21 Comments

Enjoyed this, thank you. A random moment of Anna's that stuck with me was her washing out a yoghurt pot at the sink, when she was having an angry moment. It was so energetic. So 100% in character. Can't remember which episode or what was pissing her off. I just remember admiring her commitment!

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She did everything with such INTENT

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The other day I saw a reference to someone called Nardini, and I thought how, because of Anna, my automatic assumption is that anyone called Nardini is Scottish. What an outsized influence!

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There is a Nardini in my first novel! (And he is Scottish.) Daniela is related to the famous Nardinis who run an amazing ice cream parlour in Largs!

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Nov 20Liked by Justin Myers

This Life was so perfect for those of us who were that age in the 90s. I had my own collection of animal print furs but of course could never hope to be Anna. Cold Feet felt like a worthy segue at the time, but not sure if that withstands the glare of hindsight...

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Oh God Milly and Egg would have fitted in so well on Cold Feet.

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I remember going to buy the box set with my coolest friend (who was also an early adopter of charity shop leopard print). The tantalising promise of what being an adult might be like! In a big city! With a real job! It was glorious. (Side note: neither of us live in London. Or became lawyers.)

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author

Hahaha. The dream is still alive.

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Nov 20Liked by Justin Myers

IIRC Our Friends in the North finished and then This Life took over its timeslot the very next week. What a time to be alive!

I actually enjoyed the reunion special, though I feel like I'm the only one.

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There was no reunion special.

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Well I must confess I never viewed a minute of this programme but your piece has triggered much intrigue, perhaps I need to have a peep 'in the deep mid-winter.'

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Nov 20Liked by Justin Myers

Could never be bothered with Fleabag but adored This Life and can still remember entire scenes, cut deep into the grooves of my brain after a single viewing on NZ tv back in the 90s. Anna supremacy.

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author

The word iconic is overused but she was it.

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There was a one-off follow up, it was bound to be disappointing and it was. This is ace though, great writing, thank you.

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Hush now. I think you must have dreamt that. It definitely didn’t happen and nobody else watched it or remembers it in any way.

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Yes I have never heard of such a thing.

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Nov 20Liked by Justin Myers

Great stuff. It was all these things. Imagine my surprise, years later, when I found myself having a coffee with ‘Anna’, aka Daniela Nardini, talking about her nascent art career. Lovely woman.

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What a woman! I think she struggled to escape Anna for a while but she was always great in whatever she was in.

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Nov 20Liked by Justin Myers

Loved this piece. Loved! Have read before but loved it more the second time. Anna the most iconic character on TV by a mile.

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author

Thank you! She left such an indelible mark on so many.

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Nov 20Liked by Justin Myers

She did and a love of leopard print!

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