The globe trotting Lord Hain has ventured beyond the Dark Continent this week with a visit to El Salvador where one of the things he has apparently been doing is talking to their political leaders about his experiences in Northern Ireland.

Here he is shaking the hand of the Vice President of the country, looking quite presidential himself if may say so. I don't know if there are any gold mines in that country but if there are you can be sure Peter's the man to sniff 'em out. Come to that any business opportunity  at all - but preferably one that doesn't take more than 12 days' work to amass more than a schoolteacher earns in a year.

"Did I ever tell you I knew Nelson Mandela?"