The highs and lows of seven decades – and what they’ve taught me

Aged 7 months: Family comes first

HERE I am with my adored grandfather Bill Mooney, who fought in two World Wars. At the time my parents were living with their two children in my grandparents’ three- bedroom rented house because there was so little council accommodation in bombed-out Liverpool. Times were hard for them all — but it was here, as a baby, I learnt my first important life lesson: that family (for better, for worse) trumps everything.

Aged 33: You’re stronger than you think you are

IN MY 30s I was a journalist, working for newspapers and magazines and also appearing on radio programmes, while juggling family life — which was tough. Here I am with our eldest son Daniel. Our second son Tom was stillborn at full term, and then at 33 I had Kitty, who had serious medical problems. Thank goodness I didn’t know at the time how much hospital treatment she would need. Life lesson: you can find extraordinary reserves of strength inside yourself, for the sake of those you love.

Aged 42: Life’s tough – get over it

THE PICTURE is carefree but life was stressful, balancing family problems (Kitty’s health, Dan’s teenage years) with writing fiction. We lived near Bath and my husband had to be in London a lot. I drank and smoked too much, and longed to escape at times. Life lesson: You’re sure to be disappointed and stressed, so just learn to deal with it.

Aged 6: Always dress to impress

BY THE time I was about six or seven, my parents had finally got their own council house. In the original version of this picture I was posing in front of the essential coal bunker (the coal fire heated the water, don’t forget) and so proud of the costume my clever mother had made. I learnt this life lesson from her: that even if you don’t have much money, you can always look your best.

Aged 16: You can be anything you want

AT THE age of 16 I discovered boys, but Mickey the cat remained my greatest love. At this stage my parents had moved to Wiltshire, taking out their first mortgage on a semi. So I went to the local grammar school and had my third vital lesson drummed into me at home and school: that studying hard and expecting the most of myself was the key to getting on in life.

Aged 23: Love comes in many forms

WHEN I was at University College London I met my first husband, fellow student Jonathan, and fell madly in love, marrying after only three months. We were passionate equals and took life pretty seriously, talking endlessly about what we would do with our futures. Life lesson: that an impetuous love could last for 35 years and even be sustained after divorce. Oh, and that a first child (Dan was born when I was 27) teaches you a new sort of love.

Aged 51: Keep reinventing yourself

WITH both children having flown the nest, I fought against the ageing process. I wanted to be young and free again, even though deep down I knew it was impossible. t I could still put on terrific parties (food for 40!) and stay up all night and even learnt how to ride a motorbike. It was fun, but in the end I lost my nerve. Life lesson: you can always re-invent yourself — but maybe you shouldn’t try this hard.

Aged 60: You never know what’s round the corner

I SEPARATED from my first husband in 2004 and remarried in 2007. Obviously this was a very painful period, but I was blessed with the support of my family — and that my marriage did not end in bitterness. With Robin I created a new, calmer life and my career in journalism really took off once more. Life lesson: never think you know what’s coming and always have faith that there will be calm after the storm.

Aged 70: We all feel like a child inside

WHAT I know now: Each of these vital life lessons is as relevant as ever. I may have changed in some ways, but not in the essence. Deep down I still feel like an ordinary Liverpool girl who needs to work hard and prove myself, and who dresses up to face the world. Retirement isn’t for me, because I have too much to do. Yes, I feel lucky — and that’s why, whenever there’s a chance, I will always pop a cork in celebration.