Real dilemmas, real solutions – from our real-life superheroes. This month jeweller Solange Azagury-Partridge tries her best while setting the dance floor on fire to Grace Jones
Q What one thing are you currently doing to make the planet greener?
A Planting trees. Just in our garden and charitably whenever I can. I like a fruit tree.
Q Where does your soul most happily reside: city, countryside, or both?
A I’m born and bred in the city, I’m a city girl. But the allure of nature is becoming stronger as I get older, and now my kids are living in the countryside, and more friends and family, the balance is tipping. I’d like to spend more time in Somerset.
Q The DJ fails to show up. What’s your go-to track to get everyone dancing?
A Grace Jones – “Pull Up To The Bumper”.
Q Who is the hero or heroine you’d be tongue-tied to find yourself sitting next to at a dinner?
A Someone who is outside my realm of knowledge. I’d love to have met Albert Einstein.
Q The message to your younger self?
A Just enjoy your youth. It doesn’t last long.
Q Which world conflict would you like to see resolved first and how would you do it?
A The world conflict between men and women because I think therein lies all the problems with the world. The patriarchy needs to calm down and accept the other half of the population is equal to them. Most of the countries in the world where the women aren’t equal seem to have most of the problems.
Q You’re on a raft adrift in the ocean and the sharks are circling. Who is your companion to get you to shore safely – and who would you feed to the sharks?
A It’s obvious really – Donald Trump. And I’d want Michael Phelps or some other great swimmer to help me because I would definitely drown.
Q What do you look for in a deputy?
A Enthusiasm, excitement, loyalty.
Q What’s the key requirement for a lifetime partner of the romantic kind?
A They need to be the person you most want to be with all the time.
Q What’s the retirement plan?
A To flip the balance a bit so that there’s a bit more leisure in my life and a bit less work. Just to slow it down, slowly but surely.
Q What’s your favourite lazy-at-home dish to cook?
A Risotto. Any kind. With whatever vegetables I have in the fridge. Onions and garlic, white wine, arborio rice, some broccoli or asparagus, then lots and lots of parmesan and a lovely green salad to go with it.
The Orange And Pink Ring from Solange’s Scribbles collection, with fire opal, sapphire, ceramic plate and lacquer, set in 18ct yellow gold
Q What do you wish you had said to someone who has departed this earth?
A I don’t know, the only person I regret not saying anything to is my grandmother who died before I could say goodbye. She was the first person I knew to leave this earth and I was too nervous to be in the room with her. I was in my late twenties. I wish I had managed to say goodbye and tell her I love her. There’s nothing I wish she had said because I knew she loved me.
Q The last time you prayed, who did you pray to and were your prayers answered?
A I pray to keep my family safe – whenever I am anxious it always comes back to my nearest and dearest. I pray to God – and thank God my prayers have been answered so far.
Q Who do you currently have a crush on?
A Murray Partridge. My husband of 31 years.
Q What would your Tinder profile say?
A “Sexy old lady” which is what my husband calls me.
Q What superhero power would you most like to have and why?
A The “Beam me up, Scotty” one. That would be the most useful, but it might screw up time zones.
Q Where do you get your therapy from?
A My girlfriends, my husband, my parents.
The Pyramid Earrings from Solange’s Platonic collection, featuring triangular, carré and baguette cut diamonds in 18ct white gold
Q Your book at bedtime?
A At the moment I’m reading Enigma Variations: A Novel by Andre Aciman. It’s a bit weird and to be honest, I’m not sure I’m enjoying it that much. But the last book I read was Little by Edward Carey, the story of Madame Tussaud, and even though it was creepy in parts, I loved it.
Q Your epitaph?
A “She tried her best” or Spike Milligan’s “I told you I was ill”.
Q What did you learn from the toughest time in your life?
A Take everything as a lesson and learn from it.
Q And from the happiest?
A To appreciate the good stuff, always.
Q You’re blowing out the candles on the birthday cake. What one thing do you wish for?
A A big slice of cake. When you don’t know what to wish for that means you’ve pretty much got everything you want.
