What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen/ read in Take a Break/ Chat/ That’s Life etc?

[TeacakesFTW]

Prior to the internet and the likes of Mumsnet, I used to love these trashy magazines, especially their real life stories and top tips. It’s still my guilty pleasure when I’m in a waiting room/ hair salon TBH.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen in one?

The most memorable for me was one where a woman had moved in with her new boyfriend and the boyfriend’s disabled son. The son was in his 20s, non-verbal, in nappies etc. The woman got involved in his daily care, changing his nappy and so on, and it later turned out that the whole thing was a scam for disability benefits! The man had nothing wrong with him. He could talk and everything!

I once saw ‘For a quieter poo with less splashback put some loo tool in the pan
first!’

I loved a story about a woman who claimed to live as if she was in medieval times. Complete with historic vernacular: “”why be that?” I said” was a highlight 😆

Fed up with ironing? Buy your clothes a size too small and they’ll stretch flat on your body!

Want to have a phone call while doing your chores? Simply stick a pair of child’s tights on your head and it’ll stick the phone to your ear!

I actually know families who do this 🙃

Oh and the woman who caught her husband shagging the Christmas turkey

Seriously, can they not get up 10 mins earlier and get washed/dressed in fresh clothes!

Pjs are much more comfortable than a bloody school uniform and I would judge anyone putting their kids to bed in uniform.

I agree- and I definitely quietly judge!

For a retro look sew coloured buttons on the collar of a denim jacket.
It was never a look.
Saw it in one of those magazines a few weeks ago.

Nothing else to add but I love this!

Take A Breaks tips and stories were hilarious but That’s Life managed even to go 1 below.

I love 'aren't men daft', 'hubby in the nuddy' and the top tips. I used to cut them all out and stick them to the outside of parcels to my friends. 10 things to do with a banana, Halloween tampon ghost decorations and the advice that "if you only need to use half an onion, use the top half" were some of my faves. I also loved the shopping bag made out of left over cat food pouches. Must have smelt divine!

OMG, i remember Len's pants. I stuck that one on a parcel to post to a friend quite recently from my stack of archive tips. I'd been saving that one for a special occasion!!

I remember that one!!

I remember that! I never read it but saw it on the cover whilst queuing for something.

Enjoy!

What was the name chizzy short for?

Just eat chips from the chop shop to lose weight

🤔

Rather than fish and chips

Omg 😂 cheeky fuckers

Those mints 😆

There’s a Facebook group called Take a Shite that collects the best ones.

Using a pitta bread as a handbag is my favourite one 😆

https://www.facebook.com/share/19zoRYCtFP/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Back in my student days, I vaguely knew someone who used to send these in as a sort of hobby. You could make £25-50 or sometimes more, depending on the mag, for doing so. I don’t think she was responsible for any of the most famous ones though!

Was that the one with the 'to me to you' while the woman was , ahem, being seen to from behind facing the window and the Chuckle she thought was in situ appeared in the car park outside the window waving? Or was that just an urban myth?

I don’t think that particular story is true, but Barry Chuckle was a bit of shagger back in the day of the mags were to be believed!

I sort of want it to be true though. As long as she'd consented to both of them, obviously....

I liked one where someone said they only bought milk to use in tea, so they froze it in ice cube trays. She said has the added benefit of making the tea the right temperature. It stuck with me because I thought it was actually quite a good idea that I may. One to use in later life !

That's surprisingly un batshit crazy.

Two Top Tips that have stayed with me.

The woman who had a one armed husband who wrote in to say she popped his yoghurt in a ceramic plant pot to stop it from sliding around the table when he’s eating it.

Someone bemoaned that their gas hob covers (who knew these were a thing?) were looking a bit shabby so they cut out lots of pictures of Princess Diana and glued them on and covered them with some varnish. I remember the line ‘My hob covers look like new and are a fitting tribute to a wonderful lady’