Another top pick at the Literary Festival this year: Jay Rayer (Monday 22 April 2013, Civic hall). His event was cunningly sponsored by The Pudding Club (the famous restaurant in Mickleton which does nothing but puddings).

Firstly: the food. The Pudding Club supplied two choices: sticky toffee pud (lots of sticky dates) and a treacle sponge (with sticky ginger). Sticky and stodgy. Not my thing but I gallantly tried them anyway. Each pud was the size of hub-cap and just as shiny. Then there were brutally hacked up and shoved into little plastic pots. I’m sure they don’t do that over in Mickleton.

And secondly: Jay himself. Turns out he’s as good a stand-up raconteur as he is a writer. Very entertaining and 45 mins were nowhere near long enough.

So where was he going for dinner in Stratford? No 9 Church Street. Great choice! Let’s hope they blew him away.