'Don't call me a national TREASURE'

As she looks forward to what next year brings, Dame Judi Dench will not let anything stand in the way of her beloved acting

- ANNA MATHE SON

If you're looking for something meaningful to give loved ones as a gift this Christmas, you might think about taking a leaf - or a tree - out of Dame Judi Dench's book. At home in Surrey, the legend of stage and screen, who's 87 on 9 December, plants trees in memory of lost actors and friends in her garden, and one Christmas, dedicated a plot of woodland in Scotland to her family through the Woodland Trust.

'As the trees grow in the years ahead, it is certainly a nice thought that some of my friends might drop by. It does seem a magical spot,' the star says of her special present of an acre of birch trees in Sutherland.

This month, Judi is no doubt looking forward to spending the festive season with her daughter Finty Williams and grandson Sam, as well as her partner David Mills. It's a particularly busy few months, as the BAFTA- and Oscar-decorated actress is in London's West End for a series of Christmas shows, I Remember it Well, in which the star chats to friend and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth about her impressive career.