“A man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure.”
Attributed to her in Commons debates, 2003-07-02, column 407 http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo030702/debtext/30702-10.htm and Commons debates, 2004-06-15 column 697 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/vo040615/debtext/40615-20.htm#40615-20_spnew1. According to a letter http://www.telegraph.co.uk/core/Content/displayPrintable.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/11/02/nosplit/dt0201.xml&site=15&page=0 to the Daily Telegraph by Alistair Cooke on 2 November 2006, this sentiment originated with Loelia Ponsonby, one of the wives of 2nd Duke of Westminster who said "Anybody seen in a bus over the age of 30 has been a failure in life". In a letter http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/letters/3633852/Letters-to-the-Daily-Telegraph.html published the next day, also in the Daily Telegraph, Hugo Vickers claims Loelia Ponsonby admitted to him that she had borrowed it from Brian Howard. There is no solid evidence that Margaret Thatcher ever quoted this statement with approval, or indeed shared the sentiment.
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