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MR PICKFORD'S WISDOM
Canny good sense passed on from one Scot to another - the “another” being F1 triple champion Jackie Stewart, who as a teenager worked at his family’s garage:
One of our regular customers was a multi-millionaire called Mr Pickford - at least, we thought he was a multi-millionaire because he owned a Rolls Royce, and employed a chauffeur - and one day, after I had filled his car with petrol, he wound down the window and pressed a sixpence into my palm.
That was fine by me, but he seemed to sense some disappointment in my eyes because he looked straight at me and said, “That might not seem a lot to you, but it cost me a pound to give you that.”
It seemed a peculiar thing to say at the time, but I have never forgotten those words and, in years to come, when I was exposed to high rates of income tax myself, I understood exactly how Mr Pickford felt.
From Stewart’s very entertaining autobiography. Two Stewart facts:
• His dyslexia is so profound he cannot recite the alphabet beyond the letter “p”.
• He has only ever purchased one road car: an Austin A30, bought for £375 in 1956.
It seemed a peculiar thing to say at the time, but I have never forgotten those words and, in years to come, when I was exposed to high rates of income tax myself, I understood exactly how Mr Pickford felt.
Which is pretty much how we are all going to feel if kevni ruff gets a guernsey come the election.
Posted by surfmaster on 2007 10 24 at 10:01 AM • permalinkI am thick - I don’t actually understand this. Would someone be able to explain it to me?
Posted by ThinAndBritish on 2007 10 24 at 10:32 AM • permalink#6 Ah thankyou.
It’s certainly true that we Scots know the value of money. Ahem.
Then there was copper wire of course - invented by two Scots fighting over a penny.
Posted by ThinAndBritish on 2007 10 24 at 10:41 AM • permalinkTim I’m sending you £0 for Pledge Week.
That might not seem a lot to you, but it cost me £100 to give you that.
Did I get that right?
Posted by ThinAndBritish on 2007 10 24 at 10:53 AM • permalinkGreat guy Stewart, but I have to be a bit of a sourpuss over his claims to be dyslexic, which I have heard from him before. Dyslexia doesn’t, as far as I’m aware, affect your ability to learn the last third of the alphabet. I suspect he was taught badly.
This occurs even now in Britain on an industrial scale—I saw an illuminating doco last night about a school at which a great many students literally could not read (this particular situation was thankfully relieved by the introduction of the synthetic phonics system, which involves teaching kids how to pronounce individual letters before going on to harder things).
And Stewart’s a smart guy, so it really isn’t likely to be the case that he was just to dumb to read. But in the previous interview with him that I read, he was clearly very embarrassed about this lack, and clearly very relieved when it turned out that he had an apparent excuse (ie. dyslexia). But that doesn’t make it dyslexia.
Posted by Blithering Bunny on 2007 10 24 at 10:58 AM • permalink#12 Don Cid
Fine thanks - both his granddads are coming over for a Halloween and firework party next week. They’re both communists so I’ve put them in charge of firework duty while the rest of us get pissed and have a good time.
Posted by ThinAndBritish on 2007 10 24 at 11:54 AM • permalink#15 VW, welcome!
Hey, I’ve gotta ask… how did you get to be member number 5555?
It probably doesn’t mean anything, but do be careful. The VRWC has expectations. Agent 86 was assigned to a mission that cannot be spoken of outside of the Cone Of Silence.
Agent 13 is still reporting from Charlize Theron’s underwear drawer.
Nobody asks about Stoop Davey Dave, anymore.
A Scotsman parting with a sixpence! How naive do you think we are Tim?
A young Scottish lad and lass were sitting on a low stone wall, holding hands, gazing out over the loch. For several minutes they sat silently.
Then finally the girl looked at the boy and said, “A penny for your thoughts, Angus.”
“Well, uh, I was thinkin’...perhaps it’s aboot time for a wee kiss.”
The girl blushed, then leaned over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Then he blushed. The two turned once again to gaze out over the loch.
Minutes passed and the girl spoke again. “Another penny for your thoughts, Angus.”
“Well, uh, I was thinkin’ perhaps it’s noo time aboot time for a wee cuddle.”
The girl blushed, then leaned over and cuddled him for a few seconds. Then he blushed. Then the two turned once again to gaze out over the loch.
After a while, she again said, “Another penny for your thoughts, Angus.”
“Well, uh, I was thinkin’ perhaps it’s aboot time you let me put my hand on your leg.”
The girl blushed, then took his hand and put it on her knee. Then he blushed. The the two turned once again to gaze out over the lock before the girl spoke again.
“Another penny for your thoughts, Angus.”
The young man glanced down with a furled brow.
“Well,noo,” he said, “my thoughts are a wee bit more serious this time.”
“Really?” said the lass in a whisper, filled with anticipation.
“Aye,” said the lad, nodding.
The girl looked away in shyness, began to blush, and bit her lip in anticipation of the ultimate request.
Then he said, “Dae ye nae think it’s aboot time ye paid me the first three pennies?”
Posted by joe bagadonuts on 2007 10 24 at 01:43 PM • permalinkMe ‘n Jackie ‘n me youngest.
Dyslexics of the world UNTIE
Posted by Jack from Montreal on 2007 10 24 at 05:29 PM • permalink#5
Good thing you’re not voting in our upcoming election! (As many deluded, living-under-a-rock kevvie supporters are...)#8
TaB, biff yourself around the melon, you need it!
***My brother suffers from a reading disability. He has a Cert IV in training, has been the OH&S Officer, a quartermaster for a rescue organisation and is now the President of the same organisation - which was started by a group of people including my mother and father, and my father was the first president. I don’t know what else he has achieved, but he constantly amazes me with what he knows - it’s a bit like I am always amazed when I see my mother typing. She’s just me mum! (He’s just me bother*!)
(*yes, he IS a bother! And we love him.)
Did I do what I think I just did? </b>
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2007 10 24 at 09:42 PM • permalinkwhew. OK, people, move along, nothing to see here…
Posted by richard mcenroe on 2007 10 24 at 09:45 PM • permalink#9 Blithering ‘ell!
Maybe the dyslexia claim was in some specific circumstance, such as:
“Officer, that sign said NO EXIT, not 30 MPH; surely? Well, I’m dyslexic so I didn’t willingly or knowingly break the speed limit.
Posted by Wimpy Canadian on 2007 10 24 at 10:59 PM • permalinkI loved Stewart’s ‘70s TV ads: “Dunlop tires, they grip the roood.”
Wish I could find a video or audio clip of that ...
Posted by Serenity Now on 2007 10 25 at 10:44 AM • permalinkAh yes, High taxes. Designed to stop the Mr Pickfords of this world buying another Rolls Royce or a fur coat for his wife.
Who did the high taxes hurt most? The people who would have made the Rolls Royce and the fur coat.Posted by Hank Reardon on 2007 10 25 at 05:29 PM • permalink
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I have a baseball hat autographed by Mr Stewart that should be somewhere other than a box in the basement. As a kid he was always on the race coverage in Canada and we used to imitate his “It’s a great great day for moto-car racin” line that he used.