Since nostalgia is my game, and since it would be churlish to let this April pass without so much as a sniff of a mention of Titanic on the 100th anniversary of its demise, I thought I would commemorate the occasion with a glass of champagne *slurp* (cheers!) and an ever-so-baby biography of the lovely star of the eponymous movie, Ms Kate W.

Born in Reading, Berkshire, the lovely Kate is the second of four children born to Sally Anne (née Bridges), a barmaid, and Roger John Winslet, a swimming pool contractor. Her parents were "jobbing actors". Her older sister, Anna, and younger sister, Beth, are also actresses. Her younger brother, Joss, is the only sibling who did not pursue an acting career.

Kate began studying drama at the age of 11 at the Redroofs Theatre School, Maidenhead, Berkshire, where she was head girl. At the age of 12, Winslet appeared in a television advertisement directed by filmmaker Tim Pope for Sugar Puffs cereal (I am guessing that this did not involve dressing in a big yellow suit in order to tell us about the honey, mummy?)

The big W studied drama from childhood, and began her career in British television in 1991. She made her film debut in Heavenly Creatures (1994), for which she received her first notable critical praise. She also appeared in Sense and Sensibility (1995) and won great acclaim for her leading role in Titanic (1997), the highest grossing film at the time, and the highest grossing film of Winslet's career.

On 22 November 1998, Winslet married director Jim Threapleton, whom she met while on the set of Hideous Kinky in 1997. They have a daughter, Mia Honey Threapleton, who was born on 12 October 2000 in London. Winslet and Threapleton divorced in 2001.

Since 2000, Winslet's performances have continued to draw positive comments from film critics, and she has been nominated for various awards for her work in such films as Quills (2000), Iris (2001), Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), Finding Neverland (2004), Little Children (2006), The Reader (2008) and Revolutionary Road (2008). Her performance in the last of these prompted New York magazine critic David Edelstein to describe her as "the best English-speaking film actress of her generation". The romantic comedy The Holiday and the animated film Flushed Away (both 2006) are among the biggest commercial successes of her career.

Following her separation from Threapleton, Winslet began a relationship with director Sam Mendes, and she married him on 24 May 2003 on the island of Anguilla.Their son, Joe Alfie Winslet Mendes, was born on 22 December 2003 in New York City.Winslet and Mendes announced their separation in March 2010 and are divorced.

She also sings. (One of those girls we all hated at school. Pretty, blonde, good actor, bloody nice AND sings like an angel). She has been included as a vocalist on some soundtracks of works she has performed in, and the single "What If" from the soundtrack for Christmas Carol: The Movie (2001), was a hit single in several European countries.

Kate won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Reader (2008). She won two Golden Globe Awards in the same year: Best Actress (Drama) for Revolutionary Road and Best Supporting Actress for The Reader. She has won two BAFTA Awards: Best Actress for The Reader, and Best Supporting Actress for Sense and Sensibility (1995). She has earned a total of six Academy Award nominations, nine Golden Globe nominations, and seven BAFTA nominations.

And yet still we love her.

If you enjoyed this Mini Memoir, please leave a comment. I might just give you more if you play nice.....

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Joe's letter home from WWII

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