In Minorca and in parts of Wales I have been made to feel very unwelcome purely due to my English accent. I think that just about every one of us has some vestige of prejudice lurking somewhere. It's how we deal with it when it arises in us or in others.

There is a Stephen King book where he lets on, halfway through the story, that one of the characters is black. That brought me up with a real start and made me think about my perception of people. I was also made to think when discussing matching my daughter with a young man I worked with, my 'works baby' Nigel who was black. My stepdaughter said "Mmmm, brown babies!" and that brought me up with a start. Then I had to face the fact that there could be some prejudice there.

I hope that, nowadays, I take people on what they are like, not what the outer skin looks like. I know some real excuses for human beings who are of the same racial group as me and some of different racial groups that I am honoured to have as good friends. My life has, I hope, taught me to pause before making a judgement based on race or colour.