No, no, no. I am completely and utterly different. I can’t really speak to children at all. We don’t have anything in common. I never wanted to be one of the boys. I’m very secure. All I really need is my family.
I retired from school. I have a tutor. School was dreadful, absolutely dreadful, so I left. I’m writing a book about it called “Work Is Better Than School.” When you read my book you will be shocked. I ignored the children making fun and I gave the teachers a chance. But I didn’t learn. I went to four schools; none were very good.
Playing was the worst part. Playing to me was torture. The fashion is that children should play with children. But I was completely content with my family. I used to play with children when I was about 3 years old. At that age, they are nice little children. But for the most part I had terrible experiences with children so I just wiped them off my list.
When I was about 11, my parents put me in charge of their florist shop when they went on holiday. I still had my antiques shop. I had to sack all the staff. It was quite hard work. But I learned a lot. Then my mother realized we weren’t using our minds enough. We were just shopkeepers. So I started writing books, did some auctions and then tried to start a magazine.
When we started the magazine, it really got to us. That is why we’re suing the government. We are going to High Court to sue the government for mismanagement of the country’s affairs and assets and causing the recession. They own this country and they are not doing well with it.
What I am aiming for is to change the world, really. A lot of people think I’m crackers. I’m not, really. I see the world getting on, deteriorating all the time and I don’t like what I see.
When I was born they probably wanted me to be like other people. I grew up and I turned into who I am. I have my own ideas. They don’t tell me what to say, I tell my mother what to say. They don’t tell me when to go to bed. I go to bed quite early actually. Around 8 o’clock. I wear suits and bow ties because I saw them in Victorian films and saw how smart they are. I often wear a bowler hat.
Kaye Harries (James’s mother): James has altered my clothes. He told me, “You must start to dress down.” So I’ve had my hair cut and I’m wearing twin sets and pleated skirts. He’s taught me how to dress.
I do embroideries, I read “Jane Eyre.” I don’t play football [soccer]. I don’t see the point in playing football. I also type my books. I find typing is very relaxing.
I have a chauffeur; that is no problem. I think drinking is very silly, very illogical. I do have the occasional port. People tend to treat me as an adult when they start to speak to me.
Well, yes. I’m not perfect. But I do know that if children were a bit more like me the country would be better. Children would be a lot nicer.
