My mother, Eve, always taught me never to look back in regret
but to move on to the next thing. A setback is never a bad experience, just
another one of life’s lessons.
2. Lionel Shriver, author
Sage advice from my old friend Ruth Dudley Edwards is “Get on
with it”, a sound approach to everything. If you have the leisure to think
about it, you have time to do it.
3. Esther Rantzen,
journalist and founder of ChildLine
I like this 2,000 year old advice by Rabbi Hillel: “If I am
not for me, who will be? If I am only for me, what am I? If not now, when?” I
think it means: “Sort yourself out, protect yourself and ensure your own
survival – if you don’t, you can achieve nothing. However, selfishness is
empty, so ensure that you make a positive difference to others, and do it now.”
4. Cliff Richard, singer
When I was getting serious about singing, my father told me
that if I didn’t make it there was still a life to be lived. Then, when I
recorded Move It, he asked me: “Do you really want this? If you do then give it
your all and give it all the time.”
5. Jilly Cooper, author
My darling grandmother told me: “Whenever you meet anybody,
look for something nice to say about them, because even if they’ve got a
hideous face they might have fantastic ankles or lovely hair, and compliments
do cheer people up enormously.” She did cheer people up and I always wanted to
emulate her.
6. Gordon Ramsay, chef
Put your head down and work hard. Never wait for things to
happen, make them happen for yourself through hard graft and not giving up.
7. Michael Vaughan, former
England cricket captain
Darren Lehmann, a team-mate of mine at Yorkshire, told me to
make sure I ended my career with no regrets. He meant “don’t die wondering”. I
took that attitude into Strictly Come Dancing.
8. Antonia Fraser,
historian
A very old Marquess once said to me: “No gentleman is ever
rude by mistake.” This seems to me a profound observation about the need for
courtesy and consideration to all people at all times. Unless, of course, you
have good reason for anger, in which case go for it.
9. Prue Leith, cookery
writer and author
On clothing: if it doesn’t go in, it can’t go on. I seem to
remember it was given to me by an irritatingly flab-free fella.
10. Brian Moore, former
England rugby player and Telegraph columnist
An admonishment from Mr Hoyle, my English teacher: “Moore,
there are two sorts of people in life, those that do and those that sit on the
sidelines and snigger. Do I have to tell you which one is more worthy?”
11. Nic Fiddian Green,
sculptor
Gandhi said: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if
you were to live forever.”
12. Jo Malone,
entrepreneur
Launching my new business, Jo Loves, I chose four key words as
my guiding principles: Inspire, Innovate, Ignite, Integrity.
13. Mary Riddell,
Telegraph journalist
“Make sure you marry someone who can cook,” from my father who
could boil neither a kettle nor an egg.
14. Stephen Bayley,
author, design guru
I have three favourites: 1. The old Foreign Office directive:
never tell a lie but never tell the whole truth, and never miss an opportunity
to go to the lavatory. 2. From Henry David Thoreau: “Beware of all enterprises
requiring new clothes.” 3. From Jay McInerney: “Treat everyone you meet as if
you have secret information that they are about to become extremely rich”.
15. Matthew Williamson,
designer
My co-founder and CEO, Joseph Velosa, said to me years ago:
“If you don’t have passion, then you have nothing. If you don’t believe in what
you are doing, why would anyone else?”
16. Max Sinclair, English
Heritage Angel Awards winner
For National Service I was desperate to join the RAF, but my
father advised me to join the Royal Engineers where I’d learn a skill instead.
I have no regrets.
17. Alice Arnold, Radio 4
newsreader
When one door closes, it’s shut!
18. Steve Cram, former
Olympic athlete
Apart from: “Never leave the bar first because everyone will
talk about you,” the best bit of advice I got was from my coach, aged 14. He
said I would never achieve anything if I hadn’t already thought that I could.
It worked.
19. Joan Bakewell,
journalist
When someone annoys you, just imagine them naked. You’ll feel
their equal.
