Inspired Action and British Bake Off Adventures with Karen Wright

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:00:01

On today's show, I'm talking to Karen Wright, who found herself on national TV at the grand old age of 60 on The Great British Bake Off, one of my favorite programs. This made her look at life totally differently. And now she's actually having the best time of her life in her sixties. And it's something she wants to encourage other women to do, explore more of life's possibilities as they age. But before we get started, can I ask that you give us a follow on your podcast app or Instagram? Now let's get on with the podcast. Welcome to Retirement Rebel Life After 60. I'm your host Siobhan Daniels. Join me on a journey to meet inspiring rebels who've redefined retirement.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:00:45

Together, we'll explore new passions, triumphs over challenges, and discover the vibrant possibilities of life after 60. This is about living boldly, not just aging. So are you ready to rebel? Last week, I chatted with Diane Watson. She's a financial adviser and author of the book, She Can Prosper. She shared with us her insightful thoughts on consumerism, happiness, and finding contentment beyond material possessions, something which I strongly believe in. She wants to break down the barriers to make financial well-being accessible for all women and give them financial empowerment. If you haven't heard it, I do urge you to give it a listen, and you can find it on any podcast platform or through my web site, retirement rebel.co.uk. Thank you so much, Karen.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:01:35

It's so lovely to have you.

Karen Wright [: 00:01:37

Thank you, Siobhan. I'm absolutely delighted, obviously, to be here. Yeah. Thanks for having me along.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:01:42

How did you end up on the The Great British Bake Off? That'll be the the the question on everybody's lips.

Karen Wright [: 00:01:46

Question on everybody's lips. It is quite an iconic show. I think it's a bit of a one off, really, you know. And, it is a long story, which I'm not going to give you the, you know, the whole thing. But in a nutshell, I had been baking all my life, but very, very simple things. I've got maybe 4 core recipes that I've taken with me throughout. You know, a good sponge cake mixture, scones, a bit of pastry, charcoal stone, scones. You see? Straight into controversy.

Karen Wright [: 00:02:22

Scoot.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:02:23

Alright then. I'll let

Karen Wright [: 00:02:23

you have that one. And, yeah, pastry but only shark crust, and a Christmas cake. I could do that. And, that's I've just done this all my life. But as I got into my fifties going up towards 60, I was actually thinking, about the possibility of maybe doing something, self employed. I wanted to branch out. At that point, I was working in France, on on campsites, but we'd got a lot of downtime in the wintertime. So I've got some time on my hands, and I was thinking my husband's, you know, a good 10 years and nearly 11 years older than me.

Karen Wright [: 00:03:02

And it was it was on his mind that he was wanting to think about retirement, but I didn't. So I was thinking maybe maybe I could do something. What could I do? And then one day I saw, a Facebook post actually from somebody that I knew was not a baker, and it was beautiful cake. And I thought, wow. Look at that. That's a thing of beauty. And she's not had any training. I know that girl.

Karen Wright [: 00:03:25

If she could do that, maybe I I could. So that was the sort of start of my interest in seeing if I could decorate cakes, because I knew there was a lot of people out there who could could make a little hobby business out of that. So I started looking on the Internet and everything and teaching myself basic, decorating techniques and how to stack a cake and how to fill a cake and all that. But I didn't change the actual cake that I was decorating because my interest was in the external appearance rather than

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:03:53

Than the baking. Yeah.

Karen Wright [: 00:03:54

Tante pants, cake wise. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. And my daughter sent me the link. After a couple of years of this, my daughter sent me the link. I think not seriously because she would know that you would need to do lots more than I got in my repertoire. But she sent me the link for the application form.

Karen Wright [: 00:04:10

And I thought, well, I'm going to have a little look because it's interesting. I thought it'd be interesting to see, you know, what people I I don't know anything about TV shows. What do they need you to be able to do? And I opened up the link on my laptop, and I was immediately faced with, like, tick these boxes. What can you bake and decorate? What can you do?

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:04:27

I wouldn't be able to tick any of them.

Karen Wright [: 00:04:29

Well, I've got my 4 of nights.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:04:32

Oh, yeah?

Karen Wright [: 00:04:33

Yeah? They were there. They were there amongst 30 odd other things that I've never never tried or I even thought of trained. And, and it was one of those eureka moments, really, that I think we we often get our I've had quite a number, where I was just about to close the top lid, and something shouted in my ear. It said, how hard is it though, Karen, to teach yourself how to do all these things? Because you've got 2 months before the deadline. I have 2 months. But that, I was inspired from. I got what I call inspired action.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:05:06

What I love though is that you you say you were inspired to act. So many of us, and I was guilty of this sort of approaching 60, we self limit. We say, oh, no. I can't do that. And I probably have just thought, well, I've only got 4, shut the laptop and not bother doing it. But you were actually inspired and went on to do it, didn't you?

