Jason Barlow and Sue Mott with Alan Dean and Elizabeth Parr

Apart from a passing reference to eco-towns and the planned demise of Elsenham and Henham’s new town, Friday evening was politics-free for Stansted Liberal Democrats.

Their guests for last night’s supper club were locally resident top journalists at large Jason Barlow and Sue Mott.

Sue gave a post-main course round-up of her career interviewing sport people from Steve Redgrave to the Duke of Edingburgh. Being a ghost writer for a book can be a challenge when the sportsperson is reluctant to say very much. (That feels a bit like those councillors who can never remember what they have done for their communities when it comes to writing election leaflets.)

Jason, whom I first met on a campaign bus against the council’s new town at Elsenham, waxed lyrically about his time at BBC2’s Top Gear and with veteran drivers such as Stirling Moss as well as today’s Grand Prix teams. He was fresh back from working in the Alps on a promotion for Ferrari.

It was great to have an evening off politics and politicians and to relax with an excellent meal prepared by Catherine Dean, Ruth Rawlinson and Brenda Scarr. Sadly three people were missing; one who had gone down with a lunchtime tummy bug and two who thought the event was the next day!