20. Camila Batmanghelidjh,
charity leader
You’re not that important; it’s what you do that counts.
21. Alex Crawford, Sky
News correspondent
Harry S Truman said: “The best way to give advice to your
children is to find out what they want and advise them to do it.”
22. Baroness Tanni
Grey-Thompson, Paralympic athlete
My grandfather used to say: “Aim high, even if you hit a
cabbage.” It is about having a goal or a dream and never giving up.
23. Daniel Galvin, hair
colourist
My mother told me: “The sky’s the limit; it’s there for the
taking. But you’ve got to go and get it.”
24. Deborah Moggach,
author
“Everything matters, but nothing matters that much.” I read
this somewhere, and love it because it strikes just the right balance.
25. Edwina Currie, former
MP
A favourite teacher wrote this, from Hamlet, in my autograph
book as I left school in Liverpool: “This above all: to thine own self be true.
And it follows, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man”.
26. Peter Florence,
director of the Hay Festival
My father’s advice to me was that people in rural Wales have
the same cultural expectations and aspirations as people in Manhattan or Sydney
or Paris.
27. Bel Mooney, journalist
and writer
Once I was miserable over a nasty book review and my great
friend Bernard Levin told me: “Darling girl, you have to imagine yourself
floating high in the sky above them all.”
28. Sir Roy Strong, art
historian
Never be seduced by any position you hold and always be first
and foremost yourself. Jobs come and go but you go on. My then flatmate,
Michael Borrie, told me that when I was appointed director of the National
Portrait Gallery, at the tender age of 31, in 1967.
29. Victoria Moore, Telegraph
wine writer
You always have more options than you think you have. Every
time I feel stuck or trapped I remember this, take my time, and reformulate my
plans.
30. Fern Britton, TV
presenter
My mother always said: “It is never your extravagances you
regret, it is only your economies.”
31. Richard Madeley, TV
presenter
Passed on to me by the playwright John Mortimer, who received
it in turn from his father: “All advice is useless.”
32. Doreen Lawrence,
mother of Stephen, campaigner and writer
The best advice I have been given, especially since January
when my son’s killers were sentenced, is: “Your strength and courage is admired
by many. Keep up the good work.”
33. Xanthe Clay, Telegraph
food columnist
I once put out a request for dinner party tips in Weekend.
Among the (excellent) replies was one that stood out: “Don’t get tipsy till the
cheese course.”
34. Ann Widdecombe, former
MP
I always tell the young not to be in so much of a hurry. Life
is a marathon, not a sprint.
35. Jon Snow, journalist
and presenter
My first foreign editor at ITN, John Mahoney, told me: “Never
touch anyone 'on camera’, and never be seen on television carrying a baby or an
animal.” I broke his rule during Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. We were almost
alone in having a flat-bottomed boat and I found myself carrying a heart attack
victim into it. I told my cameraman to focus on the old man, and not on me, in
case Mr Mahoney was watching.
36. Lisa Armstrong,
Telegraph fashion editor
My mother taught me how to remain sane when faced with the
implacable logic of small children: always give them choice, but controlled
choice with inbuilt distraction. Not “would you like to eat your vegetables?”
but “would you like to eat your vegetables from a green or a yellow plate?”
Worked like a charm.
37. Amanda Holden, actress
and presenter
“One’s only ambition in life should be to be happy. Nothing
else matters”, from my husband, Chris.
38. Dominic Dromgoole,
artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe
My mother once said to me before an interview: “Be confident
and not arrogant, and don’t be arrogant and unconfident”, which just about hit
the nail on the head with me.
39. Mary Keen, garden
designer
My tutor at Oxford told me to: “Sleep for 8 hours, work for 8
hours, play for 8 hours.” I didn’t, and my work-life balance would be better if
I had.
