Alan Bennett Quotes & Sayings

“The bits I most remember about my school days are those that took place outside the classroom, as we were taken on countless theatre visits and trips to places of interest.”

“Closing a public library is child abuse, really, because it hinders child development.”

“If you think squash is a competitive activity, try flower arranging.”

“I'm all in favour of free expression provided it's kept rigidly under control.”

“We were all miners in our family. My father was a miner. My mother is a miner. These are miner's hands, but we were all artists, I suppose, really. But I was the first one who had the urge to express myself on paper rather than at the coalface.”

“Were we closer to the ground as children, or is the grass emptier now?”

“I didn't even have a clear idea of why I wanted to go to Oxford - apart from the fact I had fallen in love with the architecture. It certainly wasn't out of some great sense of academic or intellectual achievement. In many ways, my education only began after I'd left university.”

“All knowledge is precious whether or not it serves the slightest human use.”

“I always feel over-appreciated but underestimated.”

“I don't believe in private education.”