What it's like to... be really tall

It's one of many comments complete strangers deem appropriate to ask Walsall born Alex Jones. At 6ft 7ins he's not your average height. Being just taller than the top of a door frame, reaching the highest cupboard has never been a problem, along with changing a lightbulb and getting food off high shelves in supermarkets.

In public it's a blessing and a curse. He can always see above the crowds, but people are forever asking the same old questions. 'Gosh you're tall' are the words that greet him almost every time he meets a stranger, and then the infamous line: 'just how tall are you?' inevitably follows.

Unfortunately it's nothing new for Alex, who is used to being noticed eveywhere he goes.

"I don't mind telling people my height, but I've just answered the question a thousand times," he says. "You can only grow to a certain height, you are what you are. A lot of people would like to be something – a little taller or a little smaller – but we can't change it. Maybe being 6ft 7ins is a tad high, but it could be worse, I could be 6ft 8ins!"

His positive attitude makes us smile, especially as the 28-year-old faces all sorts of challenges on a daily basis – from unwanted comments and blatant stares to trying to fit on public transport.

"It's a bit of a nightmare," says Alex, who now lives in Rugeley with fiancée Louise. "Most seats don't fit people above 6ft 5ins really. I have to order extra legroom on planes as I can't physically get into a normal seat.

"I can't stand up straight on trains either, so when it's packed and all the seats are taken, it's very uncomfortable and gets claustrophobic. Whenever I travel to London, the Tube is the worst, I usually get the bus instead."

Clearly blending in isn't an option and strangers aren't always kind. Alex says: "I'm used to everything, all the remarks, and the looks in the street. But being noticed all the time can become cumbersome. I just want to be left alone buying a coffee or going to the supermarket, without people asking me how tall I am or simply staring.

"Whenever I go abroad people always ask what basketball team I play for and some even want pictures with me. I won't say no and will pose with them, it's almost like being famous sometimes, but I just want to enjoy my holidays."

But it's not just people and places that can be a bother. While everyday activities, like clothes shopping, is something we wouldn't think twice about, for Alex it means specialist shops and departments.

"Buying clothes is a problem. You can't exactly go to Topman," he quips. "I go to the big and tall section in Debenhams for my suits, and the Howick range at House of Fraser suits my build. A lot of the height is in my legs, so for jeans and trousers I have to go to High and Mighty in Birmingham. It is annoying not being able to go wherever I want for clothes, but you get on with it."

Luckily shoe shopping is a little easier. At a size 12 to 13 depending on the make and style, Alex can go to a wider selection of shops for his footwear.

As for fitting in cars, that can prove problematic. "I have to make sure I can get in," he explains.

"I can't drive small cars as I don't fit, but a lot of makes – BMW, Skoda, Vauhuall, Citroën and 4x4s – are fine, as long as I pull the seat all the way back and down."

And while enjoying a nice hot bath after a long week may sound the perfect way to relax for most, for Alex it's not an option.

"I can't fit in a normal bath and have to duck my head to shower properly," he says.

"I'm hoping one day to get a bigger bath installed, but for now if I do have one, it's a case of choosing between having my torso in the water with my legs in the air, or vise versa, it's not the best sight to behold or the most comfortable!"

With his tall frame and sturdy build, naturally a lot of people assume Alex is a rugby player or part of a basketball team, however despite a brief stint playing rugby at school, he's a football man at heart and a die-hard Aston Villa supporter.

As a teenager Alex played for Rushall Olympic as a goalie, but having injured his ankle on more than one occasion, the beautiful game is something he watches more than plays these days.

He often gets remarks that his frame is 'wasted' and has been asked to join rugby teams even when just having a pint at the local pub.

But working at a professional firm at an office in Birmingham city centre means this isn't always practical. He jokes: "I can't exactly turn up to the office with a black eye and tell my boss 'I was playing rugby at the weekend, sorry!'.

"You have to look presentable. Besides, my fitness levels aren't exactly what they were ten years ago, I would probably let the team down if ever I was allowed to play."

We don't think that would be the case, but he smiles and shrugs off the compliment.

He radiates confidence, which is perhaps because of his height – he can't exactly hide and has got used to the attention over the years.

He adds: "If I'm going to be this height, I might as well take pride in being the tallest person in the room. Of all the heights to be, tall is probably one of the better ones."

It's certainly been a tall tale and one we've been glad to hear, and as he stands to leave the room, ready to dip his head below the door frame, Alex smiles coyly and adds: "In case you were wondering, the weather is the same up here as it is down there."