Last Word
473 episodes - English - Latest episode: 3 days ago -Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently
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Episodes
Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho, Jean-Paul Belmondo (pictured), Angela Milner, Inge Ginsberg
September 17, 2021 15:30 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBDatshiane Navanayagam on Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho, the army officer who led the Carnation Revolution in Portugal. Jean-Paul Belmondo, the unconventional film star who made his name in the film Breathless. Angela Milner the palaeontologist who identified the previously unknown fish-eating theropod, the Baryonyx Walkeri. Inge Ginsberg - the holocaust survivor who became a heavy metal singer in her nineties. Produced by Neil George Interviewed guest: Kenneth Maxwell Interviewed guest:...
Sergei Kovalev (pictured), Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Abebech Gobena, Ed Asner
September 10, 2021 15:30 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Sergei Kovalev, the scientist and leading dissident, who spoke out against human rights abuses under the Soviet Union and the Yeltsin and Putin regimes. He was sent to a labour camp and suffered internal exile. Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, the reggae pioneer who helped Bob Marley to develop his sound. Abebech Gobena, the Ethiopian humanitarian who devoted her life to helping thousands of disadvantaged children, with some calling her ‘Africa’s Mother Theresa’. Ed Asner, th...
Jill Murphy (pictured), Len Gibson, Dame Elizabeth Blackadder, Nanci Griffith
September 03, 2021 15:30 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on: The children’s author Jill Murphy who based her best-selling stories of the Worst Witch on her own schooldays. Len Gibson, the former prisoner of war from Sunderland who worked on the notorious Burma railway and later taught Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics to play guitar. Dame Elizabeth Blackadder, the acclaimed artist noted for her exquisite Japanese-influenced paintings of flowers and cats. Nanci Griffith, the singer and songwriter from Texas who was known as the '...
Charlie Watts (pictured), Austin Mitchell, Hugh Wood, Sean Lock
August 27, 2021 15:30 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMatthew Bannister on The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts. We have a tribute from the boogie woogie pianist who played with Charlie in his other band. The maverick Labour MP and TV presenter Austin Mitchell who fought for the fishing industry in his constituency of Great Grimsby, once changing his surname to 'Haddock' as a publicity stunt. The composer Hugh Wood, remembered by his former student the pianist Joanna MacGregor. And the comedian Sean Lock, a regular on Channel Four’s pa...
Una Stubbs (pictured), Gino Strada, Mo Hayder
August 20, 2021 17:30 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBMatthew Bannister on Una Stubbs, the actor who first came to fame in the 1960s TV sitcom 'Till Death Us Do Part', then attracted a new generation of fans as Aunt Sally in Worzel Gummidge. She was also an acclaimed stage performer and ended her career as Mrs Hudson in the Sherlock TV series. Gino Strada, the Italian surgeon who set up the charity Emergency to provide state of the art hospital facilities in some of the world’s poorest countries, including Afghanistan. The photographer Giles...
Jean 'Binta' Breeze MBE (pictured), Sir Nicholas Goodison, Shaykh Abdalqadir as-Sufi, Joyce Shrubbs
August 13, 2021 15:30 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBMatthew Bannister on The Jamaican-born poet Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze MBE, who was known for her compelling performances. We have a tribute from Linton Kwesi Johnson. Sir Nicholas Goodison, chairman of the stock exchange at the time of the Big Bang in the 1980s and also a noted expert on antique clocks. Shaykh Abdalqadir as-Sufi, the influential Muslim teacher who was born Ian Dallas, worked as an actor and script writer in the 1960s and converted to Islam after a visit to the holy city of Fe...
Sir Graham Vick (pictured), Carmel Budiardjo, Piers Plowright, Dusty Hill
August 06, 2021 15:02 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBJulian Worricker on: The opera director, Sir Graham Vick, who challenged people's perceptions by discovering new performers and new audiences. Carmel Budiardjo, the human rights campaigner whose work was influenced by time spent in jail in Indonesia. The award-winning radio documentary maker, Piers Plowright, who set out to shine a light on the everyday lives of ordinary people. And Dusty Hill....the bearded bass player from Texas, who enjoyed worldwide success as part of ZZ Top. Produc...
Jackie Mason (pictured), John Woodcock, Dinah Murray, Billy Lacey
July 30, 2021 15:30 - 28 minutes - 25.6 MBMatthew Bannister on Jackie Mason, the comedian and former rabbi whose observations of Jewish life took him from the Borscht Belt to Broadway. John Woodcock, the veteran cricket writer who reported on some of the greatest matches of the twentieth century. Dinah Murray, a tireless campaigner for the rights of autistic people. Billy Lacey, thought to be the last of the Norfolk marshmen who used traditional methods to clear dykes and cut reeds. Producer: Neil George Interviewed guest: M...
