Crossword 16 SEPT 2021 ISSUE 37
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Sudoku
HUBBY’S
NAoKseEdDhisBaUffaMir exp
As soon as I saw it, I knew
CHEEKY GIT!
A SEXeePp’Es trSueT The cr
Snogging me comes with a HEALTH WARNING!
Could a FITBIT solve her
BRUTAL MURDER?
17 fierce fashion buys ANIMAL PRINT TO SUIT YOU
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Out for revenge
POSED AS
HER DEAD DAUGHTER She’d stop at nothing
... p12
p54
screen fatigue. We celebrated birthdays, had family quizzes and some even did Christmas dinner over our computers. p19.
p19 p30
p40
On the cover
6 Hubby’s naked bum exposed his affair 10 Snogging me comes with a health warning! 12 17 fierce fashion buys 16 Could a Fitbit solve her brutal murder? 44 Stalked by a sex pest: The creep’s true identity shocked me 54 Mum posed as her dead daughter
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Bride and Zoom Slave to my skin Her hidden pain Fighting fit: Making history! Puppy power: Leader of the pack Birth bombshell Hours of agony: My life in the loo A letter to... My little superhero
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Ask Dr Martin Crime map: Tayside Ask Aunty Nelly Cash smart No-fuss food: Gorgeous greens 42 Telly week and stars 49 You little beauty 50 Holiday time: Lisbon
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Picture perfect Remembering the good times...
My lovely daughter Lauren, 27, treated me to tea at The Ritz for my 61st in June. I was over the moon as it’s always been on my bucket list and we had a great time. Tina Saunders, Crowborough
I spent hours making this cake to celebrate our wonderful midwives and raise some money to lift spirits during the pandemic. Louise Milne, Worthing Little surfer Milo, 6, loved his summer holidays and the chance to enjoy the waves in Cornwall. It was so lovely to get out and about. Leona Heckman, Trefnant
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My favourite furry apprentice Rita, who thought she was doing a good deed by holding the ladders still while I was decorating my daughter’s room. Sweet! Julie Mckay, Redditch
I love this photo of my 7-weekold daughter Penny-Rose in her bath. She’s always so happy in there with the bubbles. She gurgles away and gives me and her dad plenty of smiles! Sophie White, Denbigh
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When my friend Katie and I met for a pub lunch she brought along her adorable 5-month-old puppy, Monty. It was a hot sunny day so we sat in the garden and Monty needed a hat, as most of the time he refused to sit in the shade! Gillian Jackson, Todmorden
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5
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Cheat BUM! My Egyptian baby daddy was a bare-cheeked cheat!
I fell for Ahmed, a gorgeous flirt
WORDS: JACK FALBER
T
urning at the bar, I bumped into a gorgeous bloke and felt my cheeks redden at his dazzling smile. ‘I’m Ahmed,’ he grinned. It was May 2016 and, aged 22, I’d jetted off to Egypt for the summer. I’d worked there as a holiday entertainer a year earlier and couldn’t wait to get back out to the beautiful beaches and lively bars for another season. Giving Ahmed, then 26, the once-over, I liked what I saw. Toned bod and sexy dreadlocks, big brown eyes, a smattering of facial hair. Only, he was surrounded by a gaggle of girls. ‘Do you want to come to a party?’ he smiled. I shrugged, could tell Ahmed was a flirt and didn’t want him to think I was too keen. But Ahmed was very persistent. ‘Give me your number,’ he smiled. Why not? I thought. Taking his phone, I punched my digits into it. Next day, my phone pinged with a message. You’re beautiful,
6
Gabbie Turner, 27, Bridgend Ahmed had typed. It was cheesy, but we got chatting and quickly started dating. ‘I think I’m falling for you,’ I told him weeks later. ‘I feel the same,’ he said, pulling me into his arms. It was a dream-come-true,
I said, surprising myself. Ahmed said he’d respect my decision, would be there to support me. Only, after that he just avoided me. When not working, he disappeared to a nightclub. ‘It’s all part of the job,’
hospital on my own. ‘That’s amazing,’ I gushed when I saw the grainy, wriggling image. I could see our baby’s head and toes, its heart beating. ‘Hello little one,’ I whispered, as the nurse
events company and travelling the country. worked for. ‘Perk of the job,’ he a beautiful sandy beach. Almost immediately, I moved in with him. Only, after two months, I got a surprise. I looked at my watch, waiting for the seconds to turn into minutes. white stick, I gasped... I was pregnant. Still only 22, the thought of a baby to care for was terrifying. Yet, when I told Ahmed, his words winded me. be a dad. My hands went to my stomach, protectively.
Us on the beach
ting
With Jana’s arrival, Ahmed vowed to settle down
New Year’s Eve, me pregnant
shutters open to peer in. Immediately, I stopped in my tracks. Felt the bile rise in my throat. There, as clear as day, was Ahmed, in bed. His bum poking out from under the duvet, on top of a naked, young, blonde woman – having sex. ‘What the hell?’ I yelled through the slats. Startled, the pair scrambled to their feet. Ahmed picked his boxers from the floor, pulled them on. ‘Let me in!’ I cried, furiously banging on the door. Ahmed did. Hurt, humiliated and furious, I launched myself at the other woman. ‘We’ve got a baby on the way,’ I screamed. I expected Ahmed to be apologetic, but instead, he protected her. ‘This is my new girlfriend from Germany,’ he sneered,
ready,’ he spat. How can he be so cruel? I went to a friend’s house, inconsolable. Later, back home, I set the scan photos down on the coffee table. Sat next to Ahmed on the sofa. ‘Do you want to carry on doing what you’re doing, or do you want to be a family?’ I asked. As Ahmed looked at the images of our unborn baby, something changed in him. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he said. Afterwards, we hugged. He vowed to be the family man I needed. I felt so vulnerable. Pregnant, alone, abroad – despite everything, I needed Ahmed. Besides, I still loved him. True to his word, Ahmed did change. Stayed home more, cooked me meals, helped me pick out baby things. And then… ‘Gabbie, will you marry
I couldn’t help feeling he was back to his old tricks...
me?’ he asked when I was a few months gone, tenderly placing his hand on my bump. It’d been a rocky start, but I was desperate to keep our family together. So I said yes. In April 2018, I gave birth to our I dote on my daughter Jana. daughters ‘She’s beautiful,’ Ahmed cooed. birth to our second We married three daughter Lillie, alone. weeks after, in a little Now, I’ve moved back to local ceremony. Egypt. Even tried to give And at the end of that Ahmed a final chance – but year, I discovered I was it quickly didn’t work. expecting our second baby. He still chooses to live a I imagined the years party lifestyle. to come, raising our I don’t regret taking him family together. back after the first betrayal. Only, I couldn’t shake the If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have feeling Ahmed was up to his little Lillie. old tricks. But Ahmed showed me Then, in February 2019, what he was that day when when I was three months I caught him. pregnant, I found out on And that’s nothing but a social media that Ahmed cheating bum. was cheating again. After spotting a ‘BIGGEST MISTAKE’ suspicious photo of a girl, Ahmed Mustafa, 30, I’d done some digging. says, ‘Yes, I did make ‘I can’t be around this mistakes. I admit I was anymore,’ I told him when wrong. I was not a man he admitted it. before, I was still a boy. It wasn’t good for me or Yes, this was my biggest our little girl. mistake. If I had a time Realising we both machine, I’d want to go deserved better, I took Jana back to this time and back to the UK. not make this.’ In August 2019, I gave
7
£500 cash! NUMBER JIG W
hat do you get if you multiply the year that Kylie Minogue first topped the UK singles chart by her age at the time? Fit these numbers into the grid. One number doesn’t fit. This is the prize answer. 3 digits 181 250 329 419 510 517 607 730 905 990
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Puzzle 1
4 digits 1261 1383 1973 3199 3324 3533 4004 5464 7916 9055 9670 9780
5 digits 11258 18116 37473 37772 38060 39227
45181 50303 69809 77113 91007 93000
6 digits 207018 345411 545807
7 digits 1071208 3048125 9145374
8 digits 19330350 19394045 78143466 88082111
Your answer:
SPIRAL XWORD Q
idra (using butter) and muqawlli (using olive oil) are two styles of preparing what North African dish? The answer to each clue (apart from the first) begins with the last letter of the preceding answer. The shaded squares will spell out the one-word prize answer.
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I
n May 2021, the Japanese town of Noto was criticised for spending over £150,000 on a 13m statue of what animal, in the hope of boosting tourism to the town? Make three nine-letter words using all of these three-letter sections and enter them in the grid as the starter letters indicate. Then make an anagram of the letters in the yellow squares to form the answer to this question.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Your answer: 8
1997 Wes Craven horror film (6) _ Crook, Detectorists star (9) World’s highest mountain (7) Unlikely story (4,4) Attempt, endeavour (6) Meal bought to be eaten elsewhere (8) 7 Shouted (6) 8 Dick _, Wacky Races villain (9) 9 ‘Alas, poor _! I knew him, Horatio’, Hamlet quote (6) 10 Green-fleshed fruit with brown hairy skin (4,5) 11 Large-beaked South American bird (6) 12 Biblical ark builder (4) 13 _ Chorus from Handel’s Messiah (10) 14 Capital of Vietnam (5) 15 Fictional, pretend (9) 16 Showing signs of tiredness or boredom (7)
THREE IN A ROW
AQU LDH GUI
GGL CTS SMU
EDU ALL ING
Your answer:
TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles
W4INx
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Puzzle 3
Genius Just
Your tips are the tops!
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Super seeds
If you’re growing a plant from a seed, ‘plant’ the seed inside a banana. They’re full of nutrients and, once it starts sprouting, you can then plant the seedling into soil. Charlotte Primrose, Lawford
Oat so simple
Bag it up
I reuse the outer packaging from packs of nappies and toilet rolls as small bin liners in my bathroom. Also, when delivery packages arrive in a plastic bag, I open them nicely with scissors and store them in a drawer. This way, I save money and help the environment, too! Maria Van Raalte, Framingham Earl
Longerlasting loaf
After making porridge, soak your pan or bowl in cold water for 10 mins before washing it out with hot water. This will prevent it sticking and make it easier to clean. It also works for other foods, such as custard or after making hot milk! Judi Samuels, Whitefield
Storage saviour
Instead of throwing away empty coffee jars, I wash them out and keep dry ingredients in them, such as rice. It makes it so much easier when writing a shopping list, as you can see at a glance when supplies are running low. Gloria Wilding, Prescot
For every photo tip that we print
To stop bread from going stale or mouldy too quickly, try putting a stick of celery into the bag. The bread absorbs the moisture from the celery, which stops it from drying out. Lisa Adams, Halesowen
Clever cleaning
I use a long-handled brush pan and floor wipes to clean the kitchen and bathroom floor. It works brilliantly for people like me with arthritis, who can’t bend very well! Margaret Soley, Macduff
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9
ONE KISS COULD KILL
Dinner date ushing away a salad scattered with peanuts, I anxiously looked up at the brusque dinner lady who
Now I’m writing and blogging to help others
allergic to their cat or dog. ‘Can you pick me up early?’ I’d whisper down the phone to Mum, and I’d make my excuses and leave. Every summer, I was plagued with hayfever. My skin was itchy and tight from eczema, and milk made my symptoms worse, so I cut dairy from my diet. I learnt to live with my ailments, and it became second nature to check all food ingredients. But it seemed others were less concerned. Aged 19, in 1992, I visited an Indian restaurant with my uni friends. ‘No nuts in mine, please,’ I specified when ordering a mild curry. Yet the waiter seemed indifferent as he plonked my plate down, covered in cashews. And when I reminded him of my order, he returned with the same plate – nuts scraped from the top. Against my better judgement, I popped a spoonful in my mouth. Moments later, I was huddled over the restaurant toilet, throwing it up again. At home, I passed out and woke up in a pool of my own sick. Next morning, my eyes and throat were swollen,
e er
Unconscious, rushed off by ambulance
My night out went horribly wrong...
