Off Air... with Jane and Fi - She's got her iced buns out (with Sally Gunnell)
Episode Date: June 14, 2023Jane and Fi are very excited about their recent desk move - but they've just about got time to speak about general elections, Miriam Margolyes in a glacial blue silk stiff and power struggles at the t...op of Vogue...Sally Gunnell was the 400 metres hurdles Olympic gold medallist in Barcelona in 1992 - she joins Jane and Fi to tell them about her 'deskercise' routine.If you want to contact the show to ask a question and get involved in the conversation then please email us: janeandfi@times.radioFollow our instagram! @JaneandFiAssistant Producer: Kate LeeTimes Radio Producer: Rosie Cutler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Breakfast with Anna from 10 to 11.
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What are you eating?
One of your cashew nuts.
I hear.
The emergency cashew nuts.
Something very important has happened behind the scenes.
We've been given a new desk area, Jane.
Oh, yeah, we didn't mention we have.
I mean, it's of no interest to anybody except us, and we like it.
Well, I think it is of interest,
because I think both you and I will sound livelier and brighter
when we come to the podcast,
because we've been allowed to move from where we were,
which was by the recycling bins,
and we've now got a view out over St Paul's Cathedral.
But the very exciting thing is we've got our own drawers, haven't we?
We've got drawers for the very first time.
I've genuinely never had a drawer at work.
Neither have I.
I've had a cubbyhole, but nothing exciting really ever happened in that.
Or a locker.
I once had a locker, but in a very, very difficult to reach part of the building by the garage.
I thought you meant they just put it really high up just to annoy you.
I actually really hate that.
The place where I swim sometimes has a row of high lockers, which none of us can reach.
No, I know.
Not even normal sized women can reach those.
Normal sized women.
But anyway, as a result of having our own drawers, we've now got fantastic snacks
that we can secrete away.
Don't tell, don't. You've nobody told. Matt Chorley is this. He'll be stuffing around
for your nuts.
I don't think he will. He's not that kind of a man, is he?
He's always here.
Well, that's very true. But he does need to be here at the moment because he's on 24-hour
standby for political news. I mean, it's just coming, it's coming at us from all angles at the moment, he's on 24-hour standby for political news.
I mean, it's just coming at us from all angles at the moment, isn't it? I do suspect, though, that quite a few people have checked out.
I really do.
Do you remember when we first started here,
it was just the crazed hubbub of the Liz Truss reign?
And then we thought it would pipe down for a minute.
It did for about ten minutes, but it's never really gone.
We've got an election. Well, it might not even be... Oh, it will be next year, won't it? It has to be next year. but it's never really gone. We've got an election.
It might not even be...
Oh, it will be next year, won't it?
It has to be next year.
It doesn't have to be within...
Yeah, it has to be next year.
Or perhaps in the January of 2025.
Yes, no, I think it needs to be within the next 18 months.
God almighty.
Let's just talk briefly about Miriam Margulies.
Yeah, let's diversify from the politically pre-epic former Prime Minister.
Yes, and to the absolutely, I mean,
in no way connected to that remark,
Miriam Margulies, who is doing a lot of publicity
because she's in Vogue magazine.
She's on the cover.
This is, I think, I think this,
oh yes, I've got the cover in front of me.
She's wearing a, is that, what do they call it?
She's wearing what looks to be a glacial blue
silk, stiff
silk cape.
And then is the
word you're searching for a fascinator?
And a fascinator, a jet black
fascinator. And she's had her hair
in an updo.
So it is amazing that she's on the front cover
of Vogue and all hail
to the editorial team
who've made Vogue's covers really, really different
over the last year or so.
It's the arrival of Edward Ennenfall,
but he's on his way out, isn't he?
Well, he is because there's been a struggle,
a power struggle at the top of Vogue,
which as far as niche power struggles go,
it's probably about as niche as you can get.
Although I think fondly of Edward.
I never met him, but my eldest child's first job was as a waitress
in a coffee shop in West London where he was a regular
and he was always very polite.
Well, in that case, I mean, that's absolutely his character backed up.
The thing is, once learnt that sort of fact,
you can never unlearn it about somebody.
So I can't unknow.
So every time I see him, I think he had good manners.
Shall we just return to Miriam Margulies?
Briefly.
For a sec.
So she's got her ice buns out.
She's got some ice buns covering her bazooms
in another of the photographs that are appearing.
And this special edition of Vogue, which we should say,
is to mark LGBTQ plus trailblazers.
Yeah, so it's pride.
Yeah, it's a very good idea.
Oh, yes, of course, yeah.
Anyway, she's in the Mirror gossip column as well today.
