Time & hindsight

When were you happiest?

585 answers answered between 1930 and 2026 one of 25 in The Q&A

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.

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Public figures who have answered a question like this elsewhere. Quoted from the source shown, not written for FLAPSS.

Read by field Everyone Science and medicine 4 Arts and letters 494 Politics and public life 38 Business and finance 19 Sport 30
Read by age Any age Before thirty 25 In their thirties 83 In their forties 113 In their fifties 109 In their sixties 100 Seventy and beyond 77
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Paul Smith English fashion designer
I am a happy person. I am happy every day. But if I had to pick a time it would be the first time I fell in love.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 9 May 2009 source ↗
Prue Leith South African-British chef, broadcaster, and writer
In my 40s: I had two children young enough to think their parents wonderful, my business was booming, I was happily married and living in the Cotswolds with a veg garden and ponies in the paddock. Who could not be happy?
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 4 May 2012 source ↗
Rick Stein English chef
March 1981 – preparing to open The Seafood Restaurant, Padstow, for a new season.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 14 September 2013 source ↗
Paul Hollywood English baker and chef
In Cyprus between 1994 and 1999. I was baking out there, the weather was fantastic, it was a great place to be and I met my wife Alex.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 26 April 2014 source ↗
Terence Conran British restaurateur and designer
At the opening of The Conran Shop in Michelin House: it took a long time to achieve.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 27 August 2016 source ↗
Nadiya Hussain British television chef, baker and author
My children’s births, and when I won the Bake Off.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 10 September 2016 source ↗
Bella Freud British fashion designer
When my son, Jimmy, was two and I was just pottering about with him.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 30 September 2017 source ↗
Katharine Hamnett English fashion designer
Camping with my parents in the south of France. We went every year with the beautiful bell tent they made on a sewing machine. We even had a lavatory tent which was fabulous except, one day, it blew away with my father in it.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 14 September 2019 source ↗
Gino D'Acampo Italian-British celebrity chef and media personality
I am always very happy in Sardinia with my family; I spend at least six months of the year there. Six months working and six months relaxing – I think that is a great balance.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 3 December 2022 source ↗
Douglas Stuart Scottish fashion designer and novelist
The summer of 1997. My husband, who is an American, gave up everything to come and live with me in Edinburgh when we were students, and we were so skint but we had so much fun.
Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 22 April 2023 source ↗

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