As 55 approaches, I feel the need to reflect on what has been a colourful and indeed eventful innings. A couple of people have said to me recently that I'd lived a very "full" life. Well, yes, I've certainly packed plenty into it so far, and although the catastrophes have been on a mega scale, the highs have been equally brilliant. I've been lucky. Whenever I've been at my lowest, someone has been there for me - and we can't really ask for more than that. I once had the privilege to work with a lady from Wigan, Doris Baxter. She told me three things I've always remembered:
That Fate only dishes out to us sh*t that we have the capacity to cope with.
That if you get ideas above your station, and try to impress those who know you're blagging, you'll stand out like "Liver on a Cake Stand", and
That magnolia-painted woodchip wallpaper looks like someone's hurled rice pudding at the wall and not washed it off properly.
There's a lot of truth in each tenet - thank you, Doris - I'll never forget you.