Sunday 27 April 2014

Heyman was a gentleman

Heyman being my several-times-great grandfather.  He wasn't born a gentleman, but after his father Simeon left him £500, he started to describe himself as such.  Mind you, that happened 300 years ago and no doubt £500 was a serious sum of cash in the early years of the 18th century.  I'm not at all sure that being possessed of a substantial balance at the bank - or under the mattress - is a necessary qualification for one to be described as a gentleman.  I can think of quite a few people whom I would describe as gentlemen but who probably don't have all that many ha'pennies to rub together.  A big bank balance failed to make it to the list of gentlemanly golden rules promulgated recently by Country Life, a magazine for folks from the top drawer - or (more likely) folks who would like to think that they have clambered into the upper echelons of society.  The magazine published what it called Gentlemanly Commandments, a list of Dos and Don'ts, six Dos and nine Don'ts.  Would 10 out of 15 make me a gentleman?  I think not.  But anyway, here are the rules:

Dos
A gentleman...
- is at ease in any situation and puts others at their ease;
- is always on time;
- dresses to suit the occasion;
- makes love on his elbows;
- occasionally gets drunk but never disorderly;
- is mindful of others' financial circumstances.

Don'ts
A gentleman does not...
- wear a pre-tied bow tie;
- drink Malibu;
- buy fuchsia trousers;
- tweet;
- put products in his hair;
- wear Lycra;
- write with a ballpoint;
- plant gladioli;
- own a cat.

I shall leave you to guess what my ten successes were!

By the way, the use of Facebook is permitted in order to keep in touch with one's "many" god-children.

~~~~~

It's raining today, but this was the South Downs yesterday afternoon, just before six o'clock, seen across the houses of Patcham.




4 comments:

joeh said...

I nailed the don'ts, but not so good on the dos.

#1Nana said...

I'm definitely not a gentleman!

Lovely picture looks like you're having splendid weather.

Brighton Pensioner said...

Joe: I'm some and some.

And Nana: I would never have suggested calling you a gentleman! And it rained yesterday - again! Saturday was an aberration.

Sarah said...

Well, SD ticks all the Don'ts (although I own a cat) and many of the Do's (as long as dressing to suit the occasion can be a matter of personal interpretation!), I'd say he was pretty much a gent.

Lovely photo, we have to take out snaps as and when the weather allows right now don't we although hopefully that will improve very soon.