Mum and Dad met campaigning on the Spanish civil war. Both were active peace campaigners. They died in 1986 and '87.

The Spanish Civil War, Britain was not involved in it. Going back a bit, there was the naval blockade to stop the slave trade in the 19th century; that was morally just. Shame they didn't bother to abolish slavery at the same time.

I think in English history a very interesting character is John Lilburne. Very interesting character because of the way he managed to develop the whole debate about the English civil war into something very different.

It was not well to drive men into final corners; at those moments they could all develop teeth and claws.

A war between Europeans is a civil war.

The destiny of the land, the nation, the South, the State, the County, was already whirling into the plunge of its precipice, not that the State and the South knew it, because the first seconds of fall always seem like soar.