I got to know Joe Ashton when I was a producer at BBC Radio Sheffield. He once told me that it was a mixed blessing for a working-class lad to attend High Storrs grammar school. Some of the staff chose to mock Joe and his strong South Yorkshire accent.
Among other things he had to learn Latin. During one lesson he encountered the word “Ecce!” (usually interpreted as “behold!”) But Joe was stumped. The teacher declared, “Fear not, Ashton. For your sake we shall today translate “Ecce!” as “Sithee, mon!” I always thought that, given his illustrious political career, Joe got his own back in spades.
