When I realized that this was a jubilee lecture my mind flew to our 21st supper and celebration. The guest of honour was Sir Andrew, then Mr. Rowell. When the waitresses had cleared the tables he rose to propose our health and said he was glad to be able to welcome us among the grown-ups; that we were grown-up he knew because he had just seen the women take our napkins away.

No-one can emulate Sir Andrew but I share his pleasure. One of the sweetest fruits of autumn is a smile of welcome from the young. So, thank you. Another reason is that I've loved many things in life from Lancashire hot-pot to Shirley MacLaine, but most of all I love a captive audience. So thank you twice.

To have leisure is to have time to stand and stare. It is a hill with a perspective. When I look around from the hill of leisure which I now enjoy–and enjoy is the word–I sometimes catch a glimpse of that other hill, 45 years down the road, from which I peered forward in my student days. Much has happened since then which seemed important at the time to that little figure scurrying along the road, but surveying the whole scene there has been an unbelievable change.