In 1978, working in France for a year. It was my first time working abroad.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 30 December 2011 source ↗
The question
What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy?Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
In 1978, working in France for a year. It was my first time working abroad.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 30 December 2011 source ↗
Belfast 1994, when my first son was born.
I am always happiest when my kids are on good form and we are having a lovely family dinner.
Getting married at Islington register office in 1994.
The 60s at the University of California at Santa Barbara weren’t bad.
An Italian neuroscientist called Rita Levi-Montalcini. She is now over 100. Under Mussolini she was forbidden from practising medicine because of the race laws. So she set up a lab in her basement, and the work she did there laid the foundations for her winning the Nobel prize.
Although I have a driving licence, I don't drive – I am very bad at it.
Camille Paglia, Richard Feynman, Chris Packham, John Cleese, Hayley Mills, Chris Bonington
Search the directory for somebody in particular.