In the 18th century, James Hargreaves invented the Spinning Jenny, and Richard Arkwright pioneered the water-propelled spinning frame which led to the mass production of cotton. This was truly revolutionary. The cotton manufacturers created a whole new class of people - the urban proletariat. The structure of society itself would never be the same.

Brain power improves by brain use, just as our bodily strength grows with exercise. And there is no doubt that a large proportion of the female population, from school days to late middle age, now have very complicated lives indeed.

I'm like Jane Austen - I work on the corner of the dining table.

We tell ourselves that God is dead, when what we mean is that God is Dad, and we wish him dead.

We, while noting many things amiss about Victorian society, more often sense them judging us.

I think one of the very frightening things about the regime of the National Socialists is that it made people happy.

I very much dislike the intolerance and moralism of many Christians, and feel more sympathy with Honest Doubters than with them.