FIRST IMPRESSIONS: DR HILARY JONES
What are you working on at the moment?
Publicising my new book, A Day In Your Life. It was a pleasure to write. I learnt a lot. It is all about what happens to you in a 24-hour period.
When are you at your happiest?
When I am physically active. I have always been fit and I love the feeling of having a good workout. So, when I am cutting trees in my garden, running at the gym, playing squash, or swimming in the sea.
What is your greatest fear?
Losing my enthusiasm and drive for everything. I always have a project on the go – when I finish one, I create another.
What is your earliest memory?
Moving into a corner house in Chiswick, west London, where the garden was an overgrown jungle. I was only small at the time but I had a marvellous summer digging out the roots of a tree and making it into a decent garden that we could all play football in.
Who has been your greatest influence?
My mum, who is still amazing at 87. She is witty, intelligent, hard-working, generous, wise, and opinionated – in a good way.
What do you dislike about yourself?
Having grown up with competitive brothers, I am used to ribbing and teasing people and sometimes I go too far. So I am aware that I have upset people by taking the mickey a bit too hard.
What trait do you most deplore in others?
Arrogance and intolerance.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I am in a bereavement situation with my eyelashes. I envy people with good eyelashes. Mine seemed to have disappeared.
What is your most treasured possession?
It has to be my house, which has fantastic views over the Weald of Kent and is a stunning place to relax at the end of a busy day.
And your favourite book?
The Lord Of The Rings. I read it at a very impressionable time and it is still a great book.
Your favourite film?
Forrest Gump. It’s got everything.
Your favourite piece of music?
Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car.
What is your favourite meal?
Fillet steak with peppercorn sauce.
Who would you most like to come to dinner?
I would have Muhammad Ali, Bob Dylan, Nelson Mandela, Paul McCartney, and then any women of their choice.
What is the nastiest thing anyone has ever said to you?
I think it wasn’t meant to be nasty but someone asked me, ‘Are you a real doctor?’ People see you on TV and they get confused. Are you playing a role or are you a real doctor? I was once sitting in a cafe with the guy who used to play Doctor Legg in EastEnders, and the waitress asked him for his medical opinion rather than me. That was harsh.
What is your secret vice?
Sherbet Fountains – they are fantastic.
Do you write thank-you notes?
Yes. I think it’s very satisfying to tell someone you appreciate what they have done.
Which phrase do you most overuse?
I have learnt so much from my mistakes that I am thinking of making a few more.
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
Sunshine.
What would you like your epitaph to read?
‘Worked hard. Played hard. Now chilling.’
A Day In Your Life: 24 Hours Inside The Human Body by Dr Hilary Jones (Bantam Press, £20).
Publicising my new book, A Day In Your Life. It was a pleasure to write. I learnt a lot. It is all about what happens to you in a 24-hour period.
When are you at your happiest?
When I am physically active. I have always been fit and I love the feeling of having a good workout. So, when I am cutting trees in my garden, running at the gym, playing squash, or swimming in the sea.
What is your greatest fear?
Losing my enthusiasm and drive for everything. I always have a project on the go – when I finish one, I create another.
What is your earliest memory?
Moving into a corner house in Chiswick, west London, where the garden was an overgrown jungle. I was only small at the time but I had a marvellous summer digging out the roots of a tree and making it into a decent garden that we could all play football in.
Who has been your greatest influence?
My mum, who is still amazing at 87. She is witty, intelligent, hard-working, generous, wise, and opinionated – in a good way.
What do you dislike about yourself?
Having grown up with competitive brothers, I am used to ribbing and teasing people and sometimes I go too far. So I am aware that I have upset people by taking the mickey a bit too hard.
What trait do you most deplore in others?
Arrogance and intolerance.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I am in a bereavement situation with my eyelashes. I envy people with good eyelashes. Mine seemed to have disappeared.
What is your most treasured possession?
It has to be my house, which has fantastic views over the Weald of Kent and is a stunning place to relax at the end of a busy day.
And your favourite book?
The Lord Of The Rings. I read it at a very impressionable time and it is still a great book.
Your favourite film?
Forrest Gump. It’s got everything.
Your favourite piece of music?
Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car.
What is your favourite meal?
Fillet steak with peppercorn sauce.
Who would you most like to come to dinner?
I would have Muhammad Ali, Bob Dylan, Nelson Mandela, Paul McCartney, and then any women of their choice.
What is the nastiest thing anyone has ever said to you?
I think it wasn’t meant to be nasty but someone asked me, ‘Are you a real doctor?’ People see you on TV and they get confused. Are you playing a role or are you a real doctor? I was once sitting in a cafe with the guy who used to play Doctor Legg in EastEnders, and the waitress asked him for his medical opinion rather than me. That was harsh.
What is your secret vice?
Sherbet Fountains – they are fantastic.
Do you write thank-you notes?
Yes. I think it’s very satisfying to tell someone you appreciate what they have done.
Which phrase do you most overuse?
I have learnt so much from my mistakes that I am thinking of making a few more.
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
Sunshine.
What would you like your epitaph to read?
‘Worked hard. Played hard. Now chilling.’
A Day In Your Life: 24 Hours Inside The Human Body by Dr Hilary Jones (Bantam Press, £20).