Eleanor's Letter: Elections, New Starts and a pinch-me moment
My first outing as an author not a hack to the Harper Collins Summer Party
Dear Queenagers,
What a week of excitement – a shiny new government. An historic landslide. Election night felt very personal given that I live in Kentish Town in the next street to Sir Keir and Lady Starmer. I watched the action unfold at a party in another Labour Front bencher’s constituency, with his wife there for some of it. She kept saying: “It hasn’t happened yet, I’ll start believing it tomorrow.” I looked at my watch. “Tomorrow is now, it’s today,” I said. I gave her a big hug. There was a sense of a wave swelling, of it being unleashed – of something massive and new beginning. For her particularly but also for all of us. A welcome difference to the right wing take over in France and in much of Europe. Whatever your political leanings – and The Queenager is really not here to take sides – I reckon everyone can see that after 14 years things were getting pretty rotten in the State of Conservatism and it was time for a new broom. Even my old true blue editor admitted that…. Of course, whether, given the lack of cash in the UK kitty, Starmer’s lot can really make that much difference only time will tell. But for the last few days despite the rain and greyness I have felt the political tectonic plates shift in a good way. It has felt historic. It has made me glad.
And now I am in Devon on my holidays. It is such a rare treat to have both daughters back from university and to have them to ourselves without their usual cadre of mates and partners. This feels like such precious time. When they were small we would come to this part of north Devon every summer for a fortnight. We have family down here. We would potter up and down the beach dwarfed by its vastness. My husband would build epic sand castles with the girls. We’d all go into the wild surf, with our boogie boards and play with the waves for hours come rain or shine.
We discovered when they were both very little that this was something we ALL loved doing. It’s so important as a family to find something you all like equally. As a kid I rode a lot of ponies, my mother loved horses. It sounds very spoilt and privileged to complain about that but I was severely allergic to the four-footed friends and very round – the result? I fell off most times I went out on my pony and broke many bones. Surfing is a lot less dangerous and a lot more fun – particularly now there are wetsuits. I know of no greater happiness than a few hours spent zooming into the beach on large, green Atlantic rollers. Or even just battling out to catch them -the white fury of the ozone-intoxicating foam, the spray, the salt in my eyes, the vast expanse of sand and cliffs. Acres of sky. Wheeling gulls. Blue water, distant islands. Space, cleaness, freedom, fresh air. And most of all the necessity of being here in the now watching the movement of the water. Essential as inattention means a big wave will take me out. Every year it takes a moment to swallow the natural fear of all that pounding water, get your boogie rhythm back in terms of being in the right place with the board and jumping at the right time as a big wave comes close… Of course the whoops of joy from family members add to the magic. Plus knowing there will be hot chocolate marshmallows and cream and leisurely disrobing and sitting looking out over the beach afterwards. Tired but replete. Scrubbed clean by the surf. Chatting amicably. Happy days. So many memories. Like being back in a time spiral surrounded by the ghosts of the girls as little children. Of so many other times spent happily right here.
I woke this morning to rain but now the wood pigeons are cooing and the sun is coming through which means it’s time to make a picnic and get to the beach. Forgive me this shorter missive today, I am on my holidays but just wanted to say I am thinking of you all and send my customary newsletter.
The next few weeks are going to be very intense as the book comes out on August 1st – I am here in Devon mustering some energy and taking some downtime for the tumult which is coming. But most of all I wanted to send a huge thank you to everyone who has already pre-ordered the book; we had a big uptick last week. For those of you who missed my last email, Waterstones have incredibly kindly offered a half price discount on my book Much More to Come: Lessons on the mayhem and magnificence of midlife. If you order it from Waterstones.com and use the code Muchmore50 it is £8.99 not £16.99. The more we can sell in advance of August 1st the more chance there is that the book will be picked up by the supermarkets and we can spread the word of the Queenager Revolution and everything we are doing at noon.org.uk to drive a more positive narrative about older women and how we are never too old and it is never too late to start a new chapter. I am so excited about changing this story, not for me, but for everyone and all the women who are coming up behind us. You are all such an important part of this -so please spread the word and if you can, please buy the book for yourself or someone else.
My other big highlight of last week was a party. For the first time I went as an Author to the massive Harper Collins Author party at the Victoria and Albert Museum. A thousand writers, agents, publishers and hacks, cocktails and champers around the fountain in the courtyard. I used to go in my old life as an editor, it was always one of the best summer bashes. But there was something so special about being back there in my new incarnation, representing all things Queenager and my book. Not being there as a journalist. It felt very sweet to be back in the same world but in a very new way, in a different role with a much bigger purpose and intent. And to be able to thank all the brilliant people at Harper Collins who have made my book a reality, particularly my Publisher Lisa Milton and Rachael Kiddulf my editor. But it is really thanks to all of YOU for helping me to do that! Your support for this newsletter is what made the book happen. Lets hope we can really change things when it comes to Queenagers!
Lots of love and enjoy your weekend!
Eleanor
Ps Two dates for your diaries
July 16th: Queenager Pensions - it’s not too late! Our webinar on making the most of your precious money (no question too trivial or stupid, come and find out what you need to know). Hosted by me with the top pension woman at AJ Bell - Free, click here for a ticket
July 25th: NOON Book Club with the AMazing Adele Parks talking about her fab new Queenager book First Wife’s Shadow (perfect for a gripping sunlounger read) - interviewed by me. Everyone welcome. Free. Book your spot here.
Happy relaxing holidays x