1 I was widowed young, left with a child, three dogs and two cats, a business selling woodstoves and lining chimneys, an almost finished house by the river and a future which looked bleak so living as a single mother was thrust upon me. I dated a lot of men over time but never for long. Now I have the feeling that even if somebody as winsome and rich as Brad Pitt asked me, I wouldn't get married again. I'm as happy now as I could be, writing, reading and watching Eggheads. Also, apart from when I work, I have the attention span of a gnat. Who would put up with me?
Doctor of the High Fells
2 I love cooking for myself. I shop each day and therefore eat exactly what I choose. As I have nobody at home, I eat while working and drink good red wine in the evenings. I can go out for breakfast, lunch and dinner either by myself or with friends.
3 My money is mine. Nobody asks what I want it for, why I need another handbag or how come I have a massive black American fridge in my kitchen when there is only me. I chose everything I wanted for that kitchen, a black microwave, a black gas fired cooker which looks like an old range and cream units.
4 I have help. A gardener, a lady to to do the house and a window cleaner so I don't have to do chores. I could send out the washing and ironing but at the moment I don't. It's all a matter of choice.
5 Nobody else drives my car. My daughter claims nobody would ever want to, since it's an old Fiat Panda, we call it Pumphrey, The Ice Cream Van after Pumphrey's coffee house in Newcastle upon Tyne and because of its shape and colour. Pumphrey loves cutting up sports cars on the M6 and has done the ton.
6 I always had dogs and cats but my last lovely moggie died about eight years ago. I live right on a dual carriageway so no more animals. I do enjoy my freedom, I can pack up and leave whenever I feel like it.
7 I don't watch television in the evenings. I suppose I might enjoy this if I had somebody there but I find it boring so either I go to the theatre or the cinema. If I stay at home I work in my little back garden room with the door open when the weather is fine and watch the birds washing, drinking and in the case of pigeons also pooing in the bird bath! I clean it out a lot.
8 I consider that I live in the office, so no a space for anyone else. I have an study upstairs but I also write in bed ( it was good enough for Wellington who used to plan his battles in bed ), in the little back room, in what used to be the dining room and is now a sitting room and in the front sitting room which has an octagonal table for if I want to watch the world go by. I live in a very busy little city and there is always something happening.
9 I love newspapers and don't like anybody else messing them up! I buy the i every day and since I used to be a journalist I buy most of them within a week since I like to see what standard the writing is. I like the Guardian politically but the Daily Telegraph has the best writing, the Times is a bit downmarket from where it used to be but some of the Saturday magazine articles are brilliant. The i is by far the best though I do have problems with the quick crosswords. I'm not very good at stuff like that.
10 Being a writer I relish the space and time in which I have by myself. I speak to everybody when I'm out but I'm reserved and I don't like chit chat. I live life completely on my terms, something which is only possible because either the silence, the music or the joy of reading is mine alone. I have hundreds of books, mostly non fiction for research and I spend at least four hours a day reading. I'm sure that seeing this will make some people think that it's a selfish way to live. It wasn't something I chose but I have learned to use various strategies in order to make myself happy and it works for me.