40. Michael Caines, head
chef at Gidleigh Park hotel
“Take criticism constructively, not personally and see it as
an opportunity to improve yourself,” from Bill Heads, my lecturer at Exeter
College.
41. Goran Ivanisevic,
former Wimbledon champion
Never give up, because if you keep believing and trying,
anything can happen.
42. Edith Bowman, Radio 1
DJ
My mother Eleanor said: “What’s meant for you won’t pass you
by.” It reminds me not to take decisions by others personally.
43. Robin Page, Telegraph
columnist
My geography master told me: “When people tell you that there
are two sides to every argument, it is nonsense. There are three: your side,
their side and the truth.”
44. Tim Rice, lyricist and
author
My mum, circa 1955, told me: “Make new friends but stick to
old, one is silver, the other gold”.
45. Julian Fellowes, actor
and writer
The best piece of advice I ever received was from my mother:
“If you want to be happily married, marry a happy person.” I am glad to say I
took her at her word.
46. Jack Straw, former
Home and Foreign Secretary
When Barbara Castle was appointed Secretary of State for
Health and Social Security, after Labour unexpectedly won the 1974 General
Election, she asked me, then a barrister who knew nothing about health or
social security, to be her special adviser. My head of chambers at the time,
Sir Edward Gardner MP, asked me: “In 20 years’ time, would you rather be in the
British Cabinet or a High Court judge?” I replied “the Cabinet”, which
eventually led to my becoming Barbara’s successor as MP for Blackburn.
47. Hannah Betts,
journalist
My psychiatrist father always told me to “face my fear”. It
has instilled me with a lifelong sense that pluck is all, which, Britishly, I
feel it is.
48. Peter Barron, head of
external relations for Google
All the best advice I received was from my father, and I even
took some of it. My favourite is: “The man who never made a mistake never made
anything.”
49. Mark Hedges, editor of
Country Life
Michael Clayton, a former editor of Horse & Hound
magazine, once said to me: “Fall off as often as possible, your hosts will love
you for it.” It proved both tremendous advice and, with my riding skills, easy
to achieve.
50. Ai Weiwei, artist
Not many people give me advice, but the most memorable came
from a police officer when I was released from the 81-day detention in June
2011. He said: “If you work hard, you can become a good artist.” It has
inspired me to work harder to become a good activist.
51. James Corden, actor
The difference between doing something and not doing something
is doing something. So just do it. Oh, and try not to take yourself too
seriously, it’s just not cool.
52. Ed Victor, literary
agent
Nigel Nicolson, MP in the Fifties, said of public speaking: “Always
know exactly what you are going to say. Never know how you are going to say
it.” Since then I have never had a problem giving a speech.
53. Michael Gove,
Secretary of State for education
Since tonic is at least half, if not two-thirds, of a gin and
tonic, make sure you choose the right tonic.
54. Marcus Armytage,
former Grand National winner and Telegraph columnist
The three good bits of advice I’ve been given are all don’ts:
don’t do drugs, don’t join the Moonies, and, from my father: “Don’t hit your
horse until you reach the Elbow at Aintree in the 1990 Grand National.” I
followed all three with, I hope, more than satisfactory results.
55. Robert Bathurst, actor
When Bob Spiers was directing a Nineties sitcom I did, Joking
Apart, he only ever gave me one piece of direction: “Make it funny.” It’s all
you need to know.
56. Bobbi Brown, make-up
artist
The author Liz Murray said: “If you go through things where
you feel like you’re in a dark place, you are not alone. You can change your
life. In fact, you can transform your life.” This statement made me realise
that no matter what challenges you face, you can overcome them.
57. Phil Spencer, TV
presenter
My father used to say: “If you can’t be good, then don’t get
caught.”
58. Nicholas Coleridge,
president of Condé Nast and author
Make sure you have four good friends: one more handsome, one
uglier, one richer and one poorer than yourself. That way you experience
perfect contentment and humility.
