Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Lord Weatherill Dies at 86.

I'm not all that up on the British Parliament, but I noticed the obit for Lord Weatherill because of the wig. I sort of vaguely knew that some official types over in England had worn wigs during my lifetime, but hadn't really given it much thought. Weatherill was the last speaker of the House of Commons to wear one. Reminds me of that movie, Witness For the Prosecution, with Tyrone Power and Marlene Dietrich: Charles Laughton wore a poofy white wig. Anyway, that's what caught my eye.
Then, the sentence: "The son of a Savile Row tailor, he carried a thimble in his pocket because his mother had said it would keep him humble."
How sweet. Listened to Mom; carried a thimble. Must have been a nice man.

It makes me think that there's a good number of people who could use thimbles in their pockets. They might not have the same modest origins as Lord Weatherill, but perhaps the question, "Is that a thimble in your pocket...?" could take their egos down a few pegs.

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