We were privvy to seeing the evolution of many of his well known caricatures, like the mad eyed Thatcher and George Bush the Monkey, as well as a rare glimpse into his sketchbooks, many filled with ideas dashed out with pencils and watercolours on location at party conferences and on his travels around the USA.

He also imparted some anecdotes of his dealings with the political ruling class, like David Cameron having the audacity to wink at him at the now infamous recent champagne conference party, Mr.Bell being the only dressed down person in the room at the time amongst a sea of suits, although this was more by accident than design it seems!

Steve Bell represents that rare thing in the mainstream media, in that he is someone who is not afraid to unflinchingly speak his mind about current events - and incredibly, he seems to get away with it most of the time.

Perhaps he does get away with it because his genius is to portray his political commentary in very creative, imaginative and most of all witty ways, for example, inventing the infamous underpants motif for John Major, culminating in the arresting and surreal image of a pair of burning Y-Fronts when The Grey One (and the Tories) were finally deposed.

This it would seem happens to cause many who know his work to love what he does undiminishingly, as when I was leaving the lecture theatre there was a massive queue of people waiting to talk to him and have books signed by him.

He said he has ambitions to make a childrens' story book at some point - now that I'm sure would be interesting from a mind (and hand) like Mr. Bell's!

Long may the shaggy one reign, as part of any democratic dialogue has to be the commentary that artists and performers make on the world around them.