I’ve always believed that good health is the greatest gift we have and have learnt to be super grateful for it.
I’ve tried to eat as healthily as I could, by avoiding chemical additives and junk food – reading the labels and keeping as informed as possible.
I’ve kept all medications to an absolute minimum and I’ve used natural cosmetics and hair products where possible. They know me well in the local health food shop!
I’ve tried hard to celebrate the arrival of slightly more wisdom, over the worries about lines, ageing etc.
I’ve done the exercises that I actually enjoy, to try and keep as healthy as possible; my feeling is if you don’t enjoy it, you’ll never keep it up. So for me it’s been doing daily yoga for the last 7 years and walking in the park, or big nature walks, as many days as weather and schedule allow – about an hour 5/6 times a week.
I’m also resisting the temptations of the plastic surgeon’s promise of “ageing perfectly”! I shouldn’t be trying to look like my daughters and I honestly carry the badges of ‘Mum’ and ‘Grandma’ with great pride.
I’ve also found it really helpful over the years to have older role models than me – women who I felt had got it right and were doing it well. I’ve been empowered by their example – if they can do it, then hopefully so can I!
Finally I’ve tried to be honest about my age – now 67 – I’m OK about it and try never to use it as a reason for not doing something. I do think we can talk and believe ourselves into old age, like we can sometimes help to think and worry ourselves into ill health.
Terry wanted me to point out that my daily make-up routine is so quick that it usually involves 10 minutes in a moving car, on my way to somewhere – otherwise there never seems to be quite enough hours in the day. I’m afraid that’s always been the case as when I was a teenager and lived at the end of the, then, Bakerloo Line that moving vehicle was the rather too public Tube! This was/is all in contrast to my dear Mum who honestly did not come down to breakfast without her “face” on!
As a teenager my father also used to, cheerfully, assure me that my hair would probably fall out by the time I was 30, since in those days I washed it every single day. Luckily he was wrong, but many years ago I changed to using conditioner every day and hair washing only once a week.
A make-up artist many years ago, on one of the photo shoots we were doing, warned me against ever using alcohol in any products on my face, saying that it was like applying paint stripper! I listened to him and have since then – for better or for worse – only ever cleaned off make up with natural rose water or a mix of rose water and witch hazel. His words seemed to make sense.
7-years-ago I was asked by Alexandra Shulman to be a part of Vogue’s annual Age Issue. At first I said “no” feeling somewhat honoured, but also embarrassed. However, when Alex asked me to reconsider I realised that if I was allowed to do it on my own terms, it could be an interesting project to be a part of. So when they offered hair, makeup and professional photographers, I was able to choose Terry to do the picture with my normal own hair, make-up etc – but, most importantly to me, no post photography retouching or fiddling about!
Just to say I can have a “good” photo that I’m happy with or an embarrassing “look awful” one like most people and I’m not really shy to choose and ask for the one that looks ok: but to be retouching someone who was meant to be trying to celebrate being 60 and therefore “faking” it in a more flattering way, seemed to be unnecessary. Kindly Vogue humoured me and allowed the image to run as we had supplied it. Even our son Matt said to me afterwards “It’s a good photo of you Mum, It looks like you!” which was I felt the very best of compliments.
Credits
Photography Terry Jones