Mary Poppins is magical and fun.

Because of the Thames I have always loved inland waterways - water in general, water sounds - there's music in water. Brooks babbling, fountains splashing. Weirs, waterfalls; tumbling, gushing.

In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and - SNAP - the job's a game!

I have always wished I could learn to be a potter. I love collecting ceramics; it would be so fulfilling to create something lovely.

Where the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.

If somebody can act out one of the books as a play, if they can see a play, film, or television show that's related, that can be so stimulating for them. Anything that makes children engage and think - and love what the story is about - can only bring the most enormous rewards.

These days, people like me who are in the arts are perceived as celebrity writers. That really makes me angry because I expend a great deal of effort and spend an enormous amount of time on my books. And I've been writing now for 35 years.