BROADCASTING legend Sir Terry Wogan was given a hero’s welcome by hundreds of fans when he dropped into an Abingdon book store.

The Radio 2 presenter was in town to sign copies of his latest book, Where Was I?!: The World According to Wogan.

The veteran DJ is due to retire from the Radio 2 breakfast show on December 18, when he will be replaced by Chris Evans.

About 300 people queued up in the Bury Street precinct today to meet the 71-year-old at The Bookstore.

Sir Terry said he was pleased to see so many people buying copies of his book, and added: “It’s always nice when people turn up for a book signing because there are a million celebrity biographies out every week — at least I write my own.

“I live in Buckinghamshire, so I know Oxfordshire quite well, but not Abingdon. It seems a pretty little town and the people are very friendly too.”

When the Oxford Mail asked Sir Terry what he would do when he quits the breakfast show, he joked: “Get under my wife’s feet!

“I am retiring from the breakfast show, but I am not retiring from what I do.

“There is never a good time to go, but there is a right time to go and that’s before everyone gets fed up with you.”

Philippa Randles, 51, of Farriers Mews, Abingdon, who has arthritis, travelled in her motorised wheelchair to meet Sir Terry and was one of the first in the queue.

She brought with her a photo she had taken with the presenter 23 years ago at a fundraising event for Arthritis Care.

Miss Randles said: “It was lovely to meet Sir Terry again. He is a terrific person and if you are feeling down he cheers you up immediately.

“I am sorry he is leaving the breakfast show but Chris Evans is the right person to replace him because he is such a cheerful chap.”

Ian Collett, owner of The Bookstore, said: “It’s a big treat for Sir Terry to come here and I think it’s good for the town.

“I thought he would only be doing signings at the big book stores in London and I was delighted when he agreed to come here.”

Sir Terry announced his plans to leave the show in September.

He has presented it over two periods for a total of 27 years and it attracts an average weekly audience of almost eight million people.

Sir Terry is not leaving Radio 2 and will present a new weekend show, starting next year.

He is one of the BBC’s most familiar faces and has presented the annual Children In Need appeal since 1978.

The bookshop donated £1 to Children in Need for every copy of the book sold, while Abbey Shopping Centre, which runs the precinct, also made a £250 donation.