Success, in whatever form it takes, is a tricky thing - once you've achieved your goal, then what? Where do you aim?

I was accorded the opportunity to learn by failing - albeit at the cost of a few honourable teachers' sanity - and now I realise what a rare and incredible luxury that is.

My parents both had Oxford degrees, they read important books, spoke foreign languages, drank real coffee and went to museums for pleasure. People like that don't have fat kids: they were cut out to be winners and winners don't have children who are overweight.

The real me now may not be thin but she's got the cake and, if she likes, can eat it too.

I spent my entire childhood living abroad because of my father's occupation, so we were on long-haul flights all the time.

I dont understand boys - just ask my husband.

When popularity is your only goal, doing well in class is going to feature very low, if at all, on your priority list.