ROBERT Winston made his name as the man who delivered babies to women who had given up hope. Then media fame beckoned and now he is our most loved TV scientist since Magnus Pyke.

But there is much more to Baron Winston of Hammersmith, to give him his correct title. He is a latter-day renaissance man, and please excuse the list but it makes impressive reading.

Winston is, among many other things, emeritus professor of fertility studies at Imperial College, an honorary fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, chairman of the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

So an evening with the great man promised to be a high point of this year’s International Festival.

In part it was. A gallop through the best and worst moments in the history of scientific advance, Winston argued forcibly that scientists should engage more closely with the rest of us to ensure discoveries are not abused.

His central tenet being, don’t trust politicians with technology.

He made his various points wisely and sagely. But an hour and a half of flitting between subjects that each required at least a discourse, became irritating at times.

And to cap it all, he rather gruffly told his audience he would give them ten minutes of book signing at the end because he hadn’t eaten all day.

Which probably didn’t go down well with those who rushed from work to hear him, and who were similarly in need of a decent square meal.