She tells Vogue in the interview she's given
that she's writing her second autobiography.
When asked why, she replied,
I'm writing it because I'm being paid.
Her first book sold three million copies.
That's amazing.
So she says, they asked me to do it again and it's a lot of money.
A quarter of a million.
More than you thought.
I've only earned that on a film once, she said.
Which, OK, I'm going to say something that might mark me out as being somewhat ridiculous.
But I'm actually surprised that she's only earned that once on a film.
Because by the standards of film star salaries,
a quarter of a million quid, although ludicrous amounts of money,
doesn't strike me as being that high.
Well, I suppose it's because she's very rarely,
I can't think of a movie in which she's been the lead.
Can you?
And I don't suppose a character actor can ever be paid more than a lead actor.
Right, okay.
But you're right, because I always imagine it's just, you know,
absolutely ridiculous, bonkers money in films, you know, right from the get-go.
So am I surprised by that? I don't know.
She goes on to describe the Harry Potter films in which she also starred as not Dickens.
Well, most things apart from Dickens aren't Dickens.
Do you think that you and I will get an opportunity to interview her again?
Because we both did interview her for her first autobiography
where she went on tour and we both had quite memorable experiences.
Well, I got the full treatment where she ate a raw onion in front of me
and then had a wind. Whereas you did something in Edinburgh
where half the bloody audience got up and left. No, no, don't exaggerate.
I'm in the business to show myself exaggerations but you know it's very
important. Her autobiography surprised some people in the audience because it
recounted quite a lot of incidents where she had had open air oral
sex experiences with men and that just wasn't what some of the audience was expecting were they not
and no there was a pew because we were in an old church that just got up and left but they may have
just had somewhere else to be or not realize where they were or gone to the wrong auditorium they might have done. But she was so entertaining and I have never interviewed somebody on stage
in that kind of one-on-one about a book who's got a standing ovation at the end. And the
audience absolutely loved her and she was priceless. She switched something on and she
was just in full showbiz locomotion with voices and everything. And I really enjoyed it.
Did she do the voice that she certainly did when I interviewed her of the posh lady who was an assistant to the then Prince of Wales?
Yes.
That's a great, great anecdote about a weekend that Miriam Margoly spent as a house guest at Sandringham.
I think it was Sandringham.
It may have been Sandringham, one of them.
She was collected at Sandringham? I think it was Sandringham. It may have been Sandringham, one of them. She was collected at Sandringham Station.
It was Sandringham because I do remember this,
by a lady who was so terrifically posh
that she didn't really speak a form of English
that Miriam Markleys could recognise or understand.
And I think we've sort of...
I can't do it justice.
You're very good.
That's more or less...
You're not a weekend.
You're saying not on there.
Marvellous.
Basically that.
Yes.
And that brought the house down.
I was in Guildford, which is a very sophisticated place.
So, yes, I've got very fond memories of doing her too.
Yeah, so let's hope, you know, let's hope she books us in.
Oh, yeah, let's hope.
Let's hope the money's got better as well.
Oh, just kidding.
Now, this is on the issue of Berlusconi,
the late Italian Prime Minister,
whose ludicrously elaborate state funeral was unfolding
as we did our Times Radio show this afternoon.
And this is from Megan, who says, I like your podcast. Thank you for your nuanced,
separate discussions about Berlusconi and the podcast The Rest Is Politics. Without wishing
to turn your show into a podcast critique war, your Berlusconi discussion was very prescient,
as The Rest Is Politics today lacked a female voice focusing
on silly stories about free watches his links to football and the fact that he was quotes an
extraordinary figure of our times all very ha ha ha very frustrating that his many crimes and
comments against women were totally brushed under the carpet um yours megan thank you megan and yes
we did we were saying yesterday that, I think
you said, it's just good sometimes to have two middle-aged women on radio at times like
this, just to say, no, hang on.
Yeah. So I was very proud of yesterday's programme because we talked quite a bit about the period
story as well, didn't we?
Oh, yeah. Period. Menstrual leave.
Menstrual leave. That was yesterday. And because when we look at Berlusconi,
the thing that we see most prominently
is the absurd amount of sex he had with incredibly young women.
Yeah, it's horrible.
And so that just, you know, once you put those glasses on,
you can't take them off.
So all of the stuff about being an incredibly wealthy man
and, you know, getting away with all of these criminal convictions
and all of that type of stuff, you know his his wife divorced him using the phrase i don't want to be with a man
who frequents minors uh so you know it's i don't want to celebrate the political achievements of
that type of man and i think it is still rare for women to have the conversation
that you have with other women in front of the microphone.
So if other people are enjoying that, Jane, I think enjoying is the right word.