59. Charlie Gilkes,
nightclub impresario
My headmaster used to say: “If you don’t say something like
you believe in it, how can you expect others to believe in it?”
60. Christopher
Warren-Green, director of the London Chamber Orchestra
“If you feel as if you’re falling off a cliff, remember we can
sprout wings and fly,” from Margaret Hubicki, harmony professor at the Royal
Academy of Music.
61. Rachel Khoo, cookery
presenter and writer
My mother still tells me to “sleep on it” if I have any
dilemmas. A night’s sleep puts things in perspective.
62. Christine Hamilton,
public speaker
My father used to say: “There are no stumbling blocks in life
– just stepping stones in disguise.”
63. Harriet Cass, Radio 4
newsreader
When you look back on your life, you will regret only what you
didn’t do. If you’re unsure, ask yourself “why not?”
64. Irma Kurtz, advice
columnist
My father used to tell me: “Keep still, Irma, and listen!” Let
others speak without interruption to hear more than you expected and sometimes
more than they meant to tell you.”
65. Helen Glover, Olympic
rower
When I was 13 my athletics coach, Peter Meredith, wrote “carpe
diem” in my birthday card. Ever since, “seize the day” has been something I try
to bring into daily life.
66. Matthew Norman,
Telegraph columnist
“Have a think about another career,” from a tutor on the
solicitors’ conversion course I found myself on after applying for what I had
thought was a course for prospective barristers.
67. Andrew Lloyd Webber,
composer, theatre director
The legendary theatre producer Hal Prince once said: “You
can’t listen to a musical if you can’t look at it.” However good the music may
be, the show won’t work if the design doesn’t fit.
68. Sir Terry Pratchett,
author
The author John Brunner once told me: “Remember nearly
everything you are using to write a book is tax deductible.”
69. Lizzie Armitstead,
Olympic cyclist
My coach Phil West told me: “Don’t believe your own hype,”
reminding me to keep my feet firmly on the ground.
70. Arianna Huffington,
author
My mother gave me something better than advice: a sense of
unconditional loving. This meant that as I was going for my dreams, I knew that
if I failed she wouldn’t love me any less.
71. Alan Hansen, former Liverpool
player and Match of the Day commentator
My manager at Liverpool, Bob Paisley,
had a go at our defence after a game once and said I was the only person to
have played well. He then dropped me for the next game and I didn’t understand
why. He told me that it was all about experience, and your knowledge makes you
a better player over time. He was right.
72. Simon Mayo, Radio 2 presenter
“Respect the women in the house”,
“The easier day is never coming” and “Quality time is a myth”. These are all
from The Sixty Minute Father by Rob Parsons, and are invaluable and true.
Accept no disrespect to sisters or mother, assume that you’ll always be this
busy and you only get quality time by putting in the hours.
73. Sarah Gristwood, historian and
royal commentator
On a film location once I wound up
confiding to Anthony Hopkins my dreams for the future. He shook his head and
told me not just to dream, but to “do it”.
74. Colin Jackson, former sprint and
hurdles athlete
Daley Thompson said: “You will never
be great on your own, you need to be able to work with people.”
75. Skye Gyngell, chef
From a bumper sticker given to me by
a surf shop in Bondi: “Do what you love and love what you do.”
76. Paul Smith, fashion designer
Always give yourself time to think,
particularly before you answer an important question.
77. Gretchen Rubin, self-help author
Years ago, after I got a promotion, I
asked my boss for any words of wisdom in my new job. She told me: “Be polite
and be fair.” That short phrase covers a lot of situations.
78. Richard Dunwoody, former Champion
jockey
One of my trainers once told me:
“When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.”
Alan Watkins, the late, great
political journalist, once told me that: “Half-an-hour with Who’s Who is never
wasted.” He is right, because a fact about one person mysteriously joins up
with a fact about another. Who’s Who tells you what’s what.
