Contrary to what the politicians and religious leaders would like us to believe, the world won't be made safer by creating barriers between people.

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

Geography prepares for the world of work - geographers, with their skills of analysis are highly employable!

I'd got over playing a character. People accepted who I was, and if I was incompetent and useless, they felt quite endeared to me.

There is nothing better than playing a scene with John Cleese or Maggie Smith. It's electric. But I don't think I'm the sort of person who needs to have an outer ego in order to produce something. I realised that through the travel programmes.

I don't see why it should be remarkable that you can acquire a reputation for fairness and decency. Those are qualities shared by so many people. And the great majority of people I meet are decent people, just trying to navigate their way through the world without causing too much trouble.

There are many ways of seeing the world. You can hang upside down from a meteor, volunteer to be the fourth stage of a three-stage rocket, or simply get in a balloon and keep going. But if it's sheer, unadulterated discomfort you're looking for, just stay on land.