Simon Hoggart Quotes

• Every time humanists try to get a slot on ‘Thought For the Day’ on Radio 4, they are told it’s reserved for ‘the faith community,’ whatever that is. Yet ‘TfT’ is almost always pabulum about how God wants us all to love each other and care for the unfortunate. I’m sure humanists would say much the same, without God.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Faith, Reserved

• During my own gap year, I learned an invaluable lesson – that I was a lousy teacher. Even though the children I ‘taught,’ in upcountry Uganda, were desperate for qualifications, they largely ignored me. Until, that is, I realised that they wanted to hear about other young persons around the world.

  Simon Hoggart

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Lesson, Ignored

• Denis Healey refused to contribute an article to the ‘Guardian’ about his intentions, and was punished by the electorate – and then all Labour MPs – for his presumption in assuming they already knew everything about him. He became famously the best prime minister we never had. Perhaps.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Perhaps, Prime

• Corney & Barrow are proud to have the royal warrant, meaning that they provide the Palace with some of the greatest – and necessarily most expensive – wines from around the world. I am pleased to say that they also hold my own warrant, for providing exceptional wines at – surprisingly – modest prices.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Royal, Exceptional

• British diplomats who worked in Iran during the 1980 hostage crisis are deeply upset by Ben Affleck’s Oscar-winning film ‘Argo,’ which suggests they refused shelter to the group who managed to get out of the U.S. embassy.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Diplomats, Hostage

• A married vicar is likely to regard his vocation as a job – a tough and ill-paid one, to be sure – but a priest is seen as a pillar of the community, answerable only to his parishioners and his God, rather than to a wife and children.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Vocation, Priest

• We ‘Guardian’ columnists ought to have a line of collectibles fit for soggy liberals. A poncho to stop us being dripping wet, reversible so we can have it both ways. A cap marked ‘I ♥ all forms of diversity.’ Gloves, the left embroidered ‘On the one hand’ and the right, ‘On the other.’

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Dripping, Diversity

• All over the U.S. there are people whose lives are being destroyed for lack of proper health care provision, and there is no sight more odious than the rich, powerful and arrogant trying to keep it that way.

  Simon Hoggart

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Sight, Powerful

• ‘Sir’ Richard Branson may be the Julian Assange of British business, in that both believe the world revolves around them. Hence Branson’s decision to set up an air service between Manchester and London, above the route of the train line that’s been taken from him.

  Simon Hoggart

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Hence, Above

• Kind ‘Guardian’ readers have been forwarding me round robin Christmas newsletters for years now: lengthy missives full of perfect children, exotic holidays, talented pets and endless, tedious detail. The notes that accompanied them revealed they had inspired in the original recipients everything from mild irritation to absolute rage.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Pets, Perfect

• When you actually see Barack Obama, it’s startling how slight he is and how young he looks.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Slight, Startling

• The Chinese do make vast quantities of wine for home consumption, but you wouldn’t want to drink it yourself.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Wine, Drink

• Switzerland still has a huge share of the watch market, all advertised at the airport on illuminated hoardings. Gosh, they are ugly.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Airport, Watch

• Remember how Margaret Thatcher came to believe that abroad was more important than at home? Didn’t do her much good.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Abroad, Thatcher

• Poor Harper Seven Beckham, having to live with that name all her life. It’s the Boy Named Sue syndrome; at the very least it will toughen her up.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Sue, Poor

• Most successful American politicians look well-fed on endorsements, campaign contributions and chicken dinners.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Successful, Contributions

• If you read the ‘Daily Mail,’ you would imagine that the British middle classes lead lives of unremitting misery.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Classes, Misery

• I’ve served on five different juries, and many of them were bonkers in their own way.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Juries, Served

• Even I would find a book about my life pretty dull.

  Simon Hoggart

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  Tags in Dull, Pretty

• When you visit a foreign city you are in it, but not of it, separated by a glass wall. Once, while a student, I was getting dressed in my ground-floor room when a family of Italians crossed the grass to watch, as if I were laid on for their amusement and instruction.

  Simon Hoggart

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Laid, Instruction

Simon Hoggart (52)

Birth:	26th May, 1946
Nationality:	British
Profession:	Journalist, Writer

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