I GREW UP IN QUITE A RURAL PART OF HAMPSHIRE but became so influenced by music, drama and entertainment. I was a proper child of the late Seventies and Eighties— ABBA, Showaddywaddy and, a bit later, Madonna. Essentially, if it was in the charts, it was playing in the house. On top of that I also loved opera and musicals—The Sound of Music was a firm favourite. Overall though, if I had to pick one artist from my childhood it would be Barry Manilow! A few years ago I got to interview him when I covered for Holly Willoughby on This Morning and, well, he’s iconic for me. I think at first he thought I was taking the mickey out of him but then he quickly realised that I’m actually a bit of a stalker-fan!
WE NEVER MINDED THE FACT WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH when we were growing up because we didn’t really compare what we had to others. I think these days, with the internet, especially, there is such a disconnect between those who have a lot and those who don’t. It wasn’t like that when I was young—you focused on your own little circle and you all had the same bikes, beauty sets, toys. Those who had lots of stuff were usually just the kids you saw on the telly, and almost always in the US. Britain was a place where everyone seemed to have the same sort of upbringing. I don’t think that’s totally untrue today, despite what people say.
MY DAD LEFT WHEN WE WERE YOUNG but I never felt as though we suffered. I would hear my mum crying at night, but that was the only glimpse she ever gave that something was wrong. In every other way we got on with it, we never felt affected, and life was “normal”.
This story is from the January 2020 edition of Reader's Digest UK.
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This story is from the January 2020 edition of Reader's Digest UK.
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