Practically perfect in every way

One of the most recognized figures in the world of entertainment, Dame Julie Andrews is perhaps best known for her performances in Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music but she’s also the author of many popular children’s books. Here she tells Bernard Bale about her new podcast and her love for Surrey, the place she was born

- Bernard Bale

When you hear the name Julie Andrews, thoughts probably turn to scenes of her singing in the rain and climbing mountains with the Von Trapps or perhaps floating down the bannisters and offering out spoons full of sugar in the Banks household. However she is also an incredibly successful author of a number of children’s books.

Recently the Surrey-born actress, together with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton – also a hugely successful writer – decided they wanted to help children (and parents) gain a deeper love of books and so launched a new podcast, Julie’s Library. Since it launched in April, the storytelling podcast, aimed at four to ten-year-olds, has already proved to be massively popular all over the world and has become particularly useful for parents trying to find new ways of entertaining their children while home from school as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take hold.

“It is our hope that the stories and ideas we share on Julie’s Library will provide family listening pleasure, inspire meaningful conversations and be a trusted resource for literary enjoyment and learning,” says Julie, who was made a Dame in 2000. “The response thus far has been fantastic and we are so thrilled to be helping.”

Some of those listening into Julie’s Library are from Surrey, which comes as welcome news to the Julie as it was the place her story began. “Yes, it’s true, I was born in Surrey,” the 84-year-old says. “Some say that I was born in a suitcase because of the show business connections but whatever, that suitcase was definitely in Walton-on-Thames at the time.