NED Sherrin, king of the quotation and the absolute authority on the anecdote, has revealed the secret of getting on television.

But it wasn't quite what everyone was expecting to hear.

Rather than years of work experience or perhaps, dare one say it, sleeping with the management he revealed at the Arts Centre last night that all he had to do was walk along The Strand and bump into an old friend.

It wasn't quite what his audience was anticipating but nothing is normal about this star of That Was The Week That Was, and various radio and TV programmes.

Currently he hosts Loose Ends on Radio 4.

He talked about his life as the son of a Somerset farmer and his first contact with evacuees from London, which lasted all of 30 seconds when they turned up in his village to find there was no chip shop, no pub and no cinema. Needless to say, they soon left.

His plans to read English literature and history at university fell through when Ned's father discovered he would have to pay for his education.

He couldn't see the point in the two, associating the subjects with the job of a schoolteacher so he refused to pay and Ned read law instead, apparently with a level of competency comparative with the number of sackings in his future career.

Indeed, when presenter Marcus Moore asked him: "You do seem to get sacked rather a lot don't you?"

Ned replied: "Oh yes, it is good for the character."

He said that his life in the BBC was his happiest period, working alongside names such as David Frost, and comedians like Frankie Howerd.

He also claims to be the godfather of Mary Whitehouse's National Viewers' and Listeners' Association, as Mrs Whitehouse gave up her job to monitor what she called immoral programmes that Ned was working on for the BBC.

When asked by the national newspapers about Whitehouse giving up her job, he questioned what job she could be doing when his programmes were aired late on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.

The story was spun by the papers into making it sound as if Whitehouse was doing illicit late night work and she sued the papers, winning £5,000 which she used to forge her campaign forward.

He also claims to be the country's only reviewer of memorial services, a job he carries out for the Oldie magazine.

what's on

Today

Marina Lewychka at the Arts Centre, Devizes Road 12.30pm Will Self at the Arts Centre, Devizes Road 6pm Judy Jones and Isambard's Kingdom at the Steam Museum, Kemble Drive 7.30pm Nick Hornby at the Arts Centre, Devizes Road 8pm

Tomorrow

Patrick's Florilgeuim at the Arts Centre, Devizes Road 12.30pm.

Guitar Man at the Arts Centre, Devizes Road 6pm Happiness at the Museum and Art Gallery, Bath Road 6pm Rousseau's Dog at the Museum and Art Gallery, Bath Road 7.30pm Preparing For Paraguay at the Arts Centre, Devizes Road 8pm