The 5-Minute Interview: Susan Hampshire, Actress

'Cyclists take no notice of road etiquette'

Susan Hampshire plays the Fairy Godmother in "Cinderella" at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking, from 7 December to 21 January.

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be ...

Probably making some tea as I have builders round. We are building a Mark Wilkinson office.

I wish people would take more notice of ...

Cyclists. But they themselves don't take notice of basic road etiquette. They should create flyovers for bikes, keep the roads for the cars and let the mobility vehicles on the pavements. They'd have to find somewhere else for the pedestrians, of course.

The most surprising thing that happened to me was ...

Becoming a grandmother. It has enhanced my life more than I could have expected.

A common misperception of me is ...

That I am privileged. If you speak with an accent like mine, people tend to think that you never had to work for living.

I am not a politician but ...

I would like to see more trust in small groups. Small is beautiful.

The ideal night out is ...

Sitting in my garden with a glass of wine.

In moments of weakness I ...

Make another cup of tea.

You know me as a actress but in truer life I'd have been a ...

Nurse.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this:

I never put off what I can do today and I try not to be unkind.

Sara Newman