 My family and friends hate it. Our Robert refuses to stop off at the Co-op to buy me fags and says, 'I'm not being a hypocrite'. I know it's ruining my health. My parents both smoked but my habit started at the dance halls in the 60s when I had a couple of puffs of friends' cigarettes. Then I thought, 'I've had so many cigarettes from the girls, I better buy a packet to pay them back'. And I was hooked. I thought I was sophisticated, like Audrey Hepburn. A lot of people my age smoked back then but many stopped, and I wish I had too. The fact is, my mobility is horrendous. I can't face spending the rest of my life unable to walk. Cigarettes are the only thing standing in the way of me becoming a bionic woman with fancy new joints. I always say I'm OK at home on my own with FaceTime, the telly and my 60s music to listen to. But I long to take my granddaughter Caitlin shopping in Chester and treat her to afternoon tea. I'd give anything to watch my grandsons Charlie and Freddie play football. And I dream of visiting garden centres with fr){kind=link}
In this week’s column, Val – mum of football legend Robbie Savage – admits she is a smoker but has decided to kick the habit for good, but fears how challenging it will be to take control of her health again
Now’s the right time to make a big confessionâ¦
On Friday, I turned up at the hospital for what I thought was physiotherapy for the worsening pain in my legs.
But suddenly, I was in front of an orthopaedic surgeon.
According to X-rays, one of my knees is not so clever, the other is pretty much flat and I need hip replacements.