He was taken to meet the team in the boardroom, where he prudently refused the offer of champagne at 11am.

“He was utterly charming,” gushes Caroline Gascoigne of Random House imprint Hutchinson, which will publish the  political tome.

Blair said he was very much enjoying writing the book and realised he needed to be “out there” promoting it.

Gascoigne adds: “He said he’d heard what a brilliant team we were and then added: ‘Of course, if I was standing in front of any other publisher I’d say exactly the same.’”

The former Prime Minister declined the offer of bubbly for himself and, though clearly happy with proceedings for his memoirs, did confess to a slight concern.

“Only one thing worries me – that you’re all drinking at 11 o’clock in the morning.”

To which one of the team responded: “You mean, that late?”