If other people are appreciating that, then we're very grateful
to hear that, actually, I think.
Yes, I think the double standard is something that I think
I'm most exercised by here always, because you can go back to any number of examples of female politicians being judged in ways that just seem ridiculous in contrast. Absolutely. I mean, it's ridiculous. You know, we've just we've got I think if we can't speak out about things like this and just say, hang on, let's just look at this in a slightly different way.
But also you can't, you know, one week be absolutely outraged at the behaviour of older men dating younger people, even if it's not younger women, and get your absolute knickers in a twist about that.
And then ignore the fact that somebody else was doing that
and just concentrate on how wonderful their bank balance was.
What a character.
Bunga, bunga, bunga.
Right.
It's a shame they didn't ask us to pay tribute, actually.
We've been there, with knobs on.
It's room for all thoughts.
Jo sends this.
Dear Jane and Fi, I've been enjoying your discussions
about the Ken doll and his moulded man parts.
Did you know that ladies can have a Ken doll too?
After mastectomy, some women opt for a D.E.P. reconstruction,
which uses fat from your abdomen to replace the tissue lost in the breast.
They cut you across the middle, chop a bit out,
and then pull up the bottom and top of your torso together and sew you back up.
This results in your pubic mound moving higher up your body
compared to where it would naturally be.
Us cancer survivors call this effect the Ken doll,
and some have it liposuction to minimise the effect,
photo-attached for illustrative purposes.
Thank you for the many hours you've kept me company on my runs.
Well, Jo, thank you for the image.
It's of a doll, don't worry.
It's not of anything else.
But I'd never heard of that before.
And sometimes, don't you love it
when you're allowed a little peek into somebody else's community?
So for cancer survivors to have managed to be quite kind of funny
about something that has happened to them,
that must actually feel so distressing and complicated sometimes too.
And painful, frankly, is just wonderful.
So thank you for that, Jo.
And obviously, Jane and I both hope that you're really well.
This is from Debs, who wants to compliment you on uh on your quotes handling of Sarah Elliot
oh god oh well we've had some complaints about that interview too we've had she was a republican
spokesperson wasn't she and the thing is we we need to understand that point of view because
I do feel that it's hard for us to understand but that shouldn't stop us trying I mean it really
shouldn't and we should say Sarah I'm sure will come on the programme again. My understanding is
that she's perfectly happy to come on again. So I hope she does. Anyway, I wish we as a
country could see how different we really are, says Debs. If they didn't speak English,
American, I think we would see them so differently. It's just my humble opinion. Thank you, Debs.
But we did have, yeah, we did,
I've seen one email saying that we should never have invited her on if we didn't want to hear
what she's got to say. But sometimes when people say things that are so ridiculous.
Well, I think the comparison, so just in brief, what Sarah Elliott was trying to do was to
completely equate the, is it 37 charges that Donald Trump is currently facing in a court in
Florida with regard to his taking of secret documents to the emails that
Hillary Clinton had held on a personal email account rather than kept within
the email account that should have been given by the US government I couldn't
see that as being directly analogous.
And there were also some comments made about Hunter Biden
and his behaviour, which is well documented.
Yeah, I don't think anyone thinks Hunter Biden is a man without blemish.
But Hunter Biden's not running for president.
His father is.
So anyway, it's a slightly complicated interview,
which did contain some challenges, but it did also get quite heated. So if you want to go back and listen to it,
it was in yesterday's programme. Sally is in a lovely place. Mosel Bay,
I think that's the right pronunciation, in South Africa. Good day. Am I the only person
driven mad by the use of X when the chronology suggests otherwise? For example, Jane said she
once left her newborn with her ex-mother-in-law. Was the lady at that point actually an ex-mother-in-law or a current mother-in-law?
If somebody says I went on holiday with my ex-husband, do they mean that they'd vacationed before or after their divorce?
I mean, this is a good point, Sally, to be fair.
Would one say I went on holiday with my late husband?
Actually, I'll answer that myself, she says.
An overnight guest of mine did show up once with her wife's ashes on the front seat.
Right.
Why on earth don't we use phrases like
my then mother-in-law or my husband at the time?
I think Sally's right.
I'm sure Sally's right.
I've never given it that much thought.
I mean, the other option, Jane, you know full well,
is just never mention them at all.
Never mention them at all.
Never mention them.
I'm quite fond of my then mother-in-law.
What about the husbands?
She's certainly a character.
Charlotte from Deal in Kent, thank you very much indeed for all of your thoughts about attending the Beyoncé gig at Tottenham Stadium.
And Charlotte has really just wanted to write to say how absolutely fantastic and joyful
Beyonce's whole music and show was.
