In the city, I wake bolt upright in the small hours, convinced that intruders are marauding through our apartment despite Swiss bank-style security arrangements.

Having a baby is a disaster for your career. I don't think there's any sympathy.

We invest less in our friendships and expect more of friends than any other relationship. We spend days working out where to book for a romantic dinner, weeks wondering how to celebrate a partner or parent's birthday, and seconds forgetting a friend's important anniversary.

Like cars, every relationship requires a bit of an occasional service, and fine-tuning should be compulsory.

When the going gets tough, the prospect of delegating half your responsibilities to a willing volunteer, either to play a supporting role or take over the breadwinning, certainly holds allure.

I was told that when you hit forty men stop looking at you. It's true, until you slip on a mini-skirt.

Reading a book you are not enjoying is a torture not to be undertaken without a reward. I leave plays at the interval, too!