Books
My taste is very eclectic and I usually have two or three on the go at any one time. An old romantic at heart, my favourite of all time is Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy. I am a sucker for popular fiction and sheer escapism, so Lee Child, John Grisham, Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson et al. My English department recommends books for “self- improvement” and I recently read The Book of Dave by Will Self, which I admit I found hard going. A recent favourite was the thought-provoking Room by Emma Donoghue.
Music
Most of my favourite music is influenced by my student days in the Sixties, when I saw live many of the famous supergroups - people like Cream, Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull. Emerson, Lake and Palmer also feature highly. I am a sucker for female vocalists and powerful ballads - Carole King’s Tapestry has to go down as my “desert island disc”. I am also a great fan of Eric Clapton, Dougie Maclean and Emily Smith, and see them in concert when I can.
TV
I don’t watch that much TV, but keep an eye on Sky Sports for golf and football, and terrestrial TV for snooker and the Six Nations. As a student I worked in an antique shop, which is why I love Antiques Roadshow and similar programmes. I love cooking too, so Come Dine with Me and MasterChef are high on the list, as well as Sky News and the occasional documentary.
Film
I can’t remember the last time I went to the cinema. I subscribe to Sky Movies but, much to my wife’s disgust, very rarely watch any. Old favourites watched many times, usually with my kids, have been Grease, Pretty Woman and The Blues Brothers . “I am also on a mission!” Oh yes, and as a golfer, the Cinderella story of Caddyshack!
