Back to school for TV cook Nigel Slater

Food writer and TV cook Nigel Slater returned to his old junior school in Wolverhampton to film scenes for his new series.

The 53-year-old turned back the clock with a visit to Woodfield Junior School in Penn to film scenes for his new BBC show Life is Sweets.

But, despite the schoolchildren holding a book fair on the day of his visit, he kept himself to himself, refusing to meet the youngsters. Instead, his film crew took him to an empty classroom to film him as he remembered his time there.

The author of Toast, a memoir of his upbringing in Wolverhampton, said: "It's a bit of a treat for me to come back to my old school. I haven't seen it in over 40 years. It looks very similar. I'll have the luxury of going back to being a kid again when I talk about my favourite sweets."

Pupils, who have organised their own book fair which continues at the school next week, had hoped to meet the author. But he declined, telling teachers he was "shy".