Karen Wright [: 00:05:25

I completely agree with you though about, self limiting beliefs. And, you know, we we gather those up as we go through life from from a very young age. You know, we we hear, we see, we believe what other people say, and it's not necessarily truths because I've got a story about that some other time. But no, I know what you mean. I thought, I'm gonna have a go. I'm gonna see. And I did them all over the 2 months. I was very disciplined, I worked really hard, and I don't want to make it sound as if, oh, it's a piece of cake.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:05:53

I saw

Karen Wright [: 00:05:53

what you did there. Yeah. I don't want anybody to think that I'll just breeze through that. It was a lot of discipline. But to be honest, I only tried all of those things once, and they all turned out okay. And you're right. A lot of people would look at that and think, oh, Pruschetta rolls. Oh, they look you know, when they're all assembled up looking all glossy and beautiful.

Karen Wright [: 00:06:16

You think, oh, that looks looks so complicated. I would never be able to do that. That is what we often think. And we but how do we know? We don't try. Yeah. I tried. Well, voila. Voila.

Karen Wright [: 00:06:28

It was okay. What's up? Sent off the application with a lot more bullying myself up shining my own, you know, star

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:06:35

Yeah. Yeah.

Karen Wright [: 00:06:35

Telling them what I'm an amazing person. Basically, I thought, there's 20 odd thousand people apply for this show every year. How are the researchers gonna see Karen? How are they gonna see 60 year old Karen in Wakefield out of all that lot? I needed to sort of get them to hold it their light upon me, and I managed it somehow.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:06:54

Did you, did you think at any stage, oh, I'm too old really at 60?

Karen Wright [: 00:06:58

You know, I didn't. I I have never really considered my age. I don't think I've been looking back on it, you know, knowing this podcast was upcoming, thinking about it. I thought, no. I think I've I've honestly always just forged ahead. Never considered age to be a a detriment to what I want to do, and still don't. Certainly not. Then, no, I just popped it in, and and off it went into the ether.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:07:25

You were the oldest person in the tent, though, weren't you?

Karen Wright [: 00:07:28

I was. You know, I thought that might give me some sort of, kudos. Good. Yeah. Because old is good. You know, it is good. And and I was really pleased, that I was. And we got Terry a few years younger than me, just a few years.

Karen Wright [: 00:07:43

And, and we bonded, you know, probably because we we were like minds and things. But, yeah, I was the oldest one in the tent. That was my accolade on the Radio Times. But you

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:07:57

know what? That will have inspired so many older women to give it a go, don't you think?

Karen Wright [: 00:08:02

Oh, yes. I know it has. And I continue to blaze the trail for that. As you know, people are dead interested in The Bake Off. They're fascinated by it. And I get asked to go talk about The Bake Off regularly. And I used that opportunity. I didn't So So to be asked to go into places and and chat and talk and things was I didn't realize I was going to be inspiring.

Karen Wright [: 00:08:35

So people say, but I do I know it. I know it because I'm passionate. And I do know that the story and everything has empowered people to go forward and try different things. Not necessarily only baking, I'll say that. It could be anything. You know?

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:08:50

Yeah. But that's why I wanted you on the podcast because this is a platform for just everyday women who find themselves doing things, who who push themselves out of the comfort zone. You've never been given talks. And I know you and I now have become friends because we're both ambassadors for the caravan and motor homes

Karen Wright [: 00:09:07

That's right.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:09:07

Of championing older women going out there in their vans and things. We'll talk about that a bit later. I feel passionately that there are so many women out there like us doing this, and I want this to be a platform where we can all chat about it and and show that that one day you're not on national telly, what next day you find yourself on national telly.

Karen Wright [: 00:09:27

And then what do you do?

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:09:29

And you go out and talk about it.

Karen Wright [: 00:09:31

Yeah, exactly. And you use it. I did. I mean, there's no script, you know, anybody who gets into that situation. Like for example our group, there was 12 of us, and looking at the 12 now, there are people that are are on the television every day out of our group. There are people in the middle area like me who does do a bit of this, bit of that, you know, in in our own local ities in particularly, you know, I'm I'm quite well known and quite busy. And there are other people who choose or chose not to take it further than that one experience. They they wanted to go have a go at the baking on on the tent.

Karen Wright [: 00:10:04

You know? And and and they've gone back and and continue with their lives as they were because, obviously that's that's what they wanted. But I, of course, once having had a taste of this and realizing that I have gained so much from that experience, from pushing myself, not just I mean, for one thing, I could bake. I never knew that. I never knew it. And, you know, if I hadn't done that little exercise that that day or or those weeks, in fact, I would have gone to the end of my life and never realized that I have actually got some some innate talent. And the question I ask myself and other people is, what else is there that I don't know I've got

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:10:45

yet? Yeah.

