A lot of my reading over the next few months will be the works of Hans Christian Andersen - I have been appointed an ambassador for the bicentenary celebrations of his birth next year.

Of course I am frustrated with regard to extreme poverty, to violence that never seems to cease.

I loved my mother and father.

Go out there and thrill me.

You can either grow old gracefully or begrudgingly. I chose both.

Go out there and row faster.

I've learnt that through life you just get on with it. You're going to meet a lot of dishonest people along the line and you say good luck to them. I hope they live in comfort. Then I start sticking more pins in their effigies.