"At the time of Woodstock, I was just 13, but I used to see these exotic hippy creatures and I did look on with envy. How could you not? In an ideal world, I would have loved to have been a hippy - but I might have been a bit strait-laced. It was my fantasy"

In this quote by Imelda Staunton, the starlet reflects on her vibrant understanding of the hippy movement throughout the period of Woodstock, a renowned music celebration kept in 1969. Staunton, who was only 13 at the time, describes her fascination with the "unique hippy animals" she observed, recommending that the hippies appeared almost mythical or transcendent to her young eyes. Using the word "exotic" suggests that she viewed them as fundamentally various from her own environment or upbringing, embodying a way of life and set of values that were both appealing and unconventional compared to mainstream society.

Staunton's admission of envy highlights a longing for the liberty and self-expression that hippies represented. The hippy movement was known for its countercultural position, emphasizing peace, love, and liberation from social norms. Staunton's dream about being a hippy underscores a desire to welcome this liberated lifestyle, which contrasts with how she explains herself as potentially "strait-laced". This term recommends a more standard, perhaps conservative state of mind, suggesting that while she admired the hippy values, it was rather at odds with her individual disposition or upbringing.

By acknowledging her "fantasy" of being a hippy, Staunton exposes a common human desire to check out identities and lifestyles that are different from one's own. This yearning is rooted in the appeal of what the hippy movement signified: a break from conformity, an embrace of creativity and openness, and a pursuit of idealistic values. Staunton's reflection encapsulates the tension between social expectations and the draw of alternative subcultures that guarantee a various way of living. Eventually, her words record the ageless appeal of countercultural movements as a source of motivation and goal for those looking for a sense of belonging or improvement.