first time! ‘I told you it’d be triplets!’ your granny crowed knowingly. Daddy just put his head in his hands. With saving for the IVF, we only had a tiny two-bed rented home. When he looked up, he stared at me. ‘Are you all right?’ he asked. ‘Are you all right?’ I said back. Then we laughed. Two babies. Plus one more for luck! And we’d need more if you and your siblings were to survive. ‘Multiple pregnancies are risky,’ the doctor warned when I was 10 weeks gone. ‘I have to offer you a termination of one or two of the foetuses.’ Some or all of you could die, be disabled or born far too early. But, to us, there was no choice. You were a team.

We already lloved d and d wanted each and every on one off you. So I shook my head. ‘We’re keeping them all,’ I said. Life preparing ing for triple triplets became the norm. A second-hand triple buggy, three of each toy, three cots. It wasn’t easy growing you lot inside my little tummy – all 5ft 1in of me felt fit to burst – but I was determined you’d all get here safely. ‘As long as there’s a boy in the mix I’ll be happy,’ Daddy smiled. And you were, Caleb. There was you and your two sisters. When I was 27 weeks gone, I was still driving around. That day, I started bleeding a bit. I went into Southern General Hospital, just to be safe. At 2am, I sent Daddy home. Then the pain began. The doctors whisked me down the corridor and I saw a sign to the labour ward. ‘Wait… am I getting the C-section now?’ I asked. ‘Yup,’ the doc confirmed. That day in January 2016 went from being just any other day to

being the most important portant of my life. Your birthday, Caleb. And your sisters. Daddy and Granny got there just j st in time ffor y your 5.30am birth. Alyssia came first weighing i hing 2lb 3oz. You were seconds later at 2lb 8oz. Then there was Poppy, the lightest of you all, at just 2lb 2oz. Caleb, I’d never seen babies so small. You were each the size of the palm of my hand. Your sisters were silent but you, my fighter, made a tiny mewing noise. You all needed ventilating to help you breathe but you, my boy, were the strongest of you all. When you were eight weeks old, we got to take just you home. You were so robust compared to your sisters, Caleb, that me and Daddy had to focus on them. We started calling you our bundle of joy. And that’s where your nickname came from, our wee Bundles. It was four more weeks until we could bring Poppy home. Then Alyssia a week after that. You’d made it. Finally you were a trio again. My three beautiful babies. That first year is a blur. Going through 18 a day, the people at Sainsbury’s got to know me as ‘The Nappy Lady’. After that, though, things got easier.

You had a tumour on your brain hard Me and Daddy fought sisters to have you and your

You, Poppy, left, and Alyssia are a team

Sh o

f rom the

ee You all develop d ped your own little personalities. You’re the cheeky one. Utterly stunning. And don’t you know it? Since you were born you’ve had us old birds eating out of the palm of your hand. As the only boy, you go between your sisters – sensible Poppy and bossy Alyssia – causing mayhem. In February 2019, when you’d just turned three, you started being sick one night. The GP confirmed it was viral. The next day, though, you still weren’t yourself. Daddy took you to A&E, but they said it’ll pass and sent you home. By the time you’d been ill for four days, I knew something wasn’t right. ‘Mummy,’ you groaned, tilting your head awkwardly. ‘My head, my head.’ Call it mother’s instinct. I knew this wasn’t just some bug. With Daddy at work, I dropped your sisters at Granny’s and rushed you down to A&E again. They put you in a wheelchair and took you off for tests. Half an hour later, a doctor ushered me into a side room. ‘There’s no easy way to tell you this,’ he began. ‘Caleb has a mass on his brain.’ Oh Bundles, I couldn’t understand it. You were sped into surgery. I called Daddy and for eight impossible hours we waited, while you were having the naughty lump removed. After doctors cut out most of it, you came round. But it wasn’t for another 10 days before the tests

on the lump came back. Even then I hoped this was all some mistake. But… ‘Caleb had an aggressive brain tumour the size of a fun-sized Mars bar,’ the doctor said. ‘If you hadn’t brought him in when you did he wouldn’t have made it.’ My miracle triplet. There was still some of the bad lump in your brain, which was threatening to take you from me. You and your sisters were meant to be a three. I’d fought for it since the very start. Now there was a danger I’d be left with a two. But you were stronger than I’d ever known. The lump should have stopped you walking, talking, eating. Yet you’d been at soft play the very day you’d started throwing up. There was no clue you were so unwell. Now, though, we all knew it. And the medicine made you

Caleb, I couldn’t lie to you. ‘We hope so,’ I whispered. You’d always been a We didn’t kn miracle Caleb and they ow seemed to conjure up you were po o rly around you. The NHS agreed to fund £250,000 proton beam treatment in life, but I had no idea how much. You’ve taught me that no the US with a higher success rate than traditional radiation therapy. miracle comes easy. So you stay strong, my son. I have every hope We still had to find money to live on, so we set up a fundraising for a happy ever after. page and people donated £13,000 to help me, Daddy, Granny and Granda and your sisters all come to Florida with you last April. You were put to sleep for five days every week for six weeks. But you were brave, Caleb. You fought through it. And it worked. O Read more about Caleb’s story You’ve just completed your last at facebook.com/caringforcaleb3 session of chemotherapy and your cancer has been reduced to just a tiny shadow. One day recently, I was taking you three to the car when it started to rain. ‘Hurry up, girls, or your hair will get wet,’ I ushered. ‘My hair will get wet, too,’ you insisted. ‘You’ve got no hair,’ Poppy said. ‘I have, I’ve got two strands,’ you replied proudly. My precious boy, clinging on to the positive. Your bravery has made Mummy and Daddy brave, too. No one can give us any assurances yet, but we’re living life one episode of Fireman Sam at a time. So here’s to you, my boy. And your sisters. Our triple le trouble and triple joy. My brave little I knew you’d change my

The medicine made you sicker even sicker. You started chemotherapy, grew tiny and Daddy was forced to comb out your beautiful curly hair with a baby brush. I held you in your hospital bed, re-watching your favourite Fireman Sam in any language we could find on YouTube. ‘You’ve got a sore head and the doctors are helping,’ I said, struggling for words a three-yearold would understand. ‘Will I get better?’ you croaked, looking up at me weakly.

■ As told to Amy Walters and Miyo Padi (stories@realpeoplemag.co.uk)

Fireman Sam

2EAL 199 PEOPLE

AP Lyndsey followed her heart. It led her to her grave…

PICTURES: CAVENDISH PRESS , GETTY, PA IMAGES

uge eyes glaring from her gaunt face, Lyndsey Vaux staggered into the shop. The young mum appeared much older as she dragged one leg behind her in a limp. Struggling, she grabbed the counter for support before gathering food from the shelves. Lyndsey looked like she could use a good meal. But none of the grub she bought was for her. To eat, Lyndsey was forced to scavenge food from bins. She duly bought her goods, ignoring her own raging hunger, and took them home to her house at 23 Sydney Street, in Wigan’s Platt Bridge. Wigan is a proud town in Greater Manchester historically known for its canals and coal mines. Today, the town is all changed. Those old mines form a vast network of nature reserves. Locals watch the formidable rugby league team Wigan Warriors, clutching the local delicacy known as a ‘Wigan kebab’ – a meat and potato pie in a buttered barm cake (bread roll). There’s much to be proud of. But it’s likely Lyndsey was regretting her choice to move there. Before heading for Wigan, she’d lived in Stockport with her daughter, Aaliyah, her mum, Ann, and two of her four siblings – sister Coday and brother Shane. At 18st back then, Lyndsey’s dyed blonde hair framed a round, sweet face. She loved a good time, had plenty of mates and was close with her family. Little wonder she soon attracted the attention of a man named Tyrone. When that relationship failed, he introduced Lyndsey to his cousin – Becky Reid.

Lyndsey’s move to Wigan ould prove be fatal

o e S LOVE

It was then that Lyndsey fell truly, madly in love. She and Becky began a relationship. But there was an obstacle in the way of the women’s happy ending – Lyndsey’s daughter. Becky didn’t want a kid around. She gave Lyndsey a harrowing choice. It was her or Aaliyah. Lyndsey chose her lover. Leaving her six-year-old daughter with her nan in Stockport, Lyndsey moved to Wigan to live with Becky and her mum, Gillian, in 2011. Lyndsey’s family were appalled by her choice. No doubt disgusted by her ultimatum, they didn’t like Becky. The once close family drifted. When they did speak, Lyndsey often asked for money. More than once, Ann heard her daughter’s partner in the background, swearing at Lyndsey to ask her mum for more money. Becky didn’t work and her mother was stuck on disability benefits. So it was up to Lyndsey to get cash for Becky’s vices of scratchcards, cannabis and alcohol. When Ann sent her daughter money, she was under strict instructions – it was to go straight into Becky’s account. But what could Ann do? She was already looking after her four other children and her granddaughter. Lyndsey had made her choice. She never said why she stuck by Becky. Once though, Lyndsey called Ann and admitted that Becky sent her begging for money, door to door. If she came home without it, she wouldn’t be let back in.

