Stationary, Chanel No 19 and earrings: Five things Kirsty Wark can't live without
JOURNALIST, presenter and writer Kirsty Wark, 59, lives in Glasgow with her husband Alan Clements, 53, a television producer. They have two children, Caitlin, 23, and James, 22.
1. Stationery
I am probably a bit of a throwback in our digital world as I love sending cards and letters to my friends and family and I always make time to write to both of my children every week.
Not surprisingly, I am rather obsessive about stationery – a passion I have had since childhood. At school I used to collect little notebooks and I would spend my pocket money on stylish pencil cases.
Now it is all about posh paper, elegant pens and cards and I have to admit that an hour in Liberty’s stationery department in London or Kate’s Paperie in New York would be the biggest treat in the world for me.
I always write with a fountain pen and I have a Christian La Croix diary which I carry everywhere. I know a lot of people now schedule their appointments on their phones but I can’t stand things bleeping at me and I feel more in control if everything is written down.
In another life I would love to have had my own stationery emporium. Being surrounded by beautiful things all day would be wonderful.
I love sending cards and letters to my friends and family and I always make time to write to both of my children every week
2. Tulips
I come from a long line of exceptional gardeners. Unfortunately the green-fingered gene completely bypassed me, although what I lack in talent I certainly make up for in enthusiasm as I love pottering about outside.
My mother Roberta passed on to me a love of flowers and there is nothing I find more heartening than arranging a beautiful display of tulips. Fortunately for me they are incredibly easy to grow and whether they are in the garden or a vase they always look so fantastically colourful and vibrant.
3. Chanel No 19
I have been wearing Chanel No 19 for as long as I can remember and it is my signature scent. It is not at all sweet or cloying. Instead it is a really fresh and floral scent and I love the fact it is feminine without being remotely fussy. However, it can be pretty hard to track down these days so whenever I go abroad I find myself scouring the duty free shops so I can bulk buy it.
4. Hand blender
For me, cooking is the perfect form of relaxation and amid my modern kitchen paraphernalia I have a very old Braun hand blender which I use for almost everything.
I bought it more than 20 years ago to puree food for my daughter Caitlin and it is still going strong today.
I have a couple of highly sophisticated food processors as well but I always need to spend ages reading the instruction manuals before I can actually use them. There are just too many attachments and because I like to keep life simple I invariably end up sticking with my trusted old blender.
5. Earrings
I never leave the house without putting earrings on first and I now have so many pairs that it is quite ridiculous. My most treasured studs are some diamond and sapphire earrings that I had refashioned from my mother’s engagement ring. She was an incredibly thrifty and practical person who loved to reuse and recycle everything so I know she would be delighted that I have created something new with her prized possession.
• Kirsty Wark’s debut book, The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle, £7.99, is released on 9 October to coincide with Books Are My Bag, a nationwide celebration of books and bookshops on October 9-11th. It will be available in paperback and as an ebook.