Hello lovely people,
Hope you're surviving and thriving as best you can. Crazy times, but to quote Kris Jenner, you’re doing amazing sweety!
We’ve got something a little different for you today. For you and your beautiful faces we have an interview I did with my mum on my mum. Enjoy!
Me: OK!
Mum: Oh my god
Me: Got some questions for you
Mum: Oh my god. Are you going to record this or what
Me: I am, yes
Mum: Where’s the
Me: It’s just there, it’s pointing at you
Mum: You might want to check it, that it’s recording
Me: It is
Mum: It’s important to check because they don’t always work
Me: Well I put it on… Right, ok. So, what’s your name?
Mum: My name’s Anita. And it means, a graceful white lily
Me: Does it actually?
Mum: Yes
Me: *laughs* When did you look that up?
Mum: *laughs* Years ago. We had baby books when you were being done (I think what she means here is when she was pregnant with me and picking a name… being done…)
Me: Is that why Nanny named you Anita?
Mum: No. I was named Anita, well, it took them a long time to find a name actually because I was going to be called Judy
Me: Ew (No offence to anyone called Judy, sure it suits you, just really wouldn’t have suited Mum)
Mum: But Judy reminded Mum (my Nan) of the dog next door
Me: Cool
Mum: So eventually I became Anita. But they couldn’t think of a second name
Me: Yeah. You’ve got no middle name. Where are you from?
Mum: I’m from Loughton in Essex. Right in TOWIE land
Me: *laughs* (Mum is nothing like a TOWIE girl) And then I've got, tell me a bit about yourself
Mum: That’s a bit vague
Me: Well, that’s like, education
Mum: Oh god
Me: Family background, what you were like as a kid, that kinda business
Mum: Well I was nasty to my sister, I used to scratch her, you could ask her that and she’d tell you I was really nasty to her. And. But we got over that. *laughs* I was a stroppy teenager who wouldn’t walk round the street with my mother
Me: Sounds familiar *laughs*
Mum: I went to normal sort of junior school but then went to grammar school because in those days they had the 11+ and I passed it even though I had the wrong paper, I had the answer paper instead of the question paper and I didn’t even realise
Me: *laughs* What do you mean the answer paper?
Mum: I don’t know somehow I
Me: All the answers were on it?
Mum: Yeah, but I didn’t realise. Anyway, but I did well enough apparently to pass so it was ok. And then I went to Reading University
Me: I mean it sounds like you shouldn’t have gone to grammar school
Mum: *laughs* So thick
Me: If you didn’t realise you had the answers in front of you!
Mum: (ignoring me) Then I went to Reading, to do Food Science because when I was 12 I went to the careers office and I found this thing called Food Science, and I liked food and I liked science, so I thought that sounded like a good job to do and I thought and everybody’s always going to need food so I should always have a job as a Food Scientist
Me: *laugh* Hmm
Mum: And I did go to Uni to do Food Science. Although my first choice when I did go to Uni was to go to Surrey to do dietetics (study of the diet and its effects on health), but I didn’t get the grades
Me: Boo
Mum: Boo. So, having been to Reading, I graduated and went and worked for the Leatherhead Food Research Association, for 8 years. 8 or 9 years. Before I went and did a bit of overseas development work. And then I went to Reading, no to, not to Reading, and then I went to Surrey and I've been there (teaching and whatever else she does) for 27 years
Me: They don’t need to know that *laughs*
Mum: *laughs* What else do you want to know?
Me: Well, I was gonna ask you, like, theatre-y stuff now
Mum: Okay do you want to know
Me: Unless there’s, unless you want to tell anyone any more about you
Mum: Yeah. So when I was
Me: *laughs*
Mum: Young I used to do lots of dancing, so I used to do ballet and tap and what we used to call modern stage in those days
Me: What like jazz?
Mum: Yeah. And I used to enjoy that. And then I went, but then I got a job in a baker’s shop, as a Saturday girl, and that meant I couldn’t do it anymore
Me: Aww
Mum: Aww. But I have sort of continued a bit of dancing as times gone on. Because I like that, because I can’t stand other sorts of exercise
Me: *laughs*
Mum: Particularly running. I used to, I, even when I was very young, I used to walk the flat races at school sports days in protest *laughs* because I knew I was going to come last anyway
Me: *laughs* Good
Mum: *laughs*
Me: Do you remember what the first show you saw was?
Mum: Oh my goodness. It would probably have been a pantomime
Me: Yeah. Cos we used to go, didn’t we?
