THE face may be familiar to generations of armchair travellers - but what's he doing in York?

Globetrotter extraordinaire Alan Whicker, whose warm and witty descriptions of his travels encouraged generations of Britons to get out and see the world, is a man you'd expect to find strolling round bustling Hong Kong harbour or sitting beside an expensive Hollywood pool - not standing in the shadow of York Minster.

It was an invitation to be guest speaker at the Dean Court Hotel's Literary Lunch as part of a book tour to promote the latest volume of his memoirs, Whicker's World Take 2, that brought him to York.

And in the spirit of a true traveller, he admitted his train journey to the north had been every bit as enjoyable as travels to many of his more exotic destinations.

It had, he admitted, been years since he had been on a train in England. "I live in Jersey. I never have the occasion to take the train. So I was looking forward to the journey to York. I love trains. I like sitting back and watching the scenery."

Mr Whicker's co-speaker at yesterday's lunch was journalist and author Leo McKinstry, whose recent biography of Geoff Boycott was described by the Evening Press's own Charles Hutchinson as "the best book on Boycott so far".

PICTURE: WHICKER MAN: Alan Whicker outside York Minster during his visit to the city Picture: Nigel Holland