To make you smile — The character: Mrs A: my mother’s cleaning lady, who could not read. When I was growing up, we kept chickens. We used to put all vegetarian scraps into a Le Creuset (orange, of course) pot with some water and leave it in the bottom oven of the Aga overnight. …

To make you laugh — TRIGGER WARNING: This piece is littered with the most appalling name-dropping. A girlfriend (who just happened to be related to one of the band members) invited me to a Who concert. We had backstage passes, and I felt very important. She said she had organised a driver — and I…

To make you laugh — It was 1976, and my brother was in an English class as their homework was being returned. In the class was a boy, Bobby, who barely attended lessons and never got high marks in any subject. The whole class was shocked when the teacher returned Bobby’s homework and announced that…

To make you smile — I think I was 12 when my sister and I watched a scary horror movie. When I went to bed, she jumped out at me from behind the bathroom door with a scream, and I was so scared I wet myself. I tried to scare her back, but she jumped…

To make you laugh — Context: I used to write weekly emails to my children after they left home. Below is an extract from one from 2016 Characters: Roger, my husband Remember that plan I told you about last week — you know, the one to get rid of the mouse in the attic before…

To make you laugh — Context: I used to write weekly emails to my children after they left home. Below is an extract from one from 2013 Characters: my husband, Roger Locations: Gunnersbury Park, West London I forgot to say that we started the day very early with a trip to Gunnersbury for golf at…