T.H. White(1906-1964)

In his later years, he lived alone in a cottage in a remote fastness on the island of Alderney. He was a tall man, with flowing white hair, a deep voice and a big white beard. He answered a knock on his cottage door one afternoon to discover two young Americans, complete strangers to him, who announced that they represented the Jehovah's Witnesses. White immediately responded, "I am Jehovah - how are we doing?" In telling this story, as he often did, White liked to conclude by saying that their response had been to "run like hell".

To divest oneself of unnecessary possessions, and mainly of other people: that was the business of life.