I think the deafness affects me more than I realise I think it makes me more tired. I loathe parties. I attend, smile and leave.

But as far as my work is concerned, I see no impediment, and various advantages, to being deaf.

When I was young I used to smother myself with olive oil mixed with a dash of vinegar to keep the flies away and lay in the sunshine for hours on end. But we knew no better then. Now we know how stupid that was.

People keep asking me if I'll marry again. It's as if after you've had one car crash you want another.

I have to concentrate more intently when people speak. I always have to position myself on their right side so that I can hear out of my left ear. I sometimes get a crick in my neck from listening. But I don't there's too much else.

Nothing is going to improve my hearing. I've only got to prevent it from getting worse.

I took some classes in sign language when I was in my early teens because I was told that I would be completely deaf very early. But I never really wanted to learn.