and I was struggling to breathe. My doctor explained that it was anaphylactic shock. ‘You’re lucky to be alive,’ he warned, issuing two adrenaline-filled EpiPens to inject myself in the thigh if it happened again. With my reactions getting more severe, I became extra vigilant. My boyfriend, then 27, tried to be supportive, vowed to swerve the foods that set me off. But after planting a big sloppy kiss on his lips one day, my face began to tingle. ‘Have you been eating nuts?’ I cried. My lips doubled in size, my face began to itch. ‘I’m sorry!’ he said, horrified. ‘I sneaked a bag of nuts earlier!’ Luckily, the reaction subsided quickly, and I didn’t need medical attention, so we both saw the funny side. ‘Never again,’ he said, promising to be more careful. It was scary knowing my allergies were becoming more severe, and even a cheeky snog could land me in hospital. It was getting worse for sure. Aged 25, tests confirmed
I was consciousness allergic and was taken to all by ambulance dairy to Watford ...all because of products. General Hospital. a cheesy starter Throughout Rushed to Intensive my 20s and 30s, I was Care, I was hooked up to hospitalised 10 times. monitors and pumped with I was super-careful – by oxygen and adrenaline until November 2018, I hardly my condition stabilised. ever ate out, just in case. After four hours, So, as my work Christmas I regained consciousness. party neared, I pre-warned Mum visited and I cried the pub we’d booked that as I realised how close I’d I was severely allergic to come to dying, all because of nuts and dairy. a mouthful of cream cheese. On the night, I double‘It’s not fair,’ I sobbed. checked with the waitress. Having to watch When she set down a everything I ate took all the smoked-salmon starter, enjoyment out of food. I felt dubious. I’d done all I could to ensure It looked like the kitchen was aware of my a cream-cheese allergies, yet their mistake filling, but almost killed me. I was assured it I was released from was a dairy-free hospital within 24 hours. alternative, so But although I’d physically took a mouthful. recovered, I struggled to But, as soon come to terms with what as it passed my had happened. lips, I felt sick. I resented my body, felt ‘Call an ambulance!’ I said anxious. Stress made my to my colleague. eczema worse than ever, and A red rash immediately my limbs were constantly broke out on my arms. bleeding and bandaged. My throat began to swell In April 2019, I left my job and my body shook violently in marketing, and started as anaphylaxis set in. The a blog about living with pub staff looked terrified. severe food allergies. An ambulance came in I found writing therapeutic, minutes, gave me adrenaline, and counselling helped me but it wasn’t enough. I lost feel grateful for being
WORDS: FRANCESCA WOODSTOCK, SALLY BECK
My throat began to swell, my body shook violently
healthy in other ways. I started exercising – running and yoga helped to ease my anxiety. I reported the pub to Trading Standards, and in December 2019, after pleading guilty to offences under the Food Safety Act, they were fined £23,000. Turned out there’d been a communication breakdown between front-of-house and the kitchen. I never received an apology, and it angers me they could be so flippant. I’m single now, and dating is difficult. It’s hard to put my trust in restaurants after what happened, and I have to forewarn my dates that one kiss could kill. I want people to understand food allergies are not a fad – they’re serious and life-threatening. Every time I eat in a restaurant, I put my life in someone else’s hands.
MORE ALLERGY INFO l The Reluctant Allergy Expert : how to kill the fear that anaphylaxis could kill you by Ruth Holroyd (£10.50, Curlew Books) is available at amazon.co.uk l See Ruth’s blog: whatallergy.com
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12
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Dress, £39.99, sizes 8-22, M&Co; shoes, stylist’s own
£1,001 cash!
W
hat does British journalist and presenter Emma Barnett say is her most unappealing habit? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the three-word prize answer.
WIN1
£1,00 Puzzle 4
THE BIGGIE
DOWN 1 Underground room (6) 2 Cocktail containing tomato juice (6,4) 3 Excites (7) 4 Ugly stone carvings (9) 5 International language (9) 6 Catherine _-Jones, actor (4) 7 Stick or hold fast (6) 8 Memory loss (7) 9 Simple egg dish (8) 10 Imitated (6) 19 French cheese (4) 21 Behind schedule (4) 23 Least heavy (8) 25 Female sibling (6) 26 Containers for letters (9) 27 Unknown people (9) 30 Wear down (5) 31 The _ table, list of elements (8) 33 Chocolate ingredient (5) 35 Jail (6) 38/51 Star of Groundhog Day (4,6)
41 Premier League football club (5,5) 42 Hire car (4) 43 Classic film released in 1947, It’s a _ Life (9) 44 Type of animal common in Australia (9) 46 Actor, _ Pfeiffer (8) 49 Freedom (7) 50 US state (7) 51 See 38 Down 52 Rule over (6) 54 Birds of prey (6) 57 Mix of red and white (4)
PHOTO: GETTY
ACROSS 11 Wellbeing (6) 12 Dutch capital (9) 13 State of mind (4) 14 Permitting (8) 15 Delete (5) 16 Cream-filled pastry (6) 17 Kings and queens (7) 18 Made shorter (11) 20 Be smug (5) 22 Definitely (9) 24 Baking ingredient (5) 28 Remaining (7) 29 Brings together (7) 32 Plot (6) 34 Kitchen cloth (3,5) 36 Green vegetable (8) 37 Let out a breath (6) 39 Plant found at the beach (7) 40 Pesticide-free (7) 45 Adversary (5) 47 Eight-sided (9) 48 Fashion sense (5) 51 Novel and film, To Kill a _ (11) 53 Absence of noise (7) 55 Light wind (6) 56 Venomous snake (5) 58 Breakfast food (8) 59 Corridor (4) 60 Large spider (9) 61 Less interesting (6)
Your answer:
TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles
15
STABBED AND DISCARDED
Running into Mollie Tibbetts put up a fight against her killer – but who was her attacker?
M
ollie Tibbetts, 20, laced up her trainers for her evening run, as usual. The bubbly University of Iowa student ran almost every day around the streets of Brooklyn, Iowa. Even when staying at her boyfriend Dalton Jack’s home on the edge of the city. She and Dalton had met at a school football match in 2015, and adored each other. And on 18 July 2018, he’d asked her to dog-sit while he was away for his construction job. Around 7pm, after strapping on her Fitbit smartwatch, Mollie sent Dalton a selfie via Snapchat, and then headed out in her running gear. But Dalton never heard from Mollie again. The next morning, Dalton’s messages to his girlfriend went unanswered. And when Mollie’s coworker got in touch to say that Mollie hadn’t turned up for work at a children’s summer-holiday club, Dalton was even more worried. Everyone knew Mollie as sensible, sweet and reliable. Her disappearance was completely out of character. She was reported missing and a huge search launched.
Days turn to weeks
Rivera on trial: Said he’d blacked out
16
Family members set up a Facebook page to share info and news, but as days turned into weeks, Mollie was nowhere to be found. Missing posters filled shop windows, donations for a reward fund reached $400,000 (around £290k). For 34 days, volunteers
searched fields, dirt roads and drains. Investigators tapped into Mollie’s Fitbit and social media accounts to try to track her location. Neighbours had seen her leaving Dalton’s in her running shorts and a black sports bra, so the police scoured private security cameras. One showed Mollie running, followed by a distinctive black car. Appearing on CCTV several times, the car appeared to circle Mollie. The police traced the vehicle to a man called Cristhian Bahena Rivera, then aged 24. Rivera worked on a local farm, where he lived in a mobile home with his girlfriend and daughter. Under questioning, he admitted he’d seen Mollie running, thought she was ‘hot’. He confessed to then getting out his car and running to catch her up. Panicking, Mollie had threatened to call the police. She’d screamed and tried to slap Rivera. Rivera admitted he became angry, before ‘blacking out’. He said that the next thing he recalled was that he was back behind the wheel of his car... With Mollie’s headphones in his lap – and her body in his boot, bleeding from her head and neck. He admitted carrying her over his shoulder to a nearby cornfield and covering her with leaves. On 21 August 2018, Rivera led the police to Mollie’s body. ‘I brought you here, didn’t
trouble Bombshell testimony
Mollie’s family were devastated. Candlelit vigils were held in her memory. Teal-coloured ribbons – her favourite colour – were tied around the trees, lining the streets of Brooklyn. This May, Cristhian Bahena Rivera stood trial, charged with the firstdegree murder of Mollie. The prosecution’s case
suspicion on Mollie’s boyfriend Dalton, despite his seemingly cast-iron alibi. Dalton had been with a construction crew over 100 miles away. But Rivera’s lawyer Chad Frese claimed detectives ‘wrote him off’ as a suspect without properly investigating. And when Rivera took the stand, he gave a bombshell testimony – he said he didn’t kill Mollie. Instead, he blamed two unknown masked men armed with a gun and knife. He claimed the men had burst into his home and forced him into his car. They’d then driven around
YOU’RE
JUDGE! Student Mollie had vanished
return, the man put something heavy in the boot. ‘I just felt a movement in the car, and then the trunk closed,’ Rivera said. Threatening to harm his family if he told the police, the masked men then fled. Finding Mollie’s body, Rivera said he was ‘scared’. He’d carried her to the field, covered her so she wouldn’t be too exposed to the sun. Defence lawyer Chad Grim discovery in a cornfield
Horrific photos of Mollie’s body,
Frese said, ‘He’s not an angry man, he’s not violent. He’s a family man, he’s hard working. The concept that he killed a woman who he’d just met defies any logic.’
A victim, too?
But, in his closing arguments, prosecution lawyer Scott Brown said, ‘Five weeks her body lay in that cornfield, and do
‘There weren’t two other
So did Rivera kill an
Or was he a victim, as not guilty.
Worried boyfriend Dalton
Guilty or not? Turn to find out 17
WORDS: FRANCESCA WOODSTOCK. PHOTOS: ALAMY, SIPA USA/PA IMAGES, THE WASHINGTON POST VIA GETTY
I? So that means I did it, right? I don’t remember how I did it,’ he told officers. Forensics investigations found smears of Mollie’s blood in Rivera’s boot. Two days later, a post mortem showed that Mollie had been stabbed nine to 12 times in her chest, ribs, neck and skull. A wound on her right hand showed she’d put up a fight.
Cash!
Rivera awaits sentencing
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE A
B
C
D
A
B
C
D
1
WHAT’S
2
VERDICT?
3
risthian Bahena Rivera, 27, was unanimously found guilty of firstdegree murder. After the verdict, prosecution lawyer Scott Brown praised Mollie’s innocent boyfriend Dalton Jack for the way he handled himself on the stand, as the defence ‘raked him over the coals’ during the murder trial. Then, in a bizarre turn, before Rivera could be sentenced, his defence team claimed new evidence had emerged that Mollie’s death could in fact be connected to a sex-trafficking ring. Defence lawyer Chad Frese said two new witnesses had come forward, both claiming another man, a current prison inmate, had confessed to the murder. The
18
new evidence, the defence said, corroborated Rivera’s ‘masked men’ version of events. Yet, after a hearing, Judge Joel Yates threw out the defence’s request to set aside the guilty verdict and hold a fresh trial. Judge Yates found the alleged newlyconfessed killer had actually been in a State-supervised rehab facility in summer 2018, when Mollie was murdered. His ‘confession’ apparently also contained completely incorrect details that Mollie had been cut up and wrapped in plastic. Rivera will likely be jailed for life, with no chance of parole, when he is sentenced later this year.
4
1
2
3
4
WIN0 £3
5xPuzzle 5
Look closely at these two pics – there’s a difference in five squares. The five grid references (eg, 1A, 2B, 2C, 3C, 4D) are your prize answer.
Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details
PHOTO: GETTY
PHOTO: UPI/PA IMAGES
C
GUILTY
WEB WEDDING
Bride &Zoom
Even the paperwork was done remotely
Not even a global pandemic was getting in the
Alone but elated on my big day
Meanwhile, 6,000 miles away ...the groom!
