Keith Waterhouse was in reflective mood at a literary lunch held in his honour - reminiscing about his former days in Brighton.

"I once got into hot water for writing about Brighton," he told the assembled. "I said it had the air of a town helping the police with their inquiries."

Waterhouse, the popular Daily Mail columnist, novelist and creator of a dozen West End plays ranging from Billy Liar to Jeffrey Barnard Is Unwell, then talked about his latest novel Soho; the opening of Jeffrey Barnard Is Unwell at the Theatre Royal (it was sabotaged by a coach-load of his Soho drinking pals); and his memories of Embassy Court - his former Brighton home.

There were flashes of vintage Waterhouse but he lost his place at one point - for a while it looked as though he would never find it again - and he might have talked for longer. Questions, too, were dealt with dismissively in single-sentence answers.

All in all, it was good stuff but to borrow the words of another celebrated novelist, next time, "More please, Sir."

The Belgrave Hotel, Kings Road, Brighton, Thursday