Daily Mail, Wednesday, August 28, 2019 Page 23life
Rimmington. So what? Tell
corny, horny old Bolsonaro
the world has moved on.
Our men have no interest
in the ‘younger model’ idea
— because they don’t judge
women on looks and know a
few wrinkles are the sign of a
full, rich life well lived.
They realise there are few
things more alluring than the
glow of a woman confident
within her own skin.
Our men prize personality,
brains and experience. They
may well be prepared to choose
love and respect over fertility if
we can’t have their babies — but
will gladly take us on with any
baggage (including kids from a
previous partner) we may have.
Congratulations, Monsieur
Macron, on your impeccable
taste!
And what if the older woman
happens to be the breadwinner?
Then our devoted men will give us
maximum support.
I am proud to tell you that (at
the age of 72) I would find it much
harder to continue with my career
as a busy journalist, author and
the Mail’s advice columnist were it
not for the strong presence of the
man who will change a grand-
child’s nappy with as much skill as
he can rebuild a motorcycle. It
would be dishonest of
me not to admit that
older women with
younger men tend to
fear losing their looks
— I mean, just that
little bit more.
I was very pleased
when my husband went
grey, whereas I have my
hair coloured every two
months. It evens us up
— for, to put it simply, I
don’t want to seem like
his mother.
Vanity is no crime —
and I firmly believe that
women my age can
makes themselves feel
better in general (even
if their partners are
older) by taking care of
themselves.
Like many women, I
will buy a face cream
that promises to plump
out my wrinkles, only to
replace it a couple of weeks
later by another which offers
the radiance of a 20-year-old.
Hope springs eternal in the
mature breast. I would no
more lie about being
concerned with my looks
than I would fib about
my years.W
Hy would
you want
to? For a
start, all
lies lead down tortuous
paths, and I don’t think it’s
worth it. I once knew a
woman who started an
affair with a much younger
man, but lied about her age.
Ten whole years passed with-
out him finding out and she
was always petrified she
would let something slip which
would reveal the truth — like
how old she was when her first
child was born.
What kind of deep relationship
can be founded on such a sad
deception? When at last he
did find out... guess what?
He didn’t want her any
more. Was it because he
was as shallow as he always
seemed? Or maybe he
judged her as dishonest, as
well as too needy to attract
him any more?
For all my talk of the
uber-confidence of the
older woman, a huge age
difference can leave a
woman feeling vulnerable. I
am sure Madame Macron
felt momentarily downcast
when she heard about the
nasty, silly Brazilian jibe. It
would have made me feel inse-
cure as well as furious.
But we super-broads don’t
stay down for long. How can we
— when life is short and there is
so much to do, with our terrific
husbands by our side? President
Macron has said that his beautiful
Brigitte is essential to his life, and
if he isn’t counting months or years
why should anybody else?
One day, I sighed and complained
to Robin about having wrinkles.
Truth is — I wanted him to
deny they are there, or at least pro-
claim that he doesn’t see them.
Instead he grinned and said: ‘I love
your wrinkles.’
This older wife knows that who I am
today is the total of so much knowl-
edge, joy and pain accumulated since
1946 and that all that glorious experi-
ence shows in my face and body. And
I am proud of every single year that’s
brought me to this happy place.17
YEAR
GAP
Devoted: (Left to right) Brigitte
and Emmanuel Macron, Rosemary
Conley and husband Mike and
Sam and Aaron Taylor-JohnsonHappy: (Clockwise
from left) Bel and
Robin, Tess Daly
and Vernon Kay,
Caroline Quentin
and husband Sam,
Natalie Massenet and
husband Erik, Joanna
Lumley and her
husband Stephen25
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GAP
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YEAR
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16
YEAR
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5
YEAR
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12
YEAR
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Pictures: EDWARD
HODGES/ GETTY/ REX