I cannot for the life of me understand why small children take so long to grow up. I think they do it deliberately, just to annoy me.

Grown ups are complicated creatures, full of quirks and secrets.

I began to realize how simple life could be if one had a regular routine to follow with fixed hours, a fixed salary, and very little original thinking to do.

I was a fighter pilot, flying Hurricanes all round the Mediterranean. I flew in the Western Desert of Libya, in Greece, in Syria, in Iraq and in Egypt.

A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men.

Prayers were held in Assembly Hall. We all perched in rows on wooden benches while teachers sat up on the platform in armchairs, facing us.