Courageous Kate Garraway has revealed uphill challenges nation's silent army of carers face: Sarah Todd

The way Ms Garraway shone a light on the country’s silent army of millions of carers was one of the most worthwhile celebrity insights of the last decade. Of course, there were those who criticised her for everything from her untidy house to her bank balance; but on the occasions she let the television documentary cameras into her life she came across as a pretty normal mother-of-two trying to do her best in the most difficult of circumstances.

Like most women, she felt like she needed to do everything herself and right in front of viewers’ eyes seemed to run herself ragged juggling the caring, kids and career to keep paying the bills. Yes, most carers just carry on without ever raising their head above the parapet. They don’t make a public song and dance about it. What Kate managed was never to ask people to feel sorry for her.

She never wallowed; it was all about helping raise people’s understanding of long Covid symptoms and asking the questions that her public profile made more possible. In doing this, she shone that aforementioned light on those that care for loved ones – and those who do it for a (so often underpaid) job. Carers could do with decent pay; never mind those striking doctors. There will be experienced carers out there who have forgotten more, especially about the elderly’s needs, than many a jumped-up junior doctor will ever know.

Reflecting on Kate’s strength and how she supported others brings a reminder about what an attractive trait it is to have a glass-is-half-full outlook on life.

We should all be more Kate Garraway. Those that sniped online about her untidy house after the first documentary should hang their heads in shame. As an aside, if anybody makes comment at our interior design fusion of terriers and piles of old Yorkshire Posts a mental note is made not to invite them over the threshold again.

As our grandmothers used to say, if you can’t say anything nice don’t

say anything at all.

Talking of grandmothers, mine lived to 95 and 100 and both were farmers’ wives who ate a diet rich in red meat and full-fat dairy products.

Interesting to read the other day that the French have the highest per capita consumption of butter at 18 pounds per person a year. However, they suffer just a third of the amount of heart disease of this country or the United States. While health departments over here and the states recommend margarines and vegetable seed oils the French continue to eat traditional fats.

Of course, good health and long life is a lottery. An old grandmother’s tale of eating butter is neither here nor there if your number is up. But food for thought, with so many people who will be doing the annual New Year look at their diet.

Continuing on a healthy theme it was sad to read that in its bid to stave off bankruptcy Bradford Council is investigating closing amenities including swimming pools, gyms and an outdoor education centre. It’s a national disgrace that learning to swim and going on a school residential trip are increasingly seen as luxuries.

Growing up into a well-rounded young adult requires so much more than parrot-like passing of exams. It’s about opening the door on a wider world with activities such as sport, putting on plays and trips away.

It was a joy recently to speak to the chief executive of Farms for City Children. Donna Edmonds grew up on a notorious London council estate and had zero contact with farming or the countryside during her childhood.

Her first introduction to rural life came six weeks into her teaching career when she was sent as an accompanying teacher on a residential trip to Nethercott House in Devon, the farm set up by former children’s laureate Sir Michael Morpurgo and his wife Lady Clare. That first week of muck and magic - and seeing the children blossom as they experienced it - inspired a career long connection of repeat visits and eventually her current role.

We owe it to our country’s youngsters to make the tapestry of their lives as colourful as possible.

Take away mobile phones and reality television stars with lips like rubber ducks but for heaven’s sake keep swimming pools and school trips.