Satisfying Ripostes

14/8/2012

“Have a nice day”, said the young shop assistant.
“I’m sorry, I’ve made other plans”.
- Peter Ustinov.
“Young man, I’m 74 years old and I’ll do what I like.”
- Maggie Smith

Randolph Churchill was so cantankerous that when he went into hospital to have a non-malignant tumour removed one of his friends said: “Ah, the wonders of modern science. To find the only part of Randolph that’s non-malignant and remove it”. Randolph Churchill is, apparently, the origin of the phrase “I shall write about you to the Station Master at Windermere”, which has been exercising the researchers at Nigel Rees’ “Quote…Unquote”. He found the phrase to be a particularly satisfying way of pricking the pomposity of a petty official. If they didn’t ask what was meant, he had the knowledge that they’d be perplexed and worried by the riposte. On the other hand, if they asked, he would reply: “When I was there many years ago I had a row with the Station Master at Windermere and told him that if ever I met a bigger fool than him I would write and let him know. He’ll be pleased to hear from me.”

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About Slow Life

The idea of Slow Life is to take the principles of Slow Food, which are “good, clean and fair”, and extend them to life in general.

Here in the Lake District, the air is clean, the pace is slow and the atmosphere is calm. If we don’t grow food ourselves, we can buy it in friendly small shops, where you know the quality is going to be the best.

This blog is a celebration of the Slow Life, with forays into the world of design, music, the arts, gardens, and my particular weakness, Japan.