Up until about 12 years ago we never, ever, wore flak jacket or helmets but now the nastiness has got worse.

I sailed through my childhood with a complete lack of any drama.

I also read modern novels - I have just had to read 60 as I am one of the judges for the Orange Fiction Prize.

I wrote in the book very specifically what I wanted to write about, period, and left it at.

There was no equal pay law when I started working. I was no different to any other woman in any other job at the time.

I keep telling myself to calm down, to take less of an interest in things and not to get so excited, but I still care a lot about liberty, freedom of speech and expression, and fairness in journalism.

I was sent to a nice Church of England girls' school and at that time, after university, a woman was expected to become a teacher, a nurse or a missionary - prior to marriage.