A HEARTFELT talk by Bill Bryson at Alton Maltings Centre on Thursday night was, as you would expect for a guest who is one of the world’s best-selling authors, a “sellout”.

“We could have sold the tickets four times over,” said a Maltings spokesman.

The evening was organised by Alton-based Cardiac Rehab for its annual lecture and guests shared wine and canapés with the American-born author, who was accompanied by his wife Cynthia.

Cardiac Rehab general manager Martin Lovell welcomed Mr Bryson and and explained the lecture evening was to raise funds for to allow the charity to help more people at risk of developing heart disease, which remains one of the single biggest killers in the UK.

Dr Hugh Bethell introduced Mr Bryson who, in a relaxed and friendly hour and a half, talked both about himself and how he came to be an author – and in between he read extracts from his books.

Members of the audience had the opportunity to ask Mr Bryson questions which were many and varied, including a request for Mr Bryson to tell his renowned bear story.

Mr Lovell said that the evening had raised more than £10,000 for Cardiac Rehab which, he said, was another step in achieving the objectives set at the launch of the Have a Heart campaign in February. He was particularly pleased that the evening had increased the awareness of heart disease and helped to fund a significant increase in the number of new entrants to the Staywell programme, designed for those at risk of developing heart disease.

He said: “The startling fact is that one in four of us will be affected in some way by heart disease and 200 people a day die from heart attacks.”

Cardiac Rehab receives no local or national government funding for the services it provides and is reliant on the support and generosity of the public to allow it to continue to do the important work it does.

The evening ended with an entertaining vote of thanks from Dr Andrew Bishop, consultant cardiologist at Basingstoke Hospital.