MacNamara's Amusing Lecture

The audience at a literary institute in Peckham, south-east London, were treated to an amusing lecture given by Dr Thomas MacNamara, a British teacher, educationalist and Liberal Party politician.

The hour-long lecture, which took place in November 1901, was said to have been "uproarious", and contained the following examples from his long list of what were called "blunders".

An optimist is a man who attends to your head. A pessimist is a man who attends to your feet.

King James I was very unclean in his habits. He never washed his hands, and married Anne of Denmark.

When asked how to sweep a room, a little girl answered:

Scatter damp tea leaves over the carpet, then carefully sweep the room into the dustpan and throw it out of the window.

At Christmas, one teacher asked her pupils to write a letter to their mother. A little girl of nine finished her letter with:

And, please, ma, don't have a baby this Christmas. I do so want to have a happy time.