Postcards From Midlife

Psychotherapist and parenting guru Philippa Perry gives Lorraine and Trish some tried & tested advice on theirs - and other listeners’ - midlife problems, from finding harmony at home in lockdown, to unexpected confidence crashes and a peri-menopause identity crisis. Plus what it’s like living with her award-winning artist husband Grayson Perry, and getting creative for a new series of their hit Channel 4 art show.Also in this episode: Culture Club, our new midlife book, TV, & film hotlist; plus volume boosting hair tips and an alarming encounter with Fanny Craddock…To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected] For sponsorship & partnership enquiries: [email protected] Disclaimer: all advice in this podcast is based on our own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV's most famous and fabulous female sports reporter talks to Lorraine and Trish about her career highs and lows, her IVF journey, parenting twins and her competitive fitness streak. Plus How to Win at Midlife lingerie shopping and advice on beating your lockdown blues. And Nostalgia Noodle gets a little fruity this week so keep that sound turned down during family time!To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on our own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lorraine and Trish meet beauty power house Caroline Hirons for a frank and funny chat about bringing up four children, building a super successful career in her 40s, being a midlife grandma and her honest facts about skin as we age.Plus: coping strategies for lockdown stress and how to revive your love life by an expert. To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on our own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lorraine & Trish talk to health and fitness expert Amanda Thebe about how to get stronger and leaner and the impact it can have on our midlife minds and bodies. They also discuss the rise of ‘grey drinking’ and ask should you be reassessing your relationship with alcohol?To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on our own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lorraine and Trish kick start 2021 with their shortcuts to positive thinking and the health tests every midlife woman should be having this year. Meanwhile, special guest Katie Brindle explains how a daily self-care regime based on Chinese Medicine can help boost immunity, relieve peri-menopause symptoms and deliver glowing skin too. Plus: how to navigate teens, piercings and tattoos; and a nostalgic chat about the first ever Blue Peter tortoise (but we’re still not getting one, whatever the kids say) To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected] Disclaimer: all advice in this podcast is based on our own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lorraine and Trish get the festivities started with their ingredients for the perfect midlife Christmas (as well as the stuff that drives them nuts about the whole shebang).From presents, parties and cracker jokes to family games, stockings and stuffing the turkey, they share the fab and the funny, as well as nostalgia noodles from Christmas past…To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on our own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining Lorraine and Trish to talk about the day her husband left the family home, writer Rosie Green shares how she survived the aftermath, navigated the divorce, protected her children and ventured into the world of dating for the first time in more than 20 years.Plus: How to channel that midlife rage;  what to do when your teen won’t talk to you, and stepping back in time to the youth club disco To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on our own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Linda Magistris, former Grange Hill actress and founder of The Good Grief Trust shares her moving and inspirational midlife love story. Plus: Be your own life coach: easy steps to follow for a happy now and a brighter, more brilliant tomorrow; also how to live in harmony with messy teens and a sporty trip back in timeTo get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on our own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining Lorraine & Trish to share her life lessons, is writer, professor and nurse Christie Watson.  Her books, The Language of Kindness and The Courage to Care are a fascinating insight into the world of nursing, in which she weaves her own life story and the lessons about humanity that she has learned along the way. Plus: How to win at midlife - quick nutrition wins; those annoying what’s app groups and heartthrob nostalgiaTo get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on our own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lorraine and Trish kick off Series 3 with the help of makeover queen and beauty entrepreneur Trinny Woodall. Discover her everyday beauty and style secrets for midlife and find out how she built a cosmetics empire from scratch in her fifties. Plus: Midlife milestones: what success means to us; and rethinking jeans: why it’s time to discover new denimTo