“If you believe in the existence of fairies at the bottom of the garden you are deemed fit for the bin. If you believe in parthenogenesis, ascension, transubstantiation and all the rest of it you are deemed fit to govern the country.” IfsBelieveCountryExistenceFitGardenBottomFairyIf You BelieveAscensionTransubstantiation Author:Jonathan Meades
“If you're going to write about something it becomes a damn sight more interesting than if you're not going to write about it, because you engage with it actively in a way that you wouldn't if you were just passing through or if you were going to St Helens to visit family or if it was a place that made you resentful because you'd always wanted to escape from there.” IfsWayWritingMadeWantedInterestingSightPassingPassingsDamnPassing ThroughResentful Author:Jonathan Meades
“If you have slightly pathological interest in all the components of places, it forces you to engage with them in a way that perhaps otherwise you wouldn't, and that's the only way I can put it.” IfsWayI CanForceInterestComponents Author:Jonathan Meades
“I don't like the theatre. I like plays in which the audience is addressed by the actors. I don't like seeing people talking to each other on stage as if there isn't an audience.” PeopleIfsPlayActorsTalkingAudienceSeeingStageTheatrePeople Talking Author:Jonathan Meades
“I think that cheap music often does make you dream more than more serious music, whether that's serious music by Beethoven or Miles Davis or Pink Floyd... if the Floyd ever did serious music, which I seriously doubt.” IfsThinkingDoeDreamDoubtSeriousMiles Author:Jonathan Meades
“I like irrational things. I like scenarios where I can think, 'It would be great if at this point we could do x.' And there doesn't have to be a reason for 'x'.” IfsThinkingI CanReasonWould BeIrrationalScenarios Author:Jonathan Meades
“I don't think things necessarily should have a meaning. If stuff has a meaning then why do [writing] about it? If you're trying to say, 'Tall buildings are great' why not just leave it at that: "Tall buildings are great."” IfsThinkingShouldWritingTryingStuffBuildingShould HaveWhy NotTallTall Buildings Author:Jonathan Meades
