Quotes by British Authors | Beyond Motive 31/376

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Quotes by British Authors

"I've travelled around the UK a lot recently and have discovered that I really like trains. If you're in the quiet carriage, nobody can get hold of you and you can relax."

"I've travelled around the UK a lot recently and have discovered that I really like trains. If you're in the quiet carriage, nobody can get hold of you and you can relax."

Honor Blackman, British Actress

20

"I am formally accountable to the steering board of the PIC, and I meet with nine ambassadors from the PIC every week. I have to have the capitals' broad agreement with what I do."

"I am formally accountable to the steering board of the PIC, and I meet with nine ambassadors from the PIC every week. I have to have the capitals' broad agreement with what I do."

Paddy Ashdown, British Politician

20

"Almost every comedy you see is about people making all wrong choices and making all the errors of judgement possible. Good comedy is when it works on this scale. Because it is psychologically very real."

"Almost every comedy you see is about people making all wrong choices and making all the errors of judgement possible. Good comedy is when it works on this scale. Because it is psychologically very real."

Colin Firth, British Actor

People, Choices, Comedy, Errors

20

"Film-makers should remain true to their principles and never compromise, there is a real revival in the British film industry but there is a danger that we will become colonial servants of Hollywood. We need to maintain our own integrity."

"Film-makers should remain true to their principles and never compromise, there is a real revival in the British film industry but there is a danger that we will become colonial servants of Hollywood. We need to maintain our own integrity."

Mike Leigh, British Director

Compromise, Danger, Film, Hollywood

20

"I did start reading quite young but I was always read to by my parents, who are both actors. Bedtime stories from when I was about two/three to when I was about 15. In fact they didn't stop until I eventually kind of kicked them out of my bedroom."

"I did start reading quite young but I was always read to by my parents, who are both actors. Bedtime stories from when I was about two/three to when I was about 15. In fact they didn't stop until I eventually kind of kicked them out of my bedroom."

Samuel West, British Actor

Actor, Actors, Fact, Parents, Reading

20

"I'm not under too much of an illusion of how smart or un-smart I am because filmmaking ultimately is about teamwork."

"I'm not under too much of an illusion of how smart or un-smart I am because filmmaking ultimately is about teamwork."

Guy Ritchie, British Director

Media, Teamwork, Illusion

20

"A brier rose whose buds yield fragrant harvest for the honey bee."

"A brier rose whose buds yield fragrant harvest for the honey bee."

Letitia Landon, British Poet

20

"The solution to a problem changes the nature of the problem."

"The solution to a problem changes the nature of the problem."

John Peers, British Tennis Player

Nature, Solution

20

"I think you learn a lot about a country from its art. To me, it's part of the drama of life. It teaches you that there are places, moments and incidents in other cultures that genuinely have a life of their own."

"I think you learn a lot about a country from its art. To me, it's part of the drama of life. It teaches you that there are places, moments and incidents in other cultures that genuinely have a life of their own."

Michael Palin, British Comedian

Life, Art, Country, Drama

20

"I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included."

"I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, toys not included."

Bernard Manning, British Comedian

Christmas, Kids, Saying

20

"I've been through Hell with some of the members of my old band, and Hell is highly stressful."

"I've been through Hell with some of the members of my old band, and Hell is highly stressful."

Gary Kemp, British Musician

20

"Lawyers are predators in grey worsted."

"Lawyers are predators in grey worsted."

Tom Holt, British Novelist

20

"Be able to be alone. Lose not the advantage of solitude, and the society of thyself."

"Be able to be alone. Lose not the advantage of solitude, and the society of thyself."

Thomas Browne, British Scientist

Society, Solitude

20

"Television has dried up for my generation, so it's plays and films."

"Television has dried up for my generation, so it's plays and films."

Michael Gambon, British Actor

20

"In business, words are words; explanations are explanations, promises are promises, but only performance is reality."

"In business, words are words; explanations are explanations, promises are promises, but only performance is reality."

Harold S. Geneen, British Businessman

Business, Performance, Explanations, Promises

20

"The pure natural scientist is liable to forget that minds exist, and that if it were not for them he could neither know nor act on physical objects."

"The pure natural scientist is liable to forget that minds exist, and that if it were not for them he could neither know nor act on physical objects."

Charles D. Broad, British Philosopher

20

"He has all those different aspects to him, so I can more or less decide as a performer how I'm going to deliver a line in a particular scene, or play a particular scene in total."

