The Lady Magazine 1st November 2019 Edizione posteriore

Dear Readers,
The saying “may you live in interesting times” is
generally thought to be an age-old Chinese curse
(although most experts now believe this to be a
myth dreamed up in part by the American politician
Robert Kennedy for a speech he gave in 1966).
We are certainly living through interesting times
now. I’m trying to avoid the ‘B-word’ but there is no
doubt that at present this is a country – and a world – divided. Is that
anything new? Sadly not. But perhaps massive political and social
change should not always be
seen as a curse.
Thirty years ago, on
9 November 1989, the Berlin
Wall fell, leading to the
reunification of Germany. In
this issue, acclaimed foreign
correspondent Colin Freeman
reveals the extraordinary story of the seven-year-old girl who became
one of the last people to escape from East Germany to the West and
what the anniversary means to her.
The Duchess of Sussex seems to be coming in for equal amounts of
approval and opprobrium at the moment. Meghan says the British stiff
upper lip attitude may be damaging to mental health; our generationgap
writers take opposing sides. On a lighter note, Aindrea Emelife
reports on how debutante balls are no longer about finding a suitable
husband but are more like international networking events for
cosmopolitan women.
The actor Nigel Havers talks to Maureen Paton about his long and
varied career, including his regrets, and celebrates the changes he has
seen in his lifetime (warning: he does mention the B-word!).
This year has marked the centenary of the Treaty of Versailles and
this month we commemorate the millions who died in the First World
War and other conflicts. I have a close family member serving on the
front line and a great-uncle who won the Military Medal for bravery in
the Second World War. For both of them – and so many
others – we should remember the past, look to the future
and (perhaps) hope for interesting times.
Maxine Frith, Editor