Verné Bingham, 39, Lowestoft
WORDS: ASHLEIGH PAGE
S
crolling through Facebook, I saw a message from my old mate Chilton, and grinned. Hey, it’s been a long time! I’d first met Chilton, then 41, through friends in 2002, when I was 20 and living in Durban, South Africa. He’d always been friendly, funny – but we’d lost touch when I moved to the UK. Now, in December 2019, as I replied to his message, he was still easy to talk to. The more we spoke, the more I liked him, and not just as a mate. ‘Is it sensible?’ I asked friends. ‘We’re so far apart!’ ‘Go for it,’ they urged. So, two months later, in February 2020, I flew to South Africa to visit. On our first date, Chilton picked me up for dinner. Only, the restaurant had closed down. ‘Let’s go for a drive instead,’ Chilton laughed. Making jokes and telling stories, it was the most fun, romantic date I’d ever had. Only, as we were falling in love, the whole world was falling apart. Flights were being cancelled, borders closed. Luckily, my flight home
landed the day before the COVID-19 lockdown. ‘We’ll find a way to see each other,’ Chilton promised. But, as lockdown restrictions eased, tightened again, then varied across the globe, our hopes of a romantic reunion were constantly dashed. ‘We won’t give up,’ I vowed tearfully to Chilton. Frustrated, to help us stay strong, we started planning our future. We dreamt about Chilton coming to join me in the UK. And, suddenly, in December 2020, we were talking weddings. ‘Why not? We want to spend our lives together,’ Chilton shrugged. He was right. And the pandemic had to be over soon, right? So we started arranging our dream wedding in Ireland – where my family lived – for June 2021. Yet
10 days,’ the clerk COVID-19 had other plans. announced that day. Travel between South Excited, we sent virtual Africa and the UK remained invites to loved ones in 17 totally banned. different countries and, on That’s when I stumbled 18 June 2021, I put on my across an article about gorgeous white dress and a man in Britain who’d dialled in to our ceremony. married his fiancée in Mexico. Chilton, 43, appeared Online! on-screen in Durban with Is that his family, looking dashing. really possible? It didn’t matter, in the Researching, moment, that I was home I was stunned by alone in Lowestoft and the the extortionate registrar was in Utah, I was rates companies overcome with emotion. were charging for Exchanging vows, with our online weddings. loved ones watching, I was Eventually, the happiest woman alive. though, I discovered the Minutes later, a digital Zoom ceremonies were all copy of our wedding being carried out by certificate was in my inbox! Utah County Court, USA. We’re planning a big vow By booking direct, the renewal in Ireland next year. ceremony was only £25. It’s been 18 months since It’d be legal – we’d just we’ve been together, but we need a virtual marriage feel closer than ever. license appointment to I just can’t wait for the show proof of ID. day Chilton can finally ‘You’re getting married in kiss the bride!
As we were falling in love, the world was falling apart
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Health The advice you need
Slave to my skin People stared for all the wrong reasons Rosie Court, 25, Northumberland
F
astening up the top button of my shirt, I leant closer to the mirror to inspect my neck. ‘That should do,’ I nodded, satisfied there were no red patches. Early 2017 and, age 21, I was off on a rare night out with some uni pals. But with an aggravated case of eczema covering my neck, I was desperately trying to cover it up. I’d suffered with the skin condition since I was little. The red blotches covered the backs of my knees and elbows. Benign, it never bothered me at school. But in 2014, I went to Manchester University to study Economics. The work was stressful and student boozing and poor diet took their toll. The red patches grew in size, began to flake. I hoped it’d fade. Then they appeared on my thighs, chest and neck. The patches became
WORDS: FIONA KINLOCH
PATIENT
sore, itchy. At night, I’d wear socks on my hands to stop me scratching. It was near-impossible and the scabs were unsightly, hindering my confidence. ‘It looks like you have herpes,’ a fellow student said. Mortified, I began wearing long-sleeved tops, trousers, high necks. Stopped going out. Topical steroid creams temporarily reduced the redness. But after a few weeks, the patches would return with a vengeance. And I was terrified that their frequent use would lead me to develop topicalsteroid withdrawal. Then, while writing my dissertation in 2018, I was more stressed than ever. My eczema even worse. It spread to my face, over my chin and cheeks. The blotches itched like mad and oozed. I couldn’t even go to the
The unsightly scabs hindered my confidence
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True-life
I feel so much happier and healthier now…
shops without thinking that people were staring at me. By early 2020, I couldn’t take it any more. ‘There’s not much you can do,’ my GP said, saying the condition was genetic. I was devastated. I can’t live like this forever, I thought. So I began a diet-cleanse, cut out sugary snacks, fast food and alcohol in exchange for soups and broths. Began practising mindfulness, exercising. Then, in September 2020, my mum told me about Pellamex, a supplement she’d read about for eczemaprone skin. Worth a shot, I thought, ordering some online. I incorporated it into my new routine, drinking a sachet every morning. After just two weeks, the patches that’d plagued my body began to fade. Amazing! After three months, my skin was better than it had been in years. With new-found
CASEBOOK
…but for years, I hated going out
confidence, I headed out for nights on the town. Finally, I could show off my legs in a mini dress. I’m still exercising and eating well, and my skin remains manageable. I’ve discovered the key to a healthy life is taking care of yourself – inside and out.
More info? Pellamex is an ingestible supplement for dry, sensitive and eczema-prone skin, developed by leading skin biologists. It’s available to order from pellamex.com. Please consult your doctor before taking anything new.
FOCUS ON… Back pain
Keep moving
Walking for at least 20 minutes, twice a week, could help ease lower back pain as much as specialised clinic treatment, an Israeli study found. Yoga is another backfriendly activity. Studies have found weekly classes can ease pain significantly (but do tell your teacher about your problem in case some postures aren’t suitable).
Try these fast fixes to help chase the aches away for good
Give yoga a go!
Get the needle
Acupuncture can ease back pain more than conventional treatment, US research suggests. The traditional Chinese therapy, in which fine needles are inserted into specific points, is approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for chronic lower back pain. Acupressure – massage rather than needles – can also help. For a stiff neck, acupuncturist Roger Dalet recommends massaging the dips at the back of your head below your skull.
Work that core
PHOTOS (POSED BY MODELS): ALAMY, GETTY
It may be your back that’s sore, but it’s the core muscles in your abdomen, thighs and buttocks you need to work on. ‘They support your back,’ says Janet Wakley, author of The Smart Guide To Back Care (£14.99, Hammersmith Health). ‘The muscles of the back itself just keep you
Go hot or cold Point taken
upright.’ Unfortunately, sitting Have a massage down a lot means many Muscle strain and tension of us have weak core are major causes muscles, leading of upper and to lower middle back back pain. pain. Research Abdominal from the US crunches, Group Health planks, squats Research and lunges are Institute found great corethat massage strengthening therapy was great exercises, as is for beating pain Beat stress with a massage and tackling stress, so it’s a win-win!
Compresses – either hot or cold – ease back pain, particularly sciatica, caused by irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve running from the back of your pelvis, down your buttocks and both legs to your feet. Cold treatments numb the area, heat relaxes it. Gently press a hot-water bottle (make sure it’s not too hot), against the sore spot or wrap a bag of frozen peas in a towel and hold it against the area.
Pick the perfect pillow
The Lancet showed
WE P
CASH
Your Health, Chat, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP or phone 020 3148 6150. You can send your story or email the Doc at chathealth@futurenet.com. Always consult your pharmacist or GP before using any over-the-counter or prescription remedies, and read the packet carefully.
Aaah, that feels better!
Turn over for more health
ASK
Dr Martin
Dr Martin Edwards is a family GP whose advice you can trust
Is a vegan diet bad for kids?
Q
Q
A
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I’m still wary of hugging people since lockdown... Are hugs risky or am I just being silly? Shirleen, Glasgow It’s a tricky one! Many people missed their hugs during lockdown and there is evidence that hugging makes us feel more connected, improves mood and could even provide a boost to the immune system. But there’s also the risk of infection and many of us have changed our hugging and kissing behaviour, some possibly for good. But like other aspects of coping with COVID-19, it’s about common sense and assessing risk. Think twice before hugging anyone who is unwell or vulnerable to COVID-19. Minimise risk by restricting hugs to family and friends, and, if possible, hug outdoors. Look away from each other and don’t speak during the hug, don’t kiss or touch the other person’s face, and step apart immediately after. But if you don’t feel safe, don’t hug!
My friend says our family’s vegan diet can stunt my children’s growth. Surely that’s not true? Karissa, Mytholmroyd There’s no reason why your children can’t thrive on a vegan diet, but it might take a bit of care. A poor diet can affect growth, and a recent study found vegan children were an average of 3cm shorter than others. But you can take steps to avoid this. Breastfeed babies for as long as possible and make sure your children receive the vitamin A, C and D drops that
the Government recommends for every child up to age 5. Fortified food, such as breakfast cereal, and beans, dried fruit and leafy veg will help provide iron.
Cereals or vitamin supplements will replace vitamin B12, which usually comes from meat and dairy. A dietician can help, or visit vegansociety.com.
I wake up with a blocked nose
Q A
Every morning, I wake up long-standing, or chronic, catarrh. with catarrh and a blocked Symptoms are often worse first nose. What’s wrong? thing in the morning because Hortense, south London phlegm has built up overnight, though long-standing symptoms Catarrh means a build-up that mainly occur in the morning of phlegm in your nose and can also point to an allergy, often throat, leading to a blocked due to dust, pets or mould spores. and runny nose, tickly cough and Drink plenty, don’t smoke, sometimes popping in your ears avoid smoky places and keep or loss of taste and smell. your bedroom well humidified. When it’s due to a cold or If an allergy is to blame, your hay fever, it’s generally short-lived, doctor or chemist might suggest but some people can suffer a steroid nose spray.
Has cat given me ringworm?
Q
My cat’s had ringworm and now I have an itchy patch. Could I have caught it from my feline friend? Lisa, Luton
looked like a worm. In fact, it’s a fungus infection that generally comes from direct contact with an infected person or an animal. You’re more at risk of catching it if your skin is grazed or Entirely possible! Ringworm scratched, or inflamed due to is a skin infection and, another skin condition such as despite the name, has eczema. Animals with ringworm nothing to do with worms. develop round patches of sore, Usually there’s a scaly, red, itchy crusty skin with no hair, and need ring on your skin and the name a vet’s treatment. Your doctor stuck simply because people will recommend antifungal cream originally thought that the ring to treat your own itchy patch.
A 22
Want Dr Martin Edwards’ advice? Write to chat_magazine@futurenet.com. Sorry, he can’t reply personally
PHOTOS (POSED BY MODELS): GETTY
THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED TO SUBSTITUTE PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED ON AS HEALTH OR PERSONAL ADVICE. NEVER DISREGARD PROFESSIONAL ADVICE OR DELAY SEEKING IT. ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR PHARMACIST OR GP FOR GUIDANCE. IN AN EMERGENCY, CALL 999 AND SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP IMMEDIATELY
I hate to be given hugs!
£375 cash! C
OVER TO YOU
an you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p3. There’s £20 for every one we use! This week’s puzzle was compiled by Elaine Cherry, Reading
W5INx
£25 Puzzle 6
1
2
3
4
2
3
DOWN 1 Dracula actor, _ Lugosi 2 Graphic symbol 3 To such a degree 4 A long, long time
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Your answer:
IN THE GRID
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CHAIN WORDS
SKINNY ONE
ACROSS 1 Use your teeth 2 Reflected sound 3 Something borrowed 4 Termites
hich former player holds the record for most headed goals scored in the Premier League? Hidden in this grid, reading forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally, are ten items beginning with P, one for each of the subjects given below. Find them all and the remaining letters will spell out the two-word prize answer.
