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My Kind of Day by Francesca Hunt (Article first appeared in the 28 August - 3 September 1993 Radio Times) (Special thanks to Rhian Jones) Two years on location in Scotland have changed my idea of how I like to spend my time. I used to be quite a slob -- perfectly happy to sit inside reading all day. But I found I couldn't stay indoors in Blair Atholl (where we filmed Strathblair), knowing there were the most beautiful hills and lochs and greenery all around me. So I went out and walked, and that changed the way I think about myself. Now, I don't want to be a Londoner any more -- which is quite ironic because when my parents moved out to the country when I was 11, I was absolutely furious. I thought London was where all the fun was. I get up at around 8:30 or 9am and have a serious breakfast of something like muffins and bacon. I'm always keen to know when and what my next meal is, although I don't do much cooking because I'm surrounded by people who are much better at it. My boyfriend, Brian (a fellow actor), is a superb cook and, as he's also a manic early riser, he's the one who makes breakfast. We live together, but separately, in that we each have a flat. They're five minutes away from each other in south London. Moving in with someone permanently would seem a terrific gamble, although I love having people around -- I have an actor friend, Clive, and my student brother, Ridian, staying with me at the moment. If I moved to the country, it would have to be with someone. If I'm not due at any rehearsals or auditions (I'm in Daphne Du Maurier's play, September Tide, at London's King's Head theatre, all summer), I'll sit and read bits of The Guardian -- the front page and the odd review. I tend to skip over the foreign news, but I'm not proud of that. I think it's awful how quickly people lose interest in continuing tragedies, like Romania. One of my favorite occupations, on a free day, is mirror-making. I presented the first one I made, four years ago, to my parents, as they started the whole thing off by giving me a lovely Victorian mirror with an ornate, gilded frame for my 21st. The ones I make now are hand-painted with intricate Celtic patterns, which fascinate me -- I bought a book about them in Scotland. I give the finished products to friends and I've sold a few. If I was out of work for a long time, I'd probably set up a stall in London's Camden Market. I can see the irony in an actress who loves mirrors -- half the appeal is that you can look at yourself. But I also love the way they light up and open out a room. I recently acquired a mitre saw, so I can make perfect angles and joins. I'm physically strong and enjoy constructing and mending things. I keep meaning to enrol in a car mechanics course because I hate taking the car to a garage for every little problem. Lunch is just something green or salady, because the serious meal of the day is supper. Brian and I are real foodies; we love wandering around Sainsbury's, choosing wonderful things to eat. There's nothing I don't eat, although I try to restrict my intake! Evenings are dominated by food, unless I go to see my best friend, Pooky, near Sloane Square, or to a show. I'm a fairly regular theatre-goer now because so many of my friends are in things. But I try not to surround myself with actors or get sucked into the "luvvy" scene. Lots of my friends, especially my old Oxford ones, aren't actors. I value my sleep and attach great significance to dreams, so I try to go to bed early, although it seldom works out that way. Dreams are an important part of my day and I always interpret them carefully, however mundane or obvious they may seem. |
