TULA BREAKS HER SILENCE I hid for 25 years but I’m back, holding my head high
my stomach. I’d gone from Vogue to this. I had hatemail saying I was an abomination too. That’s when I began to shut down, to turn down all work. I needed my sanity back. We moved to Atlanta and for six months I didn’t leave the house.
“No one knows but I had a complete breakdown. I needed to find the real Caroline again – not Tula.”
Caroline credits “soulmate” David with saving her and tells how they met by chance as he travelled in Europe.
She says: “David had got off at the wrong bus stop in Brent Cross, London. He walked into the restaurant I was in. I was meeting my lawyer but had gone into the wrong restaurant. It was destiny – when our eyes met it was love at first sight.”
The senior software architect proposed in 1992 and they wed in his home city of Montreal. Caro- line – born Barry Cossey – slowly began to get better. She gave up modelling and opened an antiques shop, working at night. She says: “I cut my hair and changed my image. It was the new start I had been waiting for. Within two years my inner strength had come back and it was easy to stay below the radar.” Caroline had been desperate for a family with David and two surrogate mums – her sister and a close friend – agreed to help. But their circumstances changed and Caroline’s chance of motherhood slipped by. She says: “It was incredibly painful but just wasn’t meant to be. We made our peace with it.” When Caroline’s story was revealed it helped countless transgender women, and she admits being a role model is a reason why she has started working again today.
“I got letters from hundreds of girls saying I’ve saved their life,” she smiles. “I don’t have any regrets about the fact it became public, I just regret the fact it wasn’t my choice.”
One woman inspired by Caroline was new Loose Women panellist India Willoughby, 51. Caroline describes the TV presenter as “amazing” and the pair are firm Facebook friends.
She has also had a long chat with the world’s most famous transgender woman, TV star Caitlyn Jenner, 67 – who as retired athlete Bruce Jenner was married to Kim Kardashian’s mum.
So what of the future? Smiling broadly, she adds: “I’ve got a bucket list. There are some nice offers on the table and I’ve sold the movie rights to my life. It will be interesting to see who plays me...”
AQClarice Cliff, “The Sunshine Girl”, has never faded from the public’s imagination since her ground-breaking designs appeared at the dawn of the 1920s. She was one of our most prolific designers. Your piece is quite typical of the style of the mid to late 30s. An autumn crocus pattern preserve pot makes about £150, as does a mustard pot. You’d be looking at £100-£150 for the jug, maybe £200 for both. I have a ceramic Alsatian, quite large with a gloss finish. The dog is seated and is numbered 2,410 by Royal Doulton. Please can you tell me more – and a possible value?
ABeswick, bought by Doulton in 1969, are very well known for their animal figurines – dogs and horses are the most popular. Your Alsatian was part of the Fireside series. Others included a dachsund and a Dalmatian. Graham Tongue created your Alsatian in the early 1970s – in very good condition it would cost around £100. The fox, one of the rarest, makes £350-£450+.