TOY BOY

You may be in charge at work, but things are different at home. I've been married to someone 19 years older than me, someone exactly the same age, and my partner of the past 11 years clocks in nine years less than me – and I know what works best: give me youth every time. In between I fell for a couple of really younger men – more than two decades younger, in fact – and the press delighted in referring to them as my "toy boys", as if I'd temporarily lost my mind. I admit, one turned out to be a big mistake, but the other affair was thoroughly delightful until it had run its natural course.There are plenty of reasons to celebrate younger men. They usually do their own ironing. They know what they are going to wear. They like different music, so your taste gets broadened. So what if they've got weird friends and aren't interested in your old mates from yesteryear? There's nothing but pluses in my opinion. For a start, it keeps me on my toes and stops me moaning too much – which is far too ageing.

-The Independent
Nov 1 2009