During my trip to London last summer, I met a pair of absolutely insane freaks from Manchester that drove all the way to London to hang out in my room. As a result... Well, I still remember the strange music they tried to batter my ears with... though it now strangely comes from my tape deck often... Thanks St Nick! Anyway, St Nick, was in attendance at a recent event that Sir Alec Guiness was at, and decided to write in with a brief tell of that tale. Not any real news, just the comfort that somewhere in England, the Force is still with him!

Sir Alec Guiness made good on a three year old promise to visit the Royal Exchange Theatre this lunchtime and I haven't stopped smiling since.

Tickets for this special event went quietly on sale last week at ?5. Sir Alec had been invited to read from his autobiography '' A postively final appearance" shortly before the IRA bombed Manchester in April 1996.

Following a brief introduction Sir Alec wandered elegantly into the round took his seat.

Mine and about nine hundred others' hearts soared. The man and the voice were both very much alive and right there infront of us, and I couldn't quite get over it.

He read 3 passages from his new additions to "AFPA" including a mention of meeting a rather drunk duke and duchess of windsor, his love of "Romeo and Juliet" with Leonardo De Caprio ( a film he went to see 3 times) and his recent catarax operation, which also lead to brief Star Wars mention -

the immortal line "may the force be with you."

That made it for me.

On the back of the tickets it had read " due to delicate health and time constraints Sir Alec has requested no questions on Star Wars etc etc..."

But he sneaked it out anyway - god bless him.

Just thought all Aint it Cool readers should know... the wisest of jedi is very much alive and well... and so too the charm and wit...

Just by looking at him you know he could still play Ben all over again.