Interviews

Like a lot of people my Mum wrote diaries. After she died we found 30 years worth! I thought they might have the answers to life’s big questions - they didn’t! She wrote simple, mundane, often funny, one liners about her everyday life: January 17th 1998, “The dog crapped all over the carpet!”. Her diaries made me think about other women and how they mange their everyday lives too. This hatched an idea: to interview 100 women and see what would happen. There were many reasons for this; a) I’m very curious, b) am I getting the best out of my life? and c) now Mum was gone, where was I going to get my life wisdom from? I came up with a list of questions loosely based on an ordinary, everyday conversation; How are you? How’s the kids, What’s the weather like today? I began collecting conversations. My discovery; a treasure chest of insight, humour and wise words. It seemed selfish to keep it all to myself so I started to blog and eventually wrote my first book. Collecting Conversations.

I never intended only talking to women so once I’d got my menopause out of the way I turned my focus to men. Lockdown honed me in. 100 men interviewed, three milliion words transcribed and my next book crystallised. ‘Men Talk’ is out now! Below are extracts from 200 interviews with both men and women…

Posts in 60 Somethings

The balance tips and I end up doing too much

Maggie 65 from Ireland. Lives in London. Widowed & divorced. Three grown up kids. A retired dinner lady.

60 SomethingsSam BunchMay 28, 2017womenComment

If I lost my voice it would be a tragedy

Jean 64. Divorced mum of two grown up children. Now retired and very much a free, independent spirit.

60 SomethingsSam BunchApril 2, 2017womenComment

I love to belt out Elvis songs!

Rose, 67. Married from London. She has two grown up children and works full time as an administrator in a primary school.

60 SomethingsSam BunchMarch 19, 2017womenComment

I can tell a bullshitter straight away

Ruby 65 from Liverpool. She's single and lives in London. She has one adopted child.

60 SomethingsSam BunchMarch 5, 2017womenComment

I want to be able to make noise!

Catherine 60 lives with her long term partner and two grown up children. She works full time in IT.

60 SomethingsSam BunchSeptember 11, 2016womenComment

It’s another day, what will it bring? I’m alive

Josie 66, widowed, retired, from Lancashire, two grown up girls, Grandma to three boys.

60 SomethingsSam BunchJune 1, 2016womenComment

I have a fantasy of being a poet's muse!

Frankie 68 retired shop owner from London, separated no kids, about to start out on a new adventure.

60 SomethingsSam BunchMay 22, 2016womenComment

You can put me in a black bin bag and sling me down the bottom of the garden

Stella 61 married with two grown up children. Works full time as a school administrator.

60 SomethingsSam BunchFebruary 24, 2016womenComment