get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lorraine and Trish will be back with Postcards from Midlife on Sunday 22nd November. Here’s a little sneak peek at what they have in store…Want to join the conversation, ask a question or share your midlife story? DM us @postcardsfrommidlife.com, join our Facebook group or email us [email protected] acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Lorraine and Trish in this one off special episode for World Menopause Day as they share everything they've discovered about the menopause during Series 1 and 2 of Postcards From Midlife. From the 34 symptoms women can experience, to what's actually going on with our hormones, plus the facts about HRT - hear from experts and celebrities on how to successfully manage this time in your life.We'll be back with Series 3 in a few weeks time but in the meantime you can get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story: DM us @postcardsfrommidlife, join our Facebook Group or email us [email protected] Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last episode of Series 2, best-selling writer Caitlin Moran chats to Lorraine and Trish about how heading into peri-menopause took her completely by surprise, when she thought she knew everything there was to know about being a woman. Find out how she coped when her daughter battled an eating disorder, why witches are cool and how she finally gave in to yoga... Plus: What to do when your teens finally flee the nest and, for the first time, Lorraine tackles her frown lines with Botox.To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not being able to drift off and waking up in the 3am worry zone, poor sleep is the bane of many women's lives (especially when you throw in a hot flush or two). Lorraine and Trish talk to sleep psychologist Kathryn Pinkham about what we need to do to break the cycle and get a good night's rest every night.Plus: talking money with teens, the cool new way to get dressed and in praise of Keanu Reeves (and Richard Briars)To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trish & Lorraine meet health and beauty coach Karen Cummings-Palmer to find out the lifestyle tweaks and changes for diet, skin and exercise that will have us feeling and looking our most gorgeous in no time.Plus: at last, the teens go back to school, books we're loving, natural deodorants and why we'll never forget 1996.To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV presenter Anna Richardson joins Lorraine and Trish for a rollercoaster ride of riotous laughs and moving moments, as she reveals how she feels to be turning 50, finding love with another woman, the shocking moment she discovered she was infertilie and her tragic family history of depression.Plus: teenage milestones, protein balls tried and tested and being a secret shot put championTo get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Physical, emotional and hormonal changes can all play havoc with your sex life. To find out how to get back in the pleasure zone, Lorraine and Trish talk to Dr Shahzadi Harper about vaginal health, libido boosts and favourite sex toys. Plus: When we do and don’t need to parent boys and girls differently, the best glow products for luminous skin, learning French and revisiting the culinary peculiarities of 70s dinner partiesTo get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trish and Lorraine get the lowdown from specialist Dr Louise Newson on getting the right treatment for you during perimenopause, as well as the other health checks we should all be doing in midlife. Plus: Why we should be proud of our Gen Z teens, badly behaved pets, DIY tinted eyebrows and a walking plan to beat muffin top.To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trish and Lorraine delve into midlife hair issues, from thinning to greys and the impact of oestrogen deficiency. Plus, teen-parenting expert Alicia Drummond tells us how to set boundaries and tackle the most tricky and sticky situations our adolescent children put us through.  And not forgetting some fashion and beauty chat about kimonos, facial massage and tubby terriers.To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trish and Lorraine team up with actress Tamzin Outhwaite to discover what it’s really like dating a (20 years!) younger man when you’re hitting perimenopause, and why she’s finding midlife a time of great freedom. Plus: Silly billy teens and the illogical things they get up to, teeth whitening tried and tested, and why we will always love Kate Bush … To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lorraine and Trish talk to their old magazine buddy and best-selling author Mike Gayle about what’s going on for midlife men, what they know about menopause and how turning 50 is an emotional milestone for them too. Plus, generational parenting styles: how the way you were brought up impacts the way you parent; Lorraine models a chin strap; and Trish does some positive thinking … To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The nutritionist Jane Clarke joins Lorraine and Trish to explain why things can go barrel-shaped