“I wanted to be a grandma who could be trusted and relied upon to look after the baby.”

“I had always been a social drinker, a yummy mummy drinker. I didn’t need a reason to drink. I drank for anything, whether it was a celebration, a bad day, a bad week, the cat’s birthday – you name it, I could find a reason to have a drink.”

“When my daughter said she wouldn’t be comfortable with me babysitting because of my drinking, it became one of my biggest whys. I wanted to be a grandma and enjoy that. I wanted to be the grandma who could be called upon, who could look after the baby.”

“When my grandson was six weeks old, he was very poorly. We got a phone call at 10.30pm one night and I was able to just get in the car and go to the hospital. When I was drinking, I wouldn’t have been able to do that because back then, I didn’t commit to anything after about 4pm.”

“My children gave me the most beautiful Mother’s Day card. Both wrote in it that I had been an example of perseverance and resilience and how proud they were of me and what I’d achieved.”

“I’m still not bored of driving in the dark. I think it’s such a thrill because I hadn’t done it for years. Normally I’d be the last one standing, but now there comes a time when it’s time to go home to PJs and a bit of crochet before bed!”