My mum died five years ago today, so here& #39;s a couple of memories. She& #39;d been a war child, so hated to waste food. When she had a new hip fitted, she asked the doctor if she could take the old bone home for the dog.

When I stood for Parliament and was on the radio with the other candidates, Mum rang up and said & #39;I agree with John O& #39;Farrell& #39;

When my rabbit jumped out of an upstairs window, the vet looked at the two broken legs and said & #39;You could get a new rabbit for 50p.& #39; And Mum looked at me and said & #39;No, we& #39;ll pay for the operations please.& #39; Poor rabbit hopped around the garden with two plaster casts all summer.

When I was 17, Mum got me tickets to go and see the Secret Policeman& #39;s Ball, the Amnesty International Benefit. She read the notes about their work in the programme I& #39;d brought home, became an @amnesty activist and left them £30k in her will.

Anyway, she had a lot of fun and did a lot of good, and that& #39;s my definition of a life well-lived.