As the offspring of a 1930s film star and a World War Two Ace, you might think I would do something glamorous, courageous or perhaps light-hearted. Instead I went to university three times, ended up with a Doctor title, and now spend a lot of time at my desk.

Actually, I'm not being fair to myself. I did manage to spend seven years living in Berlin while it was still an island surrounded by Communist Germany. Apart from that, I walked away from at least three secure jobs (mostly because I was bored in some way). I finally said goodbye to steady employment in 1990 (and I have never looked back).