JULIET STEVENSON
Her life
Juliet, 61, lives in north London with her partner, Hugh, who is an anthropologist. They have four children between them: Tomo, 33, Jonah, 31, Rosalind, 23, and Gabriel, 16.
How tidy is your house?
Lots of people come to stay, so it’s quite an effort to keep it as tidy as I would like. We’ve literally never moved into our bedroom – we’ve never quite unpacked the boxes.
What is your signature dish?
Hugh does the cooking. He’s a brilliant cook. I can make a fish pie and I do a good roast chicken and that’s about it.
Your best-ever bargain?
Probably when I wandered out of Harrods with a pile of rare and expensive mushrooms and forgot to pay for them! I didn’t mean to. It’s my only shoplifting experience. It was about 25 years ago. I thought, ‘Should I go back?’ and then thought, ‘Ah no, I think Harrods can afford it.’
Are you a saver or a spender?
A spender. If I’ve got it, I will spend it, and if I haven’t got it, I’ll be quite frugal.
What one thing do you always have in your cupboard?
Marmite. I used to carry a small pot around in my handbag because I was so panicked that I might be somewhere eating a piece of toast that didn’t have it.
The food you can’t do without?
I really love fruit. I have to eat it, I get cravings for it. That’s not to say I eat brilliantly healthily all the time – I’ll eat a Mars bar and then an apple.
Your dream dinner party guests?
William Shakespeare, of course. I’d like my brother, who died in 2000 sadly, and my dad who I lost a long time ago. I would love to see them. I think Pope Joan would be fun, the only female pope. Or Amy Johnson, the female aviator.
When did you last clean your bathroom?
I clean the bathroom quite regularly. I clean the bath – especially when my son’s been in it. The men in my family are pretty mucky and very untidy.
What is your biggest extravagance?
I love clothes. Every summer Hugh works in Vancouver and we join him, and the clothes are amazing and slightly cheaper than here so I go a bit mad. It’s a bit like feast or famine, I make myself not buy any clothes for months and months.
What one thing will always lift you out of a mood?
Our cockapoo Millie. She’s a one-stop stress buster, she’s just so funny and loving and is always so pleased to see you.
How often do you change your bedclothes?
Once a fortnight.
Hoarder or clutter-free?
Hoarder. I’ve kept every pair of shoes my kids have ever walked in. I know it’s insane. I have this idea to do a mural starting with the tiny first pair, as a kind of footpath of their shoes as they get bigger and bigger.
Where in the world is your happy place?
Sitting in the kitchen with my kids. The kitchen is like the womb of the house – it’s got a big sofa in it, everybody gathers in it.