Annabel Heseltine
Encyclopedia
Annabel Mary Dibdin Heseltine (25 July 1963, London) is a journalist, columnist and TV and radio broadcaster. She is editor of the education magazine FIRST ELEVEN
.
, The Rt Hon, The Lord Heseltine CH, PC; and Lady Heseltine née Anne Williams, Trustee of the National Gallery
.
Annabel was educated at Cobham Hall, Tudor Hall and Stowe School
. She then graduated from in 1985 from Durham University
in Economic History, and then obtained an MA in Wildlife Management and Conservation at Reading University in 2006.
, with a view to pursuing a career in fashion. However, after two years working in advertising with the ad agency, Darcy Masius, Benton and Bowles in London and six months working for Restaurant and Hotel PR agency, Alan Crompton-Batt Associates, she settled on journalism as a career.
Aged 22, she became the Assistant-editor for the Hong Kong Tatler in 1986. In 1990, Heseltine was contracted to the Daily Mail's YOU magazine. Subsequently she moved onto work for various broadsheets and tabloids including The Times, The Sunday Times and The Daily Telegraph. She has also contributed to magazines including Vogue, The Economist, The New Statesman Earth Magazine, Harpers and Queen and Hi-Life. Following her coverage of the outbreak of Rwandan civil war, when she was one of the first journalists to enter the country, she briefly joined the news room of The Sunday Times as a reporter before returning to feature writing again.
As a single women during the 1990s Bridget Jones
phenomenon, Heseltine epitomized the phenomenon being an unmarried career women in her early thirties and was quick to capitalize on a fascination with this new breed of woman who seemed to have it all but was now losing it all.
Later she was one of the first people to talk to about the sorrows of an ectopic pregnancy
. Her own experiences as an older mother unable to conceive a live baby and subsequent walk down the IVF route was well documented.
She has been criticized for controversial views and writing about herself too often
but gives the riposte that her work has been both a support and inspiration to other women in the same plight.
Her work as a feature writer and columnist, both in print on the web (including her work for the women’s website, iVillage), and more recently the Weekly Wrinkle, has covered education
social mores, relationships and marriage.
As a travel and conservation writer, she has covered issues including the bush trade, rhino extinction, wolf reintroduction, dolphin slaughter in Japan and ecotourism in Africa.
She has also written extensively about health and was one of the founding editors for the upmarket concierge company, Quintessentially.
Heseltine wrote and produced two short magazines for Lewa Downs Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya.
In 2002, she took three years off to have four children and complete a masters degree, before setting up EcoPhilanthropy Ltd with partner Dr Samantha Pullen, to advise philanthropists wishing to donate to African based conservation projects. She still retains contact with Africa but more recently Heseltine has focused on education as the editor of FIRST ELEVEN magazine, written for the parents of children educated in the independent sector.
As a commentator and TV and radio broadcaster she has appeared on news and chat shows including World at One, The Today Programme, Panorama, BBC News 24, Women's Hour, Esther, Richard Littlejohn alongside Ken Livingston, Melvyn Bragg
and Kilroy, discussing current affairs and subjects as diverse as IVF, dyslexia, Single Women, Aids in Zambia, Maxwell Clifford, footballers, the fur industry and the 1997 Hong Kong hand over.
Before marriage, Heseltine travelled extensively, especially in Africa, meeting and interviewing luminaries across the world. This included the Dalai Lama
in Dharamsala
, and Mechai Viravaidya
the “Condom King”, a former senior government minister widely attributed with reducing the population growth rate in Thailand
by popularizing the condom
in fairly explicit, and at the time unorthodox ways.
Heseltine sits on the advisory committee for the Museum of English Rural Life, Reading University and is a patron of Tusk Trust
the UK based African conservation charity.
(born 1 September 1962), Professor of Plastic Surgery at University College London
, Medical Director of the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, and lead surgeon of the British face transplantation team.
The couple have four children: Mungo, Isabella, Rafferty and Monty; all of whom have been diagnosed with dyslexia
. The family live in Monmouthshire
, and have an apartment in London
First Eleven (magazine)
First Eleven is a British specialist magazine for parents of children at independent schools.- Overview :First Eleven focusses its features and articles on several key areas, including Schools, Education, Health, Finance and Lifestyle. The magazine is published to coincide with the school term...
.
Early life
Born in London, Annabel is the eldest daughter of the politician and former deputy Prime Minister, and publisher/proprietor of the Haymarket GroupHaymarket Group
Haymarket Media Group is a privately owned media company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It has offices in Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, India, Japan, Singapore and the United States....
, The Rt Hon, The Lord Heseltine CH, PC; and Lady Heseltine née Anne Williams, Trustee of the National Gallery
National gallery
The National Gallery is an art gallery on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom.National Gallery may also refer to:*Armenia: National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan*Australia:**National Gallery of Australia, Canberra...
.
Annabel was educated at Cobham Hall, Tudor Hall and Stowe School
Stowe School
Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...
. She then graduated from in 1985 from Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
in Economic History, and then obtained an MA in Wildlife Management and Conservation at Reading University in 2006.