Just a little bit, I'll read you.
The audience was largely women and a large proportion were black.
And I really felt the audience's joy for the music
and their affection for an artist at the top of their game. Beyonce's music means so much to so many it was a thrill to
be part of such a large enraptured crowd. Afterwards my boyfriend joked he'd like to get into football
for a similar communal sensation. Since the show I've been reliving my experience through other
fans videos on Instagram where people are flaunting their outfits, dance
moves and capturing moments from the
dazzling show and actually all around
North London because
Beyonce I think did a couple of nights, didn't she, at
Tottenham? Was she at Wembley as well or just
Tottenham? No, I think Tottenham. Just Tottenham.
Well, I did see quite a few people on their
way to Beyonce gigs just in the most
fantastic sequined
outfits with sequined cowboy
hats and feather bows a go-go. Harry Styles is on at Wembley this weekend. And you just catch a
glimpse of people who are just living the dream for a couple of hours. So Charlotte, thank you
very much indeed for sharing that with us. And just if that was off the back of my eulogising
about the Coldplay gig can we just say
hello to Rosie who's been back in touch Chris Martin's sister we won't read out your email
you've asked us not to but it's lovely to know that you're okay and still listening to the podcast
from time to time and thank you very much for letting us know and also, Rosie just wanted to mention another charity that's been set up by parents who have lost a child.
This one is called Elizabeth.org.
And it's been set up by a friend of hers, Nick.
And it's after the loss of daughter Elizabeth.
And we will look into that.
I think we want to talk about child bereavement a little bit more.
that I think we want to talk about child bereavement a little bit more and this is off the back of an interview we did with the wonderful Olivia Chappell whose son Horatio had died and she
has continued his dream and set up a charity which makes gardens doesn't it for spinal injury
that's right centers there is I think there still is a charity called compassionate friends which
was set up to help people who had lost a child
rather than a partner or another sort of bereavement,
and I'm pretty sure it's still going.
I mean, I think... We need to check that probably,
but I think it is still going,
and I know it used to do brilliant work to try to...
And funny enough, it's not funny at all,
but during the programme today,
there was coverage on the news channels,
because we have obviously the TV screens on in the studio, of the vigil at Nottingham University
and the service that was held there by, amongst others, the university chaplain,
in memory of those two young students who were killed the other night, a very early morning, wasn't it on Tuesday and it's it's so devastating because you just see a lot
a lot of young people utterly destroyed and the parents of the students were there as well
and you know I mean it just it's it's sort of so awful to think that on Monday night they just went
for a night out yeah and I we should say as well I mean that there was a a middle-aged man a man
who was a school caretaker who also lost his life that night.
So a horrible, horrible set of circumstances.
But I think there are, I mean, it's so obvious, isn't it,
that sometimes you want to move away from tragedy
and you just can't cope with talking about something
and everybody has those kind of days or whatever.
But I think you're right that if you lose somebody when you're very young,
a contemporary of yours, you know, in your teenage years
where your entire world is about your future,
that's what's so very difficult, isn't it?
But watching those teenagers now thinking you will live with that feeling of loss.
Every step that you take, every new thing that you do,
there is a sense that somebody can't come with you on that journey.
And it's just different when you lose people you know in their 60s 70s and 80s doesn't mean it's not a
tragedy no but it is very different very very different and i think we are not always very good
at recognizing that and really talking about it can i just say it's nick and nancy who set up this
charity elizabeth.org so we may well that. And thank you for getting back in touch.
I wanted to mention this from a GP. We won't mention her name.
But she says that I was listening to you talk the other week about the rise in adults seeking diagnosis for autism and ADHD.
I've been a GP for 13 years and I don't think I'd ever referred anyone for this until a year or two ago. Now it's every
other week. After a particularly gruelling week recently, three out of my last five patients on
a Friday afternoon wanted a referral for autism or ADHD. Now while I appreciate for some this
diagnosis and possible medication can be absolutely life-changing, Others I am sceptical about. People who've
had no issues at school or at university and are actually doing well in high-performing
jobs are seeking referrals, and I do find it questionable. The wait for an assessment
is currently around two years, and I can only see that getting longer. I think I'm also
concerned by the over-medicalisation of what can be quite normal character traits.
It's especially troubling that I was spending hours of my Friday afternoon filling in forms and scoring charts,
while patients like your listener with bowel symptoms can't get an appointment.
Well done if you've made it to the end of my rant, she says.
On a lighter note, I believe that the chimes at Tokyo metro stations are to alert you to your stop if you're asleep.
You become in tune to the chime you need and just wake up.
Sounds crazy, but I've seen it with my own eyes.