It was just a tiny, horrifying glimpse into the toxic relationship. But Ann knew little more. Lyndsey soon lost contact with Aaliyah entirely. So her loved ones didn’t see her horrific decline. By the time she and Becky had been together five years, Lyndsey

Lyndsey s body showed signs of Lyndsey’s 90 separate injuries. Greater Manchester Police’s serious crime division was immediately called in. Lyndsey’s injuries were so great that a post-mortem couldn’t conclude the exact cause of her death. Her body showed she’d fractured her hip in the three to six months before her death, had two breaks in her right arm, one to her left and multiple rib fractures in the last weeks of her life. None of the injuries had been treated at hospital. Senior investigating officer Bob Tongue concluded the young woman’s body had simply ‘packed up’ after years of abuse. There was not one attack to blame. But potentially hundreds. The experienced investigator told the press, ‘This is my 33rd year of policing and in terms of sustained domestic violence, rather than one isolated fatal onslaught, this is the worst I have seen.’ Forensic examination found

They ate, while Lyndsey starved had lost a shocking 8st. Malnourished, constantly bruised and downtrodden, she staggered when she walked. It was her job to run errands for Becky and her mum, pick bits up and go shopping. But it was they who ate, while Lyndsey starved. In mid-March 2016, police patrolling the area came across Lyndsey with injuries to her face. She told one officer she’d been attacked by strangers, another that she was hit by a car. Just a week later, at 5.24am on 22 March, Gillian Reid called 999 for Lyndsey. ‘She’s just collapsed. We can’t get her round and she’s going blue… she’s making gurgling noises,’ Gillian said. When help arrived, Lyndsey wasn’t breathing. Paramedics managed to resuscitate her but, aged just 30, she was pronounced dead upon arrival at Wigan Infirmary. Hospital staff were immediately alarmed.

with L-R: Samantha Newns ux Va Aaliyah and Ann

Wigan

Kind and dec ent, Lyndsey bec ame a haunted sh ell of herself aft er meeting Bec ky

Lyndsey’s blood in every single room of the Sydney Street home. Becky Reid was arrested for attacking her late partner, but released on police bail pending further enquiries. She was young, small-set, not a single previous conviction for violence. Could Becky really be a killer? Police knew that, if she’d done this, it couldn’t be the first time she’d hurt someone. They uncovered a dropped allegation of violence against Becky from an ex in 2008. Officers tracked down the alleged victim, Becky’s former partner Samantha Newns. Samantha told how she’d met Becky in 2004 in a chat room. Police explained to her that Becky was now suspected of murder. Would she consider pressing charges, in relation to her attack? Samantha thought about it. She was a free woman now, all that misery behind her. But this was about justice. She eventually agreed. The story she told was harrowing. Samantha said Becky had set about her around 50 times during their four-year relationship. The last time, Becky punched

In court, Becky Reid denied hurting Lyndsey h d ki k d and d her iin th the nose, and kicked stamped on her. As Becky dragged Samantha down the hall of their shared home, the victim had spotted Gillian. ‘Sort your daughter out!’ Samantha had pleaded. But instead of helping, Gillian punched her in the mouth, knocking her teeth out. She’d then put her foot across Samantha’s throat, pinning her to the floor while her daughter continued to attack her. The savage assault had only ended when Gillian’s other daughter, Felicity, and her partner, Tony, had turned up and called 999. After that, Samantha ended

things with Becky. She’d barely made it out alive and hadn’t felt able to press charges. Knowing now that Becky was likely a vicious bully, police interviewed neighbours, shopkeepers and friends. Many testified to having seen Lyndsey attacked. They’d witnessed her being dragged by her hair, punched, kicked and stamped on by Becky as she shouted abuse at her in the streets. There were reports of Lyndsey being seen with black eyes, cut lips, a cauliflower ear and thick, black bruises to her face and body. But no one had stepped in to help. One neighbour said Lyndsey had been seen ‘literally devouring’ food from bins. Another stated disturbingly that she ‘looked like she was dead already’. Despite all the evidence, when they appeared at Manchester Crown Court in late 2017, both Becky and Gillian Reid denied murdering Becky or attacking Samantha. The prosecution painted a picture of Lyndsey as a modernday slave, forced to give up her life to her brutal partner or face constant attacks. Gillian took the stand to blame her daughter. She said she’d seen Lyndsey’s declining state but hadn’t been a part of the abuse, claiming she was mostly bed-bound. Becky, meanwhile, maintained she’d never once hurt Lyndsey. Instead, she blamed her partner’s devastating injuries on the fact she’d fall over all the time due to not taking her thyroid medication. The mother and daughter might have played at innocence.

■ As told to Miyo Padi (stories@realpeoplemag.co.uk)

But someone had hurt Lynd Lyndsey dsey. The court were told she was left ‘looking like the elephant man’. And someone had to pay. At the end of the six-week trial, in October 2017, 32-year-old Becky Reid was convicted of Lyndsey’s murder and found guilty of GBH with intent against her ex-partner Samantha. She was handed a life sentence and will only be eligible for parole after 20 years. A dozen members of Lyndsey’s family, including her 13-year-old daughter, shouted ‘Yes!’ from the public gallery as the foreman delivered the verdicts. Judge Richard Mansell QC called it a ‘very distressing case’. Addressing Aaliyah, he said, ‘You must remember, your mother did not abandon you, she was taken away by the actions of another person. ‘Everything I have heard is she was a really decent, kind, loving human being.’ Gillian Reid, 57, was cleared of Lyndsey’s murder but convicted of assaulting Samantha and given a suspended sentence of a year. The judge told her that although she was not guilty of murder, she bore a ‘significant degree of moral blame’ for what had happened. He left the courtroom to a round of applause. In the wake of the tragedy, Greater Manchester Police said they were working ‘extremely hard to tackle domestic abuse in the LGBT community’. Too many people turned a blind eye as Lyndsey was murdered. Not fast but slowly, over years. If her death does nothing else it should make the message clear – love, no matter who it’s between, should never hurt.

Becky’s mum , Gillian, playe d innocent

FEATURE: CLARE BERRE TT PICTURES: GETTY, SWNS

H & G

rabbing the jar of pickles, I glugged them down like a pelican. ‘I’m such a cliché,’ I groaned to my hubby, Alan. I was pregnant with our first baby and was getting through a jar a day! We were so excited, had decorated the nursery in a zoo theme, a Winnie the Pooh outfit ready for them coming out of hospital… But at 39 weeks, in November 2012, I developed pre-eclampsia, and was rushed in for an emergency caesarean. ‘He’s beautiful,’ I croaked, when Logan was born weighing 6lbs. ‘He looks just like his daddy.’ ‘Lucky boy,’ Alan, 19, laughed.

dgy Logan’s do is h ticker held life back

iness

KEELEY’S STORY

Seventh heaven ay Keeley’s little birthd r... boy is a heartbreake

But when I tried to feed feeed Logan… Logan ‘Why is he making this weird grunting sound?’ I worried to the midwife. ‘It’s like he doesn’t want it.’ ‘He’s just a bit of a lazy baby,’ she nodded, knowingly. That night though, a doctor shook me awake. ‘Logan needs to go to intensive care,’ he said. ‘We think he’s got an infection.’ ‘Is he OK?’ I panicked, sitting bolt upright. But they just whisked him off. In the morning, Alan came up. ‘He’s a fighter,’ he said, hugging me. But that night, Logan, dosed on antibiotics, took a turn for the worse and was blue-lighted to St Mary’s Hospital in Manchester. ‘I’m discharging myself,’ I sobbed, desperate to be with Logan. But at St Mary’s, we got even worse news. ‘We’ve done scans and Logan has critical aortic stenosis,’ a doctor said. ‘His main heart valve is closed, meaning he can’t breathe or

AORTIC STENOSIS ❯ th e FAC T S WHAT IS IT? It means the aortic valve, which allows blood to flow from the heart to the main artery, supplying the body, can’t open fully. When the aortic valve is narrow, the muscle of the left-pumping chamber has to work harder than normal, causing the muscle to thicken. It can lead to heart failure. SYMPTOMS: These can vary, depending on how narrow the aortic valve is. Most children will not

22 2

Me with Logan, Alan and Taiyah-Anne

have any symptoms, but these can include a lack of energy, being tired or breathlessness. TREATMENT: Most children will need surgery to replace the narrowed aortic valve, but the age will vary from one child to another. If the valve is narrow in early childhood, a procedure called a balloon valvuloplasty can be carried out, to stretch the narrow opening. INFO: bhf.org.uk

Logan’s healed himself

swallow properly.’ ‘No!’ I howled. Logan needed an emergency op at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. I had to give consent over the phone, so he could have the op as soon as he arrived. His broken heart was breaking mine. Just hours later, Logan was being prepped for surgery. ‘If only Mummy’s love could fix you,’ I whispered. After three long hours, the doctor found us. ‘It’s been a success,’ he smiled. ‘Thank God,’ I cried. They’d gone through his groin to insert a balloon into the aorta artery, to stretch the valve. We had a list of things he couldn’t have or do. He couldn’t fly in a plane, do contact sport… ‘Or

2 other childhoosd heart condition

s is a hole in the ● ATRIAL SEPTAL DEFECT: Thi mbers of the wall between the two upper cha at birth and small heart. The condition is present blem and may be defects might never cause a pro don’t have found incidentally. Many babies may not occur ms associated signs, and sympto until decades later. In the womb, ● COMMON ARTERIAL TRUNK: ide into two the baby’s main artery doesn’t div one big the – the aorta and pulmonary. So -rich gen artery (or trunk) receives both oxy ulti res ng in and deoxygenated blood, usually rt and too little too much blood going to the hea also a large hole to the rest of the body. There is ers. between the two pumping chamb

have things like popping candy,’ the doctor warned. I wept for the paler life my boy would live, but vowed, ‘I’ll keep you safe.’ Logan came home when he was two weeks old, needed regular scans and daily medication. But nothing stopped him! He was walking by 11 months, would be up the stairs in a flash. ‘You have a special heart,’ we told him as he got older. ‘It means you can’t do some of the things your friends can.’ But try telling that to a Manchester United-loving little boy. He’d kick a ball about the garden with Alan, but we couldn’t let him play in a team, in case he got knocked. If he climbed on a wall, ready to jump off, he understood when we had to help him down. At soft play, he’d often go red and get puffed out. ‘I need to rest,’ he’d say, so mature. At night, I’d creep into his room, just to check he was still breathing. But he was a joy, loved his Hot Wheels. And was besotted with his ‘so cute’ sister Taiyah-Anne when she was born four years after him. Logan’s now seven, and this year, we received the most amazing news. Scans showed his heart was completely back to normal. He didn’t need medication any more. ‘His broken heart fixed itself,’ I sobbed. Our love may not have opened his aorta valve, but I like to think that it helped, after all. His face when he tried cola popping candy for the first time – well, it said everything we were feeling. Pure, eye-scrunching joy. Keeley Spiers, 29, Leigh, Greater Manchester

UP TO

0 5 1 £ for your health story t your Got something to say abouto Health ite Wr ? op t health or a recen 30 Panton & Happiness, Real People, 4AJ 1Y Street, London SW le or email stories@realpeop mag.co.uk

N I A L P

FRIDAY

Y A D S A

n’t sing, . id d id v a D n Tuesday o p e le s As Craig l u f st ... Had a re ay, crashed y d a s r d u n h o T M n n o girl o .’ ay. Bonked d s e ‘I met this n on Sunday d d e e W m y b im l s ld d er o aturday an S We felt sup k c a t t a t r hea on Friday,

Watch out if you’ re travelling – yo u’re more likely to ha ve an accident. A study of more than 700, 000 traffic accide nts by Direct Line C ar Insurance foun d that drivers have a 14 per cent higher chance of being involved in a colli sion on Fridays than the average day, with the riskiest hour to be on the road s being 5-6pm. It’s also the day you’ re most likely to ditc h that diet, but th e one when you’re mos t likely to feel mos t beautiful – ideal for letting your ha ir down at the wee kend.

