The picture above is of me at 26, taken when my daughter was about 15 months old.

I was suffering with mild post-natal depression which came in bouts and I felt very mixed up and confused about life. I am now 63 and have moved into the final, 'crone', stage of my life.

So where did all my allure go? I guess it just got wrinkly and dropped off. But if you ask me if I would trade my present age to return to my youth I would have to answer, 'No, thanks'.

Okay, I can hear the derisive snorts from here and maybe that is a strange answer when so many of us are trying so desperately to hold back the ageing process, to appear forever young.

So why would I say that? In our 'old age is a dirty word' culture, why would I not want to be young again?