If I have time to myself I. . . think about writing. . . and then I write . . . sometimes one sentence, or a few thousand words on a really good day You wouldn't know it, but I am very good at. . .

yiddish exclamations. For example yesterday I was so verklempt I nearly plotzed. Oy!

You may not know it but I am very bad at. . .revealing things about myself. I don't know what else to tell you.

A book that changed me. . .The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. Written after her husband's sudden death, her very personal exploration of loss and grief is deeply moving.

Movie heaven. . . Remains of the Day, Out of Africa and Rebecca . . . these are my favourite 'comfort' movies.

When I was a child I wanted to be. . . one of the Brady Bunch (above). That was my answer when I was six . . . my brother said he wanted to be a bin man.

All my money goes on. . . cookbooks, eating out and disposable contact lenses.

At night I dream of. . . eloping. Anyone who has ever planned a wedding has a recurring dream about this.

My biggest regret. . . setting my alarm clock. It always seems like the right thing to do but when it rings I want to kill whoever is responsible.

If I wasn't me I'd like to be. . . Ella Fitzgerald.

Her voice and music never fail to calm my worrying head.

It's not fashionable but I like. . . my Converse runners (below), my long sleeve Gap teeshirts . . . and a cream cardigan bought in Paris that has an indelible coffee stain on the front.

The soundtrack to my life. . . 'You're driving my crazy' by Louis Armstrong. No day is complete without the sound of his voice.

The best invention ever. . . garlic peelers. Use one and you'll begin a whole new relationship with those garlic cloves.

Under My Skin by Alison Jameson is published by Penguin