Am I old?

DRIVING into Cardiff recently I was met with the eye roll that has become habitual from my daughter as I turn on the engine and Radio 4 wakes up to deliver fascinating insights or a window to the world.

Occasionally I’ll pop on Radio 2, on a Saturday for Graham Norton, Sunday for Michael Ball or I eat lunch with Jeremy Vine, but generally I am a Radio 4 kinda gal.

I may not be a gardener and yet I enjoy Gardeners Question Time. I neither know nor care what type of soil I have and yet I like listening to people talk with passion and experience about theirs.

The Kitchen Cabinet I love for the culinary history and Jay Rayner’s foodie humour; driving home from my son’s football practice I lap up Front Row; I’m filled with joy if I happen upon Sue Perkins on a half hour comedy panel show; Woman’s Hour constantly inspires and I couldn’t contemplate starting the day with anyone other than John Humphries, Nick Robinson et al on Today.

I know about the process by which we could launch a nuclear strike, genes that effect obesity and the history of the word ‘monkey’, all from radio 4.

My daughter twiddled about and out blared Radio 1, the one saving grace being no adverts. I can’t bear radio adverts. I love music. I’ve spent nights in Heaven and Ministry of Sound but now love a dance to songs with words.

We headed into town with one purpose, Smiggle.

For the uninitiated, of which I was one until recently, this stationary shop seems to have a grip on Juniors’ affections and pocket money in the way Garbage Pail Kids stickers and Troll Dolls did when I was about 10.

It is the visual equivalent of a really banging tune (I know, I really just wrote that). As my daughter whizzed around (the bright colours seemed to speed her up), I stood with a random dad and shared experience of this being our first visit and how we kept hearing how we had to come.

You don’t want to know how much was spent on stationary that day (crikey), but I had a very happy child.

I do have beautifully crafted hard back books containing high quality paper from quiet stationary shops, in which I draft stories and articles, but they don’t smell of banana and none are bright blue and green.

Maybe I’m old or at least, getting old. But one joy of that is that I know what I like and no, not that I just like what I know.

I am an open-minded soul as I think anyone that knows me, knows.

More, the pleasure in ageing is that I care less what others think about what I like.

I recognise and value that we’re all different and that we grow, develop, learn, discover and that’s the real adventure of life.

Now it’s time for tea, slippers and The World Tonight before bed, ahhhh.