Celebrities roll back the years (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Celebrities roll back the years

Melinda MessengerSWINDON'S celebrities have been sharing their childhood memories as part of a campaign to combat world poverty.

Television presenter and former model Melinda Messenger has revealed the secrets of her childhood in support of Action Aid's Child Poverty Action Day.

Melinda, who grew up in Swindon, now lives in Lydiard Millicent.

She said: "My favourite childhood memory was running around a carpet shop with my brothers.

"We spent hours chasing each other in and out of the huge rolls of carpet.

"It was so much fun partly because we shouldn't have been doing it, but also because it seemed so huge.

"I still love the smell of new carpets and can't wait to chase my lads round the carpet shop."

Melinda and her husband Wayne have three children, Morgan, Flynn and Evie.

The family are reported to be considering a move to Newbury in order to be nearer to London, in order to ease Melinda's heavy work schedule.

Another Swindon celebrity is also backing Child Poverty Action Day, which this year takes place on Friday September 30.

Dr Who star Billie Piper, has also shared her favourite childhood memories.

The former Bradon Forest pupil said: "I have so many wonderful childhood memories fortunately.

"One memory is of me and my Dad singing and playing his dodgy double bass.

"I would sit on top of the bass, something I wish I could still do, and Dad would play along to the band Fairground Attraction.

"It was magic."

Action Aid, the international charity, hopes children in the world's poorest countries will have the same happy memories.

The Lick Child Poverty Action Day has been organised to draw attention to the 600 million children they believe are living in poverty.

Anyone wanting to support the campaign can visit www.lickchildpoverty.org

Childhood memories

TV presenter Gail Porter, another supporter of the initiative, said: "All children should have the opportunity to enjoy a safe and secure childhood, free from poverty.

"We're hoping that the big kid in us will take part in all the fun and raise loads of lolly to lick child poverty for good."

Actress Joanna Lumley's favourite is being collected from school, and being told there was a surprise in the car.

She said: "We thought it might be strawberries, but it was a little silky waggle-tailed smiley black puppy, who grew into the best dog in the world.

"He was called Hugo or Puppy."

Actress and writer Meera Syal, who has starred in Goodness Gracious Me, has a fond memory of her giant father.

She said: "Me and me dad walking through a cornfield in the mining village in the Midlands where I grew up.

"My dad looked like a giant striding through a sea of moving gold, and I thought he was the cleverest and most powerful man in the world."

Actress Emma Thompson said her favourite memory is running away from home with her sister Sophie aged six

"We got up very early," she said. "I made Ryvita and marmite sandwiches and we went round the corner and sat under the tree near our nursery where we ate the sandwiches.

"Then we went home again. I engineered this because someone had pilfered all my Meltis Newberry Fruits after I'd had my tonsils out."

Dave Andrew