SATURDAY

Y A D N O M

ording likely. Acc y risk re o m re cks a Monda Heart atta hers, the rc a e s re h age, to Swedis t higher than aver tress n e fs is 11 per c wn to high levels o icks off. do week k probably e working arches on th s a s e n hormo health se eak, with at their p s ie r r o W uicides are s of S . g in r a o chance Google s while the x plummet. l, e v le t s e high having se ver, Monday Howe ally the is statistic y to safest da have an operation to according om a study fr e olleg Imperial C with more London – n ed staff o experienc o the most als hand. It’s up y a to give popular d smoking.

Y A D S E U T

am nd that 11.45 e u fo ve a h rs e Research ressful tim is our most st y a sd e Tu a n the day o ough it is also ut work th , k e e w e th .B of ost productive when we’re m o explain why people als strains might on a Tuesday are least iet who start a d rough successfully, th ut it’s likely to see it y by Tesco. B p, e rv su a to g accordin restful slee get the most the night we e’re likely to h study, as w is n lso in F a ys sa e booze. It’s a lik s g in th d e ing to have avoid drive, accord to y a d st fe sa the Nationwide.

WEDNESDAY

This is the most miserab le day of the week, according to a stu dy of social media by researchers at Vermont University in the US. Th e co the toll of the working we mbination of ek and the fact that the weekend is so far off may explain why a survey by the tan ning brand St Tropez found that 3.30p m on a Wednesday is the time when women feel they look their oldest. No wonder then that researchers believe taking a Wednesday day off is a better way of recharging than having a long weekend.

THURSDAY

There’s a reason you migh t be feeling randy. Researchers at the London School of Economics found that the level of the chemical cortisol peaks on this day, which stimulates sex horm ones. A study by the Institute for Public Policy Research also found going into hosp ital on this day might make your stay the longest as results may not be availab le until after the weekend. It’s also when numbers of new born babies peak at mater nity units.

Relax, you’re least likely to have a heart attack today, but try to av oid a hospital op at the weekend – you’r e 82 per cent more likely to die than on a Monday. Beware of kitchen acciden ts, too – which are most likely at 6.3 0pm, according to a study by the charity Electrical Safety. There’s a good chance you’re boozing between 8-9 pm – no wonder there are 70 per ce nt more alcohol-related hospital ad missions than average.

SUNDAY

Lazy Sundays are when you’re likel y to be at your happie st – analysis of ou r messaging habits found that this is when we send th em That’s despite it be ost positive ones. in most likely to have g the day you’re a hangover, as w eb searches for cure s peak. Accordin g to a study by Danis h scientists, there’ s also a good chan ce you’ll break a bone, thanks to w eekend sports an d activities. Thinking of dieting? It coul d be a good time to start. Sunday slimmers lost an average of 8lb ov er three weeks in on e study – and 88 per cent kept that wei ght off, too.

23 3

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Pyramid box, £12, John Lewis

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24 4

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ot Terry was sh dead at the taxi wheel of his

KILL C r i me f o r yo u r coffee break

Popular cabbie Terry’s last pick-up was his executioner...

erry Camper had a busy day ahead. The popular taxi driver had an early airport run and a lot of bookings. He kissed his wife, Beatrice, goodbye and set off in his cab. But at 2pm on 3 October 2012, in a quiet residential street in Peekskill, New York, Terry was found at the wheel of his car. He’d been shot dead, executionstyle, with two bullets to the back of his head. Beatrice, 60, was hysterical when police told her the news. In a tearful television appeal for witnesses, she called Terry, 53, her soulmate. They’d been married 10 years. The only cloud seemed to be that she had a $200,000 life insurance policy on him. Terry, who weighed 20st, had urged her to take one out after a cancer sc re

His final passenger, Ruth Smith, was one of the last people to see Terry alive. She told detectives she’d answered Terry’s mobile as he drove. He’d told the caller he was too busy – and recommended another driver. But the caller was insistent. He wanted Terry. That wasn’t unusual – the big, cheerful man was known as the best cabbie in Peekskill. ‘He said he’ll wait for you on Pine Street,’ Ruth told him before he dropped her off. The call was traced to a phone owned by John Murray, 60, who was on parole after serving more than 30 years for two murders committed during armed robberies in 1977. He denied making the call. Police searched Beatrice’s house hoping to find some clue to Terry’s murder in his private life. They found a shoebox full of steamy love letters to Beatrice... but not from Terry, from John. It turned out Beatrice had nursed a crush on John since her teens when he was dating her sister. Beatrice They lost touch but, in 2010, she learned he was and John in prison and they wrote exchanged each other letters filled love letters with sex fantasies. full of sexua l In November 2011, fantasies John was released and

EVIL

consummated the pent-up pen-pal affair with Beatrice. A week after Terry’s death, hundreds of people turned out for his funeral, touching the hearts of his three brothers and four sisters. ‘He was a trusting soul, willing to help anyone in need,’ said sister Jacqueline. But her heart seethed. Terry had told her the marriage was unhappy but insisted, ‘I’ll give her another chance.’ A few days after the funeral, Beatrice and John were arrested on suspicion of Terry’s murder. Police found texts from her giving him instructions on how to lure Terry to a secluded place and kill him. Beatrice Camper admitted second-degree murder in a plea deal to secure 15 years to life. And to turn on her lover. She was the star witness at Westchester County Court in June 2014, explaining their plan to cash in the life insurance and live together. John’s lawyer argued that he was innocent and that Camper acted alone. But the prosecution said John must have driven to Peekskill from his home 15 miles away in Newburgh, New York. Phone records proved John called for a cab on Pine Street just minutes before Terry was killed. He took the cabbie’s phone and wallet to make it look like a robbery. John Murray was convicted of

first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole. Police believe Terry didn’t know that Murray was having an affair with his wife. It’s unclear if he ever knew Murray at all. ‘That’s one of the elements of this that makes it as tragic as it is… not only is it selfishness and greed, but it’s also deception,’ Eugene Tumolo, Peekskill’s police chief, said after the trial. That should have been the end of the story, but there was more tragedy to come. Terry’s sister, Junco, 62, a mother of three, was due to read an impact statement on behalf of the family ahead of Murray’s sentencing hearing. But she never got the chance. In a bizarre twist, just days after Murray was convicted, Junco was stabbed to death by her husband, Leonard Salters, 53, in a domestic dispute. In 2016, Salters was sentenced to 18 years to life for her murder. So it fell to Jacqueline to express her family’s love and their grief for their gentle giant of a brother. ‘He didn’t deserve to die Junco was like this… all she killed by had to do was her spouse leave him.’ The Four Murders episode of Sex, Lies & Murder is on 18 January at 9pm

25 5

He was a kind-hearted, trusting soul

BY GIL LIA N CR AWLE

TIME

WIN! ★ ★

★

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Solve the puzzle in the usual way. When completed correctly, the yellow boxes, reading top to bottom, left to right, will spell out your prize word. See p43 to enter.

Polite word of request

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Obtain

Eric Clapton’s instrument

Cleanedwith a polishing cloth

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Betrothed Property trading board game

Rich, layered creamfilled cake Help a criminal

Tidies (of a haircut)

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Small child Treatment Britney ___, US pop star A single time

Baby’s bed

Of sound mind

Poke Yellowflowered shrub

Court, romance

Meadow

Absent without leave (inits) Second Greek letter Secret agent

Early release of a prisoner Bean used to make a type of milk

Enter online at www.realpeoplemag.co.uk

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NAUGHTY GNASHING Rebecca’s boy likes a nibble,

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but it’s mostly of his friends...

ressing a pea-sized bit of toothpaste on the flashing Baby Shark toothbrush, I dunked it under the tap. ‘Baby Fin, let’s do your teeth,’ I called to my 19-month-old. Finley dropped his beloved fire engine and ran into the bathroom. ‘Ahhh,’ he said, opening his mouth wide to reveal a perfect set of pearly whites. He must be from another planet to other kids his age, because he loves teeth brushing. He’d even enjoyed his first trip to the dentist a few weeks ago! ‘Pristine and straight. Well done, young man,’ the dentist had said. His teeth clean, I read him a story. Then he kissed his teddies goodnight and I tucked him in. ‘Sweet dreams, little Fin Ray,’ I said, loving an excuse to use his middle name. The next day, last November, after finishing work at the bank, I went to nursery to collect him. He always got a glowing report, but today his key person

came over with the incident book. Fin must have taken a knock. But it wasn’t my boy who’d been injured. ‘Finley bit another child,’ she explained. I was dumbfounded. He’d never done anything like that before. My son was a cuddler, not a fighter. At home, I tried to explain to Finley that we mustn’t bite. But he looked blankly at me. It was probably long forgotten in his little mind.

AS TOLD TO SU KARNEY

‘HE’S A CUDDLER NOT A FIGHTER’ ‘Let’s hope it was a one-off,’ said my husband, Ashley, 29. A fortnight later, Finley and his pal, Samuel, just one month older, were bopping around our living room to nursery rhymes. When they flopped on to the floor, I handed them a small box of raisins each. But as me and my friend

M u m K N OWS B E S T Y TO HELP OUR PANEL OF MUMS IS HAPP Fiona Conroy, 42, mum to Harley, two, says, ‘Try to establish if there is a common link between the biting and when it occurs. Toddlers often use biting as a way of communicating something. If you can work out the cause, then you can give Finley the attention and support he needs to change the way he communicates.’

Jo Wraith, 36, mum to William, six, and James, three, says, ‘I think you are doing the right thing to not make a big fuss as Finley is too young to differentiate between positive and negative attention. When my eldest bit, we bought the book Teeth Are Not For Biting and talked about how biting hurts, which seemed to help.’

