So, you want to know about me. I'm 60. I live in west London near the River Thames. My three grown-ups - too old to call them children - are all making their way in life successfully. And my daughter Rachel (and her husband Tony!) gave me my first grandchild, Jake Stuart Lewis-Webber, on 19 April 2006. Gosh, am I that old? I can't be because my mother, Betty Lewis Heather, is still a lively artist. You can buy her works of art here.

I believe in freedom of speech, scientific method, and the power of Occam's Razor. I am an atheist (irredeemable so don't try), humanist, socialist (that's enough -ists, ed.) who despairs at the current attacks on human rights and civil liberties in Britain. My interests (-ests are OK for a bit, ed.) include Victorian literature (don't mention Wilkie Collins again! ed.), buildings, technology, art, furniture, cosmology, history and wine. Things I hate include war, violence, working out, football, mortality, and I can't stand intolerance. Except of intolerance of course. Which is good. Things I quite like include cooking and jobs about the house. Recently, I have been known to garden reluctantly. Things I love include my family - see above - and my work. But you'll have to look at my professional biography to find out about that.

And what's that stuff on the front page about My head capitalist; my heart socialist; my soul anarchist? I don't know really. It's a phrase from my youth which I can't track down. But it captures a certain truth about politics. And perhaps about me.