TELEVISION legend Griff Rhys Jones spoke of his love for Worcester during a passionate talk about protecting our history and heritage.

Griff enthralled and enchanted his audience in equal measure at the Assembly Rooms of Worcester Guildhall for the Mayor's Lecture yesterday (Wednesday) evening.

He spoke about his first, somewhat unorthodox visit to Worcester which involved a canoe and a soggy dog, his pet being so keen to get ashore in the city that he fell in the Severn and had to be hauled to dry land by a handle on his life jacket despite considering himself 'a competent swimmer'.

He said: "The dog wanted to get into Worcester even more than I did."

Dressed smartly in a dark suit Griff delivered his talk called 'The Historic Environment: Is it valued?' spontaneously without any notes.

The Mayor of Worcester, Cllr Roger Knight, was so impressed with the actor and presenter's unscripted talk he draped his chain of office around Griff's neck, dispensing with the need for this year's mayor making ceremony.

A laughing Griff said: "I'm taking over Worcester! It's about time."

Many will know Griff from Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones alongside the late Mel Smith or from Restoration.

But he is now President of Civic Voice, the national charity for the civic movement in England with a mission to make places more attractive, enjoyable and distinctive.

Griff described Worcester as 'beautiful' and the Cathedral as 'magnificent', praising the quality of the border areas of England.

He particularly loves the 18th century 'pomp' of the Guildhall where he delivered his talk.

Griff drew regular laughs from the audience with his impressions of his friend Sir Alan Sugar, Prince Charles and an uncanny one which captured the dulcet tones of Ann Widdecombe.

But he also had serious points to make about the importance of 'civic virtue', an idea that had its genesis in Roman times and the inevitability of change and of managing this change well.

He said people often had an irrational love of their home town or city which explained why people 'support totally hopeless football teams'.

Griff also referred to some of the parlance used to describe those who object to controversial planning applications.

He said: "I don't think NIMBY (short for 'not in my back yard') is derogatory. It's a crude Americanism. We talk about not in my back garden in Britain, not in my back yard."

Griff spoke about the work he and others had done to restore the Hackney Empire in London for which Sir Alan Sugar offered £1 million.

When it turned out to be not quite enough Griff was left with the unenviable task of having to ring the businessman back to ask for extra cash which Sir Alan duly provided.

Griff stressed that buildings could not be restored by an act of will but by involving the community and argued that cities and towns were not merely commercial centres.

He added: "To help our High Street in the long term I fervently believe we need to live in our towns again.

"I used to think planning and planners were the enemy. I don't believe that. I think it is among the most important things we do but if we do it we need to do it well. We should salute planning."

He cited the Clean Air Act as being a good example of why people had moved back to the centre of London and Manchester and said the Green Belt had been brilliant in preventing urban sprawl.

Griff also believes that those with a concern for the history and heritage of their town and city and of Britain generally needed to work together more closely.

He said: "The louder the voice is, the more people that join in, the more power the people will have to influence some of the things that are happening.

"We are going to be leaving a landscape and townscape to children as yet unborn. We need to all of us think what that is going to be."

The evening also helped raise money for the Mayor's Charities, Acorns, Daisy Chain and Sight Concern, the last charity being particularly poignant for the Mayor whose father was registered blind.

So far between £28,000 and £29,000 and a collection at the talk helped boost that total.