I want Finley to use his teeth for smiling Laura, 29, snaffled a quick biccie, a raisin ruckus broke out. One tried to pinch the other’s. Before I could react, Finley leaned over and clamped his jaws around Samuel’s arm. Samuel burst into tears, so Finley began wailing, too. ‘No, Finley! We must not bite,’ I said firmly. Laura checked Samuel’s arm. Thankfully there wasn’t a mark. ‘I think he just got a shock,’ she said. But I don’t want my boy using his sparklingly brushed teeth in anger. I’d read that you shouldn’t make a fuss over things like this otherwise the child thinks they’ll get attention if they do it again. But there must be something besides simply saying ‘no’. How can I nip this naughty nipping in the bud? Rebecca McNally, 27, Lincoln

Lia Toby, 38, mum to Sonny, three, and Hudson, 18 months, ‘Hudson is going through the same thing right now. I think it’s possibly due to teething. I say “no” firmly, then move away and ignore him for a moment. We are also trying to give a loud scream when he bites us, which worked with Sonny.’

Are you a mum in need of advice?

me friendly If you’re in need of so mum, email advice from another lemag.co.uk us at stories@realpeop and your u with a picture of yo troublesome sprog.

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★ The new electric Deeno-saur toothbrush (3+) will have them begging to brush their pearly whites. Bluetooth technology connects kids with a fun, loveable virtual pet called Deeno. Clean correctly to achieve daily brushing goals and win coins via the app to feed, bathe and care for their new friend. We have two to give away, each worth £29.99. deeno.com HOW TO ENTER For your chance to win, email mum2mum@realpeoplemag.co.uk with Frozen Tablet, Onaie Slippers or Deeno Toothbrush in the subject line and include your name, address and number. Entry closes on 23 Jan 2020. Personal info will only be used to process your entry. See p43 for T&Cs.

27 7

L A M I N A

e k c a r c

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A Retro Pop-Up e g n u o l e r ★ Depawtu Hot Dog Toaster Voirrey’s moggy was a on , r e t t e s t e j s s u p glamour to New York, darling! her way security would If only her case... get off

verybody loves a hot dog dog, right? So why do we only ever get them from the bloke with the van at the park, or wolf one down during the trailers at the cinema? Well, according to a scientific report*, it’s simply because we just don’t feel equipped enough to rustle one up indoors. Now, stay in your seats, Real Peoplers – that is no longer the case. Just have a look at this prize, the stuff of which dreams aare made – it’s a Retro Pop-Up Hot Dog Toaster, worth £34.99. With this gadget, one of you lucky lot is just m minutes away from a delicious, sausagebbased snack. It’s almost too easy! You just pop yyour hot dog and its bun into the machine, sswitch it on, and woof! During the ads of a fifilm on TV, half-time of the footie, waiting for tthe takeaway to turn up… For your chance to win, simply solve my B Boxing Match puzzle, below…

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M A I N G

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burst out laughing when a ghost appeared as I stripped the bed. Well, not really a ghost – my cat, Candy, masquerading as one, swathed in a white pillowcase. ‘Candy – you’re daft,’ I laughed. She’s always finding small, cosy spaces to snuggle in. Looking for safety maybe. She was the runt of the litter when we bought her and she nearly died from cat flu, an ordeal which left her with a heart murmur.

L O

O O R N L O

PICTURES: GETTY

Candy was looking forward to her trip…

H R I K C R Y I S M V A E D

P A E N L O

T C H A A R L

U R E B E

U I R T M E

I F F F F U L S W I

F F

P T

E I S T E

S E X E T A K E V L I O B T

BOXING MATCH Here’s a crossword solution that’s been broken up and turned into a jigsaw puzzle. Can you put it back together? Three pieces have been left in their original positions to help you start. When you’re done, the letters in the yellow boxes, read in order, will spell out your prize answer. See p43 to en er.

PETof the WEEK

3 E G A P O T O OLLOW FL

PICTURES: GETTY, SWNS

A I N O A I N

NAME: Broccoli AGE: Three BREED: British Shorthair LIKES: Chasing moths, sunbathing and napping DISLIKES: The cat carrier and the vet BAD HABITS: Scratching furniture! OWNER: Helen Howe, I’m Cosby, Leicestershire

And she disappeared for 10 days – turned out she’d jumped in a builder’s van and ended up in a town four miles away. All this drama and she’s only tiny! My husband, Nick, a videographer, and me doted on her and her ‘sisters’ Kitty and Kiki. It was Nick’s 40th last October. To celebrate, we were off to New York, while the cats stayed with my parents down the road. ‘Ready?’ my dad, Barry, 68, asked, arriving to drive us to the airport. ‘Not quite,’ I squealed, dumping a cabin baggage-sized wheelie suitcase at the foot of the stairs. The plan was to take it to New

ready for a catnap!

ers!

Send us your animal s ories, funny pics & pets he week – there’s £25 for each one we print! Write to Real People or email letters@ realpeoplemagazine.co.uk

with Jane Common

Candy is always looking for a place to snuggle

ASK NIGEL Real People’s resident ‘doggie doctor’, Nigel, answers your pet’s problems

…before security got in the way!

getting annoying – we were running late as it was… ‘Nothing,’ I insisted. Then, to Nick, an edge of panic in my voice, ‘Did you put anything in that case?’ ‘Stop freaking out. There’s no contraband in there,’ Nick laughed. But the security guard wasn’t laughing… ‘Follow me,’ he told us and suddenly a colleague was by his side. My mind raced. I’d stuck the travel blanket in the case and left it at the foot of the stairs, zipped it up and grabbed it on the way to the car… Oh no… ‘Is it my cat?’ I cried as the security guys ushered us into an

York empty and fill it with bargains. I charged upstairs to grab my toiletries. Oh, and an extra jumper – and a pair of heels… ‘Nearly there,’ I shouted as Dad and Nick loaded the car. I zipped up the wheelie suitcase, which Dad put in the boot for me, and took a deep breath. New York here we come – well, via Heathrow to change flights as we lived on the Isle of Man. Even though we were only 10 minutes from the airport we were last to check in, and scooted towards security. ‘This feels heavy considering it’s empty,’ I said, wheeling along the hold suitcase. Nick didn’t respond – his hands interrogation room. Their faces were full with heavy luggage and relaxed. here I was complaining about an ‘Yes,’ one said, opening the empty case! case and revealing Candy. Nick hauled it on to the conveyor She raised her head and belt, while I siphoned my make-up scowled, annoyed her nap had into a clear plastic bag. Hurry, hurry… been interrupted. We glided through the metal The daft thing was always detector – no beeps – but, on the looking for a cosy place to kip. other side, one of the security guys ‘Candy,’ I squealed, mortified waved us over. but laughter bubbling, too – the cat ‘Is this your bag?’ he asked, the was out of the bag! Then the wheelie suitcase on the table next g securityy guards chuckled. ‘We were to him. worried ‘Yes,’ I said. Me and Nick had a ‘Definitely your bag?’ r te af great holiday – he persisted. the airport drama! ‘Definitely,’ I replied. ‘What’s in it?’ he asked. ‘Nothing,’ I shrugged. ‘Well, a travel blanket. That’s it.’ ‘What else?’ he asked, stern-faced. This was

The cat was out of the bag!

I’m an indoor cat – good thing, too, when the weather’s like this – but my owner makes me take a worming tablet even though I never catch worms. Love Rupert, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands

you were transporting a dead cat,’ they said. Candy was very much alive, You don’t have to be in the garden nosing round the room, meowing to pick up worms – fleas can carry and purring. the m indoors, too. Keep taking ‘First time in 25 years I’ve ever the tablets, Rupert – humans are seen a stowaway cat,’ the security righ t, occasionally. guard grinned. Love Nigel xxx ‘Are we in trouble?’ I asked. Nigel was helped by PDSA vet Rebecc ‘Our flight leaves soon.’ a Ashman. The PDSA is the UK’s leading The security guard said he’d veterinary charity. To donate to the look after Candy if I organised PDS A, visit pdsa.org.uk/get-involved someone to pick her up. A quick phone call and Mum and Dad were on their way... ‘Thank you so much,’ I cried. With a farewell pat for Candy, me and Nick raced towards our gate, ‘Meet Barry, named making our flight by after the late a whisker! Chuckle Brother. We As the plane was wer e great pals and boarding, Mum rang to through his feline say she had Candy in a namesake, Barry cat carrier, safely under still makes me lock and key. Laughing, Nick wrote chuckle each day!’ a Facebook post about Sha un Hop e, Candy’s airport antics. Wil ling ton , By the time our plane Co Dur ham landed in Heathrow all our friends had liked it. When we touched down in New York it was being shared all over the world! Let your cat bring out their inner Bet Lynch We’ve had 4,200 comments, this year! The brassy leopard-printed landlady some in Thai, some in would have loved this comfy bed in the Rovers Vietnamese... So, while Candy’s Return. It costs £10 from B&M Stores, but be cunning plan to sure to pop in over January as the shop runs stowaway had sales across all its ranges ranges. been rumbled, she’d crossed the globe anyway – without a pawsport in sight! Voirrey Coole, 38, Isle of Man

Furrnyy & fun

Get me one!

29 9

★

HOROSCOPES for the week of 9-15 January

with lume Jenny B

ARIES 21 March-20 April

★GUESS the

It’s crunch time! With Friday’s eclipse casting a spotlight on to family, problems will be aired whether you like it or not. TIME TO TRY: Conversations may be feisty, but solutions abound.

ebel Wilson, CGI furball, purrs in Cats and is ruled by a star sign that loves to dream. Their vivid imagination can turn them into brilliant writers, artists and actors. What sign is she?

PICTURES: GETTY

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See foot of page to ﬁnd out if you’re right.

GEMINI 22 May-21 June

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Lightbulb moments await! Friday’s eclipse could illuminate health or ﬁnances – you might even dream up a business idea. TIME TO TRY: Putting those communication skills to good use.

If study or travel plans have unraveled, it might be fate. Keep an open mind and rekindle that old adventurous streak. TIME TO TRY: Chasing up a friend from your distant past.

CANCER 22 June-23 July

SAGITTARIUS 23 Nov-21 Dec The winds of change are blowing! After months of uncertainty, the cosmos is conjuring up some exciting opportunities. TIME TO TRY: Opening up about your thoughts and feelings.

LEO 24 July-23 August

CAPRICORN 22 Dec-20 Jan Whether it’s via a hobby, your work or a passionate interest, Jupiter is urging you to be brave and expand your world. TIME TO TRY: Focusing on your own happiness for a while.