Karen Wright [: 00:10:46

You see? There there are so many more things that I'm excited about looking at. But going back to the tent, yeah, I took that experience and came off the show. And the first thing I have to say, though, there's one tiny little bit of a downer, I think. We were told we would be introduced to agents. Right? All of us. All 12 of us. You'll be introduced to agents. And me being my naivety, having been in this situation before, I thought we were going to be literally introduced to physical bodies, you know, of agents, shake hands, and we'd be doing it into I would have my pick, I thought, of agents.

Karen Wright [: 00:11:22

You know? And lo and behold, that is not worth living at all. They would they gave me a list of email addresses of agents and said, off you go. Get in touch, you know, if you want to. I did want to. I emailed all of the agents and and more that I found myself asking if anybody would be interested in representing me. And the answer came, there are none. No. Nobody wanted to ring.

Karen Wright [: 00:11:45

No. I was shocked, you know, Siobhan.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:11:47

Do you think I'm just putting it out there that that that your age had anything to do with that?

Karen Wright [: 00:11:53

I asked that question because I could not imagine why. We're so so full of beans was I at this stage, having had, you know, quite a successful run. I got further along in the show than ever I thought it would do.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:12:05

What week did you go out?

Karen Wright [: 00:12:06

I went halfway, which was week 5.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:12:08

Brilliant.

Karen Wright [: 00:12:09

And given that I've got very little actual experience behind me, that was quite a result. I was very, very pleased.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:12:17

Oh, I know what I want to ask you. Did you get a handshake from Paul Hollywood?

Karen Wright [: 00:12:22

Hollywood handshake. It looked on one occasion that I was I thought my mind's little sideline in my head was going, oh, Paul's hand's coming. It's going. It's going. Because he was saying all the right words, you know. He liked the chocolate collar cake. It was he was admiring of it. It wasn't dry for once.

Karen Wright [: 00:12:38

You know? Oh my goodness. This has to please. And I thought, oh, this is it. But no. No. It it never did happen.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:12:44

Is he as nice as he seems?

Karen Wright [: 00:12:47

Paul is very funny. And nice. Yes. I mean, the thing is about the present the the judges, not the you know, we've got there's there's 2 there's there's 2 judges, Paul and Trunell, we had. And they have got to be quite impartial, so they can't be chumsie onesie with you, offset.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:13:04

Right.

Karen Wright [: 00:13:04

I'm sure. Because, obviously, they they can't be they can't be chatting to Waller, not everybody. So they just go back to their trailers. But they the the the other 2, that Noel and Sandy Toxtwick, we had, as our our sort of co hosting. They were really, really friendly, really friendly indeed. But back to Paul, he was pleasant. He was intimidating because I think he wants to be. And he he has that That's

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:13:29

to get

Karen Wright [: 00:13:29

the best

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:13:30

out of you, isn't it, really?

Karen Wright [: 00:13:31

Yeah. Well, like, in a way, it does. What what struck me, though, is very, very quick witted. And, they they don't always show all the you know, they don't what they film, you don't get to see everything. But from inside the tent, sometimes, you know, his quips, he was as fast as that. Very attractive in my opinion. And that again is controversial. I meet a lot of people and that some say, oh, knew he was arrogant.

Karen Wright [: 00:13:53

But no, it's it it was very, very nice to me.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:13:56

So going back to to your childhood now, I mean, we've sort of explored the fact that when you were 60 you were doing this, you're a fellow Yorkshire lass aren't you? You were born in a mining town.

Karen Wright [: 00:14:07

Tell me

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:14:08

a bit about your childhood, and how the roles of women in those days, you know, when you were growing up, your mother and your aunts and and family, how's it differed to now? Do you think that they would have seen themselves being on the Bake Off at 60?

Karen Wright [: 00:14:23

Certainly not. My grandparents, for for sure. Obviously, my the 2 grandmothers, one of them was born in 18/81. And I'm not saying great grandmother here. My actual grandmother, she had a lot of children, and my dad was one of the very last. So she was quite in the forties, I think, when when when my dad was born. And my dad didn't have children till he was in his mid thirties. So by the time I was even born in 1958, that grandmother was in her late seventies.

Karen Wright [: 00:14:51

So she was a Victorian grandmother, really. You know? I don't think she'd even had a day's trip to the seaside, to be honest.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:14:57

So you were born in Wakefield. Was she born

Karen Wright [: 00:14:59

In Featherston. Featherston. I was born in Featherston. Yeah. I live in Wakefield now, but it's it's very close. You know, it's only a few miles away. So Featherston's a mining town. It's very famous for Featherston Rover's rugby.