G
WIN
aynor Hopkins is the real name of which Puzzle 9 singer? To find out, solve the puzzle… Add a letter anywhere in each of the boxed-off words to fit the clue, eg, Dissident = REEL + B = REBEL. Write the added letter in the space provided. Read down the added letters to spell out the prize answer.
£50
Dissident Yachts, e.g. Mobs Regal headwear Symbols Was concerned Dangerous action Shows tiredness Thrash about Gloop
L
lanberis, in North Wales, has a museum dedicated to what material? Get from Start to Finish, making words by joining two boxes together as you go, eg: PL + ANK, ANK +… you decide! When you reach Finish, two unused boxes join together to give you Puzzle 7 the prize answer.
WIN0 £10
PHOTOS: GETTY
Damages
Artist Black and white bear Committee Northern lapwing Fraudulent Puncture Young pig Your answer:
Your answer:
Small area of water Chase after Excessively persuasive
WIN0 £10
Puzzle 8
Your answer:
TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles
23
IN HER MEMORY
Her hidden p I couldn’t save my sister, so now I’m there for others Kathryn Sault, Norfolk
WORDS: ASHLEIGH PAGE
L
ooking on, I watched my older sister Alison, then 35, cradling my newborn son. ‘You’ll be an amazing auntie!’ I said. Funny, full of life and incredibly smart, Alison was my best friend. Only three years apart, we were adopted as kids into a loving family. We had the most idyllic childhood, running wild through the Essex countryside and, as teenagers, visiting our auntie in London. At school, Alison was a history whizz, and a very talented squash player – but she had a cheeky side. She’d have the family in stitches around the dinner table with impressions, mimicking her Maths and History teachers and celebs. As we grew older, Alison became more strong-willed, fiercely independent. I’d avoid chatting about politics, knowing we’d end up arguing. We’d soon make up with each other, though. ‘I can’t stay mad at you
Me and Alison with our beloved auntie
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for long,’ she’d laugh. At 16, Alison got a job at NatWest Bank in London, and then married at 21. Sadly, her marriage didn’t last, but we were closer than ever before. When I married in 1997 and had my two boys Daniel and Andrew, in 1998 and 2000, Alison was by my side. Not having her own kids, she threw herself into her new auntie duties. She loved spending time with both the boys, and they adored her. Squash was her passion and, in 2002, her job as an events coordinator for England Squash relocated from London to Manchester. ‘We’ll miss you,’ I told Alison, then 39. We saw each other monthly. Meanwhile, as I lived closer, I cared for our ageing parents. Alison was distraught when our mum died in 2003 and she’d not made it home in time to
say goodbye. The same happened in 2006 when we lost Dad. I had some grief counselling from Cruse Bereavement Care. ‘It’s really helped,’ I told Alison, but she wasn’t interested in going. She had some health issues over the next years, and when she visited for Christmas in 2014, her weight had plummeted. ‘Are you all right?’ I asked. She brushed it off as stress from work. ‘Don’t lose any more,’ I chastised, piling her plate extra high. After that, Alison made excuses not to visit. ‘Work’s busy,’ she’d say. I had a nagging feeling. Every time we spoke, she’d tell
I was sure there was something she wasn’t tellng me
She was a sporty teenager
me something else was wrong with her. She’d been in hospital several times, had her gall bladder removed, had fibroids and had undergone a hysterectomy. She always recovered, but in September 2015, Alison collapsed with a brain bleed. When I visited her in hospital, my stomach dropped. My once-fit sister was hobbling around using a walking frame. And the health issues kept coming. In 2016, she was admitted to a physical rehab hospital for three months due to nerve damage in her leg. In April, I visited on her birthday with a cake and took her out for tapas. ‘It’s been the most amazing day,’ Alison said tearfully. But it wasn’t until weeks later that Alison confessed she’d been assigned a community psychiatric nurse. ‘Let me come to a meeting,’ I begged, hoping to get some grasp of what
We had a wonderful time on her birthday, in April 2016
Me and my smart big sister Alison (right)
But Alison refused, telling me things had just got on top of her. Still, sure that there was something Alison wasn’t telling me, I posted notes through the doors of her neighbours in Derbyshire with my number on. I received two texts straight away. I’m worried, too. They’d noticed Alison wasn’t herself, and had been in and out of
could really tell me what was going on. Six weeks later, in August 2016, sitting at my desk, I suddenly felt really upset. Then my phone rang. ‘There’s a delivery driver outside and a light on, but no answer at Alison’s,’ her neighbour said. I hung up, waiting to hear more. And, half an hour later, a paramedic called. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she said. ‘There’s nothing I, or anyone else, can do.’ Alison had taken her own life. Heartbroken, I fell to the floor. I’d only spoken to her the night before. The next day, we drove up to
Derbyshire in shock. Walking into hospital to identify Alison’s body, I couldn’t comprehend she was gone. Days passed in a blur. I spent hours visiting her in the funeral home, struggling to say goodbye. Following an inquest, the coroner recorded Alison’s death as misadventure. I discovered that many of those hospital admissions had been after attempts to end her life. Alison lied to hide the truth, even told friends and colleagues she had cancer and needed chemotherapy to explain work absences. In fact, she’d been diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), anxiety and depression. ‘She must’ve felt so desperate,’ I wept to Daniel, then 18. I wished she’d told me
how much she was suffering. I wished she’d have let me help. After the funeral, I went back to work, but my boss walked me to the local Samaritans, where I spent 90 minutes chatting to a volunteer about Alison. Three years on, I became a listening volunteer myself. It’s been amazing, and helped me understand my sister better. If she’d contacted the Samaritans, it could’ve been the difference between life and death. I’ll always miss my funny, lovely sister. But, by helping others, I hope I’m saving lives in her memory. l World Suicide Prevention Day, which this year is on 10 September, is observed in over 40 countries. It was launched in 2003 to focus attention on the problems of suicide worldwide.
BECOME A SAMARITAN
With our mum on a Dorset holiday
Samaritans is a 24-hour service. Each day, Samaritans answer around 10,000 calls for help. Samaritans listening volunteers are non-judgmental, empathetic people who help save lives and comfort those struggling. To become a volunteer, fill out an online enquiry form which will assess if you’re suitable before an interview is arranged. If accepted, you’ll receive full ongoing training. Anyone can contact Samaritans free at any time, from any phone – even a mobile without credit – on 116 123. This number won’t show up on your phone bill. Or visit samaritans.org.
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£1,110 cash! W, IN00
ARROW WORD
£1 0
Puzzle 10
T
he Hamilton Honey Badgers, London Lightning and Windsor Express are all basketball teams based in which province of Canada? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer.
Your answer:
SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle and the numbers in the highlighted squares will give you the prize puzzle answer.
WIN
£60
PHOTO: GETTY
Puzzle 11
Your answer: 26
WORDSEARCH
WIN
£50 Puzzle 12
W
hich of these Mr Men characters is known as Don Pupas in Spanish? The answer is the one missing from the grid.
BUMP DIZZY GREEDY HAPPY JELLY
LAZY MESSY MUDDLE NOSEY SILLY
Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles
SMALL SNEEZE TALL TICKLE UPPITY
CRIME MAP GREED AND MURDER
I
n March 2008, Jolanta Bledaite, 35, was bound, gagged and suffocated in her Angus home by her flatmate Aleksandras Skirda, then 19, and his accomplice Vitas Plytnykas, 40, a former Russian Army soldier. They then chopped up her body and dumped it in the sea. Body parts in plastic bags were found washed up on Arbroath beach on two occasions, first by two sisters and then by police. Skirda admitted murder, giving evidence against his accomplice, who was subsequently convicted. The pair believed Jolanta had £10,000 in savings and believed that no one would know she was missing. Both were sentenced to life, with Skirda serving at least 20 years and Plytnykas a minimum of 28.
Basterfield was freed
SERIAL SEX PEST
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WORDS: LIANNE LA BORDE. PHOTOS: ALAMY, PA IMAGES
erth pervert Robert Basterfield was handed a Sexual Offences Prevention Order twice, in 2007 and 2019, after stalking women and showing them indecent images of his genitals. It banned him sending indecent communication, and being alone with a female. But Basterfield 2020 when, while serving time for another crime, he showed drawings of male genitalia to two women working in the prison. Although handed a 13-month sentence and deemed a danger to women, Basterfield, 49, walked free, having already served the required sentence.
Flatmate Skirda
TAYSIDE
The killers caught on CCTV
SECOND ATTACK
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DRINK-DRIVING DOCTOR
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hen been caught drunk retired GP behind a wheel. Elizabeth In April 2000, Crabbie, 68, was her call to get into caught drinkthe driver’s seat driving – over three times over twice the legal limit Repeat-offender the limit cost author Crabbie – in Comrie in July Graeme Cook his of nine years. But it wasn’t the first time Crabbie had
banned for 10, it seems she didn’t learn her lesson.
obbie McIntosh was just 15 when he stabbed Anne Nicoll, 34, as she walked her dog on Dundee Law. Convicted of the August 2001 murder, he was jailed for life with a 15-year minimum term. But during home-leave in August 2017, almost 16 years to the day that Anne was killed, McIntosh, then 31, struck again. Linda McDonald, 52, was walking her dog through Templeton Woods, Dundee,
TAYSIDE’S CLAIMS TO FAME Dundee cake Fit for was first made a queen? for Mary Queen of Scots. She allegedly didn’t like cherries, traditional in fruit cakes, so bakers made a cake using almonds. However, many recipes do include cherries!
A drawing of Jolanta
McIntosh: murderer at 15
her with a dumbbell. Her screams alerted passers-by, saving her life. McIntosh pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was told to serve a minimum of five years before he can be considered for parole, plus was also given a lifelong restriction order.
Striking building
an
Local lad done good
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FIGHTING FIT
Making history! After an incredible 16th Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo, we’re celebrating past Paralympian heroes and record-breakers
E
A
From strength to strength
ged 2, Nigeria’s Yakubu Adesokan, contracted polio, leaving him
to a spinal-cord abnormality when an op, aged 8, left her
condition and poverty, he spent his youth repairing shoes. As an adult, a powerlifting coach recommended he try the sport... In London 2012, he smashed the Guinness Word Record for Heaviest eaded World Number One.
entered. The Dutch star won seven Paralympic golds – four singles and three doubles – before retiring in 2013, aged 32, making her the Guinness World Record holder for Most Paralympic Wheelchair Titles Won.
The Q accompaueen, n The Dukeied by of Edinburg h , o opened t fficially 2012 Pahr e London aly Games.mpic
Curl power onja Gaudet was the first wheelchair athlete inducted
Changing attitudes
n 2016, 2,657 men and 1,671 women took part in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. They competed in 528 events across 22 sports. That year, 83 countries
S
outh African swimmer Natalie du Toit was 10 when she set her sights on the Olympics. At 14, she was competing internationally. But three years later, aged 17, she was hit by a car while riding her scooter. Her left leg was amputated below the knee –
The UK has 00 ,0 won nearly 2pic Paralym the medals ovearrs. last 60 ye
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alsall-born Ellie Simmonds won her first Paralympic medal at just 13 years old. Born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, she took up
Making a splash 8 was competing against able-bodied children. At London 2012, Ellie captured the hearts of the nation, winning two golds and
Flying the flag
breaking two world records. Before Tokyo, she already held multiple records, including the Guinness World Record for the Fastest 800m Freestyle by a Woman in the S6 category.
Guinness World Records 2022 (£20, Guinness World Records Limited) is out on 16 September.
PUPPY POWER
LITTLE ONE T
he males and females of which animal of the Lagomorpha order are known as jacks and jills? Solve the crossword, then read down the shaded squares to spell out the prize answer.