VIRGO 24 Aug-23 Sep

AQUARIUS 21 Jan-19 Feb

LIBRA 24 Sep-23 Oct

PISCES 20 February-20 March As Uranus builds momentum, positive routines should emerge and a family-friendly pastime might appeal to the kids, too. TIME TO TRY: Getting involved with a local club or project.

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‘Your lights are WV J]\ aW]¼ZM VW\ home, Your mind is not your own, Your heart sweats, your body shake Another kiss is what itt \ISM[ AW] KIV¼\ [TMMX aW] KIV¼\ MI\ <PMZM¼[ VW LW]J\ aW]¼ZM in deep… ¼

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or Valerie Graves, Christmas 2013 was sorted. She was house sitting for friends – and what a house it was. The large detached home was in Smugglers Lane in Bosham, West Sussex. Bosham was so quaintly English that it had been used to film an episode of Midsomer Murders back in 1998. The house itself was heaven – the garden led down to a creek with a private boat jetty. There was even a swimming pool. It belonged to entrepreneur Malcolm Chamberlain and his wife, Caroline, who had gone on holiday to Costa Rica. They’d recently had building work done and rather than leave their £1.6 million home empty, they’d arranged for Valerie, 54 – better known as Val – to house-sit. Perfect, she thought. She was a talented artist and a ‘free spirit’ who’d spent 10 years living in the Scottish borders where she had a craft studio and gallery. She had two grown-up children – Tim and Jemima – but hadn’t been with their dad for some years. By 2013, Val was at a new stage in her life.

32 2

Val was found dead in her bed

L I K

Valerie’s murderer kept quiet for years, but his dark secret was blown apart by a woman scorned...

VICTIM

family slept Val had been y killed. brutally The village that had been the setting of Midsomer Murders had a grim and all-too-real mystery to unravel. There was no sign of a breakin and it transpired that the patio doors had been left unlocked. But who could have done this? Was it an opportunist – a burglary gone wrong – or something more sinister?

She’d moved down from Scotland to Bracklesham Bay in West Sussex to be closer to her 87-year-old mum, Eileen. And she saw it as another chapter, time for something new. That was typical of Val, ‘always hungry for a new challenge’ in the eyes of her family. Even in her fifties she was the ‘eternal student’. So, Christmas in Smugglers Lane was going to be lovely. Her mum was staying, too, along with Val’s sister, Janet, 60, and As is routine, everyone in the Janet’s partner, Nigel Acres, 59. house was a potential suspect. It was a double celebration, as Some days later, searching an Val turned 55 on Christmas Day area 600 metres away, police itself and over the week friends discovered the discarded murder and family visited. weapon – a 30cm red and black On Sunday 29 December Val claw hammer. turned in at 10pm, taking her At the end of January, the case books and iPad to her bedroom on the ground floor, while Eileen, appeared on BBC’s Crimewatch with an appeal for information. Janet and Nigel went to their Then, in March, a £10,000 rooms upstairs. reward was offered, doubled to The next morning, by 10am, Val still hadn’t emerged from her £20,000 in October. room, so Janet made her a cup of tea to take ene in. But, as she Police at the crime sc entered the on Smugglers Lane bedroom, she was met with a horrific scene. Val was in bed, her head and face beaten and bloodied. Janet couldn’t wake her... While the

But, by Christmas 2014, a year on from Val’s murder and what would have been her 56th birthday, the silent killer was still at large. As part of the anniversary, posters were distributed making a fresh appeal for information. Val’s daughter Jemima, 35, spoke of the family’s heartbreak. ‘It’s really difficult this time of year, but it’s difficult throughout the whole year.’ Jemima’s brother Tim, 32, appealed for anyone with information to come forward. ‘It would give some closure, knowing that they [the killer] were off the streets, so that they couldn’t do that to anyone else.’ Meanwhile detectives believed they had a breakthrough after forensic scientists obtained a limited DNA profile for the suspect. In January, Sussex Police started the largest voluntary mass DNA screening in its history, appealing for all men aged over 17 who lived or worked in Bosham to volunteer their DNA and provide a thumbprint. The screening eliminated 3,059 men from the investigation, but the killer was getting on with his life and would go undetected for years. Then, in 2018, in rural Romania, a random act by a suspicious wife changed everything. Claudia Sabou, 26,

She was met with a horrific scene

Midsomer Murders was once ﬁlmed in Bosham

SIX YEARS This claw hammer had been used to murder Val

Claudia was suspicious of he er husband, Cristian

she found something else – obsessive online searches for ‘murder in Bosham’. The village was two miles from two Ch hiichester, where the ey y’d once lived. Why five years on from this crime, was h looking it up? he Then, seeing ou u a photo of the d murder weapon, d she froze. The claw gone wrong hammer – red and black – was just like one Cristian was convinced her husband, had when they were in England, Cristian, was cheating on her. she was sure of it. The couple had lived together Now she wasn’t confronting in England for a while, but once him about other women, but they’d had children she’d something else entirely. returned home to Romania, ‘What is this all about?’ while Cristian stayed here and she demanded. sent money back. Cristian admitted it. He said It had been no life in England. that, yes, he was responsible but Cristian had started out in it was a burglary gone wrong – Chichester, working at a he had not intended to kill. scrapyard, then they’d both If she needed a reason to end worked at a car wash and lived in their relationship, this was it. a caravan near the A27. But Cristian didn’t see it that He’d eventually got a way. ‘Don’t break up with me – and construction job and, alongside a keep your mouth shut,’ he begged. friend, was hired to work on She bided her time and waited residential properties. until he returned to England, As for Claudia, she kept then in September she contacted herself in shape back in UK police. Romania, dying her platinum Did Cristian realise the game blonde hair, carefully pencilling was up? in her eyebrows and maintaining He obviously didn’t trust his her long manicured nails. wife, as he hot-footed it back to But who knew what Cristian Romania, before police could act. got up to and who he was with? There, he was shacked up with, Now that he was back visiting, not Claudia, but a new girlfriend. she picked up his phone and But police were on to him. scrolled through his recent activity. In April 2019, DNA was taken If she expected saucy texts, from Cristian’s blood relatives in

MURDERER

Romania. It was a match. Nearly six x years on, thanks to a snooping wife, they finally had their man. That July, Cristian was picked up under a European Arrest Warrant. Romanian police nabbed him in a town in Transylvania. In a 40-minute extradition hearing the killer was silent no more. ‘I was young, 21, childish, without a job, I did not have much money, it was my first time in England,’ he said. ‘I never did any harm in my life. Someone told me there was a lot of money in that house – I never went there to kill someone. I thought everybody was away.’ He knew the Chamberlains, having done work for them, and believed they had a safe, stuffed with gold ingots and cash. And, when the family had gone away for Christmas, he swung into action. He said he’d cycled to the house in the dead of night, but sliding back the unlocked patio doors and walking into the downstairs bedroom, he came across Val. ‘She was sleeping in bed, she woke up and she surprised me. I panicked. I had a hammer with me. I did not mean to harm her.’ He could easily have turned and fled. Instead he lifted his hammer and attacked Val with such force her injuries were similar to having been in a car accident. The judge ruled that Cristian would be flown to the UK to face trial but would be allowed to serve his prison sentence in Romania. On 11 November this year, at Lewes Crown Court in East Sussex, Cristian, who wore a poppy, pleaded guilty

■ By Lindsay Calder (stories@realpeoplemag.co.uk)

imm mediattely after the tw wo-miinute Remem mbran nce Day sile ence. He wa as senttenced to a minim mum o of 24 years fforr murrder rder. Jailing hiim, Ju tine udge Christi istin Laing QC said than id, ‘Ra ather herr th simply running away in the hope ng aw you could not be identified by a woman waking from sleep, you conducted this horrific attack on Ms Graves. ‘It was your cowardice and lack of morality which led you to kill Valerie Graves.’ In a statement Val’s children Tim and Jemima, said, ‘This has been a devastating experience for the whole family and today we feel that justice has finally been served. ‘We have had to endure six years of waiting, not knowing if anyone would ever be brought to justice for this cowardly act. ‘Val, our mum, was very much loved by our family and is sorely missed by all of us. She was a kind and caring person who had little conflict in her life; her murder was incomprehensible to us all. ‘You took away our mum, who was also a sister, daughter, gran and friend to many – a life of someone who can never be replaced.’ Sadly, Val’s mother Eileen passed away before she could see justice for her daughter. For the rest of Val’s family, yes, the sickening wait is over. But Val, the free spirit, the eternal student, has been robbed of the life she loved so very much.

Val’s son Tim outside court

33 3

JUST FOR

1 From another country (7) 2 Garden pixie (5) 3 King Arthur’s magician (6) 2

Give your brain a boost and pit your wits against these testing teasers. See p35 for the answers.

4 Hardy kitchen floor covering (8) 5 Referee (6) 6 Country, capital Dublin (7) 4

S-S-S SNAKE

I - SPY

S-s-starting at ‘1’, write your answers to the clues in the grid, slithering along in the direction of the S-S-S-Snake. Each answer overlaps the next by one, two or three letterssss…

Can you spot six differences between these two photos of the West End production of Mary Poppi s? As this one’s just for fun, to see if you’re right, see p35.

A 7 Route instructions (10) 8 Beginning of something, outbreak (5)

34 4

9 Engrave (4) 10 Christian place of worship, eg (6)

PICTURES: JOHAN PERSSON

Reader

YOU SEND US YOUR PUZZLES – WE’LL SEND YOU £30! Thanks to Bernadette and Maria for their brilliant teasers. Hopefully, they’ll have inspired you all! So, let’s have your quizzes and crosswords, riddles and sudokus, anagrams and wordsearches – or perhaps you’ve invented a new kind of puzzle? Just send it into us at: Real People Reader Puzzles, Hearst Magazines UK, House Of Hearst, 30 Panton Street, London, SW1Y 4AJ. ID

ID F

Write the answers to the clues in the appropriately numbered layers of the grid. Each answer is an anagram of its predecessor plus or minus one letter. Check your answers below.

£30 ZZ

Twelve well-known characters from the Harry Potter books have been mixed up in the grid below. Cross out all the matches you make until just one answer remains. See the bottom of the page for the solution.

ZZL !