Interesting.
That is interesting.
Thank you very much for that.
And there'll be other GPs, I'm sure, who take a different view or haven't had that experience.
But, you know, if you have, do let us know.
I meant to say the other day that this subway, the Tokyo Metro
Station experience reminds me of a holiday my sister and I took to what had just become
St Petersburg in the early 1990s. And we set off one afternoon on a journey on public transport
on the train because they've got these brilliant, you've been, haven't you, these incredible Metro
Stations. Of course, what we hadn't, the've been, haven't you, these incredible metro stations.
Of course, what we hadn't, the Garvey sisters hadn't sort of plumbed into the fact that we don't speak the language
and couldn't see what station we were at.
Because of the different writing.
For some unknown reason, foreigners didn't,
and they certainly didn't then,
have the English translation of the station.
So we realised early enough on in the journey just to do
it by numbers and then come straight back.
Do it by numbers and come straight back? Count the stations?
Count the stations.
Oh my god, you have to stay very awake for that.
We did really wish to do it by three stations because we just went, oh,
go, go, go. Oh, it was pathetic. Anyway, there we go. I was only young-ish. So they must have to play the jingles in Japan very loud
if they're going to break through a commuter's doze.
You're probably...
You see, going home last night on the train,
I noticed the number...
It was so hot.
I noticed the number of people asleep.
Now, I just don't get that.
I appreciate if you've had a...
God, you could have been on all sorts of, I don't know,
day and night shift.
You could be completely knackered.
But I always have the temptation just to poke them occasionally and say,
Yeah, is this your stop?
Do you want to get off or are you sort of here for the duration?
But anyway, I don't blame anyone for sort of nodding off.
But some people look to be in really, really deep sleep, contented sleep.
Do you think maybe you could start a very sensible kind of sticker campaign where you could just stick the station, a little sticker with the station on your front and then someone could notice that you needed to get off at Elephant and Castle because it said Elephant and Castle on your sticker.
That would be helpful, wouldn't it?
You'd need like washable, reusable stickers, wouldn't you?
Yes. wouldn't it? Yes, but you'd need like washable, reusable stickers wouldn't you? Yes, I mean or you could just
have a roll of stickers
and then you just
keep it with you
and then you just
write the name down
Oh I see
Yes, you could just
have a roll of
white stickers
which are easily
bought at Poundland
do them
Yes, I think you
should start that
as your contribution
to society
I think that would
be very, very good
Right
I'm still going to
carry on trying to
patent my truck of wee One day it will become a thing Your truck'm still going to carry on trying to patent my truck of wee.
One day it will become a thing.
Your truck of wee, just remind us of this great idea.
The truck of wee is because there are just never enough ladies' stalls available,
especially in the old-fashioned theatre venues across London
and other major towns and cities.
So I think that somebody could develop a truck
that just has loads and loads of ladies
toilets on board. Drives around. Drives around, parks up in the interval, jobs are good. Sounds a
good idea. Takes all the wee off. If you wouldn't, you couldn't call it She-Wee, could you? Is there
a sort of punny title involving theatricals, thespians, shows, play we.
Play we?
Show we.
Well, I just wanted to call it the fee we.
Right.
Well, we're going to get some advice on exercise and just what life is like post an Olympic gold medal
in a moment or two from no lesser person than Sally Gunnell.
Stick with it.
Can I just do this email from Cathy in Memphis?
Yes, I've got to get to the theatre because you just mentioned it
and it's reminded me. Oh, OK don't worry uh i lost my mother when i was 25
and she was 52. i'm really sorry about that kathy a few years later i started attending her high
school reunion weekends with her best friend we shared breath mints and heard so many fun stories
i do think actually taking a breath mint to a reunion sounds like a very, very good piece of advice.
My question for anyone I met was,
can you tell me ways my mother loved life?
Afterwards, my mother's friend and I met in her hotel room
for a thorough debrief and lots of laughs.
As the group got older, they held reunions every year,
the last being the year COVID started.
And these reunions are my very best memories.
What a lovely thing to do.
That is a great idea.
What a clever thing to do.
And to just keep memories alive, learn new memories,
be in touch with people.
Absolutely brilliant.
I'd never, ever thought of doing that.
But more people should.
That's excellent advice.
Sally Gunnell in a moment.
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Thank you very much, Kate. Thank you for your contribution.
Kate's in charge tonight and she's just suggested that your truck of wee should be called
the wee-etter.
that your truck of wee should be called?
The wee-etter.
OK, it was good.
I think just call it what it is.
Just call it the truck of wee.
Toilet.
Toilet.
Right, let's move on.
