Gyles Brandreth

So you're not gazing into the eyes of the opposition.

So you're not thinking bad thoughts about the people opposite you.

You're actually focusing on praying.

And that confirms your place for the day.

And that takes me to the third bit of sadness, a funeral that I've only just been to, Harriet, which is the funeral of somebody who also was in Parliament because he was in the House of Lords, a man called Lord Harries of Pentagrath.

And listeners certainly in the UK may be familiar with his voice if ever they listen to Radio 4 and the Today programme.

Because for more than 50 years, he presented Thought for the Day, frequently and regularly, on the Today programme.

He had a lovely voice, a lovely mind, a lovely heart.

And he was a lovely man.

I sat with Chris Patton, former governor of Hong Kong, former MP, Lord Patton of Barnes, who has been a guest on Rosebud.

And he said to me, I think, Richard...

whose funeral we are at today, is probably the nearest person to a saint that I'm ever likely to meet.

So it was a very moving occasion.

There was a wonderful sermon preached by a guy who had been chaplain to Richard Harris, Lord Harris, when he was the Bishop of Oxford.

Richard Harris had been the Bishop of Oxford.

He then retired and moved in about 20 years ago to live near us in southwest London.

That's how we got to know him.

And we became very good friends.

And this chaplain was now a middle-aged man.

but had been a young man when he first worked with Richard Harris when he was the Bishop of Oxford, said two interesting things that stuck in my head that he had learnt from Richard Harris.