alex ferns

A place where you are not judged and everyone is allowed to live their lives without having to defend themselves or their beliefs.

What is your idea of living hell?

Being stuck inside a shopping centre on a Saturday afternoon. I would rather be in a pub having a beer. When I do go shopping I choose something in my mind beforehand and then go out and buy it, but my wife can wander around the shops for hours without buying anything. It drives me to distraction.

Under what circumstances do you lie?

I try not to lie and haven't told a lie for a long while. I might lie in extreme circumstances, but it really would have to be life and death.

What is your most endearing feature?

A willingness to listen. I prefer listening to talking.

What is your most annoying habit?

Repeating everything my wife says. I can sometimes sound like a parrot.

Which historical figure do you most admire?

A toss-up between Nelson Mandela and Buddha. I like the way Buddha lived his life, getting away from the want, want, want situation we find ourselves in today.

Which living person do you most identify with?

Nelson Mandela. I admire his incredible capacity to forgive. It is a really important quality and one which I would like to have myself.

What have you loved and lost?

My father, Robert. He was killed in a car accident in 1998. I never knew how much I loved him until he died and regret that I never got the chance to tell him.

Who or what is the love of your life?

My wife Jennifer. She has the patience of a saint and is probably one of the most open and honest people I have ever met. She is the person who is always on your side and would never let you down.

Where would you most like to call home?

Scotland, especially Skye or Oban.

I have family in both places and

love the West Coast, particularly

the Highlands.

Who are your favourite writers?

Charlotte Joko Beck who wrote Nothing Special: Living Zen. I also love Shakespeare and Hamlet is my favourite play of all time. I like Ian Rankin as well and I'm about to read his latest paperback, Set in Darkness.

What CDs are you listening to?

Radiohead, who are my favourite band, and Travis. I have recently started listening to The Smiths again. I also like listening to the radio and my favourite is XFM, a London station, which plays a lot of alternative music and indie rock like the Stereophonics and Travis.

What makes you most happy?

Hanging out with my wife, meditating and coming to Scotland to visit my family.

What makes you most unhappy?

When I see people treating each other badly and without reverence. We are all human beings and it makes me sad when I see suffering, especially children.

If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be?

I would love to have dinner with my wife because I haven't done that for ages. It would be at an Indian restaurant just down the road from us called Rani which makes the best vegetarian curry in London.

What can't you do without?

My meditation. The hour I spend every morning getting my soul in order.

Who can't you live without?

My wife Jennifer. She is a rock.

What are your favourite names?

Iona, Jack and Kirk.

What is the most stupid thing you have done?

It was on set in Holland where I was playing a drug addict in a television show. Instead of going into the flat where they were filming I went into the one next door and walked upstairs into someone's bedroom. I was in full make-up, with black eyes, and looking like a heroin addict. When I tried to sneak out I was caught by the owner who thought I was a robber.

What is the most admirable thing you have done?

Training to become a bereavement counsellor at the North London Hospice. Sometimes in hospitals so much emphasis is placed on helping people live, but it is also important to have support for those who are going to die. It is the most privileged thing I have ever done to be there for someone when they died.