Let's try to just illuminate a few lives here and perhaps encourage people to take up
or continue with exercise
in what is loosely speaking later life,
although I fully intend to live to be 190.
Sally Gunnell was the 400 metres hurdles Olympic gold medalist for Britain in Barcelona back in
1992. She's now 56, she's still extraordinarily fit and she stays fit by moving at her desk
amongst other things. So we dragged her into our studio earlier to show us something she calls deskercise. But
she did start by telling us what exercise means to her now. Yeah, it's still an important part
of my life. I would say it's more about my sanity. I shout less at the kids, you know what I mean?
All very slow. But I still do exercise, you know, I do something most days, but I vary it.
So I do go for a run, but it's usually with the dog
and we have a little stop when we get to the hill
and things like that, which people find a bit strange.
You're like, do you not still go over hurdles?
They're like, no, definitely not.
The speed goes, but I'll get into the gym.
I do a bit of stretching, a bit of Pilates.
Yeah, whatever I feel like doing, which is the nicest thing isn't it and what happens to your head if you don't exercise
um I get a bit grumpy I do get a bit grumpy um yeah if I haven't done anything you know sometimes
it happens for you know two or three days and I do get that little like I've got to go and do
something and I just get a bit edgy um but it doesn't have to be much I can do something in
10 minutes you know what I mean so but and I feel better from it so I guess it's that
natural endorphins isn't it that you know exercise does create and helps and you know and it is it
is it's about you know just being strong in the, yeah, it puts me in a better place.
Can I just ask, and I hope this isn't negative, but I'm really interested in the toll that that really tough training that you did earlier in your life has taken on you now as you've got older.
Yeah, yeah.
Is your body impacted?
I definitely have some aches and pains.
I definitely have some aches and pains.
You know, I've got my back from hurdling all those years,
top of my leg for throwing that leg out,
if you know what I mean, across that hurdle.
So I have definitely got some issues from that.
But it still amazes me that, you know, yeah,
the intensity of that training you had twice a day,
you know, every day more or less,
that I can still, you know, my hips are fine, my knees are okay, I'm touching wood here. But I can still do what I can do. But a lot of
what I do is about, you know, preventative things, because I don't know what's going to happen to the
body later in life, you know, mid mid 50s and how so I don't know what you know, the future,
whether my hips are going to be okay or
whatever so I do try and keep all my muscles and my ligaments and flexibility because I just think
you know I've got to be prepared almost so it's the same sort of you know mindset I probably had
when I run but it's much more about wanting to keep myself as mobile and as I do age. And do you
look at the younger athletes now who I think think, it would be fair to say,
are much more surrounded by science, aren't they?
And information, nutrition, mental health awareness,
all of the rest of it.
Do you look upon that, I don't know,
with a sense of mild envy?
Because you wouldn't have had any of that type of stuff around.
No, it's really interesting
because I actually listened in with my husband,
who's a coach to top athletes.
And he's talking to the physiologist and it's all about legs length and this.
And if they do that in the race and, you know, and just, you know, there's so much science behind it.
And there was part of me going, what could I have done?
But also there's something about, you know, it does complicate things almost,
there's too many things to think about. So I don't know, I'm a bit mixed, because you had to learn
and adapt, and you had to try things. But then I go, if you were looking at it, and I guess more
to the recovery. So when you got injured, you were in having a scan the next day, we were sort of
waiting a few weeks or months before you'd
have the scan. And then, you know, I'd have six months off before, you know, they found out what
was wrong in those. So I think that would really have helped. And yeah, I guess the sports science
would have done but there was something about it wasn't about simplicity and not being complicated.
And at the end of the day, having the skills to make your own decisions at time
and working it out yourself
and being able to react without having to think.
So a bit of both, really.
Can I just ask, what is the best bit about winning a gold medal?
Is it the fact that you've got it in your locker forever
as a brilliant memory to revisit in tougher times or what is it? I think
it's about what what the body can do and what the mind can do and you know I only I ever run in those
days because I was challenged by how good could I get and um and you know and that wasn't just
physically but the mental side of it as well and And I think when you do actually achieve, it's a bit
of a shock. It's a bit of a, wow, how did I actually do that? Because, and it's not until you come away
from the sport, you realise how hard it is and how many things you have to get right on those days.
And you're a little bit like, wow, how did I do that? So even now, I'm still sort of quite shocked so I think it's about that um and I think
it's you know 30 years on people still remember that moment you sort of feel like you'd have an
achievement and there's always something on because there's something next and what is that
and you'd get forgotten and you're only ever judged as your last race but actually winning
that gold medal you're not just judged by that last race.
You know, it's part of who you are for the next 30 years.
You're absolutely in all of our collective memories,
which is an astonishing thing.