Leader o the pack son from a world of silence Joanne Smith, 45, Gilford, Co Down
ACROSS 1 Lend a hand (4) 5 European country (5) 7 Melody (4) DOWN 2 Age, epoch (3) 3 Wages (3) 4 Mud (4) 6 Bruce _, actor and martial artist (3)
WIN
£50 Puzzle 13
Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes. com/puzzles
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W
atching my Great Dane Scarlet scamper into the room, my baby boy Josh’s eyes lit up. Scarlet, then 6 months, gently curled up around him on the floor. Awww, she’s making him feel safe, I thought, my heart swelling. I’d known early on that Josh was different. I was already mum to Natalie, then 1, when I brought him and his twin sister Claudia home from hospital. But as Claudia hit her milestones, flashing me a gummy grin or learning to roll, Josh lagged behind. ‘I’m worried,’ I told my health visitor. She insisted he’d catch up. But as he got older, the differences grew. By 10 months, Claudia started walking, but Josh lay motionless. He wouldn’t eat anything except white food, like yogurt or rice. Staring into space, he never engaged with
anyone…until he laid eyes on Scarlet. We’d had her since before Josh was born, along with our other dog, a springer spaniel named Heidi. At the pitter-patter of Scarlet’s paws, Josh’s eyes gained focus. He’d track her around the room. Then, she’d cuddle up close beside him. It was as if Scarlet was protecting Josh. When he finally walked at 2 years and 5 months, he followed Scarlet wherever she went. But, although his sisters chatted away, Josh remained non-verbal. And he hated any sort of change – like when I bought him a new dinosaur duvet cover. And he insisted on sitting in the same chair at the table. A friend mentioned autism, and after reading about the condition, I realised that it fitted. In 2004, I saw our GP. Josh, then 3,
Josh always found comfort with Scarlet
was referred to a specialist, who diagnosed him as autistic. It was scary. I had no idea what it meant for his future, or how I’d look after a child with special needs. But no matter what troubles we faced, Josh always found comfort with Scarlet. ‘Dog,’ he said, aged 4. His first word. ‘That’s right!’ I grinned, hugging him close. I was so
Walkies with the gang!
still looked after our family dogs – Doberman Charlie, spaniel Leo, and Great Dane Gibson. In August 2020, we added two more Great Danes to the pack, Monroe and Hepburn. With his undivided attention, the dogs devoted themselves to Josh. He was the boss. With a click of Josh’s fingers, they’d run to his feet and sit there in synchronisation. It was as if they read his mind. ‘Paw,’ he’d command, offering each a treat. Now, Josh cares for all seven and chooses a different dog to groom, each day of the week. He walks 12 miles
k Josh, aged 8, with our Jet
His second German Shepherd Maggie
He looks after school. He spoke very little, but loved to draw pooches. We’ve both got our hands full!
didn’t care. He’d chat to other doggies at the park and, after he fell in love with a German shepherd he saw on his daily walk, I promised he could have his own when he turned 18. In 2017, we moved to a bigger property, with a large garden, and we built Josh his own flat above the garage. While Natalie, then 17, and Claudia, 16 – who adored their brother – would grow up and then leave home, I had come to terms with the fact Josh would always need
This way, he got independence, and I had peace of mind. Josh moved into the flat shortly after his 18th birthday. And in December 2019, we brought home his first German shepherd, Brody, quickly followed by his second, Maggie. Josh treated them both like royalty. He groomed and walked them every day. Even gave each of them their own red, leather sofa! Although Josh had his own pooches to pamper, he
diagnosed with autism, I worried about his future. But with the love of dogs, he’s built a life for himself. I’m so proud. They say that a dog is a man’s best friend, and my son is in seventh heaven.
‘IT’S A PLEASURE’
Josh, 20, says, ‘My dogs mean a lot to me. They give me something to look forward to every day, to be with them and to look after them. It’s a pleasure seeing them so happy. I love them.’
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WORDS: FRANCESCA WOODSTOCK, JADE BEECROFT
With a lick, she curled up beside him. When Scarlet passed away from old age in 2007, Josh was devastated. He struggled to come to terms with the change, but our other dogs Heidi and Jet never left his side and helped him to adapt. It was clear that dogs were our Josh’s best friends. With the help of a teaching assistant, Josh was able to navigate
£200 cash! FILL ME IN
N I W £100 Puzzle 14
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resenter Richard Osman, actor Margot Robbie and Hugh Grant all support which football club? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer.
Your answer:
CIRCLE TIME W
PHOTO: GETTY
hich is the largest German state by area? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles to find the prize answer.
Your answer: 32
3 letters ARC BAR BIB BOA BUT LIE TOP TUB TUG
4 letters JIVE SCAR STAR TUTU VAST VERB 5 letters BEGIN
CONGA EXTRA RAISE 6 letters EXCITE OBJECT OUTLET PHOBIA
7 letters ALGEBRA GRIMACE
IN W £100 Puzzle 15
TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles
ASK
Aunty Nelly Our Antonella
tells it how it is
I feel like a bad daughter
Q
I’ve had to give up work to care for my mother, who has cancer. I used to work full-time and lived alone. My social life was buzzing, but everything stopped when I moved back in with Mum. I help her with stuff like her wheelchair, do her errands and make sure she has everything. I sometimes wonder, why me? but I know why – I’m an only child. I try not to get upset, but sometimes I can’t help it, which in turn upsets Mum. I no longer see my friends and I’m so lonely. I feel like the worst daughter ever. Please can you help me? Mandi, 26
Who’s the dad?
Q
My boyfriend and I have been together for six years and have a great relationship. Problem is, I’m pregnant and it might not be his. I foolishly had a one-night stand after we had a row. But now, I don’t know who the dad is. My partner has red hair, so that might be a way to tell, but I don’t know if I can wait nine months. Aimee, 29
Q A
Firstly, do not feel guilty! You wouldn’t feel like this if you didn’t care. Of course you miss your old life, pet – who wouldn’t? Caring for your mum is the right thing to do, but none of us can pour from an empty cup. Contact agencies for help with
respite care. Talk to friends, find support groups. It’ll help to get in touch with others going through the same thing as you. And try to find something you and your mum both enjoy to do together, so life isn’t all a slog. You both deserve that.
A
A
Heavens above! You say you have a great relationship – if that’s the case, I’d hate to see a bad one! First – and most important – is the future of your baby. Do you feel ready to be a parent, regardless of who the dad is? Maybe have a DNA test during pregnancy? Whatever the result, you must come clean to your partner. You might lose him, you might not. I also hope you got checked for STIs after a one-night stand.
Oh dear, this is a sensitive topic. It can’t have been easy for your boss to speak to you. I assume you’re washing yourself daily and wearing clean clothes. Think about speaking to your doctor, as they may know more. If you feel comfortable, ask your closest friends or family for the brutal truth. I’m sure once it’s sorted, it won’t be mentioned again.
He’s getting on my nerves
Q
I’ve been married since 2015 and my husband and I both have good jobs and enjoy a nice lifestyle. But, ever since we got married, things between us have really gone downhill. I found out that he was texting someone behind my back and now I have real issues trusting him. I find myself getting annoyed with him over anything and everything. He’s
I recently started a new job and I thought everything was fine. But my boss took me aside and told me several people had complained that I smell. All he said was that it was ‘offensive’. It was so embarrassing. Now I’m afraid that my new colleagues are talking behind my back and I dread facing them every day. I’ve bought new deodorant and thrown out clothes that don’t handle sweat well, but I don’t know if that’s the problem. I just want to hide in the shower and cry. I don’t know what to do and have never been told this before. Sharon, 45
been really getting on my nerves. Any little thing he does can set me off – like the way in which he eats or the amount of time he’s on his phone. I just don’t think I’m happy any more. What can I do? Jenny, 36
A
You’re not happy because the trust between you and your husband was ruined as a result of his
behaviour. Whatever he does, you’re going to criticise it. You aren’t annoyed that he’s chewing too loudly, you’re mad because he betrayed you! And until you tell him just how much he hurt your feelings, things won’t change. Right now, you can’t stand him, so you can’t talk to him. It’ll take time, but when you feel ready, have the conversation. The sooner you sit him down for a proper talk, the better. Don’t let this issue fester or things will only get worse.
Want Aunty Nelly’s advice? Send your problems to chat_magazine@futurenet.com
33
FACEBOOK.COM/ANTONELLAUNCENSORED. INSTAGRAM.COM/ANTONELLAUNCENSORED. NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED. AUNTY NELLY PHOTO: PHILIPPA GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY. PHOTOS (POSED BY MODELS): GETTY
Help, I smell!
hb rittany Jacobs always knew something wasn’t right down below. Painful, twicemonthly periods,
suite.
septum, and
Brittany has gone viral on TikTok
pregnant,’ she says. ‘It can be very risky, but in my case I had a perfect separation [of the uteruses]. They both work well, and there were no issues with me getting pregnant.’ It wasn’t just Brittany who was totally shocked by her diagnosis – husband Greg also didn’t know about it until she started having double the amount of contractions in labour. Greg says, ‘I never suspected anything was different, up until the point where she was actually giving birth. ‘A lot of people would ask, “Well, how did you not notice that?” but I don’t think you would notice it, because it’s not like they’re
Hubby Greg was just as surprised
two defined tubes.’ During her intense labour, doctors had to cut part of the septum so Brittany was able to give birth safely. She says, ‘It was traumatic for me to know that I’d made it that far in life, with that many people looking inside of me, and not noticing that condition. ‘I felt very neglected as a patient.’ A few years after her shocking diagnosis, Brittany realised that she hadn’t heard from any other
‘I did notice...but it seemed to me that it was normal!’
women about the condition, and struggled to find any support online. In a bid to share her story with the world, she went viral on TikTok, after posting a video describing how she was diagnosed. It gained more than 3 million views. Brittany says, ‘I got TikTok a little bit before COVID-19 came, and I had just never shared my story. ‘I didn’t expect to go viral, but I like to help people learn about it – and women in general.’ Now, Brittany is hoping to have surgery to remove part of the
septum that was left after giving birth a second time. She adds, ‘Although my birth was hard, I’m so thankful I found out. ‘I realise how strong I was as a woman, and the things I could go through.’
ce Trul leb y is wo ratin the nd g d hom er iff e a e Se nd corenceof Am yo arch nfron , mai azing utu ‘t ting nta Tru be ruly the ining e Sto .co ’ a ext a se rie m t rem nse s – e. o f
PHOTOS: JACOB HAUSER/BARCROFT STUDIOS/FUTURE PUBLISHING. FOR BRITTANY’S TIKTOK, SEE VM.TIKTOK.COM/ZMDUN3JKG
Just a regular mum!
£600 cash! W5I0N0 A
CODE CRACKER
s a child, what did British actor Jessica Brown Findlay want to be when she grew up? To find out, solve the puzzle. Fill in the grid. Each letter of the Puzzle 16 alphabet has been replaced by a number from 1 to 26. When you’ve completed the grid, the shaded squares will spell out the two-word prize answer. We’ve given you five letters to start off.
A B C D E F G J L M T U V N O P Q R X Y Z
Your answer:
WORD JUMBLE S
tanley Bates played which character on the children’s TV show Rainbow for over 900 episodes from 1973 to 1989? Unscramble each group of letters to discover six synonyms for mistake. Now fit them across the grid and you’ll spell out the answer to the question.