"He has all those different aspects to him, so I can more or less decide as a performer how I'm going to deliver a line in a particular scene, or play a particular scene in total."

Paul Darrow, British Actor

20

"It's true I don't tolerate fools but then they don't tolerate me, so I am spiky. Maybe that's why I'm quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies."

"It's true I don't tolerate fools but then they don't tolerate me, so I am spiky. Maybe that's why I'm quite good at playing spiky elderly ladies."

Maggie Smith, British Actress

Elderly, Fools, Ladies

20

"Instead of saying that globalization is a fact, that it's inevitable, we've also got to demonstrate that while the growing interdependence of the world economy is indeed a fact, it's not uncontrollable."

"Instead of saying that globalization is a fact, that it's inevitable, we've also got to demonstrate that while the growing interdependence of the world economy is indeed a fact, it's not uncontrollable."

Peter Mandelson, British Politician

Economy, Fact, Globalization, Saying

20

"The reason they keep it so tight is that no one liked them, so that without each other, actually, they couldn't exist. They support each other. They support their flaws and everything else."

"The reason they keep it so tight is that no one liked them, so that without each other, actually, they couldn't exist. They support each other. They support their flaws and everything else."

Jennifer Saunders, British Comedian

Flaws, Reason, Support

20

"I'd been to Memphis before, but we stayed out of Memphis early on in the late 70s for obvious reasons. People were very sensitive about Elvis Presley, and my stage name obviously would be provocative to some people in that area at that time."

"I'd been to Memphis before, but we stayed out of Memphis early on in the late 70s for obvious reasons. People were very sensitive about Elvis Presley, and my stage name obviously would be provocative to some people in that area at that time."

Elvis Costello, British Musician

Time, People, Name, Obvious

20

"I have been aware, from the age of 6, that I had talent."

"I have been aware, from the age of 6, that I had talent."

Dennis Potter, British Dramatist

20

"I have never believed you make your case stronger by bad-mouthing your opposition."

"I have never believed you make your case stronger by bad-mouthing your opposition."

Glenda Jackson, British Actress

20

"There's always a question of duration, there's a question of who the orchestra is. No one is free to write what you want - you collaborate on a film score, and one of the good things is that someone else's work is motivating you."

"There's always a question of duration, there's a question of who the orchestra is. No one is free to write what you want - you collaborate on a film score, and one of the good things is that someone else's work is motivating you."

Michael Nyman, British Composer

Work, Film, Question, Want

20

"I just think that some version of the past in our culture is going to rise up and become dominant."

"I just think that some version of the past in our culture is going to rise up and become dominant."

Peter Davison, British Actor

20

"Doctor Who was a big part of my childhood so it was a great honour to be in it."

"Doctor Who was a big part of my childhood so it was a great honour to be in it."

Simon Pegg, British Comedian

20

"Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites."

"Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites."

Lord Acton, British Historian

20

"I live my life day by day, and that's how I continue to live it."

"I live my life day by day, and that's how I continue to live it."

Naomi Campbell, British Model

20

"Teddy Wilson, I think, said a little while ago that it's much easier to come in and play whatever comes into your mind, without obeying any of the laws of bass line and harmony and so on."

"Teddy Wilson, I think, said a little while ago that it's much easier to come in and play whatever comes into your mind, without obeying any of the laws of bass line and harmony and so on."

George Shearing, British Musician

Harmony, Laws, Mind, Play

20

"What I will learn over the years will be of benefit and interest to me personally but, as far as the program is concerned, I'm the mouthpiece of the viewers as well."

"What I will learn over the years will be of benefit and interest to me personally but, as far as the program is concerned, I'm the mouthpiece of the viewers as well."

Michael Aspel, British Journalist

Interest, Will, Years

20

"Your political system is actually too democratic. The fact that Americans vote on every bill and proposition can prolong bigotry indefinitely, especially where it is aimed at minority groups."

"Your political system is actually too democratic. The fact that Americans vote on every bill and proposition can prolong bigotry indefinitely, especially where it is aimed at minority groups."

George Michael, British Musician

American, Americans, Bigotry, Fact, Minority

20

"True education flowers at the point when delight falls in love with responsibility."

"True education flowers at the point when delight falls in love with responsibility."

Philip Pullman, British Writer

Education, Love, Delight, Flowers

20

"Is boredom anything less than the sense of one's faculties slowly dying?"

"Is boredom anything less than the sense of one's faculties slowly dying?"

