I have always taken the view that one should never hold against a man anything he says after twelve o'clock at night or after a glass or two of anything.

Lou knew that joy unshared was a halved emotion, just as sadness and loss, when borne alone, were often doubled.

Ritual is a terribly important, binding cement in a society. If we abandon formality and rituals, we're actually weakening the relationships that exist between people that bind.

Edinburgh used to be a haughty city.

There is plenty of work for love to do.

I think that we've made great moral progress in the second half of the 20th century in many respects, and particularly in relation to human rights but I think that we are losing sight of some of the values of concern for others, and self-respect and respect for others.

We all know that it is women who take the decisions, but we have to let men think that the decisions are theirs. It is an act of kindness on the part of women.