With the warm-heartedness and candour that is her hallmark, Sheila Hancock, the grand dame of British acting who was 90 in February, has written a book about dealing with old age and widowhood, after the death of her actor husband John Thaw.
In the first of , she relived the day she got her damehood.
Here, she tells how, despite ageing, she always finds reasons for joy…
SHEILA HANCOCK: ‘I am two years older.Either I spend money on making it more old-lady-friendly, or I pass it on to someone else to experience its joys’
SHEILA HANCOCK: ‘hat they see is cracks in the walls, the lack of privacy, the neglected grounds, the potholed track.One potential buyer even complained when he heard [my neighbour] Denis’s cock crow’
September 2022
My first time in France in two years. Everything seems altered – including me.The journey there now seems arduous, the track down to the house feels perilous, as does climbing into the bath to shower, and descending the steep stairs with no handrail.
I am two years older. Either I spend money on making it more old-lady-friendly, or I pass it on to someone else to experience its joys.
So – I can hardly bear to write this – my beloved French home is on the market.It feels like a betrayal – of the 30 years of refuge and solace it has given [my late husband John Thaw] and me.
I have been showing possible buyers round and it is upsetting. For a third of my life, I have loved my home and thought it beautiful.I know it is simple, without a pool or central heating, but I thought people would see its glory and fight to own it.
But that hasn’t happened. What they see is cracks in the walls, the lack of privacy, the neglected grounds, the potholed track.One potential buyer even complained when he heard [my neighbour] Denis’s cock crow.
Admittedly the old bird is tone-deaf but if he gets too rowdy a bit of Mozart usually shuts him up. The buyer (or not, as it turned out) couldn’t get away quick enough when I told him that.
I now realise I have neglected the poor little house since John died.I hadn’t noticed there really are huge cracks. This year has been scalding hot with hardly any rain, and these medieval houses have no foundations, so the walls do move.
The locals ignore them. When I told Denis next door, there was a lot of French shrugging.
Ah, Denis!If a buyer wants to be private, I suppose this is not the house for them. I enjoy having chats with the neighbours, and in the summer seeing Lydie’s little ones jumping around naked outside my kitchen window.
The close relationships between the inhabitants are a big bonus for me.They are my European family. How will I bear eventually to say goodbye?
Sheila Hancock with her late husband John Thaw with daughters Melanie (left) and Joanne (right)
SHEILA HANCOCK: ‘The close relationships between the inhabitants are a big bonus for me.They are my European family. How will I bear eventually to say goodbye?’
SHEILA HANCOCK: I considered going into battle again. But then I thought: ‘Sod it.I can’t be bothered’
November 13, 2022
I am fascinated by Liz Truss. She has seemed to thoroughly enjoy destroying the economy and nearly democracy itself.
She was thrown out, but she is still having a ball.She has a new outfit for every event and obviously a hairdresser, and maybe make-up artist in tow.
I was open-mouthed to see her at the solemn Cenotaph ceremony today. She had been Prime Minister for only a disastrous 44 days, yet she saw fit to attend.Has the woman no shame? No awareness of what is right and proper?
She pranced on in a new black hat, lipstick to match her poppy, with all the living prime ministers. As is the tradition. But even Boris Johnson served a few years.
Is it perhaps something she has to do to prove her right to an ex-prime minister’s lifetime pension? Or is she just terminally stupid?And what must the new King think? It’s taken him 74 years to get there.
November 2022
On the opposite bank of the River Thames in London where I live there is a venerable private school.
A few years ago, we residents on the other side received a letter informing us that they were seeking permission to do a major development.I was suspicious that the trees in front of the school, which for most of the year make it invisible to us and the thousands of people that walk on our side, would be sacrificed to give the splendid new building a good view of the river.
So, of course, I trekked along to take a look at the designs, duly made an objection, even demanded a meeting with the then-headmaster, was given lots of promises and have kept an eagle eye on the now neglected and newest news sickly trees ever since.Today I received another letter about more permission for further major last news developments.
The school now has its first female head, so, in a sexist way, I hoped she might agree that ignoring all those who take pleasure from the seasonal changes in the ancient trees as they use the river path, in favour of the view for a few privileged young men, might be unfair.So what am I going to do? Nothing.
I considered going into battle again. But then I thought: ‘Sod it. I can’t be bothered.’