with our bodies once we hit our forties, and why we just can’t cut it on the lady petrol (aka rosé) any more. Find out how to write a food diary and the tweaks you can make to boost your mood and energy levels. Plus: how to be a role model for your teens, at-home juicing, fake tans tried and tested, and the glamour of Findus Crispy Pancakes … To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From fear of failure and emotional stress to social pressures and financial strains, Trish and Lorraine explore the symptoms of the new midlife crisis for generation X women with American author Ada Calhoun, whose latest book explores why you’re waking up in the 4am worry zone and what to do about it. Plus: how to react when you catch your teen lying, the ultimate hi-tech face mask, reviving roller skates and remembering our first filthy books…To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining Lorraine and Trish to kick off series two, bestselling novelist Marian Keyes shares her remarkable midlife story. Find out how she is rocking her fifties after overcoming severe depression, accepting she won’t have children, redefining work on her terms and becoming a proud Botox and HRT devotee.Plus: what to do with teenagers who have turned into summer sloths; amazing mascaras and DIY gel manicures tried and tested.Want to join the conversation, ask a question or share your midlife story? DM us at @postcardsfrommidlife, join our Facebook group or contact us at postcardsfrommidlife.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Postcards from Midlife will be back for Series 2 from Sunday 5th July! Here's a sneak peek of what's coming up... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today something different for you - an edition of our new free daily podcast Stories of our times. It takes you to the heart of the stories that matter, with exclusive access and reporting. Published for the start of your day, it is hosted by Manveen Rana and David Aaronovitch.If you want to hear more please search for Stories of our times and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.Today - Couples all around Britain are being asked to make tough decisions. Apart or together, the Health Secretary's advice is clear: "make your choice and stick with it." We speak to one couple in the middle of a divorce in isolation together, and one couple very much in love but separated by coronavirus (and an ocean). Guests:Steph (a nurse in Chicago treating coronavirus patients) and Katie (a tech consultant from London) .Kenny (a former journalist now in PR) and Helen (a business coach), both living in Wales.Host: Manveen Rana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the final episode in this series of Postcards from Midlife, and with some uncertain times ahead, Lorraine and Trish share the tips and tricks they'll be using in self-isolation and get some expert advice from menopause specialist Dr Shahzadi Harper. We're all glued to our phones at the moment, but how do the gadgets affect our children? They talk to psychologist Suzi Godson about how parents should really feel about teens, screens and social media.Find out more about the MeeTwo App here: https://www.meetwo.co.uk/about-usCheck out Instagram for live Postcards from Midlife updatesIf you’d like to join the conversation, please send us your story via postcard to:  Postcards from MidlifeThe Sunday Times Style1 London Bridge StreetLondonSE1 9GF  Or find us on www.postcardsfrommidlife.com TWITTER: @SundayTimesLC | @TrishHalpin  And INSTAGRAM: @SundayTimesLorraine | @TrishoftheDay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dry skin, frown lines, dark spots, saggy jowels, menopausal acne – the list of midlife skin issues is not the prettiest. But as Trish and Lorraine discover, with the help of dermatologist Dr Sam Bunting, there are plenty of ways to get your glow back and feel great about your skin. Plus: Mothers-Day memories, the family dynamics of food and making new friends.If you’d like to join the conversation, please send us your story via postcard to:  Postcards from MidlifeThe Sunday Times Style1 London Bridge PlaceLondon,SE1 9GF.  Or find us on www.postcardsfrommidlife.co.uk  TWITTER: @SundayTimesLC | @TrishHalpin  And INSTAGRAM: @SundayTimesLorraine | @TrishoftheDay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of her Sport Relief ultra-marathon, BBC presenter Louise Minchin talks to Lorraine and Trish about becoming a triathlete during her peri-menopause, and how hot flushes in front of the cameras led to the BBC’s menopause awareness week. Plus, keeping everyone in the house calm during exam season, old lady hands and being a Smiths fan To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the middle of bringing up children at one end and helping with ageing or sick parents at the other? Welcome to the sandwich generation. Lorraine and Trish talk to Jane Caldwell about the lessons she learned – and the advice she wished she’d had – while caring for her mother Olivia after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Plus, midlife fashion fixes, cloud inspiration and our favourite