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I grew up in a middle class English family just outside London. I wasn't surrounded by that speedy city lifestyle, it was a little mellower.

I'm very cheerful about coming back to the U.K. We increasingly found ourselves gravitating towards London. There was so much going on for our business, and we had grown substantially here.

I always loved being in London and being near my parents.

There was a time in my life when I was going in and out of houses that were extraordinarily different - from a working-class terrace in Northampton to the homes of friends who were really very wealthy. It was quite an odd position to be in, I realise looking back, and quite a nice one.

I've lived a lot of my life in London, so I often feel that I am a Londoner.

My story is the story of many postwar British families. Upward mobility. A council house and then new affluence.

When I first came to London, I loved hanging around in cafes, smoking, scribbling, dreaming. It was life-affirming and fun.

Even in this globalised world, London is still the standard for our times. The city has embraced the world's diversity and represents the finest in human achievements.

I grew up in a small town about 40 miles outside London, but it was a fairly cosmopolitan household.