I have yet to see a drama that puts forward women who are successful and have a family. Women are nearly always seen as victims.

Whenever we have thanked these men and women for what they have done for us, without exception they have expressed gratitude for having the chance to help - because they grew as they served.

As a kid, I grew to define what I didn't want my life to be like by sitting behind moaning women on the bus, hearing them bang on about their aches and pains, both real and imagined.

Thank God we're not like America. Everyone wants to look like they're 20. In Europe we admire grown-up women I think men revere older women.

Women have no sympathy and my experience of women is almost as large as Europe.