PUZZLES

Harry

Luna

Voldemort

Hagrid

rew

Sirius

Dumbledore

Weasley

Albus

Rubeus

Longbottom

Black

Severus

1 Gift (7) 2 Cleans feathers (6) 3 Shopping splurge (5) 4 Duke or Earl, eg (4) 5 For each (3) 6 Harvest (4) 7 Go over again (5) 8 Practice what you ___, expression (6) 9 Main division of a book (7)

Draco

Sent in by Bernadette Oldale, Blackburn, Lancashire

Hermione

Snape

Potter

Ron

Lord

Neville

Gryffindor

Malfoy

Granger

Lovegood

Sent in by Maria Kendall, Loughborough, Leicestershire W done to Bernadette and Well Maria– £30 on its way!

Piece of cake! PRIZE ANSWERS Fill the grid using the numbers from 1 to 9 only. Each number must appear once in every column, row and 3x3 square.

Can you beat the clock?

8 6 1 7 9

7 8 4 6 9 3 9 2 6 3 2

4 1 3 8 2 3 4 1 1 6 8 5 5 3 7 1 9 2 7 4 8 6 6 5 4

5 9 7 2 6

Not so easy! Fill the grid using the numbers from 1 to 9 only. Each number must appear once in every column, row and 3x3 square.

Can you beat the clock?

5 7

2 8

3 8 5 8 1 6 4 4 9 2 1 9 8 4 2 5 3 7 6

P9 – The Whopper! Prize answer: Sculptor

P18 – Roulette Prize answer: Bonﬁre

P26 – Go And Arrow

P35 – Reader Puzzle 1

Prize answer: Style

P28 – Boxing Match

1 Present, 2 Preens, 3 Spree, 4 Peer, 5 Per, 6 Reap, 7 Recap, 8 Preach, 9 Chapter.

Prize answer: Trust

P35 – Reader Puzzle 2

P30 – Lost In Moo-Sic

6 4 7 2

8 1 6 2 7 3 8 6 9 1 7 5 3 4

stt ffor

FOR ISSUE 45

Prize answer: C) What’s Love Got To Do With It

P30 – Cow-A-Bingo! Prize answer: 33

P31 – S-elﬁe Time!

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Lord Voldemort, Severus Snape, Ron Weasley, Draco Malfoy, Rubeus Hagrid, Sirius Black, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Peter Pettigrew, Albus Dumbledore. Extra answer: Gryfﬁndor

Prize answer: Roscoe

P35 – Easy

P36 – Playing The Field

3 5 2 4 8 6 1 7 9

Prize answer: Hit

P38 – Prize Question 1 Prize answer: A) Bo Peep

P41 – X Factor Prize answer: 11

P42 – Small Wonder Prize answer: Vinegar

P42 – Nothing For A Pair Prize answer: Woof

P42 – Nice Little Earner Prize answer: Advantage

P42 – I’m Too Hex-y! Prize answer: Loot

P46 – Diabolical Prize answer: The Eyes Of A Dragon

Enter online at www.realpeoplemag.co.uk

7 1 6 3 9 2 4 5 8

8 4 9 7 1 5 6 3 2

1 8 3 6 4 9 5 2 7

6 2 5 8 3 7 9 4 1

9 7 4 5 2 1 3 8 6

4 3 1 9 7 8 2 6 5

2 6 8 1 5 3 7 9 4

5 9 7 2 6 4 8 1 3

1 9 3 8 2 7 6 4 5

6 7 5 1 4 3 9 8 2

4 2 8 5 9 6 1 7 3

P34 – S-S-S-Snake: 1 Foreign, 2 Gnome, 3 Merlin, 4 Linoleum, 5 Umpire, 6 Ireland, 7 Directions, 8 Onset, 9 Etch, 10 Church.

P34 – I-Spy: A1, A3, B3, B4, C1, C3. P46 – Just For The Hell Of It! Winter months: January, February. 3 6 1 2 5 4

1 2 5 4 3 6

4 5 3 6 2 1

2 3 4 1 6 5

6 4 2 5 1 3

5 1 6 3 4 2

P35 – Tough 9 5 7 6 3 1 4 2 8

2 4 1 9 7 8 5 3 6

3 8 6 2 5 4 7 9 1

8 3 4 7 1 5 2 6 9

5 6 2 4 8 9 3 1 7

7 1 9 3 6 2 8 5 4

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PICTURES: BIGSTOCK

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Enter online at realpeoplemag.co.uk

8 3 E G A P O T LLOW FLO

Makes 6 ● Takes 2 hrs 20 min s

FOR THE FILLING: ● 900g beef stewin steak, cut into 2.5cm pieces ● 200g g smoked lardons ● 5 shallots, quartere into wedges ● 200g button mushroo d ● Few fresh thyme sprigs ● 400ml ale ms ● 450ml beef stock ● 4tbsp plain ﬂour FOR THE PASTRY: ● 320g ready-rolled shortcrust pastry ● 1½tsp English mu powder ● 100g Lancashire cheese, ﬁnstard ely chopped ● 1 medium egg

£1.98 per portion

Heat 2tbsp of surface. Sprinkle over a vegetable oil in a third of the mustard pan over medium-high powder and cheese. heat and add the beef Fold it in, roll it out and and cook until brown. repeat three times. Set aside. Preheat oven to Return the empty 200°C/400°F. pan to heat and Empty the beef into an add the lardons, shallots ovenproof ser and mushrooms. Fry for Brush the rim ving dish. of the 10 mins. Add the beef, dish with egg, then lift thyme, ale and stock. the pastry on top to Bring to the boil, then cover the ﬁlling. Cut a cover and simmer for steam hole in the 90 mins. middle and trim the Roll out the edges. shortcrust pastry Bake for 25-30 sheet on a ﬂoured mins, then serve.

you know s a e ic n s a re a t a th s Delish dishe

0g Maris FOR THE FILLING: ● 75● 50g butter Piper potatoes, sliced ● 2 pears, iced ● 2 large onions, thinly sl slices ● 175g peeeled, cored and cut into walnut halves, Laancashire cheese ● 75g ium egg rooughly chopped ● 1 medplain ﬂour, plus OR THE PASTRY: ● 400g cubed ● 100g FO , extra to dust ● 100g lard d b tter, chilled and cube bu

FTUS / WORDS: RIKKI LO

G PIC TURE S: GA GO OD HOUSEKEEPIN

RE TH MORGANS; AL

EX LUCK; BIGSTOC

Makes 8 s ● Takes 1 hr 35 min

what...

50p per portion

the flour, lard and To make the pastry, pulse water and pulse 100g of butter. Add 4tbsp of gether. Roll out and ps to a ain until the pastry clum ng film and chill for 1 hr. ag cli shape into a disc. Wrap in salted water to boil. Meanwhile, bring a pan of ok for 6 mins. Add the potato slices and co Drain and leave to cool. over a medium heat Melt 50g of butter in a pan mins. Set aside. and cook the onions for 10 400°F. Roll out two Preheat the oven to 200°C/ to line a tart tin. e thirds of the pastry and us base, a layer of e th in Arrange a layer of potatoes ure. Crumble over some pears and some onion mixt ts. Repeat. lnu cheese and scatter the wa y and lay over the Roll out the remaining pastr and brush with filling. Press edgges toggether top. Co C okk for in the egg, then cut a steam hole e. 50 mins, then cool and serv

2 3 4

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A set of family games

h are ttwo things here thi mostt people l are serious i about b t ddoing i in January: 1) Losing some weight; and 2) Trying to get the other half to put the Christmas decorations back in the loft, or the garage or the shed etc. Well, how about you put a blanket over the decorations box, pop open that last tin of Pringles and have some serious fun with the kids?! Yay! We’ll make it easy for you with this terriﬁc set of top-selling family board games games…

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For a chance to win, solve my prize question. See page 43 to enter...

PQ1: How many stations are there on a traditional Monopoly board? A) 4 B) 5

PA G E O T O L F W FOLLO

Best in weed! Cannabis has been a doggy lifesaver

O B O C S D

noo p S t u -o d le il h c ’s k i ic V h old ig h a g in v a h is g g o D time in his dotage...

tood in the field, I launched a ball into the air. It’d barely left my fingertips when my pup bolted. I watched as he fled… in the complete opposite direction to the ball. ‘Milo!’ I cried, chasing after him. This lolloping dopey thing had been by my side since I was 16. My mum and dad had surprised me with him on Christmas Day. And, given that he’s now 13, Milo was definitely for life. A Labrador Springer cross, he’s far too pampered – we spend a small fortune on fresh chicken, when less diva–like dogs would have dinner out of a can. And my bookkeeper wages took a hammering when I forked out £4,000 for him five years ago. He’d needed surgery after a collapsed lung – my pet insurance covered the rest of the £10,000 bill. But he’s my baby. More so, as me and my hubby, Jamie, 44, don’t have any children yet. ‘Where are you going?’ I panted, racing after Milo, now in January 2018. Looking ahead, I realised exactly where he was heading. He made a beeline for another dog on the other side of the field, pouncing on to him. Typical. Always chasing tail, that one! After they’d sniffed each other dry, the pair

■ As told to Rikki Loftus

scampered after one another in circles. Milo was technically an old gimmer, but he could still give the younger pups a run for their kibble. A month later, though, something didn’t seem right. ‘What’s the matter?’ I asked as he turned his nose up at his chicken one evening. ‘I assure you, it’s all free-range,’ I smiled. It wasn’t like Milo to not have an appetite. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, I managed to tempt him with small pieces of meat. But, after licking a few morsels from my hand, he spewed up over the kitchen floor. ‘Oh, you poor thing,’ I gasped. Cleaning up, I helped him to his doggy bed in the living room, but no sooner than my back was turned, I heard a shout. ‘Vicky,’ Jamie, who works in construction, called out. ‘Milo’s wet himself.’ In a panic, we bundled him into the car and whizzed to the vets. I hoped for an easy explanation – and not to be walloped with another great bill! ‘He’s just eaten something didn’t agree with him,’ I imag , them saying, but when we arr

(stories@realpeoplemag.co.uk)

FAR OUT!

