When the war was over—whichever war that was.
Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 16 October 2010 source ↗
Others on this question
View all 577 →Probably last night, when I went into my sons’ bedroom and kissed them on their smelly heads.
I’m at my happiest in the ocean, and even better if my husband is there throwing me around.
People are often traumatised by the sleeplessness in the first years of their children’s lives, but I was insanely happy to be married and have two children. The only dark cloud was how much we were loathed for having babies who slept through the night.
More from Arlene Phillips
View profile →I play Classic FM in the car – emotional music brings me to tears thinking about people I’ve loved and lost.
Kind, thoughtful and gave damn good advice.
My daughters and granddaughters.
Loving, creative, demanding.
In school, I was 11, and we had to paint a picture of family life. My painting was held up to the class and I was told it looked like a spider with ink on its feet had walked across the page. It was done so viciously – humiliating.
Carlos Acosta, for his incredible achievement in dance.
More on time & hindsight
- What is the most important lesson life has taught you? 137 answers
- What advice would you give your twenty-year-old self, and what should they ignore? 77 answers
- What scares you about getting older? 61 answers
- What is the best advice you have ever received? 28 answers
- If you could have a gigantic billboard anywhere, what would it say and why? 23 answers
- What is something you were told by a parent, teacher, or mentor that you still repeat to yourself? 22 answers
Also answered this
Dustin Hoffman, Andy Roddick, Martin Scorsese, Jess Phillips, Roger McGough, Carrie Brownstein
Search the directory for somebody in particular.
Explore further
- All time & hindsight questions
- The The Q&A questionnaire — 25 questions from the same format
- Explore the archive — by field, age, era, and subject