5 THINGS I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT
Interior designer and television presenter LINDA BARKER, 55, divides her time between Yorkshire and London. She and her husband Chris, 56, have a daughter, Jessica, 24
1 GARDEN Wherever I live I need a decent amount of green space as I find being in the garden both restful and invigorating.
As a designer I love to visualise new plans for my plot and gardening is such a pleasure.
It is a hobby that I will always embrace and enjoy.
When I’m in Yorkshire I like to start the day with a cup of tea sitting in my beautiful garden.
I get an immense amount of satisfaction from gardening and I love tinkering about with different plants and outdoor furniture.
One of my favourite places is the flower market in London’s Caledonian Road, which is always such a treat to visit.
2 TRAINERS I simply don’t feel my best if I don’t exercise every day so wherever I go I always have a pair of trainers in my bag. As a child I was very sporty and played on the netball and athletics teams. Now I’m older, being active is still a central part of my life. I love everything from yoga and swimming to running and the gym and particularly enjoy long distance walking. I’ll happily spend a whole day ambling through the countryside.
3 PINTEREST I adore Pinterest as it is a constant source of inspiration and creativity.
I love the fact that it is a truly global resource with contributions from every corner of the earth.
Having trained as an artist my mind is very visual and it is great to be able to see so many designs in one place.
I know some people believe that creativity is innate but I actually think it’s a skill that can be learned.
Perhaps the first step on the journey is to build up a mood board and Pinterest is a great place to discover how to do that.
4 A GOOD BED We spend a large amount of our lives sleeping, which is why I think it’s crucial to invest in both a fantastic mattress and high-quality bed linen.
I really believe that the bedroom should be a sanctuary and I would never have a television in mine.
I try to limit electronic devices too.
A good night’s sleep is so important and I am very lucky that I am not someone who wakes up in the night or struggles to drift off.
Fortunately I am a real lark and in the morning I literally leap out of bed and just crack on with the day.
5 DIGITAL RADIO I spend quite a lot of time working from home and, while I do enjoy it, it can also be a little lonely at times. That is why I nearly always have the radio playing in the background. I regularly tune in to BBC Radio London as it has fantastic presenters such as Vanessa Feltz and Jo Good. They always tackle the big issues and have such wonderful guests. I have never been much of a television person as I find it rather takes over. The radio is far less intrusive and it’s easy to listen to a quiz or a play while working. I am also a big fan of Woman’s Hour on Radio 4 as well as Annie Mac on Radio 1.