It's crazy.
And I guess then, you know,
there was only five people that won those gold medals
and I was the only woman.
So that's a nice thing.
People saying where they were on that night
in some dodgy bars and holidays.
I was at home watching you.
But that was in the bad old days when Britain didn't win many medals.
No.
I guess it kind of paid off for the few of you that did
because you stood out, I suppose.
I think we did.
We stood out.
But, you know, after that, because we did so bad in Atlanta in 96,
you know, lottery money did come in and the science behind it.
And they all had sports psychologists and things like that.
And that's why as a nation,
they recognise how important it is to have funding and support.
And I'm all for that, for sure.
It has made a big difference.
But yeah, I think I was lucky to have my little niche moment at that time.
Well, we can't put it off, can we?
No, we can't.
We can't.
We're going to have to talk about desk size now, Sally.
I know.
It's an interesting one, isn't it?
So I do a lot of sort of corporate wellbeing now.
And because everybody's doing this hybrid work
and, you know, people are almost in some way saying
that they're just stuck at their computer
because they don't allow themselves to get up, move around.
So my sort of thing is like, well, you can still do exercise at your desk.
So this is what you're going to workshop with us.
Yes, it's going to be interesting on the radio.
A little bit tricky, but we'll try and cope.
A little bit tricky, but we'll try and cope.
So if you are in an office like ours,
you're probably on a swivel chair.
I would have thought immediately,
don't try and exercise on that.
That would be a bit of a challenge.
It could end up ice skating all over the place.
Exactly.
So you're best to hold on to,
well, to get a stable chair would be good or to put the brakes on at least or whatever else.
But it's amazing how
you know how you can move right even if you've got a very small area isn't it so i would just say
the first thing to do is to put one leg out in front of you yeah try and lean forward as much
as you can and we're trying to speak to the mic here at the same time but just hold those stretches
don't try and keep pushing it so we we'll just hold it in that position.
Do we have to reach down?
You can reach down as far as you can, but keep nice and straight.
Don't twist the body too much.
You can move your foot up and down as well.
So we're just trying to get the blood pumping around a little bit.
Okay, and then the other leg.
We carry on this conversation under the desk, can't we?
We disappear under the desk. So reaching forward? I did. Disappear under the desk.
So, reaching forward.
That's nice, actually.
Legs forward.
That's it.
Gosh, I'm not as flexible as I might have hoped.
And then you can reach up, arms up.
And across.
So, that's arms up over the head.
Over to the head and reach to the left and then to the other way.
We're all in our nice summer dresses doing this.
So, you can do a couple of those. We really should, I think what's a very good one is to do squats. So you want
to be able to stand up. Yeah. In front of your chair and then literally hold your hands
out and then you're just going to squat down. So your bum almost touches. That's it. And
are you meant to keep your knees together?
Keep your knees so your feet are slightly out.
Okay.
Yeah, and then keep that as though you're just about to touch your bottom.
So nice straight back.
You can lean forward a little bit.
But use your core.
So you're using your core as well.
And just up and down.
There you go.
You get your heart rate going.
You get your legs.
So many knee problems are
because you've got weak thighs so i always say to you you can just do a nice simple squat we've got
no weights and you're at your desk this is very nice this is very nice there you go oh i've had
an injury so there you go um do you recommend weights actually because you can go you can go
a bit wrong with weights if you're not sure what you're doing um as i've aged definitely and i'm experimenting with them and i'm doing sort of
three weight sessions a week because i cannot believe how our muscles just fall off um as we
get older and of course it's all sorts of you know hormone reasons and everything like that and that's
just me that you know probably does quite a lot of exercise before. I was doing quite a lot of cardio, but my muscles are just gone.
And I was having bad back problems.
And I've just experimenting.
And I think with weight, you need a good program.
You need somebody that helps you.
You need to do it correctly.
They don't have to be heavy.
But the difference is incredible.
You just feel strong as a person.
You know, you just, I don't know, my aches and pains have gone, which I think is incredible. You just feel strong as a person. You know, you just, I don't know,
my aches and pains have gone, which I think is brilliant. And yeah, I think it is so much more the way forward of how people are thinking. And it's great for your metabolism. So, you know,
if you are trying to lose weight as well, so you kickstart the metabolism so that the fat burns as
well. So it's not always about going out and running or cardio as well. You you kickstart the metabolism so that the fat burns as well. So it's not always about
going out and running or cardio as well. You know, you can get that weight loss from doing
weights as well. And it's all over, you know, you can get, you can work every muscle because if you
have got problem areas and often, you know, for so many of us, it's our tummy area. You can't just
spot and try and lose that area. You've got to work the whole area to try and
you know finally get to that sort of tummy area which is my problem after three kids and whatever
else so um yeah and that's and weight training is a very good or resistance you can use bands
you can just you can just use your own body weight you don't have to always have the weight
and that's what the squats are exactly you're it? Exactly. You're using your own bodyweight.
