Writing deadlines have held me prisoner recently but now free to blog I want to share this photo.

I am surrounded by beautiful women modelling at a fundraising event last week – nothing out of the ordinary there, but I have never enjoyed myself so much as when sharing the stage with adorable dogs who are trained to do everything for their disabled owners.

The models were diverse in age, size and ability, with Shannon Murray (see picture below) making a huge impression on me.

We chatted backstage and she had inspirational things to say about accepting who you are.

In a culture where we are increasingly encouraged to think that all imperfections should be fixed, her question to the impressionable young women she visits in schools to talk about diverse beauty is “but what if you made the decision to accept yourself?”

That way lies peace don’t you think?

Thanks Shannon for being the Debenhams poster girl and spreading a more balanced view of beauty.