Karen Wright [: 00:15:10

And, yes, that grandmother was she was born in, I think, Pontotrache, but my grandfather came up from Staffordshire when they set the mines up in the late 18 eighties. A lot of people migrated to Ardennes, and and my grandfather on the paternal side as one. So his wife, my grandmother, was well, she had 11 children and a very, very small house with 1 cold water tap and all those things. My mother's mother, she she wasn't as all as all that, but she was very entrenched in she was Welsh, but she came up here during the war and brought her mum and the woman's brother, up here with them. And, and she was very for the chaps, for the men. And it was it was part of where she came from. The women in Swansea, the Bonie Mine area, when there was a funeral, were not even they didn't even go to funerals. The women didn't go.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:16:05

What? They weren't allowed to?

Karen Wright [: 00:16:07

They well, it was just I don't know whether they were forbidden, but certainly. And, you know, and this is up up till quite recently, I remember this. So my grandmother, she was entrenched in that now. So she had 2 sons and a daughter, my mother being the daughter. And my mother is still here with us. She's almost 90, my mom. She's amazing. Gosh.

Karen Wright [: 00:16:28

Really is. I mean, she's inspirational. She she passed her 11 plus, my mom did, as had her older brother before her. And they both were offered scholarships to quite prestigious schools in Wakefield. Quakes, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School. My aunt went. My mother passed her, 11 plus, to get a place at Wakefield Girls High School. She didn't go.

Karen Wright [: 00:16:52

Why didn't she go? She didn't go. Because her mother said, we can't afford for you to go, Glynis. And, anyway, you know, we all were just getting married and everything. They're having a family, and you don't need that education. My mother will talk about it now. She was she will tell you it led to a needle. Of course, it influenced her, and it also influenced her attitude to me in a positive way. And that my mother has always

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:17:18

She wanted to do the opposite.

Karen Wright [: 00:17:20

Yes. Yes. Yes. She did. I mean, it it was marred by difficult choices. You know, my mom's marriage to my dad was not great, so things went a little bit pear shaped, really. But all through it and through my life, I'm still well. My mother encourages me to to continue to go and do you know, she'll say to me now, I'll say, what about your mum? You're on your own now.

Karen Wright [: 00:17:42

She's like, don't worry about me. You get off. Get yourselves off in your carrivel or your motorhome. Get yourselves going. Enjoy yourselves. Do it while you can. You know, I'm alright. You don't need to worry about me.

Karen Wright [: 00:17:53

You know? She she said, I've had my adventures, but she still wants them, which is amazing, isn't it?

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:17:58

Well, you've just been on a cruise, haven't you?

Karen Wright [: 00:18:00

Yes. And she's just today renewed her passport. Hey. Brilliant. So she's she's optimistic of many, many, many more years of of adventures for her. So I had that, interesting background. My dad was he was a product of Fevest, and he was nice. He was quite placid.

Karen Wright [: 00:18:17

My mother was the the leader of the pack, really, and she got me going to had a few tennis lessons. And whatever I said I'd like to do, she'd always try to give me a leg up and get me get me a turnip, you know, to see whether, you know, I want to go to Brownies. She got me to Brownies. Not everybody did, you know? No. I you know, people in my circle, their parents, for whatever reason, didn't get their kids to browse Scout School Guides. I always felt fortunate like that, you know, that I had those opportunities.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:18:45

But I think a lot of older women come from that matriarchy of people who were denied the opportunities, and you were seen and not heard, and you just got on with your life, and and there wasn't really a stronger role for them as there is nowadays. She must be incredibly proud with how you seize every opportunity that's coming your way.

Karen Wright [: 00:19:07

Yes. She she does and she she accompanies me quite a lot to things. For example, coming up this week, I've got, I'm giving a talk to the ladies who are optimists. I could take a guess. So instead of taking my husband, I asked my mom to come along because I know she'd be really interested, and she always trips in. She's always got some something to comment on, something to correct me on sometimes. You know?

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:19:30

That's the mom's role. That's the mom's role. I I do that with my daughter, and she just rolls her eyes now.

Karen Wright [: 00:19:36

And yeah. And my daughters, of course, I've got 2 of those if you know? And I was really delighted to get girls. Really delighted.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:19:44

Why was that?

Karen Wright [: 00:19:46

Well, the first my first daughter, it was probably because I was actually I got married when I was 16 first time around, and that Gosh. That was very young. I mean, very, very young. It ended amicably. But nonetheless, you know, it it it happened. And and I was then alone and I managed to get myself a a mortgage. So by the time I was 18, I was sort of getting divorced. I've got a mortgage.

Karen Wright [: 00:20:10

I worked in Barclays Bank. And everything was, like, set, if you like.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:20:15

How difficult was it being a divorcee in those days?

Karen Wright [: 00:20:19

Do you know? I again, I didn't anticipate any issues. I I did the divorce myself. Really? Well, yeah, because I we found out that it was got if to get us to listen to you involved, it was in the cost of, like, quite a bit of money, obviously, which we didn't have. Oh, lord. If I'd had it, I wouldn't want to spend it. If I can do it myself, I'll do it myself. So I found out. And, oh, it's like I was 18, possibly going up 19, but none nonetheless very young.

