Alas, all appears not to have gone well at today's Railway Forum annual conference.
Dr Mike "Death" Mitchell was given a speaking slot and invited to answer questions afterwards.
Death, the rudest man on the railway, left the event post haste to crawl back under his Marsham Street stone leaving questions unasked, let alone unanswered.
Meanwhile event sponsors, Mouchel, were given two bites at the presentation cherry.
Unfortunately their second slot, on 'bridge maintenance', proved so exhilarating that several delegates were seen to drill out their own fillings in a desperate attempt to remain awake.
Richard Brown, Railway Forum Chairman, may well be nursing sore ears tonight, judging by the number of delegates keen to bend them with less than complimentary views of the event.