I WAS born in Seattle on July 5, 1981. My parents moved back to Britain, and I was brought up in Durham. I studied Spanish at university...

Interested? No, probably not. There aren't many people who can spend two hours talking about themselves and remain enthralling throughout.

Tony Robinson is one of them. He hasn't led a particularly fascinating life; it's just that he can talk about it with such charisma. Of course, having starred in Blackadder and Time Team certainly helps, as does being a Labour Party member.

The Cunning Night Out is not just about Robinson, though. There's a dash of stand-up comedy and a history lesson thrown in. There's also plenty of time for audience questions.

No one dared ask if he had a cunning plan. Instead, topics ranged from who should be the next Labour leader (too early to say) to his favourite Blackadder period (Georgian).

A talented entertainer, Robinson is likeable, affable and able. He was on stage for over two hours, but could have stayed there for days.

If you went to Waterstone's for the book signing at 1pm, set the video to record The Real Da Vinci Code at 9pm, and went to the Grand Opera House at 8pm, you would have spent more than five hours listening to Tony Robinson yesterday.

And you wouldn't have got bored of him once.

Updated: 12:13 Friday, February 04, 2005