Karen Wright [: 00:20:43

I found out that you could, by going along to certain office. You get the paperwork. You fill them in and then we did it completely alone. I had to swear an affidavit in some office and I didn't even know what that took a friend from work. I said, I've got to go and swear an affidavit. We were going, oh, what's that? And I don't know. Got to do it. You know? So I did a do it yourself divorce case.

Karen Wright [: 00:21:05

And then I went off to Greece for a holiday and decided that I I fancied working out in Greece. So I sold my house and gave my job up, and that was quite shocking. So it wasn't difficult getting divorced, but I had a lot of, people concerned about this was quite radical Yeah. To do something to to break out of that break out of that. But I did it anyway. I just didn't seem to worry about it.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:21:33

You see, this is why you fit on this podcast, Retirement Rebel, Life of 60. You sound like you've always been a rebel, and I love that.

Karen Wright [: 00:21:41

I think I might have been Shivam, you know, but you don't always always yourself. Do you just do what comes to you? Like I say, instinctive action. I think, oh, yeah. That's you know, I don't act on every tiny little whim because that would be but if I've got a real gut, if it's really really calming, I'll follow I'll follow where I I it takes me to really. So coming back to children, yeah. So I went to work in Greece for a bit with Stavros, of course. And that that was very

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:22:06

You did.

Karen Wright [: 00:22:07

Of course, I did. It had to

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:22:08

be done. Long time.

Karen Wright [: 00:22:10

Yeah. And I have a daughter from that relationship, but it didn't work out for us. Tried over a number of years backwards and forwards, but I've put I've got a daughter-in-law, for a few years. So I was glad I had a girl, you know, because I wanted I felt powerful, and I felt able to relate. I knew about a girl. I thought I'd I'd know what to do somehow.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:22:33

I know exactly what you mean because I ended up being a single mom from my daughter being 4a half, and I've bought her up on my own ever since. I mean, she's 30 5 now. Although I say to her, I bought you up on my own and all this, and she goes, I'll give you till I was about 9. Yeah. And then she reckons she's bought herself.

Karen Wright [: 00:22:50

She jacked herself up.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:22:51

Yeah. But I know what you mean. That bond between a mother and daughter when you're a single mom is very special, isn't it?

Karen Wright [: 00:22:58

Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. And people used to call us the gang of 2 because I've got I worked. I worked from her being quite a small baby, and I was really fortunate that I got help in fact from neighbors and family because there wasn't any you didn't get any financial help. You were either on the benefits or you weren't. There was no middle ground to help you achieve. So I I did get some help.

Karen Wright [: 00:23:24

I was blessed really with that. And those people imprinted upon my oldest daughter so much. You know, grandparents and and that were very, very important there. But nonetheless, it was of an evening, you know, it was she and I. And that went on for a number of years until I I remet John. It's it's a story for another day now. But we I met John, and we got together. And I had another daughter, and people said, oh, I bet, you know, you're a bit disappointed that you haven't and the son said, not at all, Noah.

Karen Wright [: 00:23:53

Gosh. I really, really like girls. And I'm absolutely sure if I've got a son, that would be just the same. And so should it be.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:24:00

They must be incredibly proud of you as well because Paul. Following on from from being on The Bake Off, you actually have done your own cookery book, haven't you?

Karen Wright [: 00:24:08

I've done well, this was just last year. Yeah. It's, I wrote a book. It's got recipes in it. There's 30 recipes. It's not baking. I just didn't want to do baking because that's quite, static thing. And you've got to have your sensible head on, you know, because you've got to weigh and measure and be all grown up about it.

Karen Wright [: 00:24:28

And and I like to throw in pinches of that and a stir of that and and and, you know, are a bit chaotic, really.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:24:33

But I think a lot of us are. That's why I think it's such an amazing book. But you actually went on a trip in in your Yes. In a motorhome, didn't you, to write the book? And that's where our paths cross because me living in my motorhome and you sort of went on this motorhome trip and put together this cookery book, and then we both are working, for the Caravan and Motorhome Club. But I'm fascinated by how you put that book together yourself and published it yourself because it is what what's what's it called? Meals on the Move?

Karen Wright [: 00:25:01

Right. Well, yeah. It's Meals on the Move, subtitle, a campsite cooking journey. It's a book about the journey that we took last June. So it covers just 30 days of my life, and it's done in, like, a dear diary of armor. Because, I knew that going on a trip, just John and I, although we know each other, like, inside out now, there are certain challenges, you know, got going off, really, that I knew that could impact us, really, in in a longer trip, in a small, confined ish sort of space. So I decided I would see how it went, and I'd write about it. So, yeah, I wrote an I wrote a diary entry per day.

