A well-travelled author, English teacher and musician entertained guests at the monthly lunch in Nordic House with stories from his novels and his time living in Denmark.

Chris Speck spoke to the audience of about 20 after the lunch and demonstrated his personal links with Denmark by praising the food and even saying a few phrases in Danish.

He admitted to being delighted on finding that some of the group were familiar with his work, and he was particularly pleased that one guest, Sylvia Philpott from Hull, brought along two copies of his gangland thriller Avenue Cars for him to sign.

Charlotte Theill, manager of Nordic House and the Danish Church, said: “Chris gave a fascinating talk about his books and his life, growing up in Cherry Burton and spending some time in Denmark.

“He’s a big fan of the open sandwiches, which he remembers from his time in Denmark, and he’s also still got some of the language. We always try to combine the lunch with an interesting presentation.

“We’re now looking forward to the Scandinavian Christmas market in November and Christmas itself after that and we hope to announce details soon of what we have planned in 2024.”

Pictured is Chris Speck signing Sylvia Philpott’s copies of Avenue Cars before the lunch.