DOOB IE the h vet had h d other news. ‘Milo has pancreatitis,’ he told us. ‘It’s common with older dogs.’ He explained that Milo’s pancreas was inflamed and causing him pain. ‘It’s best Milo was a we keep an Christmas eye on him Day surprise here,’ he said. Leaving Milo overnig overnight, I gave him a big kiss and a cuddle goodbye. In the car home I wondered whether it was the beginning of the end. My mind cast back to the 16-yearold me, giddy at the sight of him as a furry ball of energy and silliness. He’s been a part of me for half of my life. I’d dreaded having to face up to his age, to the inevitable... Back home, I started to search the condition online. Often fatal, the words on the screen glared. I kept phoning the vet, the next day and the day after. Milo was given a cocktail of different medicines, but nothing med to work, not that cheeky pup would ev let them. even

‘He ‘H keeps k pulling his drip out,’ I heard over the phone and my growing panic burst out into a laugh. Typical Milo! But on the third day, it seemed like they’d done all they could. ‘It’s probably for the best if you take Milo home,’ the vet broke the news. ‘So that he can be comfortable in his own surroundings.’ My heart sank. I trudged out to the car in a daze, the rumbling engine jerking the tears from my eyes. I’m bringing Milo home to die. It was gut-wrenching but the sight of my pup when I arrived to collect him was worse. ‘Come on, Milo,’ I whispered, carrying my boy to the car. In five short days, he had lost 9lb in weight. At home, he didn’t even seem to recognise me, whimpering in the corner of the living room. ‘He keeps wetting himself,’

small bottle. Together, we held Milo down, giving him eight drops of the Cannabidiol (CBD) oil. ‘I guess now we wait,’ I mumbled. After three hours, Milo surprised us when he scrambled to his feet Milo suddenly and took himself became very ill outside for a wee. Me and Jamie I worried to camped out in the living room, Jamie. not wanting to leave him alone. ‘We’ll sleep down here The next morning, I awoke to tonight,’ Jamie decided. ‘Just in Milo whining. case.’ ‘Are you hungry?’ I asked, Offering out water through a wondering if it was just wishful syringe, I tried to coax Milo to thinking. Trying not to get my open his mouth. hopes up, I lay a plate of chicken ‘Just have a bit,’ I begged, but down on the floor. it was no use. And Milo had the munchies! He wasn’t getting any better. Like any teenage stoner with ‘It’s cruel to keep him alive,’ I realised to Jamie, making the an armful of petrol station pasties, heart-breaking decision. Milo wolfed the whole lot down! ‘I’ll ring the vets in the It was the first time he’d eaten morning,’ I sighed. in six days. But out of the blue, Jamie had And he was perkier by the hour. an idea. ‘I don’t think he’s in pain any ‘We haven’t tried alternative more,’ Jamie noted. medicine,’ he suggested. He was right, the whimpering I knew what he was getting at. had stopped. We had both seen posts online I wouldn’t have minded if he about pet owners giving their was half-baked and out of his sick dogs cannabis oil. tree, anything to make his life The stuff was all over the news, more comfortable. helping all sorts of painful But he was back to his old self. ailments, in animals and humans. It was unbelievable. We read though that vets don’t A couple of days later, Milo

I was bringing him home to die prescribe it and I worried if it could do more harm than good. ‘But we have nothing to lose,’ I agreed. ‘If we don’t do anything, he’s going to die.’ With no time to spare, Jamie left for a specialist shop in our home town of Torquay. The CBD Lab was more a pharmacy than a hippy-dippy bong shop, selling all sorts of pain-relieving potions and lotions. Jamie returned home with a

CBD oil gave my mutt the munchies!

bounced into the back garden like a puppy, wagging his tail as he went. This is surreal. Fetching his lead, I walked him to our local park where no one would have guessed my boy had been on his death bed. Now, Milo has just turned 15 and he plays with the other dogs like nothing even happened. He still has his cannabis drops morning and night. I daren’t take him off them. I don’t want to let him out of my sight either. So, instead of going on holidays abroad, we’re planning to spend our breaks in a camper van where Milo can tag along. I can already imagine him chilling out by our side, watching the sunset with his head in the clouds. Our little pothead seeing out his twilight years in pain-free purple haze. Vicky Horton, 31, Torquay

2EAL 399 PEOPLE

PICTURES: FACEBOOK/VICKY HORTON, GETTY, SWNS

Jamie had a brainwave to help our hound

Got a boot sale ba u o an old ornament yo ne? reckon is worth a fortu ayton H b o B r ee n io ct u a p to – Why not let me ur treasure. yo of ic p a e m d n se st Ju – ﬁnd out? trash! ’s it if en ev – 25 £ t ge l ’l u yo If it’s printed,

Biblical sense

e were sorting out my mum’s attic and came across this old Book of Common Prayer. The printer is James Watson, of Edinburgh, and it’s dated 1720. Pennies from heaven, Bob? Roger Hedges, Much Wenlock, Shropshire

ASK ME

■ Sadly, this prayer book scores higher in terms of family history than it does for its condition. Probably £10 at auction.

£10

Anyatdhvicien

er Bob Hayton

with au

Up, up and away!

his print of a Lancaster bomber is signed by artist Nicholas Watts. It’s also autographed by the pilot, front gunner and wireless operator. Has its value soared, Bob? Peter Gerloff, Birkenhead

£100 ■ The artist, Nicholas Watts, is best known for painting motor racing scenes. This limited-edition print is signed by the artists, but the other signatures are facsimiles. It would fetch around £100.

R E M M A H e r Under th is week – check you

Need on a collectable? Just write in!

we print it There’s £25 for you, if

these ornaments in QMy1966mumfrombought a department store for seven

shillings. They’re 2in tall and across. Are they worth anything, Bob? w

A £5 40 0

Dawn Maycock, m Birmingham

These figures are possibly Italian, and aalthough they cost the eequivalent of 35p in the ’60s, they they’re re uunlikkely to sell ffor more m than t £5 toda t ay.

skin waallet with silver mounts, 02.

£100 £280

£250 ● Set of 14 Murano glass fruits and vegetables.

● Two modern specimen marble tops.

● Lalique ‘Hirondelles’ vase, 22cm high.

Fact Have you got what it takes to be successful? See if you can learn what that special somethhing is from music legend and Voice UK judge Sir Tom Jones. For £100, use Tom to work out the number code for each letter of the alphabett. We’ve placed the Ts, now you do the same with the Os and Ms. The number that represents the leetter ‘X’ is your prize answer. See p43 for full entry dettails.

was g given this thi Poole P Pottery bowl, but I haven’t been able to find out anything about it. The number on the base is partly rubbed off, but it looks like 39. What do you think, Bob? Andrea Illingworth, Runcorn, Cheshire

■ The Poole Pottery business dates back to the 1870s, but your bowl was produced 50-odd years ago. The vivid orange glaze is typical of the period, and would sell for around £50.

Bottle genie

hat do you make of this unusual bottle, Bob? The brass bottom flicks open to store biscuits while the glass top part is for drink – it’s an all-in-one. I paid £10 at an antiques fair. Did I get a bargain? Donna McEwen, Norwich ■ It looks to me like a huntsman’s flask, Donna, and would have had a leather case attached to the saddle. The bottom would be detachable and used as a drinking cup. It’s worth around £20, so you bought well.

£20

£100 What did these two glazed ceramic ‘riding riding boot’ boot walking stick stands sell for at a recent auction?

B £360

C £460

HOW TO ENTER For your chance to win, simply answer the Test Your Knowledge question above, then turn to page 43, where you’ll find full entry details. Issue 48’s item was a set of shop scales from the ’50s. Answer. B) £110.

2 12

T T

6 3 18 1 1

T T

6 12

1 19

14 11

6 4

3 18

23 6

1 6

18 18

24 10

6 10

PLEASE NOTE, ALL VALUATIONS ARE ESTIMATES AND WE CANNOT RETURN PHOTOS

WIN

If you’d like my opinion on the value of your item, send in a clear photo, with as much description as you can, including size. Give details of markings or labels, and don’t forget to include your full name, address and phone number. Send them to: Bob’s Treasure Hunt, Real People, Hearst Magazines UK, House Of Hearst, 30 Panton Street, London, SW1Y 4AJ, or email Bob@realpeoplemag.co.uk. I cannot value every item sent in or respond personally to letters.

Guess the his value of th week’s item and

WRITE TO ME AT...

Te s t y o u r KNOWL GE

A £260

£100!

2 14

3 18

T 14

ABCDEFGHIJKL N PQRS UVWXYZ 1 2

9 10 11 12 13

T O M 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 S

PICTURE: BIGSTOCK, GETTY, ISTOCK

£50

E L Z U P

Here’s yourr last chanc to win this week’s fab cash prizes!!

RAIL

See p43 to enter. r.

Small Wonder Here’s a small but shining example of the nation’s favourite puzzle. Solve it in the usual way. When completed correctly, the letters in yellow squares, reading top to bottom, left to right, will spell out your prize answer. See p43 for entry details. ACROSS 1 Hollows where you spray deodorant (7) 5 Silly in a sentimental way (5) 6 Mental picture (5) 7 People who bare all on the beach (7) DOWN 1 Where lots are sold to the highest bidder (7) 2 Hot condiment eaten with roast beef (7) 3 Cause someone to admire or respect you (7) 4 Expressions, proverbs (7)

£25! 1

£50!

… nnott in this game! The names of 12 witches and wizards have been mixed up in the grid below. Cross out all the matches you make until one remains. This is your prize answer. See p43 to enter.

Grotbags

Wizard

Gargamel

Witch

Gandalf

Wizard

Bellatrix Lestrange

Witch

Wizard

Glinda

Wizard

Jafar

Not ng A Pair

Wizard

Albus Dumbledore

Witch

Maleficent

Wizard

Witch

Merlin

Witch

Morgan le Fay

I D O N ’T F O R G E T T H EADGEEV 4 D IA B O L IC AL O N P

NICE LITTLE EARNER

Cash in here by rearranging the characters below into a regular nine-letter word. Each letter must only be used once. See page 43 for full entry details.

I’m Too ★ X-Y! ★

£50! 42

Write the six-letter answers to the clues in this grid around the hexagons, sstarting at the point indicated by tthe arrows and always in a clocckwise direction. When done, the letters in the yellow boxess, reading left to right, will spell p yo your answer. See page 43.

C E D U V E T

£25!

