Fraser Stoddart: 'Even when I'm sleeping, I average 40mph'

I travelled 365,000 miles last year, so a thousand miles a day. If you do a quick calculation, even when I’m sleeping I’m averaging 40mph. That’s brought about by satisfying less than 10% – probably 5% – of the invitations I get from around the world. I’ve got to the stage where my diary is full for 18 months.

The Edinburgh Festival got me into classical music. All these stars came to Edinburgh – I crossed paths with Dmitri Shostakovich and Maria Callas. I just took it as normal when I was in my teens and early 20s, but looking back now I realise how privileged I was. I got as far as playing the first two movements of Beethoven’s piano concerto: that was enough to tell me I was never going to be a concert pianist.