My friends. Violet creams. Books by Frank Cottrell Boyce. The view of the city from my window. When my daughter says things like "this spoon isn't spoony enough".

Dog poo – in a bad way. Neil Diamond – in a good way.

A black vintage sixties dress that has been mistaken for Chanel (I wish), black tights and very tall, tan T-bar heels from Topshop. And I have a fifties swimming costume that I wear around the house for fun.

Oh so many to choose from! Dirty Dancing does take some beating though. That bit where Patrick Swayze says 'No one puts Baby in a corner'.

It changes depending on what film I've just watched (my sayings tend to be film lines rather then deep philosophical things). At the moment it's "Better five minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special." Julia Roberts as Shelby in Steel Magnolias.

Years of breakfast radio and Downing Street early starts mean I've perfected the art of shower, outfit and make-up in less than ten minutes.

Leo. Same as my little girl. There's a lot of arguing and sulking in our house.

Oh, shoes. I have too, too many pairs of ridiculous heels, even though I live in one of the hilliest cities in the country, and one that still has cobbled streets. So mostly I just get them out of their boxes to admire them!

I'd like to say I only ever eat 80% cocoa solids plain chocolate but that would be a lie. I'm a fiend for sweets. Parma violets, floral gums, fizzy cola bottles, shrimps. Anything really.

Very, very naïve. With enormous hair. And I thought I was a bit of a geek. But people I went to school with say they thought I was odd in an interesting way.

Rachel is pretty much me. And her family are mine. I do have a little brother who used to dress as the Virgin Mary and my Mum did ban Ribena and Coronation Street. As well as the whole of ITV at one point.

Not as odd as you might think. The speeches are light relief though. Rachel takes far more concentration.

It's small. Everyone knows each other. And there's not a lot to do. At least there wasn't when I was growing up there. And it's probably the only school that has its own farm! But I think the books are a bit hard on the place. It's grown now. There are actually clothes shops that don't just sell enormous knickers and elastic waist skirts. Still no cinema though.

I like the freedom. And just remembering what it felt like to be sixteen. The whole of life ahead of you. All that possibility. All those first kisses. And first love.

I do. Partly because I'm still involved in that world. And partly because too many people think teenagers don't 'get' politics or aren't interested. They're wrong. They just know there are other ways to change the world too.

I did. It is strangely similar to Rachel's and makes for excruciating reading. E.g. Have snogged David from the hairdresser's, twice, who is going out with Spud's sister Suzanne. The second time was brilliant. It was at Newport Village Disco to Dire Straits. Except that Dad showed up to pick me up twenty minutes too early and actually DANCED across the floor. Also have changed my handwriting. It is much more stylish. Though it is slightly hard to read and Mum says handwriting that slopes this way is a sign of being slow.