Karen Wright [: 00:25:39

I did a recipe per day. I did loads and loads and loads, like, over 200 photographs that I took on my mobile phone camera. And I can't believe again, I think, Siobhan, that's another of my so far favorite achievements because when I was thinking about writing this book, I didn't know the first thing about how to do it, who'd who'd edit it, who'd I didn't know. I took advice from, a good friend of ours, really, Sammy Sammy Faircloth. She she told me who she'd used and how it worked for her. So I've I've got the nuts and bolts of it going on, but I didn't know. I thought, oh, how do you get photographs? Because we can't take a full photography, with us clearly. So I thought, well, it's down to you, Karen.

Karen Wright [: 00:26:19

You need to find out how to get really cracking, expert looking photographs, and I did it.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:26:26

This is what I love about you. You just get on with it.

Karen Wright [: 00:26:29

Yeah. Well, when you've got to, you have to when you have. To, you can. You can make things happen. You'll know. There's only one person can choose that for you, and that's yourself. You can take advice and help, but the bottom line is you decide.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:26:43

Yeah. When I get overwhelmed with things sometimes and I think I can't, I can't, I I sit down and I calm down then I think you've got to, there's only you, get on with it, find a way, and I do. And every time I do I think the next obstacle that comes, I think, you can do this.

Karen Wright [: 00:27:00

You become empowered, Siobhan, don't you? I I've discovered recently that my husband, John, used to always rely on him to do all things technical in the house. You know? Mhmm. So, like, a smart TV would come in the house, and I'd assume that he will just you know, he he just got on with it. Yeah. And latterly, for various reasons, that's not happening. And I found that I'm having to take on tasks that I used to think that I automatically did. I can't do that, you know, self limiting. I can't do maths.

Karen Wright [: 00:27:26

They always they told me at school I was not good at maths. They believed them. They're they're not right. They weren't right. But I believed what they said. I can't do technology because it's a man thing. It's not.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:27:36

I know. I know. This is what is the problem. We listen to what we're told. And actually when you have to get on and do it, and you get on and do it, that you realize that that's nonsense.

Karen Wright [: 00:27:46

It's correct, Bart. And I I now and I do take great pleasure then. So so when, say, the television needs tune me into something because the Internet's gone off and things, I will I will investigate and realize then I think, that wasn't that hard. I've always thought that that was hard. Look, I can do that. And then it's like a tick. That's something else I know how to do now. It's brilliant to be independent person.

Karen Wright [: 00:28:10

At the end of the day, you know, that's that's what we all are.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:28:13

Yeah. What would you say to your younger self, seeing what you're achieving, what you're doing in your sixties, and looking forward to your seventies, eighties, nineties, and beyond?

Karen Wright [: 00:28:24

You know, Siobhan, I I what I would say is that I would I wish I'd had the insights about the limiting beliefs, really. I think that's come up to me quite late in life that that that a lot of the things that I've carried with me have been put there by other people and that we gather it. It's so easy done. I mean, we all you know, we can all fall victim to to planting ideas in susceptible minds. You know? One one example is my dad always told me when I was about 4, 5 years old, I'm a clear memory of him saying, Karen, you're so deaf love. You can't hold a note. You can't sing you. Oh, you can't sing.

Karen Wright [: 00:28:59

And I I and because it was my dad, of course, I believed in, and it went all through my life that I couldn't sing, so I wouldn't sing. So I didn't when I went to the piano lessons, they came to an abrupt halt because when it came to seeing the scales, I cried because I couldn't it's too embarrassing. It's my voice. Oh, no way. And so on. And and it took me till I was 60, and I was on the Bake Off. Right? And and, basically, I sang on television. Out of nowhere, I broke my own spell.

Karen Wright [: 00:29:26

I think it was just like a moment of madness. Yeah. I I I piped some words on a cake collar, of a folk song. And, Noah Fielding said, you know, what's the what's the what's this? I said, oh, it's song lyrics. A song? Can you sing? I went, let me show you. And, I sang, you know, I can sing. 60 years, I'd have that limiting belief that was put on me by an expecting dad. He didn't mean he he didn't think about that.

Karen Wright [: 00:29:52

He just, you know, you tell your kids, oh, you you you know, you've got 2 left legs. You you'll never be able to dance. You know? Things like that. And and and they can stick with you, make you feel awkward around things. So I think it would be that that beliefs aren't necessarily truths. So what you can believe, you know, I believe, I can't see. But is it the truth? Probably not. And there's another saying that I'd like to have put in my own brain years ago.

Karen Wright [: 00:30:18

I think Henry Ford said this but it's so true for me. If you think you can, you will. And if you think you can't, you won't. You're probably right. It's what you think. If you think you can do it, you can. And if you think you're not going to be able to, then you will never do it, will you? So I just to get that positive. I mean, I've always been positive, but I've I've carried with me some baggage, and I think I'd like to have dispelled that at an earlier age.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:30:44

Though I think it's brilliant. You've got it in bucketloads. But what what I also think is that women like you and me who are going there and pushing the boundaries and exploring and having our adventures and speaking out positively and challenging those self limit beliefs are helping other women to to change the way we see aging, because we are an ageist society, aren't we?

