The church has no power over our lives any more, which is something of a blessing for those who do not enjoy red-hot pokers or iron thumb-screws.

The Greeks understood perfectly that if there were divine beings they are capricious, unkind, malicious mostly, temperamental, envious and mostly deeply unpleasant because that you can say well yes, all right, if there is going to be god or gods then you have to admit that they're very at the very least capricious. They're certainly not consistent. They're certainly not all loving.

Estate agents: like them or loathe them, you'd be mad not to loathe them.

I believe that poetry is a primal impulse within us all.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself and you will be happy.

I feel I would love to close down for a number of years in some way and just be in the country making pork pies and chutneys and never have to poke my head out of the parapet.

It only takes a room of Americans for the English and Australians to realise how much we have in common.