My sympathies to the family of Clement Freud.

I met him once when Virgin hired him to devise a new on-board menu for their West Coast trains.

I took Mrs S on what I told her would be a luxury trip to London, rubbing shoulders with VIPs. We went down on a morning train, enjoying what still is the great British breakfast. We met in the First Class lounge at Euston at about 11.30am…and then were taken straight to a Manchester train where we were immediately served lunch, arriving back in Manchester before 3pm.

The food was good, despite its proximity to breakfast and I wish I could say Sir Clement belied his image and was charming company. He didn’t - and he wasn’t.