The Lady Magazine

10 October 2014

I first saw Julie Walters in Personal Services in which she plays the lady in charge of une, ahem, maison de rendez-vous. I was only 14 or 15 at the time but there was something about Julie that stood out: she was unconventional, charismatic, a little cheeky. She was the real thing, a very English star. Of course, her career has gone from strength to strength since then. This year, she has appeared in Effi e Gray and the upcoming blockbuster Paddington, been awarded a Bafta Fellowship and reportedly will soon be the subject of a BBC Two tribute documentary. There is even an online campaign (or two) to make her a Dame, as we reveal on page 14. We also have part two of Julia Budworth’s colourful tribute to Deborah, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, who died last month; Melonie Clarke on the forgotten hero of the golden age of musicals; a fascinating insight into Jane Austen at home, and dazzling illustrations of the natural world, which you can bring to life with some coloured pens and a little imagination. And if you’d rather spend more time reading The Lady and less time at work, don’t miss our retirement special section on page 51.