They know us best and they have plenty of wisdom to share (whether we like it or not). As Mother’s Day approaches Jaine Blackman asks some daughters what their mums mean to them and what gems of advice they have imparted

Janie Hampton, 62, author and broadcaster of East Oxford, says: “My mother Verily was widowed with five children, when I was only four. She fed us all by writing books, articles and radio plays. I woke to the sound of her typewriter every morning, and she was always there, with a hug, when we came home from school. In the holidays we went camping. She taught me how to have fun with little money, and that to get anything done, you just have to get on and do it, whether it is making a frock out of old curtains or writing a book.”

Mum's advice: “Accept every invitation, you never know who you might meet and where it might lead.”

Daisy Binnie, 40, works in a special needs school says: “My mother, Janie Hampton, was 21 when I was born. This didn’t stop her and dad from having exciting lives with us kids. We lived in rural Zimbabwe and travelled across Africa and Europe by public transport, staying in wooden shacks and castles. They let us see the good, the bad and the scary. Now I’m a mother, I want my children to see the real world, knowing that I’ll protect them, as my parents did.”

Mum's advice: “Be confident in the presence of anyone, whatever their rank, age or position. Duchess or toddler, I can now relate to them all.”

Freya Binnie, five, schoolgirl, says: “My mum Daisy Binnie is kind. She gives me ice cream and we look up hair styles on the tablet to try out on my hair.”

Mum's advice: “Even when she’s a little bit cross she still loves me.”

Jo Woodcock, 30, of Abingdon, owner of The Wandering Kitchen and Fe-line says: “My mum Julia has taught me to be a fighter. She has been through a lot in the last five years, battling cancer, losing both her parents and having three children that continually test her patience. When my mum had cancer I thought the world was going to end, but she just said: ‘I am not going to let this stop me’. She laughed in the face of cancer and now she is well.”

Mum's advice: “My Mum has never sat me down and said ‘You should do this’ as I don’t think she wanted to sway my opinion but she has shown me how to do things. She has taught me how to fight, how to get back up off the floor, dust yourself off and try again. She never let me stop trying, for example when I failed my driving test, she made me ring up and book straight back in.”

Georgina Webb, 37, wedding planner, of Didcot, says: “Everyone thinks they have got the best mum but I really do! My mum Christine is so creative and can turn her hand to anything, she has definitely inspired and nurtured my creative side.”

Mum's advice: “She has always encouraged me to follow my dreams and to not let anyone get in my way, she is my number one fan and I am extremely proud to be her daughter.”
 

Kat Orman, 42, BBC Radio Oxford presenter, says: “My mother Joy has always defied convention. She sailed the Solent in a 36ft yacht almost single-handedly, she has showjumped at the top level and still, at the age of 83, walks miles with the dogs. My mother is my best friend, now more than ever particularly as I am a mother to Ben, 19 and Betsy, 14 months. She lives in Weymouth and I speak to her twice a day. Her delightful eccentricities inspire me, she makes me laugh every day and I just want to make her as proud of me as I am that she is my mother.”

Mum's advice: “She wasn’t the type of mother to impart regular advice, I seemed to get that from my housemistress at boarding school, but one thing she always did say was ‘you will never know until you are a parent yourself’ in response to my rebellious streak. She was so right. I say that to my son quite regularly.”

Charlotte Guillian, 42, children’s author, of Woodstock, says:
“My mum Chris has always been an inspiration to me. She lived and worked abroad when she was young, which always seemed very adventurous to me and made me decide to do the same. She has also been brilliant at encouraging me as a writer: from reading to me and enthusing about my own stories when I was a child, to making me believe I could actually be published as an adult. She’s a very busy and creative person herself and can always make me laugh.”

Mum's advice: “Actually, I couldn’t think of any advice my mum has ever given me! I asked her about this and she said that she has made a point of never interfering in my life or my sister’s. She’s given me space to make my own mistakes and find my own successes and I’m very grateful for that.”

Claire Taylor, 47, co-founder of The Story Mill in Bloxham, near Banbury, author of The Tao of Storytelling says:
“My Mum Della died aged 45 when I was 14 years old. Mum was the heart and soul of our home. She was a whirlwind of energy, always doing things for the five of us kids, taking us here and there as well as teaching at the local primary school. She was brilliant at getting us involved in activities such as baking, crafts, drawing, reading, music and dancing, and she indulged our interests in pop music and cinema when we were older. It was only after Mum was gone that I really appreciated how much we’d all been loved and cared for by her."

Mum's advice: As an Irish Mother and a teacher she was full the kind of advice that makes your eyes roll when you’re a teenager. However it wasn’t what she said, it was what she encouraged in me that I appreciate most. I’m grateful to her for instilling in me a love of learning, reading and writing, a passion for nutrition and healthy food and for showing me how to be loving and kind.

Jaime Woodham, 33, Ruskin College student and burlesque dancer, Oxford, says: “My mum Liz and I are like chalk and cheese. We don’t see eye to eye and we didn’t have the typical mother/daughter relationship when I was growing up, but I know one thing for sure, she is on my side no matter what! Even when she doesn’t agree with me or my choices, she is always by my side supporting me and never fails to show her belief in me. She is the strongest person I know. She taught me to stand up for myself and who I am, and when I was not able to do so, she was there to protect me. She is a unique individual and everyone loves her. She says to me that she is my biggest fan but the truth is, I am definitely her’s.

Mum's advice: “Her actual words were ‘Go with what you know is right and do what your mother tells you, after all, I’m older and wiser and I’ve been there and done it’. I think ‘get out of my kitchen’ was also very good advice!”