I've been lucky to have made a number of travel programmes with the BBC, the object being to see places off the beaten track. As a result, I've often had a guide who's been able to show me things that you wouldn't see with a tour group.

The human race should just slow down and think about what it is doing.

I'm aware that, if you feel down, it can be strangely unrelated to circumstances around you. That's just the way life is.

John Hall, my geography teacher at school inspired me to a lifelong interest in geography and a curiosity about our world which has stayed with me through my life. Geography is a living, breathing subject, constantly adapting itself to change. It is dynamic and relevant. For me geography is a great adventure with a purpose.

In the absence of fear there is little faith.

I have been unusually blessed in that I've been allowed to pursue two strands of a career that both delight me and seem to please the public.

One of the most important days of my life was when I learned to ride a bicycle.