80. Santa Sebag Montefiore, author
When we were skiing in Klosters my
father would say “It’s sunny at the top”, before heading up the mountain in
thick fog. He meant “be positive”, and always be grateful for what you have.
81. Chris Larkin, actor
“Always strive to be a better man.”
Kiplingesque words given to me by my stepfather, Bev.
82. Sandi Toksvig, comedian and
presenter
My father gave me three excellent pieces
of advice: 1. Never trust a man in a ready-made bow tie. A man who cannot
concentrate long enough to fasten a bow tie is never going to be a well of
nuanced or intriguing conversation. 2. One Vodka Martini is not enough, two is
plenty and three is too many. 3. Live your life with passion, or there is no
point. You might as well drink three Vodka Martinis with a man sporting clip-on
neckwear.
83. Geoff Boycott, cricketer
I took Uncle Algy’s advice: “When two
people get involved in a run-out, one of them is going to be very disappointed.
Make sure it’s not you.”
84. Chemmy Alcott, Britain’s No 1
female downhill skier
A friend of mine, Eric Dunmore, said:
“This injury is an opportunity” when I broke my leg very badly in late 2010. To
have someone look on the flip side so positively when you are in a tough place
really changed my perception of being injured.
85. Ben Elliot, co-founder of
Quintessentially Group
Both my parents always said: “Work
hard and be nice to people.”
Advice from my grandmother: “Never
grow old.”
87. John Mitchinson, head of research
for QI
“Always walk towards the sound of
gunfire.” The late Barbara Castle told me this when I introduced her at a
literary dinner along with Jeffrey Archer. I’m pleased to say that as an
orator, she wiped the floor with Archer and this exhortation, which means if
you think there’s something wrong, there almost always is, is one I turn to
pretty much every day.
88. Sarah Beeny, property television
presenter
I know it is nauseating but someone I
used to work with taught me that positive things happen to positive people.
89. Nina Campbell, interior designer
If you feel like writing an explosive
email or letter, write it, but then save it as a draft or keep it in a drawer
and revisit it the following day. I find that usually I don’t send it.
90. Lady Annabel Goldsmith, writer
and philanthropist
My grandmother, Edith Londonderry,
told me to always try to remain impartial in any family squabble and never to
interfere or take sides in a marriage.
91. Amelia Rope, chocolatier
Patrick Reeves, who co-founded
sofa.com, taught me to: “Keep it simple.”
92. Brian Blessed, actor and explorer
“The greatest danger in life is to
not take the adventure,” from Harry Dobson, one of my teachers.
93. George Carey, former Archbishop
of Canterbury
On becoming Archbishop in 1991 a
student of mine said: “George, power changes people. Be yourself always. Your
integrity is crucial to all you stand for. Value and honour all people and
laugh, often, at yourself and the ridiculous antics of the Church.”
94. Annabel Croft, former
professional tennis player, TV presenter
A TV producer once told me that the
simplest questions were the best ones, and that asking open questions makes
people work harder at their answer.
95. James Cracknell, Olympic rower
Abraham Lincoln said: “If I had eight
hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe”. No wonder he’s the
only US President with a statue in Parliament Square. It took me years to
understand the value of this but I genuinely try to abide by it.
96. Susan Hill, writer
If you don’t know what to do, do
nothing.
97. Thea Green, founder of Nails Inc
Know what your competition is doing
and never stop listening to the customer. They are usually right. And remember
that the best is yet to come.
98. Viscount Linley, furniture maker
My father advised me to always strive
to do better, learn from my mistakes and aim for perfection. Within my business
I encourage this and am always asking: “is this the best of the best?”
99. Wendy Holden, author
One should always be slightly
improbable.
100. Paddy Ashdown, Liberal Democrat politician
My father told me: “Never stop
learning.”
101. Justin Webb, Radio 4 Today
presenter
A cardiologist friend once told me:
“Lifestyle changes don’t add up to much, mate, just take the pills and hope for
the best.”
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