The legendary cricket commentator Henry Blofeld is president of the Emirates Palace Gentlemen's Cricket Club. He was here last week to cover a match between local England and Australia sides competing in their own Ashes at the Emirates Palace cricket ground.
Never feel sorry for yourself. I've had many terrible things happen to me, but I never felt sorry for myself. There is no future in feeling sorry for yourself at all. I have always just got on with my life, there is no point in carrying a great chip on your shoulder.
Never miss the chance to see a world champion in action. It doesn't matter if it's the world champion axeman, or the world champion ballroom dancer, anything where skill is at its peak is worth seeing. If you're intelligent you will go and see it. You're going to learn something from it. Always take the opportunity to see excellence in action.
As a writer, never despise a good cliché in a moment of need. Awfully important that. When you're in desperate straits for an intro and you've got three and a half minutes to write it, never ignore a good cliché. Write it down and if you really want to, work around it later.
A sense of humour is desperately important. If you don't laugh at yourself, you handicap yourself in life. I firmly believe people who take themselves too seriously don't fulfil themselves. An enormous number of people take themselves terrifyingly seriously, and it's so counterproductive.
Never look back. You can deal with today and you can deal with tomorrow - there is nothing you can do about yesterday. Learn from your mistakes, but don't dwell on them.
As told to Helena Frith Powell
