My daughter and grandchildren live in New Zealand where, at least in Maori culture, those who have gone before remain an acknowledged part of your present life. I remember when she was asked to present herself in a traditional Maori way she telephoned me and asked "Mum, how can I say 'My canoe was Air New Zealand – it's so insulting to their culture'?' We talked it through and yes, her river was the Thames, but some other traditional descriptions needed modern interpretation. Part of our family is a very close-knit Irish clan and I am the keeper of the family archive, which does need a bit of time that I don't have right now, but shall find. I think we do need to feel connected to those people who went before and made us who we are today and are still figures that shape not just our grandchildren's lives but the lives of descendants we shall never live to see. Of course, young people maybe be bored by the whole idea – just wait until they have babies and then grandchildren of their own. I am currently writing something that cannot possibly be described as an autobiography but is a dip in and out of the social and personal world during the years of my life and anecdotes – some happy, some sad, possibly some shocking and some just funny. It's a collage. Whether my grandchildren want to know about my river and my canoe, I don't know – but I would guess the time will come. If some of it's disturbing, shocking, mildly surprising or even frightening, surely it's just what made us the people we are.