I couldn’t understand my mother’s dementia – until a character from Rivals showed me the way

When my mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, one remark in Jilly Cooper’s romp made me realise how much my happiness is tied to her wellbeing As a longtime Jilly Cooper fan, I lapped up the TV adaptation of Rivals. There were so many fantastic moments: Maud O’Hara arriving at her own party dressed up to the nines, riding on a camel; David Tennant, as TV mogul Tony Baddingham, smashing up the Corinium Studios set when his arch enemy Rupert Campbell-Black scores a key point in their rivalry. My mos