The current Mrs Masher had I had a night out in Aylesbury yesterday evening… because I know how to show a girl a good time.

Firstly, we went to a steakhouse restaurant, where I had the most sublime 8oz fillet steak. Cooked to perfection, it was, without doubt,  the best piece of steak I’d had all day.

Full of red meat, we then went to the local theatre to see a talk being given by Jason Fox – he of SAS Who Dares Wins fame.

It was most interesting to hear his story, as he has led a far more exciting life than many of us.

In truth, I’d hoped we would hear more of his time in the military and tales of daring-do from his special forces days, but he was obviously restricted with what he could say in that area.

Likewise, I was looking forward to some stories and gossip from behind the scenes of SAS WDW, but he only briefly touched on that.

But, he regaled us with tales of his adventures around the world and he was brutally honest about how his mental heath suffered when he left the forces on a medical discharge.

He told us about diving for pirate treasure and kayaking for thousands of kilometers up the Yukon River. He told of how he and his mates set a new world record for rowing unsupported across the Atlantic and how they capsized and nearly died, more than once.

I’d say it wasn’t the most riveting of lectures – he’s no raconteur – but he spoke with an honesty and humour that endeared him to us the audience.  Standing on that stage, he wasn’t the gnarly, rugged persona we see on the telly – he was just a man… a soldier who’d fought not just the Taliban, but his own fears and inner demons as well and had then gone on to make himself very successful in the world of media.

As we drove home, I found myself thinking that in later years, when he’s much older amd spending more time on the sofa watching telly and less time buzzing around the world in a helicopter, he’ll be able to look back and be satisfied with what he has done and what he has achieved.

I’m not sure many of us would be able to do the same.