ON this occasion he boldly went where many had been before.

But there was still a touch of magic in the air when Sir Patrick Stewart spoke at the Oxford Union on Monday.

As one of Britain’s most distinguished screen and stage actors he regaled the crowd with stories of his days treading the boards in award-winning productions of Macbeth, Othello and Waiting for Godot.

To the delight of ‘trekkies’ and other sci-fi fans, he also spoke about his iconic role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the popular TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and his stint in the X-Men film series as Professor X.

He was knighted for his work in 2010.

University student Sarah May said: “There were many wonderful tales and insights. He comes across as a very, very hard-working, funny, charismatic man. Looked great, too.”