1. OO BOBO 2. PUPILS 3. BLED URN 4. SHOVE GIRT 5. TA FLU 6. EM SPITS
IN W £100 PHOTO: GETTY
Puzzle 17
Your answer: 36
TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles
HOURS OF AGONY
My life in the loo
I was trapped in a world of toilet trips and low self-esteem Charlotte Twinley, 23, Arundel, West Sussex
WORDS: FRANCES LEATE, LUCY LAING
S
Me, age 6
coffing Coco Pops before school, I felt a specialist at St Richard’s a wave of pain Hospital noticed that my across my stomach joints were extra bendy. and winced. Said I was hypermobile. ‘Again?’ my mum ‘It might be linked Sarah, then 41, frowned. to your stomach pains,’ I nodded. he suggested. It was summer 2012, and In July 2013, I was I’d had the pains for years. diagnosed with EhlersBy now, Mum and my Danlos syndrome. dad David, then 46, had The rare condition meant tried everything. that the connective tissue But the gluten- or dairybetween my joints, organs free diets the doctors and bones was too stretchy. suggested didn’t help. Not only could I bruise I still loved food, and and break bones easily, at 14, was active. but it had also affected my Played on my school digestive system, as my hockey team. organs became damaged. Only, my pains got worse. It was a lifelong condition, I became constipated, and there was no cure. spending agonising hours I felt overwhelmed. in the bathroom. I was given I’d be late for school, laxatives to or suddenly need the loo during lessons. ‘You can’t need to go again,’ one teacher complained as my classmates laughed. Tummy churning, I’d somehow make it through my hockey matches. But blood tests revealed nothing. So frustrating. I met Phil Finally, in and he was October 2012, so supportive
By 17, I’d been ill for years
keep things moving, but it only became worse. I’d spend so long in the loo, some days I wouldn’t get to school until lunchtime. Sometimes it felt like I spent my life in the toilet. Then, my consultant said I had to quit hockey. ‘It’s too much for your joints,’ she explained. I was devastated, started hating my body. And I’d lost weight. ‘You’ve slimmed down,’ a friend noticed. For the first time in ages, I felt a surge of pride. Realised my weight was one thing I could control. So I started eating less. ‘No pasta for me,’ I’d tell Mum at dinner. ‘Why aren’t you eating?’ she frowned one morning. ‘Not hungry,’ I shrugged. By sixth form, in September 2014, I was dangerously thin. Eventually, I was diagnosed with anorexia and referred to a specialist clinic. Took five months out of college, followed a strict
recovery programme at home, with regular therapy. Slowly, I found my love of food again. Only, loving my body was much harder. I was still confined to the toilet for hours on end. In August 2016, I met Phil, then 21. Then, I got a place at the University of Leeds, to study Cardiac Physiology. Threw myself into uni life. Nights out, fun with mates. Only, after two months my body was a wreck. Every time I ate, I’d end up hunched in bed for hours. I became so weak, I admitted defeat. Quit and went home, where doctors put me on a liquid diet. I got a part-time job as a marketing assistant, but my digestive system still played havoc with my life. Was I destined to spend the rest of my days either in agony or running to the loo?
You should SEE ME NOW 37
NEVER ASHAMED
Girl’s got guts! I Continued from previous page
t was when I was at my lowest that I did some research and came across stoma bags. Some people with similar problems to mine have an operation called an ileostomy, where the small intestine is diverted through an opening in the tummy. A pouch, called a stoma bag, is placed over the opening to collect the poo. No more hours sat on the loo! I thought. I’ll be able to eat normal food! I knew I needed this. But when I told Mum and Dad, they were sceptical. ‘You might
feel selfconscious,’ Mum worried. ‘It will be there for everyone to see,’ Dad added. Sure, carrying around a bag of poo wasn’t ideal... ‘But it might give me the freedom I need,’ I insisted. I spoke Something to Phil, too, to celebrate! who told
38
me, ‘If it gives you a better life, go for it.’ Only, a specialist said my case was too risky. I felt deflated, but I wasn’t going to give up. Refused to spend my life on liquid diets. I saw a consultant at a private clinic, who said there was a good chance the bag would work. So in March 2018, I was put on an NHS waiting list. I started to feel excited. Even ordered some bags online. Held one against my tummy and snapped a selfie. My life’s going to change for the better when I get one of these, and I’ll be proud to wear it, I wrote on Instagram. This floppy beige pouch was about to change my life. I wanted a career, holidays, to live life like my friends did. That June, I went to St Mark’s Hospital in London to have the hour-long operation. ‘It went well,’ the surgeon told me afterwards. Now, I would never need to go to the loo,
Striking a pose for positivity
as all waste would be disposed of into the bag. Nurses showed me how to empty it, which I’d do up to eight times a day. Then, how to change it every three days. I wasn’t squeamish. It’s only a bit of poo, I told myself. Days later, I ate solid food for the first time in a year. ‘Yum,’ I grinned, gulping down yogurt. Then, I went with Mum to the supermarket. With my bag just visible under my T-shirt, I held my head high. Feeling the bag fill up was strange at first. I worried it’d leak, or smell, but it was so well designed, it never did. I realised that one in 500 people in the UK have a stoma bag. I wasn’t alone. Soon, I was enjoying meals out with mates and trips
away with Phil – all without worrying about dashing to the toilet or tummy pain. I posted about my journey on social media. Even got nominated in the Positive Role Model for Disabilities category at the National Diversity Awards in July 2019. In March 2020, I took part in a body-positive campaign, posing in just my undies and my stoma bag with 10 other women outside Tower Bridge, London. I always said I’d be proud of my stoma bag, never ashamed. So now, when it makes a funny squeaky noise when I let out a fart without realising, I laugh. Human bodies are weird, wonderful things. I spent too long hating mine and it only brought me misery. So now I’m celebrating it instead!
When my bag makes a funny noise, I laugh
MONEY MATTERS
CASH
SMART
We help you make savvy choices, so your hard-earned goes that bit further Go green, save cash
ways 1 to... cut the cost
3
of divorce
WORDS: FAITH ARCHER AT MUCHMOREWITHLESS.CO.UK. PHOTOS (POSED BY MODELS): GETTY
Don’t add a big bill to the painful process of divorce. The introduction of no-fault divorce has been delayed to April 2022, so here’s how to cut costs before then...
See a solicitor for free
Many solicitors offer a free 30-minute initial appointment, so use the time wisely to check whether you might need legal advice and what it could cost. Find a divorce lawyer by asking for recommendations or visiting lawsociety.org.uk/ findasolicitor and searching under the legal issue ‘Family and relationships’.
As the nights draw in, switch your halogen bulbs for more eco-friendly LED bulbs, and save £2-3 a year per bulb. Replacing a 50W halogen bulb with an LED equivalent slashes energy bills by £75 over the lifetime of the bulb, according to the Energy Saving Trust. LED bulbs at Ikea start from £1.
2
Keep it civil
Conflict sends stress and legal bills soaring, so avoid using your solicitor to argue about who gets every spoon. Where possible, go through assets and belongings with your partner, one by one, trying to agree who gets what. Don’t forget pensions, especially if one person stopped work to raise kids rather than building up their own pension pot. Total pension benefits can be worth more than the
SAVING
OF THE WEEK
family home. Focus on how to move forward, rather than on why things went wrong.
3
Consider mediation
If you have a reasonably good relationship with your ex, try mediation. Sitting round a table with a lawyer can shrink costs to less than £1,000, rather than nearly £2,700 average fees. If a child’s involved, see if you can claim £500 towards costs under the Family Mediation Voucher Scheme.
Smart save!
Need last-minute school shoes but don’t want to pay over the odds? Buy a foot measuring device so you can check your children’s shoe size in the comfort of your own home, then bag bargain footwear online or at outlet stores. Clarks and Start-Rite both sell foot measurers for £12.
Your questions answered
Q
I’m due to start working in the office again, but only week. Should I still buy a season ticket?
G Stukey, Manningtree
Rather than A forking out for a standard season
ticket, check if you can cut costs with a Flexi Season ticket.
These offer eight days of travel in 28 days between two named stations and can be used any time. If flexible working means you can travel off peak, you may be able to save more with a railcard. The Network Railcard costs £30 for a year but saves a third off fares. 39
NO-FUSS FOOD
Add more colour to your plate with these delicious and healthy recipes
Top tip Buy ‘courgetti’ in supermarkets if you don’t have a spiraliser or julienne peeler.
Prawn tagliatelle SERVES 3-4 PREP TIME 5 MINS COOK TIME 10 MINS
● 2 garlic cloves, crushed ● 1 large red chilli, finely chopped ● 300g raw king prawns ● 250g spiralised courgettes
● 100g tagliatelle
● Large handful rocket
● 3tbsp olive oil
● Fresh basil, to serve
40
1 2
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the tagliatelle. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan or wok. Add the garlic and chilli, fry for a few
mins then add the prawns and a good sprinkling of sea salt. Stir-fry until the prawns are cooked. When the pasta is almost ready, add the courgettes for a min. Drain, then add to the prawns with the rocket – stir to combine then add the basil and plenty of black pepper.
3
Roasted veggies with herb dressing Pep up roasted veg with this punchy dressing. Vary the veg according to the season – cauliflower and broccoli also roast well.
1
Heat the oven to 160C fan/Gas 4. Spread out the vegetables on one or 2 roasting tins. You don’t ● 6 baby aubergines, halved want them to be piled up or ● 1 large bulb fennel, cut they will steam rather than into chunks roast. Add the olive oil and ● 3 leeks, cut into chunks plenty of black pepper. ● 2 courgettes, cut You won’t need salt as the into chunks anchovies are salty enough. ● 2 red peppers, cut Put into the oven and into chunks roast for 45 mins or Top tip ● 2 onions, quartered until lightly charred. These are filling ● 3tbsp olive oil Make the enough on their For the dressing: dressing own but also great ● 75g tin anchovies, by mixing all as a side with drained and chopped the ingredients grilled salmon ● Large bunch flat leaf together. Once the or chicken. parsley, chopped vegetables are ready, ● 125ml olive oil put into a large bowl, add ● 3tbsp small capers the dressing and mix well.
2
Supergreen soup with beans Just what we need on cold days to give the immune system a boost. Vary this soup according to what’s in season. SERVES 6 PREP TIME 5 MINS COOK TIME 25 MINS ● 2tbsp olive oil ● 2 large onions, chopped ● 3 sticks celery, chopped ● 1 leek, chopped ● 600ml vegetable
or chicken stock ● 250g Tenderstem broccoli, chopped ● 2 courgettes, chopped ● 125g kale, shredded ● 250g frozen petits pois, thawed ● 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed ● Pesto, to serve
Top tip Leftovers will keep in the fridge for 2 days.
1 2
Heat the oil in a large pan; cook the onion, celery and leek until softened. Add the stock then bring to the boil. Add all the green veg and cook for 3-4 mins. Blend with a stick blender then add the beans. Heat through and serve with a dollop of pesto.
3
41
COMPILED BY: KEIRON GEORGE. PHOTOS: FUTURECONTENTHUB.COM
SERVES 4 PREP TIME 5 MINS COOK TIME 45 MINS
’ This week s TV Our top telly picks – you’ll kick yourself if you miss them
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie AMAZON PRIME VIDEO Inspired by true events, this film adaptation of the hit West End musical follows the story of teenager Jamie (Max Harwood, right), who dreams of a career as a drag queen. Richard E Grant plays local drag legend Miss Loco Chanelle, who mentors Jamie towards his debut performance. Although his best friend Pritti (Lauren Patel) and his mum Margaret (Sarah Lancashire) are supportive, Jamie’s ignorant classmates, uninspiring career advisor Miss Hedge (Sharon Horgan) and disapproving dad Wayne (Ralph Ineson) try to rain on his parade…
DON’T MISS Richard: Miss Loco Chanelle
Lights, camera and action...
Dr Death
DON’T MISS
STARZPLAY Joshua Jackson takes the lead in this true-crime drama about Dallas surgeon Dr Christopher Duntsch, whose patients came in for routine surgery, but ended up badly maimed or dead. Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater star as his suspicious fellow doctors who try to stop him.
Shaun and Roger return
The Complaints Department
Endeavour ITV Shaun Evans and Roger Allam are back as DS Endeavour Morse and DCI Fred Thursday in the eighth series of the Inspector Morse prequel. It’s now 1971 and Endeavour is still reeling from the events of the year
42
Jason hosts a comedy show
prior which culminated in the death of his lover. He’s soon back in the thick of it at work, though, when he investigates a college bomb with possible links to the IRA and is tasked with acting as bodyguard to an Oxford Wanderers’ striker, whose life is under threat.
