Made my monthly appearance on ‘This Week’ with Andrew Neil and Michael Portillo on Thursday night in London before getting a train down to Honiton in Devon on Friday morning.

Carolyn drives all the way back down from Yorkshire to meet me off the train.

The sun continues to shine as we arrive in Sidmouth. We vote the Harbour Hotel one of the best we’ve ever stayed in. They even provide gin and sherry in two bell jars on the sideboard in our room.

At 5.30 a man comes round to each room with ice. In a working life spent in hotels in every part of the UK I’ve never encountered this practise before.

At 7pm we appear at Dissenters Hall established by the Unitarians in 1707.

It’s a small and intimate venue and one which suits the conversational style of Jenny as my interviewer.

The audience includes a former fellow resident of North Kensington and two postmen who remember me from my Union days.