I was a middle child. I grew up in Southeast London and I had an older brother who I emulated. He would rescue me if I got stuck up a tree, but otherwise tolerated me at best. I had a younger sister, and that brought out more of the protective side of me.
Photo by Babs Daly.
We were like the Family von Nelson, all five of us in the car going somewhere, singing harmonies, forming little pop groups at holiday camps. I started playing the piano when I was seven and I had a classical training up until age 18, all paid for by the state, which was great because my family wasn’t very well off.