Dr Duntsch is in hot water
COMEDY CENTRAL Jason Manford hosts this comedy panel show which takes a light-hearted look at some of the funniest moans from the British public. He’ll be joined by two teams of fellow comedians who will get the chance to air some of their own grievances.
10-16 September 2021
Coming soon...
Your STARS
What’s in store in the months ahead...
Finch
WORDS: MICHAEL DARLING. PHOTOS: GETTY, ITV, COMEDY CENTRAL, SCOTT MCDERMOTT/PEACOCK, AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
APPLE TV+ Tom Hanks plays a robotics engineer who’s one of the few survivors of an apocalyptic event in this emotional sci-fi drama. Now
living in an underground bunker with his dog, he’s on a mission to ensure that his beloved canine companion will be cared for after he’s gone.
Manhunt II ITV Martin Clunes reprises his role as real-life detective Colin Sutton in the second series of the crime drama, which focuses on another high-profile case that he worked on. This time, it follows the hunt for a vicious night stalker who preyed on women in London for 17 years.
Simon is back with a bang
Walk the Line
Colin is on the hunt again
ITV The X Factor may have been axed, but Simon Cowell is back with this six-part talent show with a twist. Each week, after various music acts have performed, the top two must decide if they want to leave with a life-changing cash prize or risk it all by staying in the competition.
Aries
Libra
21 March-20 April
24 Sep-23 Oct
You may be feeling active, which could inspire you to explore around your home. The moon in Aquarius gives you the opportunity to reinvent yourself.
You may struggle to maintain a work-life balance as you’re unable to attend a social event due to work. Luckily your friend can rearrange for next week.
● Call 0905 817 0690* for more
● Call 0905 817 0696* for more
Taurus
Scorpio
21 April-21 May
24 Oct-22 Nov
You are extremely busy, but have a way of healing yourself, knowing when to relax and rest. Others around you want to know the secret to your serenity.
The moon in Aquarius may have you feeling detached from those around you, but it’s temporary. As the moon moves, you’ll start to feel more like yourself.
● Call 0905 817 0691* for more
● Call 0905 817 0697* for more
Gemini
Sagittarius
22 May-21 June
23 Nov-21 Dec
Imaginative and adaptable, you are always looking for a good deal. Be it two-forone offers or a meal out with a friend, people admire your money-saving ethos.
Family’s at the forefront of your mind, and you’re making time to catch up with those you haven’t seen for a while. Someone has a surprise for you.
● Call 0905 817 0692* for more
● Call 0905 817 0698* for more
Cancer
Capricorn
22 June-23 July
22 Dec-20 Jan
With Saturn currently in retrograde, you might be feeling emotionally inhibited. This won’t stop you from opening up to those you love though.
Mercury has entered Leo, encouraging you to work on your creative ideas. You can see the result you want to achieve perfectly, which will help you to complete it.
● Call 0905 817 0693* for more
● Call 0905 817 0699* for more
Leo
Aquarius
24 July-23 Aug
21 Jan-19 Feb
Your fiery aspect will enjoy soaking up the weather, as well as the company of those around you. A holiday you’d been looking forward to might be confirmed.
The sun and moon in your sign expands your friendly, gregarious nature. You may find yourself becoming the centre of attention. Your work ethic receives praise.
● Call 0905 817 0694* for more
● Call 0905 817 0700* for more
Virgo
Pisces
24 Aug-23 Sep
20 Feb-20 March
The perfectionist in you doesn’t go unnoticed, as your attention to detail receives praise. You could find yourself helping solve someone else’s dilemma.
Those around you are feeling as distant as you do right now. So, befriend others and remember what you like about people. We’re all the same species!
● Call 0905 817 0695* for more
● Call 0905 817 0701* for more
*STARLINES UPDATED EVERY THURSDAY. CALLS COST 80P PER MIN PLUS YOUR TELEPHONE COMPANY’S NETWORK ACCESS CHARGE AND LAST AROUND 4 MINS. FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY. USERS MUST BE OVER 18. YOU MUST HAVE THE BILL PAYER’S PERMISSION. SP: SPOKE 0333 202 3390.
Chat astrologer Sally Morgan reads your week ahead
Ask Alexa, ‘What is my horoscope today?’
RELENTLESS PURSUIT
Stalked thro the streets I had no idea what this creep in the night was capable of Whitney Dowler, 22, Bargoed
A WORDS: CANDICE FERNANDEZ. PHOTOS: HOTSPOT MEDIA
s my lecturer began packing away, I crammed my pens and textbooks into my rucksack. ‘See you later,’ I smiled, waving goodbye to my classmates. Making my way through the Pontypridd campus, back to the house I shared with my five lovely
housemates, I couldn’t stop grinning. It was September 2020, I’d just returned to the University of South Wales for my final year. And it was good to be back. I was an IT student, loved my degree. Dreamt of working in web development after I’d graduated. With it being my third
year, there was less student partying. More hours working tirelessly in the library and my bedroom. But, needing a break one night that November, I met a mate at a local pub. ‘How’s third year?’ he asked. ‘Urgh, hard work,’ I moaned, sipping a gin and lemonade. For a couple of hours, we nattered about our lives. ‘Right, gotta go,’ I said, hugging him goodbye around 10pm. Outside, it was pitch black. It was a two-mile walk home, so I popped my wireless headphones in and called a friend for company. About halfway, I walked by a pizza place. There was a man leaning against the wall. He had a dark T-shirt and trousers on, seemed drunk. ‘Hey babe,’ he slurred. Avoiding eye contact, I hurried past. ‘Baby!’ he shouted. Heart racing, I walked even faster. Only, the man started following me. Just keep walking and
he’ll go away, I told myself. But he didn’t. ‘Come here baby,’ he shouted. Terrified, I was almost running now. ‘Someone is following me,’ I gasped down the phone, breathless. Suddenly, the man scooted in front of me, grabbed my arm. My body trembled in fear. ‘Hi,’ he leered. ‘Give me a kiss.’ As I pushed him away, my earphones fell out. Suddenly his arms were around me, and he was trying to kiss me. Struggling, I kept moving my head away. This can’t be happening, I thought, horrified. But the slimy stranger managed to plant a kiss on my face. He ran a hand down my back, groped and squeezed my breast. Mortified, I shoved him again, escaping his clutches. I darted off. This time in a different direction. But the man wasn’t giving up, stalking me down the empty, dark road. ‘Stop following me!’
He wasn’t giving up, followed me down a dark road...
I was a student, really enjoying my third year
44
rough
inside and rape me. worried and stunned. Thinking quickly, Is that why he followed I texted a mate, Sam, who me? Has he been secretly lived nearby. watching me? Or did he I’m near the train station come across me by chance and need your help. that night? Someone is following me. I’d never know for sure. The reply came The police confirmed straight away. Thanapalan had been Coming. a senior lecturer of Dashing to the car park, I Aeronautical and Mechanical spotted Sam in the distance. Engineering for years. Only, the man grabbed I was sickened. and groped me again. In May this year, at ‘Get off her!’ Sam yelled, Cardiff Crown Court, Kary running towards us. Thanapalan, 49, pleaded Panicking, the guilty to man finally fled sexual assault. into the night. He was jailed Bursting into for two years. tears, I fell into His defence my mate’s arms. said he’d ‘You’re safe spectacularly now,’ he soothed. fallen from grace After checking since losing his I was OK, he made sure job, his marriage hanging I got home. by a thread. I called the police on But I had no sympathy. the way, and an hour later, Who knows what that three officers arrived and sleazeball would’ve been took a statement. capable of if my mate hadn’t Swabbed my cheek where scared him off. the creep had slobbered ‘He’s where he belongs,’ on me, took my coat for I said. DNA tests. Men like him are why Three days later, women are so afraid to they called. walk home alone, especially ‘We’ve arrested someone,’ at night. the investigating officer said. I struggled to concentrate Using CCTV, they’d traced on my studies for months the man to a local pub. after. Now my dreams are Then, using track-andon hold while I resit my trace data from the pub, final exams. they got the name And I’m a nervous wreck. Kary Thanapalan. Paranoid when I’m out. Jailed: Kary I was relieved. If someone walks near me Thanapalan Especially when, shortly on the street, I have a panic after, police confirmed the attack, and I don’t know if DNA from my cheek was a I’ll ever feel safe again. me a lift home. 25-million-to-one match. All because some bloke But I was on high alert. Only, a week later, felt entitled to my body. How can I trust him? someone from my I thought. He was a university called. stranger, too. ‘We’re so sorry to So I declined, saying I was hear what happened,’ going to meet a friend. someone from Student And the moment the car Support said. disappeared, the creepy How do they know? bloke blocked my way again. I thought, confused. ‘Take me home, baby,’ Turned out Kary he slurred. Thanapalan was ‘Stop, please,’ I begged, a lecturer there! running off. The university For 20 minutes, he yelled assured me they’d fired after me in the dark. him, but I suddenly felt The attack has I didn’t dare walk unsafe again. really shaken me straight home, either, Had he seen me petrified he’d follow me before? I thought, both
Men like him are why women are so afraid to walk home
I shrieked at him. ‘I’m not following you, I’m coming home with you,’ he smirked. ‘We’ll have fun.’ Terrified now, I told him to leave me alone. ‘You’re breaking my heart,’ he moaned. Minutes later, we reached a busy street and a car pulled up next to me. ‘Are you OK?’ the male driver asked. ‘No,’ I whimpered. ‘This man won’t stop following me.’ Now my stalker walked ahead, pretending that he wasn’t a threat. The man in the car offered
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T
he answers to all but one of these quiz questions can be found hidden in this wordsearch grid, reading forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally. To help you, we’ll tell you that the answers are in alphabetical order in each section. However, one answer can’t be found in the grid. This is your prize answer. See page 56 for entry details. THE SILVER SCREEN – ICE CREAM What is the surname of James Stewart’s character George, who serves his future wife Mary with ice cream in the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life? (6) Which late BritishAmerican comedian, who hosted the Academy Awards 19 times, played an ice-cream vendor in the 1979 film The Muppet Movie? (3,4) Which 2007 film, the second in the Three
1
2 3
WHERE IN THE WORLD? MINT Which Caribbean island republic is the birthplace of the mojito cocktail, which is made with rum, sugar, lime, mint and soda water? (4) Which Cumbrian town gives its name to a famous peppermintflavoured energy snack, favoured by climbers and mountaineers? (6) Which country is home to the Royal Mint, which
4
12
4. The birthplace of this cocktail?
5
6
STRAWBERRY Which traditional English dessert is made from strawberries, crushed meringues and cream? (4,4) What name links an ice cream made up of layers of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, and an inhabitant of the city of Naples? (10) What name is shared by the strawberry character in Jayne Fisher’s Garden Gang books, and the legendarily faithful wife of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey? (8)
Cameron Diaz, who 8 played Julie Gianni in the 13 2002 film Vanilla Sky, voiced which princess character in the Shrek films? (5) What is the stage name Ice Ice Baby? (7,3) What is the surname of author Joanne, whose Chocolat was Which singer has had top-10 hits with
8. What is this princess called?
Chocolate, Spinning Around, and Into the Blue? (5,7) Which Michael, author of the poem Chocolate Cake and the picture book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, was Children’s Laureate from 2007 to 2009? (5)
14
15
Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles
47
YOU LITTLE BEAUTY
LOOK GREAT TODAY
Your questions answered, plus our pick of the products
Q
I love making a feature of my eyes, but I don’t want it to be too much for my age. What make-up will work for me? Sheila Fleming, 59, Gateshead
LETTEeR of th ! week
If you have dark features, you can probably still get
The right eyeshadow
for all, and we love Kiko Long Lasting Eyeshadow Sticks, £6.99, kikocosmetics.com, for the amazing shade selection and smooth, crease-proof formulas. If you prefer to work with powders, try Barry M Rose Tinted
palest shade across the whole lid up, then direct one of the
mid-pink hues in the crease and outer third of the lid. Trace along the upper lash line with the deepest brown then buff out any harsh lines.
