Del Boy's Guide to Life

He's not just one of our best business brains, Del Boy's also a modern-day philosopher. Here are some words to live by from Peckham's finest.

Del Boy's Guide to Life

Gold viewers have picked their all-time favourite Only Fools episode - so what better time to reflect on Mr Derek Trotter's wisdom? Take heed of these nuggets and you too could be living the cushty life, quaffing Baileys and cherryade and running your own international empire.

"He who dares wins!"

Del Boy didn't get where is by avoiding taking risks - just look at his canny investments in Russian VCRs, Portable Rajah Computers and red cycling helmets (aka Trotters Crash Turbans). We can all learn a thing or two from Del's business bravery and throw ourselves into every opportunity, no matter how potentially catastrophic. If in doubt when presented with a frightening new challenge, just think to yourself "What would Del Boy do?" Just remember to pay the VAT on it to avoid any future unpleasantness.

"This time next year we'll be millionaires."

Say what you like about our Del Boy, he's always one for boundless optimism - despite generally having absolutely no reason to be boundlessly optimistic about anything. A market stall in Peckham may not sound like the stuff of financial dreams but that doesn't mean you can't aim high. It's important to have a goal and stay on course, no matter how many times you get busted by coppers, shouted at by the general public, or attacked by exploding inflatable dolls. And this sort of positive thinking's bound to open doors eventually. If it doesn't, there's always the year after next...

"There's no point in running away. Running away only wears out your shoes."

Look - there are times in life when things aren't so lovely jubbly. When everywhere you look there's another plonker and/or dipstick out to get you. It can be tempting to just shut down your stall, button your camel-hair coat and run for the hills (or for the pub). Well don't. No matter who's after you - whether it's the fraud squad, a stalker ex-girlfriend or the Miami mob - no good comes from running away from your problems. It's much better to stand and face them. In a Batman costume, if the occasion demands it.

"Not goodbye, just bonjour."

One of Del Boy's many strengths is his cosmopolitan, continental outlook on life - just look at his dazzling knowledge of our cousins across the channel and their rich language and culture. All that French vocabulary of his has clearly had an impact on his philosophy of life generally, and he knows there's no reason to be sad about farewells. It's never goodbye - it's just bonjour. You can just imagine Bogart saying this on a drizzly runway, can't you? Next time you're faced with your own heart-rending goodbye with a departing beloved, remembering Del's words will not only dull the pain, but make you sound highly sophisticated in the process.

"I remember what Mum said to me on her death bed..."

A lot of Del's most useful insights come from the same source - the words of his dear old ma on her death bed. As Rodney once pointed out, she must have spent her final hours doing nothing but rabbiting, but there's no denying she left the elder Trotter brother with a veritable treasure trove of useful pointers. It's a reminder that we should always make time to learn from our older, wiser relatives. You name the problem, Mrs Trotter probably told Del the perfect solution for it. Apparently.