Donovan graced Worthing with his presence on Friday night as part of a tour to celebrate his 50th anniversary in the music industry - his first for ten years.

Best known for his gentle ballads and psychedelia-tinged folk, the 1960s icon performed cross-legged and shoeless on a sheepskin rug, giving him the curious impression that he was – perhaps transcendentally - floating.

Favourites such as Sunshine Superman, Jennifer Juniper and Hurdy Gurdy Man were mixed with more recently penned numbers, all with his distinctive tremolo voice and acoustic guitar Kelly.

But the highlight of the performance was his storytelling.

A typical sentence might begin: “Me and Neil Young…” and tales included helping Paul McCartney write lyrics during a jamming session in his London flat, running away from screaming female fans bearing scissors, and playing gigs with The Who and The Kinks.

Delivered in a soft Glaswegian accent, the singer’s extraordinary tales were delivered in low light to a mainly older audience, with a smattering of young fans - a couple with flowers in their hair.

The daft Intergalactic Laxative was a questionable choice in the repertoire, but Donovan had the audience singing along to more than a couple of songs, and finished triumphantly with Mellow Yellow.

Delightful.

Four stars