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A British Heritage Commonplace Book

In which we reflect on themes introduced in these pages

Before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode,

The rolling English drunkard made the rolling English road.

G.K. Chesterton

“The Rolling English Road”

“Cos a coachman’s a privileged indiwidual,”

replied Mr. Weller, looking fixedly at his son.

“Cos a coachman may do without suspicion

wot other men may not; cos a coachman may

be on the wery amicablest terms with eighty

mile ’o females, and yet nobody think that he

ever means to marry any vun among them.”

Charles Dickens

The Pickwick Papers

Could you ask our captain to go a little faster and land a little earlier? My husband would tip him handsomely.

Hyacinth Bucket

from Keeping Up Appearances

Acting is a masochistic form of exhibitionism.

It is not quite the occupation of an adult.

If I wasn’t an actor, I think I’d have gone mad. You have to have extra voltage, some extra temperament to reach certain heights. Art is a little bit larger than life—it’s an exhalation of life and I think you probably need a little touch of madness.

Sir Laurence Olivier

And all that we can always say

Is: true democracy begins

With free confession of our sins.

In this alone are all the same,

All are so weak that none dare claim

“I have the right to govern,” or

“Behold in me the Moral Law,’”

And all real unity commences

In consciousness of differences.

W.H.Auden

from “New Year Letter”

Hunger allows no choice

To the citizen or the police;

We must love one another or die.

W.H.Auden

from “September 1, 1939”