I did have my moments of despair. It was certainly not - it's not an experience I would like to have again. And then June came along.

I hate being called an 'icon.' I just don't like it. That's all there is to it.

Challenge is what makes men. It will be the end when men stop looking for new challenges.

People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.

I was a dreamer when I was at high school and even primary school. I used to dream about doing adventurous things.

I was certainly seriously emotionally affected [ when Louise Hillary and Belinda Hillary died], but we were building the hospital at the time and I decided that the only thing to do was to carry on and complete the hospital - and it was a jolly good hospital too, I might say. So I really did it by working and working on the things that Louise and I had been working on.

I've often thought about that and the only suitable member to join me on that climb [to Everest] was George Lowe: he was strong, a good man on a mountain, with a great sense of humour, and I liked that. I think George and I could've done that together ... I've probably never told George that.