I've reflected a lot on this over the years, and it really moulds us into who we become, I think. It took years after leaving home for me to develop some confidence. It was confidence I badly needed navigating relationships in my twenties, but it came too late. My sisters were confident, but they were treated differently. They were not dad's primary target, day in day out. They had more privileges that helped build confidence.

There might have been an element of natural shyness, but I'm sure the environment had a massive role.