'Manners maketh man'

Politness personified?- William of Wykeham

'Manners maketh man' so said William of Wykeham (1324-1404), bishop of Winchester and Chancellor of England, founder of Winchester College and New College, Oxford.

One of the few things I think I am fairly good at is thanking people who work for me, both in my pubs and at the Council and after all politeness costs nothing and a little courtesy can generate a lot of good will.

How amazing then to see this footage at the BBC.

It reminds me of the story that Alastair Campbell tells in his diary when the then Prime Minister

Tony Blair arrived at an election event during a downpour. The organiser, a lady called Jess Tyrell was holding an umbrella: "TB just took it out of her hands and walked on, leaving her to get wet' records Campbell. As Peter Oborne observes, such behaviour from Tony Blair was by no means unusual.

Needlessly unpleasant.