From the website of the Noel Coward Society, a story recounted by Sheridan Morley (son of actor Robert Morley):
Morley recalled an occasion in the 1980s when, walking along Piccadilly with John Gielgud, they spotted Margaret Thatcher, then at the height of her powers, coming towards them. As they both knew her slightly, they stopped. Gielgud asked where she was now living. "No 10, Downing Street," replied the Prime Minister with some surprise.
"Oh, you women!" exclaimed Gielgud, full of admiration. "Always so clever at buying the right kind of property!"
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The Left erupts in euphoria: THE BITCH IS DEAD!!!
Allegedly someone (Gielgud?) met a woman at a party who was vaguely familiar. He had a faint memory that he knew her by virtue of her sister. So he asked brightly "What is your sister doing nowadays?". "Oh" replied the woman "still Queen."
Much like his great dinner scene as Jerry Irons' dad in Brideshead.
I learned about Thatcher’s dismissal from office when I was stopped by a spiky-haired British TV journalist doing man-on-the street reaction interviews in Chevy Chase, DC. He must have been a free lancer or worked for a modest broadcaster, as he was holding the camera on one shoulder and wielding the microphone for the interview with his other arm.
I told him I regretted Thatcher’s departure partly because I had the impression that the British male performed best under a tough nanny. He curled his lip and I doubt if the interview was used.
I admired Thatcher but thought that one secret or her success was that she was a woman. She could say things that every sane person in Britain, including many of her adversaries, knew were true but that, if said by a prosperous-looking Tory male, would draw down such a torrent of whining and abuse that it would be impossible to act on their sanity.
Of course, the same lefty and media misery pimps abused Thatcher for her positions, but it wasn’t quite the same. When you are down to dubbing your villain “Attila The Hen,” you are pretty much acknowledging that the whole thing is just a game of clever name calling, just a verbal version of Stephen Potter’s One-Upsmanship.
It seems the British do best under women because all their endless verbal cleverness and the competitiveness that now has so few fruitful outlets make it impossible for tough male political leaders to lead sanely, except perhaps when the island’s existence is at stake, at it was in World War II.
In any case, Thatcher is a useful reminder of what an empty pantsuit Hillary Clinton is.
Anon@5:45 - ...and the circle closes. That's pretty much what Britain looked like before Thatcher.
Gielgud faux-pas are legendary.
A different time.
PM Thatcher was walking in Piccadilly and stopped to chat with some actor acquaintances.
When did the last US President just go for a walk in DC? 1920? 1930?
For years Presidents have been under virtual house arrest by their Praetorian Guards.
It must be a strange life for them, looking at every American as a potential killer.
Not that I would have voted for her, but she was a real ideologists and I respect that. Today's politicians are just doing what their strategists instruct them to do.
"When did the last US President just go for a walk in DC?"
Harry Truman went for an exercise walk through the streets of D.C. every morning with one security detail following behind. But that was before the 1950 P.R. assassination attempt.
Assassins: another chance to run the Queen Victoria tale from WKPD:
On 29 May 1842, Victoria was riding in a carriage along The Mall, London, when John Francis aimed a pistol at her but the gun did not fire; he escaped. The following day, Victoria drove the same route, though faster and with a greater escort, in a deliberate attempt to provoke Francis to take a second aim and catch him in the act. As expected, Francis shot at her, but he was seized by plain clothes policemen, and convicted of high treason.
An urbane legend?
thatcher has been called a female impersonator by male impersonators even though she somewhat belonged to their ilk. either there weren't better men to lead or democrazy! both point to decline.
"It seems the British do best under women because all their endless verbal cleverness "
was it kipling who pointed out how men of action were being condemned by men of words or someone before him. I vaguely remember a mention of robert clive.
more interesting dailymail story:
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