MY LIGHT BULB MOMENT
Tonya Kidd-Beggs, 50, founded independent fragrance brand stories Parfums in 2018. she lives near Belfast with husband ian and their four children, aged 24 to 14.
MY GRANDMOTHER died before I was born but I grew up with her presence around me.
She was a businesswoman when few women worked and had lovely jewellery and clothes, which my mother kept. We used to spray her perfume on her clothes and I felt I had a strong connection to her through her fragrance.
I had quite a troubled childhood and my life spiralled out of control in my 20s. When my first marriage failed, I became a single mother.
I had some counselling to deal with the root of my problems and realised I had no memory of my childhood; I’d blocked it out. But, during that time, while I was out walking, it was as if this beautiful scent enveloped me. I thought: ‘If I could just bottle that.’
Happily, I met my second husband, had three more children and became a stay-at-home mum. Then in 2016, when I was 45 and the twins were five, I decided I needed to do something for myself.
I wrote to all the independent perfumeries in Grasse, France, the fragrance hub of the world, and explained I wanted to learn to create my own signature fragrance.
I was lucky — the third oldest perfume house in the world opened its doors to me. There, I learnt how to blend fragrances. As I sat surrounded by the tiny brown bottles, I confronted some of my most painful memories. You’re blind-testing the notes, based on how they make you feel, and each scent I inhaled marked the beginning of a healing journey.
I began recreating the scent I had dreamed about, which became Stories No.01, a bright citrus scent combining bergamot and grapefruit with back notes of amber and sandalwood.
The second scent I made recalled days spent in my grandfather’s garden as a child, among his rose bushes and orange trees. I like to think of Stories No.02, a woody oriental fragrance, as an invitation to shed your shoes at the river and recover that which has been lost.
We launched in October 2018 with these two. Within a year, we were stocked in Harvey Nichols followed by Fenwick and Fortnum & Mason.
During lockdown, we saw a 600 per cent increase in sales. People want emotionally connected brands that make them feel good.
MasterChef, 9pm, BBC1
OVER the past year, more and more of us have been honing our home-cooking skills, and competition in this year’s contest is going to be fierce. Over the next six weeks, John Torode and Gregg Wallace (pictured) will welcome 40 amateur cooks, each hoping to earn the right to wear the MasterChef apron and keep on cooking. Continues on Wednesday and Friday.
EIGHTIES SITCOM After Henry, 10.25am, 8.20pm, Forces TV
SIMON BRETT, who penned the Charles Paris novels, wrote this sitcom about three generations of women under one roof. It begins a repeat from the start today, and the sparring between Joan Sanderson and Prunella Scales is great fun. (Sky 181, Freeview 96, Freesat 165, Virgin 274)
GET CREATIVE Ricky Wilson’s Art Jam, 11am, CBBC
BEFORE he became the front man of the rock giants Kaiser Chiefs, Ricky Wilson (pictured) used to be an art teacher. Here, he is putting his skills to good use by showing children how to dramatically improve their art, demonstrating how to create marvellous masterpieces at home.
FOOTBALL Everton v Southampton, 7pm, Sky Main Event & Premier League
STRUGGLING Southampton face a tough trip to Goodison, as Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton look to follow up their victory in the Merseyside derby with another three points.
COMIC-BOOK DRAMA Pennyworth, Starzplay (via Amazon & Virgin)
THIS drama is an origin story for Batman’s butler, but it’s also a whole world all on its own. In this new, second season, Alfred is looking for a way out of civil war-torn Britain, while sociopath Sykes (a fantastic Paloma Faith) tires of her new job. New episodes arrive every Sunday.
ON-DEMAND MOVIE The Last Vermeer, BT TV/Sky Store/Virgin Movies
GUY PEARCE plays the Dutch artist Han van Meegeren in this tale of post-war justice, with Dracula’s Claes Bang as the army officer on the trail of a Vermeer sold to Goering. Based on a reallife story, this is charismatically acted and full of questions.
FILM COMEDY Sister Of The Groom, 8pm, Sky Premiere
THIS comedy takes a turn for the nasty as it follows Alicia Silverstone’s Audrey, who has a middle-age meltdown and sets out to sabotage her brother’s destination wedding.
PET RIVALS
Cats And Dogs At War, 9pm, 5Star
NEARLY half of UK households have pets, including an estimated nine million dogs and eight million cats. For this new series, canine expert Nanci and feline specialist Chirag travel to homes that have become battlegrounds, starting with one dog versus two cats in Cheshire.
ZOMBIE SAGA The Walking Dead, 9pm, Fox
STEEL yourself for more nail-biting brutality as the drama returns for a new run. We’re with Maggie and Daryl’s relatively nice group of survivors for much of tonight as the raging recent returnee looks for her son. Look out for the last shot, which is pure western.
LOOKING FOR LOVE Teen First Dates, 10pm, E4
BRISTOLIAN rapper Freddie — or MC Fredstar, as he’s known — is bored with girls who only want access to his VIP guest list. Will he have a hit with trainee teacher Ella? Fred Sirieix also welcomes Caitlyn, who is convinced there are ‘no nice boys in the
Midlands’, to the restaurant.
NEW ARRIVALS Emma Willis: Delivering Babies In 2020, 10pm, W
EMMA (pictured) speaks to Heidi and Ben, who are expecting identical twin boys, and already have a two-year-old with a drum kit. The pandemic certainly hasn’t made life easier for them, but Emma finds a positive — it has made so many families across the country spend more time together.