From 13 years old, I was treated like a professional.

My career has been very difficult. People respect the fact that I haven't just turned professional like Amir Khan or Audley Harrison, and it's been, 'Here's a million pound' - for spoilt brats to fight a couple of fights.

My first boxing memory is watching Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard on television.

I find it quite sad to see the likes of Evander Holyfield carrying on past their sell-by date.

The financial crisis in our country is not a passing storm. Given the size of the problems, our national effort will not be completed in 2012. It will take many years and will require the efforts and insistence of several governments.

Never before in modern times has so much of the world been simultaneously hit by a confluence of economic and financial turmoil such as we are now living through.

Resources and money can change people's lives today, where legislation can take years - up to 10, 15 years sometimes before it really, really impacts people.

Until 1954, I'd only ever thought of being a painter, but I earned my money when and where I could. You could say I drifted into writing.