JOHN Stuart Roberts, former head of television at BBC Wales, has spent a lifetime immersing himself in the study of Siegfried Sassoon.

Roberts spoke with effective clarity, holding the large audience captive while he imparted a portion of his vast knowledge.

He emphasised that Sassoon was not only a war poet, but important in every aspect, especially a religious one.

In many ways Sassoon was in a terrible state emotionally: his time spent in the First World War had left him suffering appalling nightmares, and he was disturbed and unhappy because he was gay.

Sassoon kept a journal, and Roberts read various extracts, including ones regarding Sassoon's chaotic driving in a car given to him as a gift, and his subsequent drive to visit the Malvern Hills, where he stayed with Dr Henry Head at Strathmore, the Wyche.

Sassoon wrote from his own life experiences, he did not create, and in his later life tried to recapture experiences of his youth, by revisiting places he had known previously.

Sassoon met Frank Schuster, who was an important promoter and supporter of the arts.

He entertained artists of the day at his homes in London and Bray-on-Thames, and it was there that Sassoon meet Elgar (also helped by Schuster).

Elgar was Roman Catholic, and Sassoon converted too. He became acquainted with the former Abbess of Stanbrook Abbey, Callow End, Dame Felicitas Corrigan, and for the last nine years of his life he corresponded with her.

After emotional turbulence for most of his life Siegfried Sassoon had hope at last: 'Be still, lie still'.

J S Roberts' obvious enthusiasm for his subject had been infectious.