Very quickly, without really looking back or trying, I was just suddenly lifted into another sphere.

The most surprising thing for my mother and father was when I was actually earning more money than them by the time I was about 18. They thought I was going to be the ne'er do well, who they'd have to keep worrying about.

I spoke French a bit, and I could speak a bit of this and that, and when you were taught those things by people who couldn't really do it, you can do some pretty wonderfully, imaginative horrific things to teachers.

Once, the parental bed collapsed because all the children sat on it at once.

I didn't know what to do with myself. I wasn't excited by the teaching of the school. If they'd been intent on really teaching you things, I would have been a little more attentive.

I had a quick ear and could pick up languages.

If you've got a lot of children, I think you let the other children bring them up more and you just sort of step in and do stuff like every now and again.