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My desert island luxury? Soft loo paper!

From the Chard & Ilminster News, first published Wednesday 12th Jul 2006.

SMILEY GP Dr Andrew Tresidder, 48, was born in Devon but has lived in Somerset since the age of one. He attended Curry Rivel Primary School until he was eight and then went to boarding school in Devon where he felt very homesick. Now living in the hamlet of Sea he answers some personal questions about toilet paper and Uri Geller.

Q How would your friends describe you?

A Friendly, loyal, chatty and smiley.

Q What's the best thing about the town/village where you live?

A Living in Somerset is one of life's real bonuses - the natural beauty and the people are just the tops.

Q What's the worst thing about the town/village where you live?

A How fast people drive through Sea and Greenway. There are often accidents and near misses on the Sea bends and all the way to Ilminster - let alone the danger to cyclists now that people are using bikes more. And though its further, it's the same time to South Petherton from Chard via Donyatt as it is via either Kingstone or Ilminster - even if you keep to the national speed limits, and many less gear changes.

Q If you could tear down one building in the Chard and Ilminster area, which one would it be?

A My garden shed. It's about to fall down anyway!

Q When was the last time you really, really laughed?

A When I heard the one about the old boy driving up the M5. His wife heard a newsflash and rang him. She said: "Bert, be careful, there's a car driving the wrong way up the M5."

"No there's not," he replied. "There's hundreds of them."

Q What one luxury item would you take to a desert island?

A Soft toilet paper.

Q What bit of advice would you give to yourself, aged ten?

A Enjoy life as a journey and realise that every day is an opportunity to learn more about yourself, others and life.

Q What's the most daring thing you've ever done?

A Being aloft on a tall ship stowing sails in half a gale.

Q If you could have been present at any historical event, which would it have been?

A The Battle of Trafalgar - because it's a boy thing, with all those ships!

Q What's your pet hate while driving?

A People with headlights on full beam rather than dipped during the day.

Q Who is your favourite character from a book or film?

A Sir Humphrey from 'Yes Minister' - because it's so true to life.

Q Who would you most want to be stuck in a lift with?

A Paulo Coelho, author of 'The Alchemist', one of the best novels I've ever read. I'd love to chat to him.

Q Who would you least want to be stuck in a lift with?

A Anne Robinson, I'd feel very intimidated.

Q Have you ever seen a ghost/had a supernatural experience?

A Dreams have come true and a set of keys I lost in Chard turned up inside my house.

Q Do you have any superstitions?

A Don't walk under ladders, things get dropped on you!

Q Tell us about a childhood experience that had an effect on you.

A I hurt my back as a teenager and the chiropractor put it right, so I always knew that manipulation would be useful to people. This was years before I decided to study medicine.

Q Which law would you change or bring in to make it a better world?

A 40mph from the new cycleway, through Sea and Greenway, right to Ilminster, and double white lines in places - I would hate to see anyone killed on this road again.

Q Who is the most famous person you have met?

A Uri Geller, at the Yeovil Octagon.

Q If you were to come back in another life as an animal what animal would it be?

A A seabird - the freedom of being up in the air would be wonderful.

Q What's the worst Christmas/birthday present you have received and what did you do with it?

A Once I was working as a junior doctor and nobody wished me happy birthday because they didn't know, so I resolved not to have that experience again! Gemini, by the way, and both my brothers are too.

Q What's your most embarrassing moment?

A Telling a joke on stage - and forgetting the punch line.

Q Do you have any phobias?

A Being caught in a motorway toilet with no loo paper at the crucial moment.

Q When was the last time you felt guilty?

A A few weeks ago I forgot to go to something I'd promised to. Luckily there was someone else there to do the job but I still felt awful.

Q What would you like written on your gravestone?

A Do not disturb, or I'll be back.

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