COMPILED BY: STEPHANIE MAYLOR. PHOTO: GETTY
TRIED AND TESTED Nuddy Ultra Volume Shampoo Bar, £8.95, nuddy.co.uk Did you know that we throw away 520 million shampoo bottles every year in the UK? That’s a lot of plastic. Make the switch to a solid shampoo bar, which will last you twice as long. This one comes in recyclable packaging, smells delightful and is nourishing ingredients.
3 OF THE BEST FACE MASKS Beauty Editor Stephanie Maylor shares her favourites
Garnier Moisture Bomb Hydrating Tissue Mask, £2.99, Boots This is a tall drink of water for dull-looking skin. One 15-minute session drenches skin with a week’s worth of hydrating serum for smoother, softer skin. Nivea Q10 Power Sleeping Melt-In Anti-Ageing Face Mask, £11.99 Smear on a layer before bedtime and wake up to brighter, bouncier skin. It stimulates collagen production so over time skin feels firmer. The instant result, though, is glowy skin. PS...Pink Clay Pore Refining Facial Mask, 80p, Primark A clay mask makes pores appear smaller by extracting and debris. This one is amazing at refining pores, without making skin feel dryer than sandpaper.
Flamingo Razor, £8, Boots Up to 99% of women use a razor, so if you’re looking to upgrade, try
Vaseline Expert Care Elasticity Restore, £7.99 If you suffer with clinically dry, itchy, sensitive skin, this body cream will be a tonic. Prescriptionstrength moisturisers serum is a gamechanger, using patented Protinol technology to boost the two types of collagen within the skin to improve wrinkles, minimise pores and restore firmness.
TOP TIP
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Got a beauty question? Send your problems to chat _magazine@futurenet.com
49
HOLIDAY INSPIRATION All aboard the No 28
2
Lisbon’s public transport network contains a real treat: 1930s trams that wend their way round picturesque hills. The best route is the number 28, which rattles from Chiado to Baixa, then climbs to St George’s Castle. Effortless sightseeing for the price of a day’s travel card, €6!
Try a delicious pastel de nata
Walk the sights
1
The capital swims in history with its hills and Tagus river, it’s a real treat to explore. The Belém district is awash with churches, as well as monuments to Portugal’s great age of discoveries. The Belém Tower (torrebelem.com) peels back the centuries, while the Expo ’98 site of Parque das Nações reveals Lisbon’s modern side. The cable car across the riverside park is See the a must, as is Europe’s Belém largest aquarium, Tower in its glory Oceanário (oceanario.pt).
Eat this…
3
Hop on board for sightseeing
Don’t miss dinner at Cervejaria Ramiro (cervejariaramiro.com). The seafood is out of this world. Yum! There’s always a massive queue to get in because everyone knows how good this spot is, so get there early and remember it’s worth the wait. Don’t forget to try pastel de nata, all day, every day! These custard tarts are not to be missed and don’t cost much. Pay around €1 from any good bakery.
Travel ideas for when things
s n o s a e 6r
Lisbon WORDS: HELENA CARTWRIGHT. PHOTOS: ALAMY, GETTY
city has a long history, year-round sunshine, old-world charm and bustling nightlife
50
Go shopping
Sleep in style
4
6
Follow the fashion trail in Chiado. Even the smartest boutiques are cheaper than London. Chains like Zara (20% cheaper) mingle with one-offs, like Luvaria Ulisses (87 Rua do Carmo), which sells leather gloves for under €50. Head for Rua Augusta to snap up fruity soaps (€1-€2) and chocolate sardines (€1.60).
Chiado has an array of shops
Inspired by London and New York townhouses is the Valverde Hotel. The interiors are unmistakably Portuguese, with a warm colour palette and ornate details. Doubles start from £187 a night. If you’re on a budget, there are over 300 homes listed on Airbnb in Lisbon, making it a great budget option city – some apartments are £9 a night!
To the beach!
5
Chill out on the Guincho beach
For a slice of tranquillity, head to the coastline areas of Cascais, Guincho and Adraga. The latter are well-known surfers’ paradises that are 30 minutes’ drive from Lisbon with golden, sandy beaches and plenty of laid-back bars set within striking cliffs and rolling countryside.
The decadent Valverde Hotel
Always check the latest travel advice before booking a trip
51
TRUE AND TERRIFYING
SCARIER THAN FICTION
Catfishi a killer Chat takes a look into the chilling true-crime documentaries that have us all hooked
SPOILER ALERT!
If you’re planning to watch Why Did You Kill Me? on Netflix, save this read for later. Belinda had lost her only daughter
M
oments after bullets ripped through their rear windscreen, Justin Theobald, then 28, is seen on CCTV, pulling his sister Crystal, 24, from the passenger seat. Cradling her dying body on the ground. She’d been shot in the back of her head. ‘I just want to know why, you know? Why?’ he weeps in the harrowing opening scenes of Why Did You Kill Me? And that’s a question his mother, Belinda Lane, who’d witnessed the shooting, was determined to answer. The family were heading to the local supermarket at around 8.40pm on 24 February 2006. Belinda in the car in front, and Justin, Crystal
Juan Patlan behind. But they’d barely made it to the end of their street in Riverside, California, when a white Ford Expedition pulled up at the junction. A hooded figure jumped out of the car. Peppered Juan, Justin and Crystal’s car with bullets. Crystal never regained consciousness and died two days later. Belinda instantly suspected local gang 5150. It was in a violent turf war with rival gangs over that area of the city. ‘I promised her, if it’s the last thing I do, I’m gonna get ’em. They’re gonna pay,’ Belinda said. ‘It was the last thing I got to say to her, besides “I love you.”’ So when the case went cold, Belinda went on a mission to
WORDS: LIANNE LA BORDE. PHOTOS: GETTY, NETFLIX
A violent turf war between rival gangs in the city
54
But rumours
platform of the noughties. With the help of her teen niece Jaimie McIntyre, then 14, Belinda set up fake Myspace profiles. One using the alias ‘Angel’, and a picture of Crystal herself. I’ll be your deepest, darkest best-kept secret, Angel’s bio said. Using her Myspace skills and the Angel profile, Jaimie befriended known gang members. Spent hours on the site after school. 5150 member William Sotelo, then
William Sotelo on trial
‘Angel’ and Sotelo started messaging. ‘Make him fall in love,’ Belinda instructed Jaimie. But were they catfishing a killer? It’s a question that grips the audience. In April
Justin, Belinda and Crystal’s former husband Joe
ing r A white
Yet he also claimed that 5150’s Julio Heredia was the gunman. A photo of Heredia matched Belinda’s e-fit of the killer. But he was a ‘ghost’ – untraceable – according to detectives on the case. As the police continued their investigation, Sotelo was released. Now Belinda took over the fake Myspace profiles. Fuelled by anger, she delved deeper. Got braver. Driving past gang members’ houses, taking photos of their cars and
Taunting rival gangs online to stir up trouble between them all. ‘I wanted them to hurt like we were hurting,’ she explained. Then, messaging Sotelo as femme fatale Angel, Belinda hit breaking point. Do you love me? she asked. I LOVE YOU, he replied. Belinda couldn’t stop herself. Then why did you kill me? she asked. This is Crystal Theobald. Sotelo didn’t reply. In fact, he ‘dropped off the face of the Earth’, according to detectives. But, under intense scrutiny, other gang members previously named by Sotelo started talking. Belinda had been right all along. Because, that fateful February day, a rival gang had shot at a 5150 member. Wanting revenge, Sotelo and co drove around hunting for them. Mistaking Crystal’s car for one of their rivals’, Julio Heredia, then 18, opened fire. And in August 2007, Heredia was charged
The fake profile was a trap
with murder. Growing up with a drug-addict mother, Heredia had joined 5150 at the age of 14. In 2011, he was convicted of firstdegree murder and other criminal offences.Jailed for life, without parole. While Why Did You Kill Me? was filmed, William Sotelo remained at large. ‘We’re going to get him one day,’ said Belinda. And two weeks after filming wrapped, Sotelo was arrested in Mexico. He was married with four kids, and working as a chilli farmer. In 2020, Sotelo was jailed for 22 years after admitting voluntary manslaughter. It had taken 14 years, but finally, the job was done for grieving mother-turnedcatfish Belinda. ‘Justice and revenge are just about the same thing,’ she said.
THE BITS THEY LEFT OUT... Juan, then 20, was shot in the stomach during the shooting, but survived after surgery. ● Belinda didn’t give up her cyber-sleuthing, moving from Myspace onto the more modern Facebook. In 2014, she received the tip that Sotelo was in Mexico, and forwarded it to the police, who worked with the FBI and Mexican authorities to arrest him. ● 10 other 5150 gang members were charged in the case, with counts from witness intimidation to attempted murder and gun and gang charges. Their sentences ranged from probation to 18 years behind bars. ● During Sotelo’s sentencing, Belinda made an impassioned 16-minute speech, calling him ‘despicable’, a ‘coward’, a ‘monster’ and a ‘punk’. ● According to Belinda, Crystal’s heart, lungs and kidneys were donated after her death and ‘are keeping five other people alive’. ● Belinda also now runs the Facebook page Unsolved Murders In Riverside, determined to help other
Belinda in the Netflix film
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LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
A letter to...
y little
superh Dear Oliver,
WORDS: MISHAAL KHAN, KATY MEANEY. PHOTOS: CATERS NEWS
I
remember how happy me and your mum Cathrine, then 23, felt that day in December 2016. ‘It’ a boy,’ the sonographer said at your 20-week scan. Only, then she fell silent. ‘Something’s wrong with his kidneys,’ she said. Our happy bubble burst. Referred to Birmingham Women’s Hospital, we were beside ourselves. Doctors said you had chronic kidney disease. Renal failure. There wasn’t enough amniotic fluid in Mummy’s tummy, either. There was a risk you’d arrive early and have underdeveloped organs. Or worse. We’d only know for sure once you’d arrived. We vowed not to give up on you. Instead, Mummy took early
job, to rest. Anxious months passed until you arrived in April 2017, at 39 weeks. Midwives whisked you straight off. You had couldn’t wee properly due to urethra problems. Those 12 days in Intensive Care were the hardest. Two months in Birmingham Children’s Hospital followed. Hooked up to machines, you were fed through a nasal tube. It broke our hearts watching you pull at it with your tiny fingers. Finally, that July, we took you home. You needed a life-long catheter, and nutrients provided through a tube in your tummy. And three times a week, we sat with you in hospital as Our born you went fighter through
We’re a real double act
Matching scars!
two years, it was the same exhausting routine. Then, in December 2019, the doctor said it was time to consider a kidney transplant. Mummy and I had tests to see if we were a match. Incredibly, we both were. ‘I’ll do it,’ I said. You needed your mummy more, I thought. Only, suddenly we were in the midst of a pandemic, causing delays. It added to our fears, too. Finally, in April this year, I was wheeled into the operating theatre at Birmingham Women’s Hospital, where my left kidney was removed. It was then blue-lighted to the Children’s Hospital, where you were waiting. Coming round, I just wanted to know that you were OK. ‘It took brilliantly,’ the surgeon smiled. And
the next day, I got to see you myself. ‘Nearly there,’ I promised. You bounced back quickly, coming home two days later. And in a couple of weeks, I was back looking after you. Five months on, you’re doing amazingly. Now 4, you’ll always need a catheter, fluids and medication, but you’re learning to eat solids. And you love our matching scars! ‘Daddy’s my superhero,’ you grin, showing off our tummies. But you’re the real hero, our dinosaur-loving cheeky chappy who bravely faces every hurdle. Always remember there’s so much you can do. Bouncing on the trampoline, splashing about in the pool. You start school this month, too. And Mummy and I can’t wait to see you thrive.
Our cheeky chappy who bravely faces every hurdle
Love, Daddy xx John Keitley, 29, Shipston-on-Stour
9000
9001