60s Birds

When I was a pre-teen the London scene exploded, rock stars, models, motor scooters, mini skirts and a look that went along with it and, man, I wanted that look. I was a runty kid who looked more like an undersized Joan Baez than any of the Swinging London girls below but I lived in the hope that I could pull it off even without the hair, the makeup or the clothes. Hope that I could live the mod lifestyle in Ville St. Pierre, Quebec sprang eternal. Here is a photo of me with my sisters and little cousins in 1965 (I'm in the striped shirt on the right). You see how hopeless it all was. Sad really.

Here are a few of the girls I yearned to emulate:

Jean Shrimpton was the first face of London in the early 60s, a precursor of what came after. She was so sophisticated and I considered her part of an older generation but I remember seeing her face on the covers of all the fashion mags and her look set the stage for a decade of British beauties. She dated photographer David Bailey and Terence Stamp and lived a glamourous life in Mod London. She now runs a hotel in Penzance with her photographer husband Michael Cox.

Twiggy, born Leslie Hornby, was cute and awkward and became a modeling sensation at the age of 16. I remember giving my younger sister an amateur Twiggy haircut and we all penciled in lower eyelashes trying (unsuccessfully) to mimic her look. She dabbled in various areas of showbiz but never regained the fame she had for 4 years in the 60s. She still looks fabulous.



Vogue model, style icon and David Bailey's muse, Penelope Tree (below) was another Sixties It Girl. She wasn't a favourite of mine but I would have traded places with her in a heartbeat. In a rare interview she tells Louise France about her charity work, the misery behind her privileged upbringing - and how the Dalai Lama saved her life. Read more

Remember Paul McCartney's main squeeze, Jane Asher? She was the envy of young girls everywhere. In addition to writing, she now runs Jane Asher Party Cakes (as she has since 1990). The company makes premium cakes for corporations and private parties (including one for Prince Charles' 50th birthday celebration). She's still gorgeous at 61.


Sweetly beautiful Marianne Faithfull was Mick Jagger's girlfriend but was also a successful singer in her own right. I liked her best of all. Her descent into drug addiction is well-documented. To everyone's surprise, including her own, she bounced back in the late seventies with her album Broken English and has had a successful career in music and acting. She is still touring.

Pattie Boyd was muse to George Harrison and Eric Clapton and inspired Clapton to write Layla. She had them both on their knees. She must be broke now because she recently wrote a tell-all autobiography. She's still way better looking than me but wouldn't turn heads at the supermarket. Because I have a nasty side that makes me happy.