Arthur Helps, British Historian

Boredom, Dying, Sense

20

"I always recommend a sensible diet, including lots of carbohydrates and avoiding too much fat. Dancers don't need different fuel from other people - they just need more of it because they use more energy."

"I always recommend a sensible diet, including lots of carbohydrates and avoiding too much fat. Dancers don't need different fuel from other people - they just need more of it because they use more energy."

Deborah Bull, British Dancer

Diet, People, Energy

20

"It's taken us 10 years, and it was constant excitement. I was constantly shocked by how evil he could be. Mao was very, very shrewd but he didn't have human feeling."

"It's taken us 10 years, and it was constant excitement. I was constantly shocked by how evil he could be. Mao was very, very shrewd but he didn't have human feeling."

Jung Chang, British Writer

Evil, Excitement, Feeling, Years

20

"When we rehearse, we're always trying to aim for something else. But we never quite succeed in getting there."

"When we rehearse, we're always trying to aim for something else. But we never quite succeed in getting there."

Colin Greenwood, British Musician

Succeed, Trying

20

"In the same way he's fascinated by crosswords, the puzzle of solving the murder is what drives him on."

"In the same way he's fascinated by crosswords, the puzzle of solving the murder is what drives him on."

John Thaw, British Actor

20

"Where there is no imagination there is no horror."

"Where there is no imagination there is no horror."

Arthur Conan Doyle, British Writer

Imagination, Horror

20

"Americans like the British kind of quirkiness and the strange accent. They find it kind of cute or something, with a certain charm."

"Americans like the British kind of quirkiness and the strange accent. They find it kind of cute or something, with a certain charm."

Nick Park, British Director

Cultural, Americans, Charm, Cute

20

"Try to realize it's all within yourself no one else can make you change, and to see you're only very small and life flows on within you and without you."

"Try to realize it's all within yourself no one else can make you change, and to see you're only very small and life flows on within you and without you."

George Harrison, British Musician

20

"You know, I designed the Queen crest. I simply combined all the creatures that represent our star signs-and I don't even believe in astrology."

"You know, I designed the Queen crest. I simply combined all the creatures that represent our star signs-and I don't even believe in astrology."

Freddie Mercury, British Musician

Astrology, Queen

20

"It's a very good idea that we have a third term Labour government led by Tony Blair for a full term."

"It's a very good idea that we have a third term Labour government led by Tony Blair for a full term."

Peter Mandelson, British Politician

Government, Idea

20

"Everything that Traffic ever did, I'd give Steve a complete lyric, titled, written out with the verse, the bridge, the shape and rhyme and then Steve had to figure out how the meter of the words would fit musically."

"Everything that Traffic ever did, I'd give Steve a complete lyric, titled, written out with the verse, the bridge, the shape and rhyme and then Steve had to figure out how the meter of the words would fit musically."

Jim Capaldi, British Musician

20

"So I rang up a local building firm, I said 'I want a skip outside my house.' He said 'I'm not stopping you.'"

"So I rang up a local building firm, I said 'I want a skip outside my house.' He said 'I'm not stopping you.'"

Tommy Cooper, British Comedian

20

"The reason why the stone is red is its iron content, which is also why our blood is red."

"The reason why the stone is red is its iron content, which is also why our blood is red."

Andy Goldsworthy, British Artist

Blood, Content, Reason

20

"If you want to make someone feel emotion, you have to make them let go. Listening to something is an act of surrender."

"If you want to make someone feel emotion, you have to make them let go. Listening to something is an act of surrender."

Brian Eno, British Musician

Act, Emotion, Listening, Surrender

20

"These days politics, religion, media seem to get all mixed up. Television became the new religion a long time back and the media has taken over."

"These days politics, religion, media seem to get all mixed up. Television became the new religion a long time back and the media has taken over."

Van Morrison, British Musician

Religion, Time, Politics, Media

20

"Flattery is the infantry of negotiation."

"Flattery is the infantry of negotiation."

Lord Chandos, British Politician

Flattery, Negotiation

20

"You're at the mercy of the editors' hands."

"You're at the mercy of the editors' hands."

Kelly LeBrock, British Actress

20

"I'd get more applause than some because I was just seventeen. If they didn't clap at the end of my act I would limp off stage and boy would they feel guilty. They would all burst into tremendous applause as they saw this poor cripple kid walking off."

"I'd get more applause than some because I was just seventeen. If they didn't clap at the end of my act I would limp off stage and boy would they feel guilty. They would all burst into tremendous applause as they saw this poor cripple kid walking off."

Jim Dale, British Musician

Act, Applause, End, Poor

20

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