The quartet of Watford heroes who lit up the Palace Theatre last night have not played together in three decades - but you'd think they'd just had a few days off for the international break, such was the warmth between them which lit up the entire auditorium.

In a two-hour show which was nearly as enjoyable as some of their own performances, Luther Blissett, Ian Bolton, Steve Sherwood and Ross Jenkins were conducted perfectly by host Adam Leventhal in the latest live iteration of Tales From The Vicarage.

This show was the accompaniment to the sixth book of the series, where the four 'Rocket Men' map out their fondest - or otherwise - memories from a magical ascension from the old Fourth Division right up to become the second-best team in the country, all in the space of six short years under the spell of Graham Taylor's inexplicable managerial abilities.

And despite living so far apart and rarely seeing one another for decades, the quartet showed the same camaraderie and good humour towards one another, and their playing days, which just shows why they were so successful.

While strikers Jenkins and Blissett recalled hours of practising high pressing on the training field (and how they were playing it week in week out long before Jurgen Klopp came along), they questioned defender Bolton over whether he had been asked to run at all, and Sherwood chimed in with the occasional corker to leave you genuinely belly-laughing.

Previous TFTV live shows have brought together different eras, with Tony Coton and Lloyd Doyley once sharing the same stage, but there was something extra about bringing back such a core of that team which defied the odds - and popular belief - in the late 70s and early 80s.

Leventhal did not hold back with his questions which covered everything from the stick the side got over its style to Bolton's 50-yard 'cannonball' passes, and how "If Glenn Hoddle does it, it's a cultured pass, if Ian Bolton does it, it's hit-and-hope."

And the common theme which ran as an undercurrent all night was a mutual affection respect for Graham Taylor, still called 'The Gaffer' at times. Bolton even brought a Christmas card from the great man onto the stage after the interval, inscribed with a message calling him "pound for pound, my best ever signing".

The poignancy of the evening was extra special considering Taylor's widow, Rita, was in the audience, to hear tales of how her husband relentlessly researched signings to keep the apple cart upright, and how Sherwood had had no hesitation in turning down a sizeable offer from a national newspaper to smear his manager when he was dropped for the FA Cup semi-final in 1987.

But the mood of the show was precisely in the spirit Taylor would have wanted. There were fond memories shared but there was not even a tinge of sadness, merely an appreciation of just what had been achieved, and how lucky all four - and many of the audience - were to be there for the ride.

Order Rocket Men here or the complete Tales from the Vicarage series as a gift set here.