Soon after he returned from captivity in Beirut, Terry Waite stopped to chat with a mother and her children near his home in Blackheath, London.

The little boy recognised him and said: "That's Terry Waite. He was a hostage for five years".

A week later, Mr Waite received a letter from the woman. It said after he had left her daughter remarked: "I can't believe that man used to be an ostrich."

This was very much Mr Waite's tone when he discussed his latest book Travels With A Primate, which recounts humorous tales of his years as the special envoy to former Archbishop Of Canterbury, Dr Robert Runcie.

For the first time, Mr Waite, who has published two other books about being imprisoned, read an extract to the packed audience who listened intently throughout.

It told of a time he and the Archbishop were in Scotland and Mr Waite was recognised by a Scotsman while the Archbishop was not. When the Scotsman learned the Archbishop's identity he remarked: "Runcie, is it? Do you know that fellow up there who cleans the moss off the tiles and keeps the gutters clean is named Runcie?"

Mr Waite was interviewed by JoAnne Good from BBC Southern Counties Radio and also took questions from the audience, many of which were about life as a hostage.

He expressed no regrets about going to Beirut in 1987 to negotiate on behalf of hostages and displayed a remarkable comprehension of his captors' point of view.

He also explained that religion and compassion do not necessarily go together. And he said working away from home for much of the first year of his return had helped his marriage to his wife Frances with whom he celebrated his 37th anniversary that day.

Mr Waite, who reads books on subjects including English literature and Einstein's Theory of Relativity and Quantum Theory, is one of the few real philosophers of our time. Hopefully his next book will be on his philosophy of life.

Pavilion Theatre, New Road, Brighton Wednesday
In association with Waterstones