And there's so much. You're going to press-ups against a wall as you're putting the kettle on in the morning.
You know, some little tri-steps for your little baggy bits.
We could do that in the news bulletin, Jane, couldn't we? A couple of press-ups against the wall.
We could. It wouldn't be the first time in my case.
Can I ask, can you still, could you do the hurdles?
Probably not. I think I probably, well, could you do the hurdles? Probably not.
I think I'd probably, well, I could do a few little drills.
I'd probably hurt the hamstring.
It just goes and it just wouldn't look very nice.
So I probably wouldn't attempt to tell the truth.
Let's say you're being pursued by an animal and you needed to jump over a fence.
Would you be in a better place than me?
Probably.
Something would come out, wouldn't it?
Last year, we went to a festival
and Colin Jackson, the other hurdler, was there
and they made us hurdle over a hay bale.
It was quite interesting how we both managed to get over it.
Did you manage?
We did, but he's looked better than mine.
Mine wasn't elegant whatsoever,
but we got to the other side and entertained a few.
Is there a community of former hurdlers?
That's very sweet, actually.
I know, isn't it sweet?
No, I guess, you know, going back those times,
you know, Linford Christie and Colin Jackson and myself
were like sort of like the three names.
So we had some good times, some challenging times,
but we all supported each other.
And yeah, you stay friends forever.
You don't forget.
One more desk aside before we let you go,
could we try your tricep dips, please?
Tricep dips?
Yes, we can.
But we've got to try and talk to the mic at the same time.
So you sort of go behind.
Well, don't worry, it'll pick us up.
Oh, look at this.
This is too much.
You put your feet out front.
You're sort of leaning against.
Yes.
And you just sort of dip down just a little bit.
Oh, gosh.
And you can feel with those bingo wings.
That's nice.
Yeah, so you can do that in the kitchen.
You can do that anywhere.
After 45, I don't think.
Okay, that was a good idea.
There you go.
Oh, that's very good.
Easy.
Sally, thank you very much.
Appreciate it.
Thank you.
Pleasure.
Thank you for having me here.
Don't sit down.
No, exactly.
Keep going, keep going.
Very lovely to meet you.
Thank you very much for coming in.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Sally Gunnell, I thought she was lovely.
And I remember watching that race and being so happy for her when she won
because those were the days when brit didn't have a lot to celebrate in olympics it really didn't
now i think people are a bit spoiled they expect loads and loads of gold medals after super saturday
yeah it's not going to be like that again i don't think do you not well it won't be that good again
but i think we do so much better now than we ever used to. So I was at Atlanta in 1996.
Oh, no, this isn't going to be the House of International Pancakes anecdote, is it?
No, it's not that. It's just that we only won one medal.
Yeah, no, that is poor, isn't it?
It was just really boring.
Whereas we were... Where did we end up on the medals table at the 2012 Games?
Third, I think, which is quite incredible.
It certainly is.
Yeah, and they were happy days weren't they
2012 they were
they really were and I was
naive enough to think that
the 2012 games would slightly
kind of shift London a bit
into a smilier happier
place because even the cab drivers were happy Jane
they've never been happy
they weren't initially, were they?
Do you remember the Olympic lanes?
Oh, they were in a right old huff,
but then they just did that magical thing.
They literally turned on a sixpence, like their cabs can do.
And after the opening ceremony,
you just couldn't hear enough joy from a London cab driver.
Funny that, isn't it?
Right, well, thank you very much for taking part in my podcast.
Excuse me. No, I'm only saying this because I've got to wind up
Because I'm never going to make the start of the show
What are you seeing?
I can't remember the name of it
I'll give you a full and frank review
Okay, and have you had a wee?
Oh, don't worry, I'll be going 400 times
Have you got some breath mints?
No, because my friend's bringing a can of Coke
And I've just got a quick chicken wrap I've got to eat
Okay, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
Get to culture before culture gets to you.
Good night, everybody.
Jane and Fi at times.radio is the email address
for my podcast that Jane sometimes contributes to.
See, I feel quite uncomfortable.
I feel uncomfortable saying that.
I feel uncomfortable saying that.
It's our podcast and do get in touch.
We always love hearing from you.
Goodbye.
I won't get a wink of sleep tonight,
not just because of the heat,
because I'm just so worried about Boris Johnson's fate
at the Privileges Committee.
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