Karen Wright [: 00:31:10

Yes. We we we are an ageist society, but I was thinking about my upcoming birthday quite a bit because I'm going to be 66 in 2 less than 2 months. And at 66 in this country, you get your state pension. I was thinking about that with glee, thinking, hurrah. Something to celebrate. Wow. Lucky me. 6 I've got, you know, I've got my pension.

Karen Wright [: 00:31:32

It's coming in. I'm in the prime of my life because I see myself as having lots more adventures and fun things and positive things to to do. And that money's gonna be great to have. I know that if you'd taken me back 20 years ago, I would have not been looking forward to it. Yeah. I would have been thinking, oh, crumbs. You know, when you get your pension, you're gonna be really old and blah blah blah blah. I don't see it that way.

Karen Wright [: 00:31:57

I think it's a time of great joy. Most of my friends, you know, I've got you get a friend group all of a similar age. And pretty largely, we're all I've got a very positive attitude to our our future, really, whatever it might bring.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:32:13

I absolutely love your positive outlook on life, and I do hope that more of us are getting that that outlook, you know, that that feeling about getting old, that it's not something that's slowing down, that's negative, that's scary. It's actually, like you say, the prime of your life. There's there's years years years ahead of us, all God willing, you know.

Karen Wright [: 00:32:34

God willing. I mean, who knows? But that right. Using my mum as an example again, you know, she's 90 in 3 weeks' time, and she's just put in for her passport Yeah. Again. And and she because she's going to be going abroad, and she's going to be having adventures and trips, and she's planning, and she's optimistic, and she's out there, and she's buzzing around the local town and getting things done. She gets all her papers in. She's she's reading things. Oh, she's just like she's just like a a machine of optimism.

Karen Wright [: 00:33:08

But tractor cars is, you know, she's got all all the things in place, and she's not worried. She's not worried about the inevitable energies and whatever, but I'm gonna get as much out of this life as I possibly can. And, you know, with a mother like that, I'm bound to be, surely. I'm bound to be following in her footsteps.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:33:26

What an incredible role model. Now there's one question that I ask everybody, I've absolutely loved chatting with you on this podcast, and there's one question that I ask everybody, and that is, I want to know when's the last time that you have been really rebellious and felt like a rebel?

Karen Wright [: 00:33:45

I felt like a rebel about 3 weeks ago. You know when you and I were going up to Glasgow because we we went up to work together, didn't we? And and and it's the longest journey from from where we live here in Yorkshire. And my husband is is quite a negative Nelly, really. And he kept saying, he kept who he is. He's the opposite of me. We we I mean, I'll I'll pull his leg about it. But nevertheless, some of the serious things. And he kept moaning about our care.

Karen Wright [: 00:34:11

And he kept saying, oh, well, you know, we might not get there at this rate. That bloody car is getting old a bit. Whoop. Whoop. You'll don't like, you know and he and then one day, out of the blue, we were in the phone shop. And I said to the person I was talking to just in passing, oh, well, I'm going up to Glasgow next week. And John piped up. It's a Friday morning.

Karen Wright [: 00:34:30

He piped up, if that car gets us there. So when we came out of the shock, I just got rebellious. And I said, right. Take me to that car lot that we bought this car from that we've got now. Take me. He said, why? I said, you watch. And we drove down there, and I went to the guy, and he's he recognized us. He said, have you worn the old car out then? I said, we might have done it.

Karen Wright [: 00:34:52

I said, I'm here to see if you've got a replacement. I want something that's large enough to take on my clobber because I'll take a lot of things with books and all the rest of it with me. And I want something that's strong enough to to tow my caravan. Ideally, already, as I told my officer, have you got anything in this car lot to match that? And he said, oh, let me have a look. No. We've got this one here. I said, oh, it's a nice color. Tell you what, we'll have it.

Karen Wright [: 00:35:16

He says, you don't want to test drive it? I said, no. We'll have it. I said, I'll give you a deposit now. Can we pick it up on Monday? He said, yeah. It's a done deal. And that was that. And I just thought

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:35:26

I love that.

Karen Wright [: 00:35:28

Yes. Because I was so fed up of listening to all that. I just thought I'm going to do something about it, and and I did. And it's it's all worked out great. Why wouldn't it have done Fabulous.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:35:38

But don't don't you think there's that incredible feeling when you know you're being rebellious?

Karen Wright [: 00:35:43

And you're always being a bit naughty. I know. I know. I know. I think John just I mean, he drove me there. He could have said no, but I think he was astonished himself. It all just happened. You make things happen, Siobhan.