Shape with four equal sides

Return To ___, hit for Elvis

Godly, from Heaven

Chauffeur

Prize – for catching a criminal

Semiprecious stone

Zodiac sign of the Bull

End of the week

Peruse again

Give up work at 65

P U ZZ L E Issue 2, 16 January 2020 Closing date: Midnight 29 January 2020

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R I A F AF e o t

URES: INSTAGRAM/JODIEHOLLISTOBIN

t s e k r a d r e h in s a Jodie w in s a w id p u C t u b , r u o h r... o o d t x e n le ic b u c e th he beep beep-beep-beep beep beep of machines and the whispers of conversations were the soundtrack to my days. ‘Can I cuddle Hudson?’ I smiled to a nurse. When she shook her head – he was still too weak – I slumped. Being a mother of a premature baby is like tightrope walking. You’re trying to stay upright knowing, any second, your child might stop breathing and you’ll plunge into an abyss of grief. It was July 2017 and I was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Mater Hospital in Brisbane, Australia. My son, Hudson, born at 23 weeks, a month earlier, was fighting for his life. I’d been here before, suffering several miscarriages and two premature births, each one as raw and painful as the previous. But all I’d ever wanted was to be a mother… I grew up in Tamworth, England, but moved Down Under with my family in my teens. Being the new kid in a country on the other side of the world was tough. But dancing brought me out of my shell. I also learnt contortionism – ueezing into ces.

I was so good, good aged 14, 14 I reached the semi-finals of Australia’s Got Talent! I was approached to join Cirque du Soleil. But travelling with the circus wasn’t for me – I’d had enough upheaval. So I taught at a local dance school. My favourite pupils were the pre-schoolers… ‘Put your feet together – copy me,’ I’d smile, the tots wide-eyed with concentration. Then one of them tagged the other and they chased around, squealing with laughter. Beautiful chaos! At 18, I became pregnant – a happy accident. But Ariella’Jayne was premature, born at 33 weeks on New Year’s Day 2015. Still, holding her in my arms, I experienced a love so fierce my whole body was hot with it. ‘Take it day by day,’ said the doctors. Bringing Ariella home after a month was joyful but frightening, too, and that first year was tough. I clung to my dream of a happy family, but my relationship was rocky. Would another baby help? But Tobias was even more premature than Ariella – born in June 2016 at just 25 weeks.

L-R: Ariella’Jayne, Hudson and Tobias are thriving now Guilt smacked – why was my body chucking my babies out too soon? And Toby was very, very ill. He had a hole in his heart – then was struck with infection after infection. When he finally came home, after 81 days, I had a copper IUD implanted in my womb. No more babies – I couldn’t go through that a third time… But, six months later, I was pregnant again! ‘It happens – IUDs are only 99 per cent effective,’ the doctors shrugged. I spent my pregnancy in

a state of terror – and xhaustion, caring for ex wo-year-old Ariella and tw baby Toby. b And here I was, staring at my newborn, Hudson, a aching to pick him up out a of o his incubator. I was going through this alone, my relationship with a his h dad had all but disintegrated. But I drew strength from my children. Th ’d been premature – grey They and limp like Hudson. Now they were full of life… But doctors had to keep resuscitating Hudson. He’d been battered with meningitis, septicaemia, pneumonia and necrotising enterocolitis – an inflammation of tissue in his bowel. ‘It might be kinder to let him go…’ they said.

Tobias was excited to meet his baby sister!

Me and Hudson visited Velora in hospital

BABY LOVE

I was so happy to ﬁnally hold my boy, Hudson ‘IIf you want to g give up – I derstand,’ I und sigh hed to Hudson, presssing my hand on h his glass home. Then a friend sentt me a link to a blo og written by Chriis Swan, the fatheer of 23-weekwins – Nikolai old tw and M Maximus – fighting for their lives in a NICU unit. ‘Hang on – he’s at the Mater, too,’ I gasped. So I found Chris on Facebook and sent him a message. The nurses mentioned you, he replied. How’s your little boy? Over the coming weeks, we chatted online most days. Chris said he hadn’t been in a relationship with his babies’ mother long when she discovered she was pregnant. Tough – the NICU experience is hard enough on couples who’ve been together for years… His twins were born a month before Hudson and he messaged me with every milestone. The first cuddle, feeding without a tube – it gave me hope Hudson could do the same. Then Chris posted a photograph of one of his boys with a special dummy for premature babies. It was so cute – the size of a ffingernail – and I wanted one for Hudson’s keepsake box. H Have you got a spare? The hospital’s run out, I messaged him. h No worries, he replied. I’ve got one still in its packet. The first time I saw Chris in the flesh I was cuddling Hudson and he walked past, flashing me a huge smile. He understood how precious hat cuddle was – not to interrupt th – and I messaged him later th hanking him. After that we bumped into each otther a few times, chatting in whispers. But those brief w xchanges lifted me. ex

Me and Chris are a team

Maybe it was just that we were both parents of seriously ill kids, but I felt a connection with Chris. Then, one day, I visited Hudson to discover Chris and his twins in the booth next door. ‘If you’re worried about anything bring the boys straight in,’ a nurse was saying. His twins were going home! ‘Message me if you have any worries, too,’ I told him in the corridor, snatching a conversation when he was alone. It didn’t feel right to approach him with the twin’s mother present, even though it sounded like they clearly weren’t together. A month later, I had some good news, too.

properly introduced. p I’m I Chris.’ She’s normally shy, but my girl begged Chris to watch the film b with w us. After that, we met a few times with the kids. t We had dinner at his – I was mortified when Ariella and Toby m flung spaghetti everywhere! f ‘They’re just being kids,’ Chris chuckled. C After his birthday at an Italian restaurant in July, 2018, we walked r along a jetty out to sea. a ‘Are we serious about this?’ he h asked. I melted. Deep down I’d known for f ages I had feelings for him but I’d never allowed myself to acknowledge them. ‘Well?’ Chris asked. I answered with our first kiss… Soon, Chris was driving an hour most days, after work, to hang out with us. ‘I’ll take the kids to the park – you have a nap,’ he’d say. I walked taller, my shoulders not so slumped with the weight of the world. Chris and me were a team. A few months later, he got down on one knee when we were out for dinner with my parents. ‘Will you spend the rest of your life with me Jodie?’ he asked. Yes! A family of our own was the obvious next step, but I’d told him

I was ﬂoored with grief – Chris, too My little fighter, Hudson, was coming home. I’d like to meet him, Chris messaged. But I was busy with three little ones now – and, after me and my boyfriend finally split, I was a single mother. And Chris was juggling his job as a behavioural analyst with visiting his twins. He and his girlfriend hadn’t survived as a couple either… Then one evening I messaged Chris, I’m taking Ariella to watch Peter Rabbit at the cinema tomorrow. Fancy meeting for a coffee first? Just tell me where and when, he replied. When he walked into the coffee shop, I was nervous for a few seconds – I hardly knew this guy. No, of course I knew him. We’d supported each other through the worst ordeals of our lives. ‘Hudson looks well,’ he said, stroking my baby’s cheek. ‘And hello, Ariella – I saw you at the hospital but we haven’t been

I couldn’t face another birth. But watching Chris with my kids, I wondered. He was a brilliant father – Ariella and Toby even called him Daddy. ‘Let’s have a baby,’ I said one day. We started trying right away and were over the moon when I discovered I was pregnant. But, in January 2019, Vladimir was born at just 16 weeks old. He was only with us for seven minutes. I was floored with grief – Chris, too.

■ As told to Jane Common

(stories@realpeoplemag.co.uk)

‘There has to be more to this than just a complex cervix,’ I wept to the doctors. And after an MRI, a consultant revealed I had two uteruses, with a septum in between. ‘We think your babies are implanting in that septum, Jodie, meaning they don’t have space to grow.’ Finally, an explanation for all my years of heartache. I jumped at the chance of surgery to cut the septum out. But the pre-op scan revealed that I was pregnant! Velora was born last September at just 27 weeks. But, even though she was on oxygen and feeding through a tube, she wasn’t hammered by infections like my boys and, at just two weeks old, nurses said we could cuddle her. ‘You go first,’ I told Chris. Tears filled my eyes as I watched him gently cradle our baby. Velora came home in December and now our family is complete. Ariella and Toby love their baby sister and Hudson – that tiny baby doctors didn’t think would make it – is a lively two-and-a-half. The only sign he was ill is a scar on his tummy. ‘When you’re older, tell the ladies you were bitten by a shark,’ I tease. And we never forget Vladimir, carrying his ashes everywhere in an urn inside a teddy bear. ‘I can see Vladimir in the stars,’ Ari says. And when a butterfly glides past, Toby squeals, ‘That’s Vladimir – sending us a message.’ Holding us all together is Chris. In my darkest hour I’d found love. We’ll marry in August, with our kids as bridesmaids and page boys. It seems surreal that while Hudson was fighting for his life, Cupid was twanging his bow. A labour of love! Jodie Hollis-Tobin, 23, Brisbane,, Australia

We’re blessed to have Velora, but we’ll never forget Vladimir

2EAL 455 PEOPLE

£150! Brrr! Baby it’s cold outside… All words are hidden, except one – which one? This is your prize answer. Enter on p43.

F R A

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D N O S

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D C E

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T E M N R G W F O Q

We’ve hidden extra words in the grid above. But to make it ﬁendishly tricky, we’re only going to give you a theme. This week: WINTER MONTHS. To ﬁnd out how many of them you have to look for, you have to solve the mini sudoku on the right. The number in the yellow square is your target… mwah, ha, ha, ha, ha!

OF IT!

PS We’re not complete devils! If you want to know what the mystery words are, see Solutions on p35.

BIG WARM JUMPER BLACK ICE BLIZZARD BOBBLE HAT BOOTS BUILDING SNOWMEN CHATTERING TEETH CHICKEN STEW CHILLY COSY NIGHTS IN DRESSING GOWN EARMUFFS EATING SOUP EXTRA BLANKET FLEECE FREEZING COLD FROST GLOVES GRIT ON THE ROADS HOT BATH HOT CHOCOLATE ICE-SKATING ICICLES LESS DAYLIGHT LOW TEMPERATURES ONESIE RED NOSE ROARING FIRE ROSY CHEEKS SCARF SHIVERING SLEET SLIPPERS SLIPPERY SLUSH SNOWFLAKES SNOWING SNUGGLING THERMALS VISIBLE BREATH WINTER COAT WOOLLY SOCKS

1 4 6 5 3 4 6 2 6 2 4 6 1 5 3

Enter online at www.realpeoplemag.co.uk

PICTURES: BIGSTOCK

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