I love Paris for its wide boulevards and cafes, and Rome for the ancient history, as seen at the Forum.

When I'm in Italy on a Friday night, my first supper there is a big bowl of fresh pasta and a glass of local wine, sitting outside. There's nothing better.

Gardening is, apart from having children, the most rewarding thing in life

Be kind to your garden and be gentle on your back!

I am partly to blame for the decking boom, and I am sorry, I know it?s everywhere these days.

Don't overdo the booze especially while flying - just because it's there doesn't mean you need to drink it. Everything in moderation.

I never get bored of my wife. It's lovely.

I've covered a lot of the British countryside and the UK from top to bottom and side to side. It's such a pity more people don't appreciate what's on their doorstep.

Depends on the evening. A good red wine is nice in cold weather. A Claret or a Rioja. I've got a good gin we make from damson plums. And you can't beat a glass of champagne every now and again.

I'm a big fan of the Queen. She carries herself well, as does the Prince of Wales, despite getting lots of stick.

I get nice letters, but really I have no idea. I just try to enthuse people. You've been married for 31 years.

I am trying to find a midway between Buddha and Brutal Existence.

Talent is part of the equation, but when you combine talent with accountability and authenticity, it is tough to beat.

I tend to think of fiction as being mainly about characters and human beings and inner experience, whereas essays can be much more expository and didactic and more about subjects or ideas.

Be conservative in its sending behavior, and liberal in its receiving behavior.

Work is the master key that opens the door to all opportunities.

I've never really spent a lot of time thinking about my individual accomplishments actually.

People do think I'm Jewish. But we're Irish Catholic. My father had a brogue.

I had explained that a woman's asking for equality in the church would be comparable to a black person's demanding equality in the Ku Klux Klan

I'm a nut case, but that is what I believe.

Luckily, West End audiences seem to rather like very old people.