Sunday with Kim Wilde: ‘If it’s sunny, I’ll start gardening in my pyjamas’
Are you an early riser? Invariably, Sunday’s a travel day – I do gigs on Saturdays. If I’m home, I lie in until the dogs make that noise you can’t ignore, then I stagger down, give them a carrot and let them out. If it’s sunny, I’ll start gardening in my pyjamas. We live in a 16th-century barn in Hertfordshire. There’s a cottage garden, a wildflower meadow, a garden with a tropical vibe… a lot of plants.
What’s on the menu? If I fancy a cooked breakfast, I’ll have egg and bacon. If I don’t, it’s some bran and muesli thing with yoghurt, seeds and berries. In summer, we don’t really do roasts. I grow lots of salad, so I add a bit of fish, chicken, feta or halloumi.
And for exercise? Mostly an insane amount of gardening and walking the dogs. I do Sporadic Yoga. I do it sporadically… when my sister Roxanne muscles in and takes me outside. Or my niece, Scarlett, my backing singer. They’re yoga instructors. I’m surrounded by downward dog-ers.
Family time? If my son, Harry, (24) and daughter, Rose, (22) are home, we’ll hang out. I’ll play backgammon with Rose. Every now and again, the dice roll in my favour. I’ve got an above-ground pool we got off the internet. I jump in every day whether it’s 2 degrees or 11, even if we have to break ice. I’m quite hardcore. I’ll go in naked if no one else is around.
And to relax? I’ve taken on an allotment with a girlfriend. We’re growing kale, courgettes, beetroot, radishes, cucumbers. It’s a wonderful place with peace, quiet and like-minded good souls. There’s a gentle rivalry omnipresent, but it’s mostly just camaraderie. If I do anything else, it’ll be washing. Tragically, I find that therapeutic.
On Sunday night? I light candles and listen to Mike Oldfield’s Ommadawn, beautiful meditative music I listen to every night, while I have a bath. Then, I do my mind-clearing – a mental housekeeping exercise going through events of the day. I’m early to bed – 10 or 10.30pm – because I get up early. I’m a great sleeper. I sleep for England.
Kim Wilde: the Greatest Hits tour beginson 10 September (kimwilde.com)