Mum: Oh no this was when I was much smaller
Me: Yeah. But, like, I remember we
Mum: Oh yeah, with Nanny
Me: With Nanny and Grandad we used to go
Mum: And we used to go to Nanny, with Nanny and Grandad, my Nanny and Grandad. We would have gone, we went to the Palladium. And I'm pretty sure the first thing I saw would have been a pantomime. What I also saw. And that was one of the early things I saw, there were two things actually. One was the black and white minstrel show, which these days wouldn’t be allowed *laughs*
Me: Probably not. No
Mum: And um oh what’s his name, doesn’t matter, probably some, anyway, doesn’t matter. Yeah so they’re probably the first things I saw
Me: Uh huh
Mum: I can remember being late for the, well I think we were late for the black and white minstrel show because it was sort of going on when we went in
Me: Oh dear. You missed the beginning of the racism
Both: *laughs*
Mum: But we wouldn’t, when I was a child we wouldn’t have gone to anything serious because Mum and Dad didn’t like anything like that. I did go and see Henry V in Bristol with a friend. With, I think it was Kenneth Branagh in it actually. In his early days
Me: Very fancy
Mum: So yes. But that was with my friend Sally
Me: Hi Sally!
Both: *laughs*
Me: What else have I got written down. I've got. Oh you do choir don’t you, talk about choir
Mum: Yes, so, when I, at school I used to go sing in the school choir and I used to like that. I would never have done anything that required auditioning because I wouldn’t have, I wasn’t good enough for that. So, when I moved to Bookham I eventually joined Bookham Choral Society. Where I was one of the girls. Because we were markedly younger than everybody else even though at that time we were about 40
Me: *laughs*
Mum: And in fact we’re still called the girls *laughs* because everybody’s just got older. It’s not my favourite form of music because it’s choral and it’s all very it’s sort of religious texts and stuff and some of its pretty dirge-y. So it’s not my favourite but on the other hand it’s something that means I can’t think about anything else because I find it quite difficult so it stops me thinking about work and what-have-you
Me: Especially alto line
Mum: Yeah and it’s, well it depends whether we’re singing more than one note
Me: Yeah when it splits into 2. No chance. Especially as the woman who stands behind me is like *screams*
Mum: *laughs*
Me: Screaming her 2nd soprano line. So I can’t here a note of what I'm supposed to be singing *laughs* She’s lovely. But, very loud
Mum: So yeah, so I, and I enjoy it. It’s a nice social thing as well so
Me: Yeah
Mum: And I've been doing that for god knows how long now. Although I had a break when you were when you and Tim were young
(I joined Mums choir too, I call it my ‘old lady choir’)
Me: What else have I got. Oh yeah. What do you think about me doing theatre-y stuff?
Mum: As a career or as a whatever
Me: Well I’d like to do it as a career *laughs*
Mum: But that’s what, I know I know, but that’s what I, no I mean I was the person who took you to classes at Nomads (youth theatre) when you were 7
Me: Yeah
Mum: And you’ve never looked back!
Me: Yeah! I’m not good at anything else *laughs*
Mum: Maybe you’ve just not found what that is that’s the thing
Me: I thought about doing Geography teaching for a bit *laughs* then I was like, no
Both: *laughs*
Me: No thank you
Mum: No, I don’t, I think you love it, you're good at it and I think it’s just perseverance to keep going at it. And you know we’ll support you all the way
Me: Cute
Mum: But a, it’s a, if I didn’t think you were good at it I wouldn’t have promoted it. But you know, because you, I was also the one who forced you to go to the Arnaud (another youth theatre) audition I seem to remember
Me: You did yes
Me: What else have I got. Um, oh yeah, cos we want to do sort of like foody stuff for you, like where are some places you want to visit. Food. Counties. All that sort of thing
Mum: Ooo um
Me: Or like restaurants you’ve heard about. Like do you still want to go the The Fat Duck? Is that what it’s called?
Mum: Oh yeah. I’d love to go The Fat Duck once. Though we’ve got to take out a mortgage first. I think its about £350 a head at the moment or something ludicrous
Me: I imagine there’s a fairly long waiting list as well
Mum: Er depends when you want to go actually and I think it’s actually it’s gone up a lot. But if you go to Bray, where The Fat Duck is, Blumenthal also owns 2 pubs there
Me: Oh ok so you can kinda get a taste for it without going
Mum: Yeah one of which is Michelin starred and one of which isn’t. Because it’s also where the Waterside Inn was. So I would like to go just for the experience and one of the waiters actually at the Waterside said, used to work at The Fat Duck and he said everybody has to go there once. Because it’s a real experience. I’d like to do that. I’d like to go the Cake and Bubbles now I've heard about it! (Mum is an avid watcher of Masterchef and one of their ‘tests’ was at this restaurant) because that’s Adrià. And they were, and they are again iconic as chefs. Where else would I like to go? Can’t think now. *thinks forever* There are some number of places sort of where chefs have hotels I’d quite like to go to. Which would be nice
Me: Well yeah that’s like a stay and, at the same time isn’t it
Mum: Yeah exactly. But they’re hugely, again they’re hugely expensive *laughs* I’m trying to think. Where else would I like to go to eat? We’ve been to L’Enclume, been to The Waterside. I’d like to go back to The White Horse in Hascombe when it reopens to see Valentino because he’s good. In terms of overseas, there are some places in Spain which are meant to be very good, in Girona. And there’s a conference going to Girona next year so you never know
Me: *laughs* Throw your name into the mix
Mum: How do you think you choose where the conference is and which conference to go to *laughs* I’m sure there are lots of places I just can’t think of the top of my head. I’d like to go back to Vietnam to eat in some nice places there. I just like nice, good food it doesn’t have to be Michelin starred. A nice ham, egg and chips will do me fine if that’s what I fancy
Me: Fish and chips, your go to
Mum: Well I still remember when we went for a walk once and ended up in a pub and Tim had fishfingers and I had ham, egg and chips. And he was only little, he was very little, and he came up and stuck his fishfinger in my egg yolk saying I want sauce
Me: *laughs* Aww. Funny
Mum: I like good food and you know, with the judging food I've been to some very nice places. (Mum has judged best chef/best restaurant etc for the Surrey Life awards, see picture below for glamorous Mum with one of the winners in 2015) I’d like to go back to Sorrel as well, but again, all these places are closed at the moment. It’ll be interesting to see how many of them survive the time. I think Sorrel will
Me: Have you got a favourite restaurant?