family member – the dog To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Michael Baum is a world expert on breast cancer, while his daughter Katie Taylor is the founder of the menopause support group and website the Latte Lounge. Together they separate fact from fiction about HRT and breast cancer, look at the issue of female pain, as well as Katie’s menopause story and experience of hysterectomy. Plus, what’s going on with teenage hormones, 80's workout gear and hot men!To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have life’s routines and responsibilities left you feeling like you’re stuck in a midlife rut? That you’ve achieved as much as you’re going to, and it’ll be a slow and steady downward drift from here? That’s how journalist and broadcaster Kate Garraway felt before she entered the celebrity jungle. She tells Trish and Lorraine how the experience has led her to reset her life at the age of 52.Plus, refereeing your kids’ sibling rivalry, morning routines and the joy of a veg box.To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Telling it like it is, the activist and entrepreneur Meg Mathews shares her menopause story, from misdiagnosis to osteoporosis, with Lorraine and Trish. Find out how she coped when severe anxiety took hold, and how HRT, diet and exercise have made her strong again. Plus: helping stressed teens, cleansing balms and the joys of cold-water swimming. To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You feel like the same person you were in your twenties and thirties, so why does society portray menopausal women as the grey-haired, cardie brigade? Lorraine and Trish talk to Britpop star Louise Wener about reforming her band, Sleeper, in her fifties, how style and sex appeal evolve and why you’re never too old to wear leopard print.Plus, how to cope when teens discover booze and partying; the Sunday night conflict zone; and sorting your gut health.To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to know the secret to getting through your peri-menopause without going insane? Lorraine and Trish talk to Dr Shahzadi Harper about exactly what’s happening with your hormones, the symptoms you shouldn’t ignore and how to get the right help from your GP.Plus: rowing with your teens, the power breakfast and getting a good night’s sleep. To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Busting the “have it all” myth, Lorraine and Trish discuss the realities of building a successful career or business while bringing up a family with the straight-talking entrepreneur, C-suite consultant and mother of 10 (yes, 10) children, Danusia Malina-Derben. What are the qualities that make some women great mothers as well as great leaders, how do we ask for help and what might a menopause-friendly workplace look like? Lorraine and Trish discover the answers to these questions and more. Plus: getting messy teens to do their bit around the house, and what’s changed their lives this week. If you’d like to join the conversation, please send us your story via postcard to:  To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you cope as a parent when two pairs of hands become one? Lorraine and Trish talk to the television and radio presenter Beverley Turner about her experience of parenting after divorce, from the everyday practicalities to the sometimes overwhelming emotional labour. Plus: midlife muffin top (weight gain and appetite during menopause), Top of the Pops and piercings.To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If your sex drive isn’t what it used to be and the most exciting thing that’s happened in the bedroom lately is a Netflix binge, well...you’re not alone. In the first episode of Postcards from Midlife, Lorraine and Trish find out how to rediscover desire, intimacy and pleasure with Suzi Godson, The Times sex and relationships columnist, as well as how to understand and support your teens as they start to explore their own sexuality. Plus: holidaying alone, magazine memories and women they love. To get in touch, ask a question or share your midlife story, DM us @postcardsfrommidife.com, join our Facebook Group, or email us [email protected]: all advice in this podcast is based on your own experiences. Please seek professional medical or expert advice if you think you have any of the conditions or issues discussed in this episode  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you living in a hormonal hothouse battling it out with your teens while the dog, cat and husband look on? Well, you're not alone. Lorraine Candy and Trish Halpin have been editing glossy magazines for more than two decades, helping support women through all aspects of their busy lives. Between them the duo have six children, two dogs, one cat and two husbands. And this time, they’re the ones asking for help. Join Lorraine and Trish as they consult the experts on parenting teenagers during the great midlife unravelling in this weekly podcast. Sharing their mid-life journeys, from the menopause to reinvention, and living with angst-ridden teens they cover it all.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.