Karen Wright [: 00:35:58

You make things happen.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:36:00

Do you think as well the older you get, the more you decisive you are about making things happen, and feeling stronger about making things happen, making the decisions?

Karen Wright [: 00:36:10

Yes. I think I think when you're younger, perhaps you're a little bit more maybe maybe less thoughtful and maybe can become sort of reckless, but with the wisdom that you gain. And, of course, that's one of the great benefits of of getting older. You know? You've got all life's lessons that you know, behind you to draw upon, to and it gives you wisdom. And yeah. And I think there's a certain inevitability really, isn't it? That as I've got older, I think, what's the worst that can happen in the car scenario? So I make a bad decision. So I'll buy a doth, a dud. It's not the end of my world.

Karen Wright [: 00:36:46

It is just a car. Let's go with it and let's go with it and see what what rolls. You know? I think it's great. It's exciting. I feel excited by having those choices to make, those options, those paths to walk, the the things in front really. The choice because we all have choices and you know it's up to us to make them.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:37:08

Have you got any more trips planned in your in a motor home?

Karen Wright [: 00:37:11

I've got a trip planned in the motor home, and that is exciting again. I've got love the anticipation of of of travel. Mhmm. I I love it. And so we're going to France in June again, and I've got ideas about that, and and maybe I'll make some notes, book 1 of these, but don't know. But I wanna get off in my caravan with all that, and I was actually thinking this morning where to go. I can't see learning how to make chocolates, you see. So this is something else I've got.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:37:39

That's interesting.

Karen Wright [: 00:37:40

Well, you know, you see a beautiful chocolate, And there's the feast that's on the good ones. You know, shiny, glossy.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:37:45

Oh, yeah.

Karen Wright [: 00:37:45

I'm like a magpie looking and thinking beautiful things. And my mind went like this. Oh, they're beautiful. I wonder how you how can you make those then? So now I think, well, let me find out. I know somebody in Scarborough that will teach me a professional chocolatier. Oh, what a good idea. Let's take our caravan to to Scarborough. I've been for years.

Karen Wright [: 00:38:08

We'll park park up there. I'll have my lesson all the day out, you know, and I'm I'm hoping to bring that off.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:38:13

That sounds like a good television series. You need to pitch that one. I'd watch that.

Karen Wright [: 00:38:19

Yeah. Well, it does, doesn't it? Yeah. Oh, gosh. Never thought about that, Siobhan. Thank you for that idea.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:38:25

My pleasure. Well, you know, you've got to keep going in your sixties and your seventies. I just love that I love, like I say, your positive outlook on life, and I've thoroughly enjoyed chatting to you today on the podcast. And just keep going, keep being who you are, keep being an inspiration to other women, and a trailblazer. Thanks so much, Karen, for joining me.

Karen Wright [: 00:38:46

Thank you, Siobhan. I've absolutely loved it.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:38:50

I hope you enjoyed that conversation with Karen Wright. Her 5 weeks on the Great British Bake Off in her sixties really did give her a new outlook on life, and she was a joy to chat to. I'll take away from our conversation that pushing yourself out of your comfort zone really can reap rewards. If Karen had just looked at the application form for The Great British Bake Off and thought, well, I only know 5 things, her life could have been totally different. But she didn't. She thought, how difficult can it be to teach yourself all the methods that they want you to know when you're baking for the competition? Vans, and that's something she's taking into her old age. It's led her to write her own cookery book, Meals on the Move. Again, she didn't believe that she was too old or it was too late.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:39:41

She just decided, I'm gonna write my first book. And she just did it and published it herself. And we just need to say yes more to things. I'll also take away from our discussion that it really is never too late to rekindle the rebellious side of yourself. Karen realized that she was quite rebellious when she was younger when she went off to Greece, and she's actually relishing the feelings of rebelliousness now. And, of course, you all know this platform on this podcast is to get together my tribe of rebellious people. So it was a joy to talk to her, and I'm looking forward to talking to a lot more rebels out there in their sixties, seventies, eighties, and beyond. Thank you so much for joining me on today's retirement rebel life after 60.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:40:29

I'm truly grateful for your time and your willingness to embark on this journey with me. If today's conversation sparked something within you or if you've your own rebel story to share, I'd love to hear from you. Please reach out through our social media channels or email, and let's keep the conversation going. Email us on podcast atretirementrebel.co.uk. And remember, if you found value in our time together today, consider sharing this episode with a friend who might also enjoy and benefit from our retirement rebel community. Spreading the word helps us grow and continue to challenge the narrative around life after 60. All of our details can be found on retirement rebel.co.uk. Retirement Rebel Life After 60 is written and hosted by me, Siobhan Daniels, and produced by the incredibly talented, Matt Cheney.

Siobhan Daniels [: 00:41:23

Join me again next week for another episode. Until then, keep embracing your inner rebel and living life to the fullest. Bye for now.