Mum: At the moment? The favourite one I’d say at the moment is Sorrel because I think he’s an absolute genius. But you know that’s a particular style of food. Actually, the other one I’d like to go to is Blue Elephant which is a Thai one. They do a lunchtime, I think it’s a Sunday lunchtime buffet so maybe we’ll do that one day. So yeah, probably Sorrel at the moment
Me: Back on theatre-y things, you got a favourite play or musical?
Mum: My favourite musical would have to be Les Miserables
Me: *chuckles* So basic
Mum: Which I know is terribly predictable and boring but if you remember when I took you they’d only done about 3 bars and I was already crying *laughs* Yeah so probably that one if I was going to say a long term one. The more recent favourite is probably Come From Away. In terms of plays favourite. That’s an interesting one because probably my favourite… I actually, we went to The Globe, your father and I, and we saw some Shakespeare thing
Me: *laughs* Did it have a name?
Mum: They did it like in Mexico. I can’t remember which one it was. It might have been As You Like It or something like that. Because I liked that, I thought that worked really well
Me: I like As You Like It
Mum: I liked The Father, but not for you know it’s not nice
Me: Oh but it was just really good though wasn’t it, it was really clever
Mum: Yeah so and I think that’s the thing with theatre. Oh the other thing, the other musical I really liked was um *bashes table to think* Scotsborough Boys
Me: Oh yeah that was
Mum: Because I thought that was really good. The other thing, actually the Young Vic, I think, I quite enjoy a lot of the stuff in the Young Vic
Me: I really like the Three Sisters we saw
Mum: Yeah exactly I thought the way they staged that was incredible. Thought that was really good as well
Me: I like the Young Vic. Yerma
Mum: Yerma
Me: Yerma was really good
Mum: So yes, quite a few favourites really
Me: Got a favourite book?
Mum: Actually the one I've really enjoyed because I've read it twice now and I like is North and South
Me: Yeah cos you don’t tend to go back to books and read them again do you
Mum: No not often. And there was also one set in India which I liked and I can’t remember what it’s called now. I can never remember what books are called. But no I liked North and South. I like that one because it’s quite a feisty woman in it who goes through adversity
Me: Final question!
Mum: Oh!
Me: What about me annoys you the most? *laughs*
Mum: *pause* Oohh
Me: *mocking* Oohh it’s such an endless list
Mum: Well you’re not a morning person
Me: Yeah! And I don’t understand why you and Dad, since I've been back here, keep trying to talk to me in the morning cos I'm not gonna talk to you *laughs* I said it on the phone the other day, I was like, why do they keep trying to talk to me, they’ve known me for almost 25 years now WHY are they still trying to talk to me in the morning
Mum: *laughs* So yes that’s probably the main thing. Apart from the fact you’ve got that thing on your arm now
Me: *laughs nervously* Ok cool (I got a tattoo, she wasn’t too happy…)
Mum found an old game in the loft called A Question of Scruples and basically it’s scenarios and you have to answer how you’d react/respond etc. so here’s a couple of those, they’re quite dated but yeah;
Me: Oh *laughs* you hear a conversation of two strangers when you pick up our phone, do you listen?
Mum: *laughs*
Me: The answer, yes you would *laughs* you’re so nosey
Mum: Is that still on (pointing to phone recording)
Me: Yep
Mum: *laughs* I am inquisitive, I think that’s
Me: Inquisitive ok…
Mum: That’s what comes from an intelligent mind
Me: Uh huh
Mum: That’s what I say. I’m interested in things and people. And I do like people watching (she is the most unsubtle when it comes to people watching)
Me: Ah! Tidying up, you find an opened letter to your teenage son or daughter, do you read it?
Mum: *pause* Um
Both: *laughs*
Mum: Tidying up I, do I read it? I might have a quick glance to see who it’s from yes
Both: *laughs*
Mum: And then that decide whether I read it or not. But I’d always put it back so that nobody would ever know *laughs*
So now you know a bit more about Mum, I'm biased, but I think she's lovely!
We've been watching theatre streams and taking notes on some of those, we'll type up those notes and give you some more opinions soon. Keep your eyes peeled.
For now, keep washing your hands and keep your chin up. You are doing great!
Thanks gang, see you soon!
Ellie and Anita x
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