Be Careful What You Wish For

A work of art is worth what someone will pay for it.

Time spent on preparation is seldom wasted.

An unguarded comment often proves every bit as valuable as a response to a direct question.

The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.

In any conversation, it's often something that seems quite insignificant at the time that gives you the piece of information you're looking for.

You’re so bossy.” “Why is a woman always described as bossy, when if a man did the same thing he’d be thought of as decisive, commanding and displaying qualities of leadership?

If you've struck gold, why go in search of brass?

stop for a drink, which made him feel

I have experienced both triumph and disaster, and, to quote Kipling, have treated those two imposters just the same.

deal with all four of them in one masterful stroke. Sir Alan Redmayne believed in the rule of law. It was,

Sir Alan Redmayne believed in the rule of law. It was, after all, the basis of any democracy. Whenever asked, Sir Alan agreed with Churchill that, as a form of government, democracy had its disadvantages, but, on balance, it remained the best on offer. But given a free hand, he would have opted for a benevolent dictatorship. The problem was that dictators, by their very nature, were not benevolent. It simply didn’t fit their job description.

You are so silly sometimes, Jess. I fell in love with you, and I don’t give a damn who your

He remained silent for the rest of the journey, having been made painfully aware that birth is life’s first lottery ticket. Tom

never thought they’d see in their lifetime. With

We should, of course, look back with pride on our colonial empire, but be willing at the same time to grasp the nettles of opportunity.

Over supper of a bowl of Heinz tomato soup and a sausage roll, he went over again and

Why is a woman always described as bossy, when if a man did the same thing he’d be thought of as decisive, commanding, and displaying qualities of leadership?

parking space—44 Eaton…? He flicked it quickly back

Only Sebastian really knew what she was going through. Her demons, as she called them. Jessica never stopped chattering whenever they were on their own, but the moment she became the centre of attention, like a tortoise she slipped back into her shell, hoping no one would notice her.

but he still wasn’t sure how to respond to the English obsession with the weather.

what it is, Anscott, a short-term compromise. If at some time in the future Barrington’s needs to

When does that moment come, Emma wondered, when mothers stop kissing their children, and young men start kissing their mothers?

the same pulling power as the other lads in the bank.” “I’ll tell you about the other lads,” said Cedric. “Once they’ve got a couple of pints in them, they’d have you believe they give James Bond lessons. And I can tell you, with most of them, it’s all talk.” “Did you have the same problem when you were my age?” “Certainly not,” said Cedric. “But then I met Beryl when I was six, and I haven’t looked

nearest gutter if he thought it would