Thursday 17 June 2010

Something About Mary

Mary Portas made me cry and all she did was unite three sisters in their love of fruit and veg. Pitiful? Perimenopausal? Either way, I'm a sucker for those make-it-alright-happy-ever-after shows, I'd like Mary to come round and put my life in order. In fact, my new found love for her knows no bounds since I bumped in to her on the Marylebone High Street. I say 'bumped' more of a swerve; she hurtled round the corner in full voice, all big bags and red hair, as I was changing my mind as to where I was going for a coffee, and suddenly we were eye-ball-to-eye-ball. She beamed, looking rather fab having newly turned 50, swerved and continued her odyssey.

I have to say I wasn't particularly enamoured when I first came across the tall redhead, especially when she started revamping charity shops. I can understand the need for profile raising and profit margins in order to swell the coffers of cancer research and feed-the-poor-people-in-Africa outlets, but it didn't help my elusive search for top bargains at bottom prices. It was Desert Island Discs that did it....doesn't it always? Her extraordinarily high-octane, over-flowing cup of enthusiasm for all things, can-do attitude, belies a childhood of loss and dreams dashed. The fourth of 5 kids, left to fend for themselves after the early death of her mother, swiftly followed by that of her father, saw her taking care of her younger brother and loosing out on her place at RADA. Undaunted, she pursued a career in retail, starting in John Lewis and ending up as being credited with turning Harvey Nichols into a household name, synonymous with all things glamorous, the one-stop shop for the uber-fashionista. The jump to TV was only a contract away. And now she truly is Queen of Shops. Not only did she marry and raise a son and daughter, she amicably divorced and moved in with Grazia Magazine's fashion features editor, Melanie Rickey, and everyone gets on like a house on fire. How cool is that?

Top tip: If you give yourself only one pampering treat, check out reflexology: get your feet flip-flop-fresh and put a spring in your step.

2 comments:

  1. I cry at daft stuff too - It must be the menopause. X factor and Britains got Talent had me in floods every week! I like Mary Portas - she seems like a feisty bird. Must have a go at Reflexology, ive always thought it would be heaven.

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  2. I love Mary! Wasn't it great what she did with the ladies with the greengrocer! They looked like there was no hope for them at all to start with. This week's with Under the Moon the furniture shop... amazing! xx

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