Heart of the Country was a 1987 BBC mini-series (which had a young Christian Bale in it!). The novel was written after the TV show, when I realised that one of the the minor characters was actually the major one, so it was much changed. I think it's the favourite of all my novels.

As for your other question: yes, some of the younger generations can make one despair. But you should meet my creative writing students – feisty, energetic, perceptive, free-thinkers all. Feminism is in their bones, they just don't talk about it all the time. I have great hopes of the future.

Yes, I think the advent of the e-book has reconciled publishers to the shorter story. People are short of time. There is so much to be said and so little time to say it in.

Leaps of faith, every one.

A Knife for Cutting Mangoes. Short and sweet and makes its point.

No.

Because readers are still fascinated by it – the 'secure times when everything moved slowly and letters went by post and everyone knew their place'. We can be glad that things have changed, but at least the big houses provided a good livelihood and opportunities for promotion – better than working on the land or in a factory which was the fate of most girls! Going 'into service' was a way out for many of them, when the marriage rate was only 1 in 3.

And yes, everything was fun about writing Habits of the House and the two sequels.

Rupert's actually my step grandson: he's thriving in Brighton – one of the two best jazz drummers I know along with my grandson Felix Weldon.

Certainly better if I had said nothing. What I actually said was ‘Rape is not the worst thing that can happen to a woman.’ Worse, I had in mind, was to be raped and then murdered, which still seems to me to be the case. The response I got seemed to me to be very much along ‘death rather then dishonour’ lines, which so afflicts women in other parts of the world.

With Mischief the reception has been pretty good. Writers go on being writers. Some kinds of writing suit the electronic age, some don’t, I think it depends on what one writes. Ebooks are for people on the move, mostly young. Print books are for people in a contemplative mood. A few cross the barrier. Certainly in the 60s and 70s more newspaper space was devoted to literature, and reviewers tended to be more knowledgeable. But back then there were far fewer books written.

The universal camera has changed everything, Women are looked at wherever they go, street cameras, selfies, social media: the competition to look good has intensified. I don’t think we can blame outside forces, just ourselves, for caring too much about our appearance. It’s not the beauty industry alone – they’ve been at it for decades – it’s us.

It’s invention that keeps me going. I’m forever creating alternative universes to inhabit, while trying to link them up to ours. Actually, I think it’s an addiction. I remember sitting on a No 11 bus going up Fleet Street in 1967 writing The End (those were pen and paper days) and thinking but I could go doing this for the rest of my life. And so I did.

I suspect you keep your independence and identity by complaining. You need respite care, you need better facilities, you need company, fun, entertainment like any other human being. Complain, battle, fight, achieve. Complain bitterly about a society that doesn’t want you to complain. All very well, you say. I know. As a fall-back, Open University?

I think we all need ritual and it’s better to spend Sunday morning acknowledging God, and praying for the sick and those ‘in any adversity’, than down the shopping mall worshipping Mammon. And I’ve always liked singing hymns. I wasn’t a Christian any earlier so I don’t know how it would have effected my choices, but no, I don’t think so. Christianity created the culture I was brought up in.

Oh, blimey! I’ve always found the way to deal with criticism is to agree with the person who criticises. ‘Oh yes,me, I’m such an anti-rose person! I hate roses.’ It takes the wind out of their sails. There are still people like Martha in 2015 because the world so desperately needs Marthas and in certain situations yes, everything is indeed your concern. If it wasn’t for you everything would fall to bits. You sound like a very good nice person to me and I bet you’re more appreciated than you think.

Advertising is very effective. Consumers are not all that sensible, and if you say something often enough they tend to believe you. As a copywriter I learned to use my persuasive skills selling products, until I realised that I could use them just as well to sell ideas and I would be better occupied.

Thank you for that. I think that crisis still exists, I think women underestimate their power to humiliate men and make them feel worthless (all men have mothers, after all). But it’s getting a bit better. Every second TV commercial isn’t about a stupid ugly man and a canny beautiful bird.