Career
While she was at university, Heseltine trained as a fashion buyer at Bloomingdales in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, with a view to pursuing a career in fashion. However, after two years working in advertising with the ad agency, Darcy Masius, Benton and Bowles in London and six months working for Restaurant and Hotel PR agency, Alan Crompton-Batt Associates, she settled on journalism as a career.
Aged 22, she became the Assistant-editor for the Hong Kong Tatler in 1986. In 1990, Heseltine was contracted to the Daily Mail's YOU magazine. Subsequently she moved onto work for various broadsheets and tabloids including The Times, The Sunday Times and The Daily Telegraph. She has also contributed to magazines including Vogue, The Economist, The New Statesman Earth Magazine, Harpers and Queen and Hi-Life. Following her coverage of the outbreak of Rwandan civil war, when she was one of the first journalists to enter the country, she briefly joined the news room of The Sunday Times as a reporter before returning to feature writing again.
As a single women during the 1990s Bridget Jones
Bridget Jones
Bridget Jones is a franchise based on the fictional character with the same name. English writer Helen Fielding started her Bridget Jones's Diary column in The Independent in 1995, chronicling the life of Bridget Jones as a thirtysomething single woman in London as she tries to make sense of life...
phenomenon, Heseltine epitomized the phenomenon being an unmarried career women in her early thirties and was quick to capitalize on a fascination with this new breed of woman who seemed to have it all but was now losing it all.
Later she was one of the first people to talk to about the sorrows of an ectopic pregnancy
Ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy, or eccysis , is a complication of pregnancy in which the embryo implants outside the uterine cavity. With rare exceptions, ectopic pregnancies are not viable. Furthermore, they are dangerous for the parent, since internal haemorrhage is a life threatening complication...
. Her own experiences as an older mother unable to conceive a live baby and subsequent walk down the IVF route was well documented.
She has been criticized for controversial views and writing about herself too often
but gives the riposte that her work has been both a support and inspiration to other women in the same plight.
Her work as a feature writer and columnist, both in print on the web (including her work for the women’s website, iVillage), and more recently the Weekly Wrinkle, has covered education
social mores, relationships and marriage.
As a travel and conservation writer, she has covered issues including the bush trade, rhino extinction, wolf reintroduction, dolphin slaughter in Japan and ecotourism in Africa.
She has also written extensively about health and was one of the founding editors for the upmarket concierge company, Quintessentially.
Heseltine wrote and produced two short magazines for Lewa Downs Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya.
In 2002, she took three years off to have four children and complete a masters degree, before setting up EcoPhilanthropy Ltd with partner Dr Samantha Pullen, to advise philanthropists wishing to donate to African based conservation projects. She still retains contact with Africa but more recently Heseltine has focused on education as the editor of FIRST ELEVEN magazine, written for the parents of children educated in the independent sector.
As a commentator and TV and radio broadcaster she has appeared on news and chat shows including World at One, The Today Programme, Panorama, BBC News 24, Women's Hour, Esther, Richard Littlejohn alongside Ken Livingston, Melvyn Bragg
Melvyn Bragg
Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg FRSL FRTS FBA, FRS FRSA is an English broadcaster and author best known for his work with the BBC and for presenting the The South Bank Show...
and Kilroy, discussing current affairs and subjects as diverse as IVF, dyslexia, Single Women, Aids in Zambia, Maxwell Clifford, footballers, the fur industry and the 1997 Hong Kong hand over.
Before marriage, Heseltine travelled extensively, especially in Africa, meeting and interviewing luminaries across the world. This included the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
in Dharamsala
Dharamsala
Dharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
, and Mechai Viravaidya
Mechai Viravaidya
Mechai Viravaidya is a former politician and activist in Thailand who has popularized condoms in that country.Since the 1970s, Mechai has been affectionately known as "Mr...
the “Condom King”, a former senior government minister widely attributed with reducing the population growth rate in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
by popularizing the condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
in fairly explicit, and at the time unorthodox ways.
Heseltine sits on the advisory committee for the Museum of English Rural Life, Reading University and is a patron of Tusk Trust
Tusk Trust
The Tusk Trust is an organization set up in 1990 to help to protect African wildlife including African elephants.Tusk Trust was set up by Charles Mayhew, MBE, who is the Chief Executive...
the UK based African conservation charity.
Personal life
On 19 November 1998, Heseltine married Irish-born consultant plastic surgeon Peter ButlerPeter Butler (surgeon)
Peter E M Butler, FRCSI, FRCS is Professor of plastic surgery at University College London, consultant plastic surgeon, clinical director of surgery and head of the face transplantation team at the Royal Free Hospital in London, England.-Education and training:The eldest son of Professor Norman...
(born 1 September 1962), Professor of Plastic Surgery at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, Medical Director of the Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, and lead surgeon of the British face transplantation team.
The couple have four children: Mungo, Isabella, Rafferty and Monty; all of whom have been diagnosed with dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
. The family live in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire is a county in south east Wales. The name derives from the historic county of Monmouthshire which covered a much larger area. The largest town is Abergavenny. There are many castles in Monmouthshire .-Historic county:...
, and have an apartment in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...