London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

'Caring Rob Rinder is an example to us all of the extreme good people do'

'Caring Rob Rinder is an example to us all of the extreme good people do'

The warm and wise words of Mrs Savage (that’s Robbie’s mum) - this week Val reflects ton the laughs she and her mum had that meant they never felt blue and how caring TV judge Rob Rinder is an example to us all

I was really moved to see Judge Robert Rinder travelled to Poland to find the family of his Strictly partner Oksana Platero who had fled the Ukraine. What a special man. He’s a great example of the extreme good people do.

The true kindness of people really shines in a crisis. Lockdown two years ago was a shock for us all. But when I look back, I am indebted for all the friends and family who looked after me. I will always be thankful for their help, and grateful to still be here.

Laughs me and mum had meant we never felt blue


I think of my mum and miss her every day, and especially on Mother’s Day. Memories of her don’t just make me smile, but make me splutter out my tea when I think of the hilarity we shared.

The pair of us were always giggling. When we were out, we’d often be bent double laughing so hard that people who saw us started laughing too. They didn’t have a clue why we were laughing - and often, neither did we.

In our day, we didn’t see counsellors or therapists. Seeing the funny side of life with people we loved helped us deal with anything life threw at us.

Do you agree? Have your say in the comment section

Robert and Oksana pair on Strictly


One day when I’d popped in to deliver mum’s shopping, she came out of the loo a terrible colour and said: “Phone the doctor, our Valerie - I’m weeing blue.”

I’d nipped to the hardware store, bought her a fancy new toilet cleaner and hooked it to the cistern to keep her loo looking nice, and it turned the water blue. But I hadn’t thought to explain it to her.

By the time my hysterics stopped and I’d spelled out to mum that the blue was a cleaning fluid not an exotic disease, mum and I had to race each other to the loo because we’d been laughing so much.

Mum loved talking to everyone she ever saw. The fish man used to stop his van outside her house and go in for a chat. One day he proudly told her he’d become a dad and asked her to guess what he’d called his daughter. He gave her a clue: the name was inspired by a stone.

“A stone?”, said Mum. “You named your baby Pebble?”

Her name was Jade.

My boys were used to seeing me sitting on the stairs on the phone to mum, unable to speak for laughing. The old BT ad used to say ‘It’s good to talk’. But me and mum always said it was good to laugh.

My eldest Jonathan says I’m more like my mum every day. I’m taking that as a comforting compliment.

A day out that can't be battered


Your letters always make me feel fantastic. The little notes sharing memories, jokes and family news. And the beautiful knitted card from Anne and Dee which took so much effort and skill.

Wouldn’t it great if we could all meet? We’d have a riot.

Val would love to share a fish supper...


If my legs were better, I’d arrange for us all to meet in Llandudno where we could hire deckchairs on the beach and sit with blankets over our laps. We’d eat fish, chips and mushy peas and frighten away the swooping seagulls.

There’s a Punch and Judy show to make us laugh and I’d pretend I was the police officer and bop you all on the head with a toy truncheon. And we’d have a 60s sing song to remember the days when we could twist and jive.

...and a Punch and Jude show with kind readers


We’d have a custard slice and four mugs of tea. And I’d wear four Tena Ladies to cope with the tea and all the laughs.

Out and about but travel sick


Good news: I bought the wheelchair. Bad news: I felt sick as a dog when I was taken out in it so I’ve only been out once.

I’ll try it again when I’m good and ready. But Gordon Bennett, if anyone knows how to cure wheelchair sickness please let me know because a green face is not a good look.

Opal Fruits kick Starburst into touch


Kind reader Tracey Corbett searched high and low to buy a big bag of Opal Fruits for me, after I said I didn’t agree with Starburst. What a wonderful surprise.

I can confirm they are the juiciest sweets ever made. Because by the time I’d picked the fiddly paper off each sweet, I was drooling.

A juicy classic of old


Friends have been gently telling me to try to pace myself when it comes to eating sweet things. Unwrapping time counts as pacing myself, doesn’t it?
Thong and danceabout new pants

My friend Sheila popped to Marks and Spencer to buy me some new knickers because I always like to have a new packet in my drawer.

I tried looking them up on the iPad so I could explain exactly what I’d like. And I got the shock of my life.

Not so long ago, knickers were knickers and that was the end of it. But when I looked online at the pants department, there was thong this and string that. There were Brazilians and bikinis, high leg and high rise. And what the hell is a VPL? Most importantly, which knickers can cope with my Tena Ladies?

Sheila managed to find full briefs in a very classy black and white mix - although these days, if they were purple with orange spots who’s going to know?

M&S undies dept in 1966 when knickers were knickers


When I was 40-odd, me and my late husband Colin nearly got thrown out of Marksys for laughing. We were on a romantic weekend in Scotland, just the two of us, and the weather was unexpectedly sunny so I needed to pop in for some t-shirts.

Holdups - fancy stockings that stayed up on their own with lacy bits around the top - had just come in and we walked past a display just of mannequins wearing black nylon hold ups.

I nudged Col and said: “Hey, maybe I’ll buy a pair of them”.

Col said: “Why? Are you thinking of robbing a bank?”

We were both in stitches for what felt like half an hour. Every time we composed ourselves, we’d be off again with the thought of me wearing the holdups over my face.

I was always talkative, and Colin was always quieter with a very dry sense of humour. And my God I miss him.

If you’d like to contact Val, email features@mirror. co.uk or write to Val Savage, PO Box 7290, E14 5D. The Mirror makes a donation to the Alzheimer’s Society in lieu of payment.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×