Opinions: What housework is done by men?

Saturday 15 August 1992 23:02 BST
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NEIL LYNDON, journalist: The presumption that men don't do housework is an outdated and generalised prejudice. As I'm living alone I do all of the housework, and I'm quite conscientious.

RUSSELL GRANT, astrologer: The only thing I do is the ironing when The Archers is on the radio each Sunday morning. If they took The Archers off I would probably stop. Any other housework I hate.

PETER STRINGFELLOW, nightclub owner: I'm one of the old school, I don't do a thing. No, I don't have a slave who does it all for me, but I have a girlfriend, which is just about the same thing, isn't it] Sometimes she gets really tough with me - I remember last Christmas she made me put some plates in the dishwasher.

STEVE WHITE, musician: I think I share things evenly with my girlfriend, but I don't see mess in the same way. I was scolded last night because the deodorant was lying on its side. There are better things to do in life than clean the flat. Have I come across as a new man?

MICHEL ROUX, chef: Ironing I don't, washing up I don't. Cooking of course I do. Shopping for food I love. I haven't the time for vacuuming and so on, my wife does that.

CHRISTOPHER A, gun specialist: I do everything, because my girlfriend's slovenly and I'm given no alternative. I do all my cooking and day-to-day upkeep. Girls always seem to be the most untidy, but they have other virtues.

VISCOUNT (John Julius) NORWICH: I don't help much, but if there's a crisis, a party or something, I'll put my shoulder to the wheel. I don't do outside jobs either: I'll pull up a few nettles, but only because I can be certain of identifying them correctly.

HERBERT WILLIAM HOOVER JNR: Young lady, I can't answer these kinds of questions, I'm not going to tell you how much Hoovering I do.

JONATHAN SHIPP, student: Men have a responsibility to do their share, and not let women slip into doing it all because they are conditioned to do it. But I do as little as possible.

CHARLES WILLETTS, vacuum cleaner salesman: I do about 40 per cent of the cleaning, because 40 per cent of me is non-sexist. I do washing up, a bit of dusting and I always iron my own trousers. I refuse to do the washing, because there are times when a man just isn't in the mood to grab hold of women's underwear.

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