"You may be curious to know what kind of man I am. I have led a chequered life as a journalist in Britain and, briefly in South Africa. I have travelled the world. Now I have a little business selling recorded music on the Net, and I travel frequently to Belgium and France from my home just west of London to buy antiques and to stock up on food and wine. I also visit a lot of markets to look for coins ­ I now have a collection of more than 3,200. Other interests include writing poetry and cooking ­ I pride myself on my marinaded chicken (but it can be very spicey at times)."