Gillian Sheen (pictured), William 'Twink' Allen, Lawrence 'Benny' Goodman, Alan Lewis
July 23, 2021 15:30 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Gillian Sheen, the first and only British person to win an Olympic Gold Medal for fencing. Professor William 'Twink' Allen, the equine fertility expert whose request for permission to clone a horse was turned down by regulators. Squadron Leader Lawrence 'Benny' Goodman, the bomber pilot who flew highly dangerous missions with the 617 squadron during the second world war. Alan Lewis, the publisher and editor who presided over some of the most successful music magazine...
Jehan Sadat (pictured), Michael Horovitz, Richard Ernst, Dilip Kumar
July 16, 2021 15:30 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBMatthew Bannister on Jehan Sadat, the wife of president Anwar Sadat of Egypt, who campaigned for women’s rights, supported the disabled and disadvantaged people and forged an academic career. Michael Horovitz, the anarchic poet who staged chaotic 'happenings' and supported new talent. Richard Ernst, the Swiss chemist who won the Nobel prize for his work on nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Dilip Kumar, the Bollywood actor known as 'the king of tragedy'. Producer: Neil George In...
Donald Rumsfeld (pictured), Menelik Shabazz, Elizabeth French
July 09, 2021 15:30 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBMatthew Bannister on Donald Rumsfeld, the US Secretary of Defense who challenged the military bureaucracy, advocated the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and was blamed for many of the failings of that operation. Menelik Shabazz, the pioneering film director who supported the careers of many other black film makers. Elizabeth French, the archaeologist who was a leading expert on the pottery of the ancient Greek city of Mycenae. Producer: Neil George Interviewed guest: Justin Webb Interviewed gu...
John McAfee (pictured), Trần Thiện Khiêm, Karla Burns, Horace 'Lyle' Hutley
July 02, 2021 15:30 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on The controversial American businessman John McAfee who made his first fortune selling anti-virus software, retreated into a compound in Belize where he was suspected of links with organised crime, campaigned to win the Presidential nomination for the Libertarian party and was found hanged in a Spanish prison cell after facing extradition on fraud and tax evasion charges. General Trần Thiện Khiêm, a key player in the 'snake pit' of coup and counter coup that destabili...
Kenneth Kaunda, Janet Malcolm, Penny Kemp, Bob Swash
June 25, 2021 15:30 - 28 minutes - 25.6 MBPictured: President Kenneth Kaunda Matthew Bannister on The Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda who fought for independence then ruled his country for nearly thirty years, but was voted out of office in the first multi-party elections of 1991. Janet Malcolm, the American writer whose works questioned the ethics of journalists and biographers, including herself. Penny Kemp, who brought passion and professionalism to the campaigns of the Green Party. Bob Swash, the theatre producer whose ...
Edward de Bono, Paul Van Doren, Alastair Hanton OBE, Violetta Elvin
June 18, 2021 15:43 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Edward de Bono Matthew Bannister on Edward De Bono, the psychologist who advocated lateral thinking – and sold the concept to companies around the world. Paul Van Doren, the American businessman whose Vans sneakers were adopted by skateboarders, making him a multi-millionaire. Alastair Hanton OBE, who set up the National Girobank and developed direct debits to allow greater access to banking before becoming a campaigner for ethical investing and greener transport. Violetta Elv...
Lee Evans (pictured), Yuan Longping, Bill McCall, Alix Dobkin
June 11, 2021 15:02 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBMatthew Bannister on Lee Evans, the world-record-breaking American sprinter who took part in black power protests at the 1968 Mexico Olympics. Yuan Longping, the plant scientist who developed hybrid varieties of rice that increased yields dramatically and so saved millions from hunger. Bill McCall, the General Secretary of the Institution of Professional Civil Servants who challenged Margaret Thatcher over union recognition at GCHQ. Alix Dobkin, the folk singer and lesbian activist who ...
Eric Carle (pictured), Helen Murray Free, Michael Parsons, Evelyn McNicol
June 04, 2021 15:02 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on The children’s author and illustrator Eric Carle, best known for creating The Very Hungry Caterpillar which has sold fifty-five million copies. Helen Murray Free, the American chemist who developed revolutionary simple tests for diabetes and other serious conditions. Michael Parsons, the engineer who designed some of the world’s longest suspension bridges, including the Severn Bridge and the Humber Bridge. Evelyn McNicol, the pioneering Scottish mountaineer who was ...
Sir Paul Cosford, Max Mosley (pictured), Dr Frances Rotblat, Norman Lloyd
May 28, 2021 15:02 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBJulian Worricker on: Sir Paul Cosford, who - as medical director of Public Health England - took on a prominent role during the Ebola outbreak and the Salisbury poisonings. The Formula One boss, Max Mosley, who helped turn his sport into a global spectacle and became an outspoken privacy campaigner. Dr Frances Rotblat, a haematologist, whose pioneering work led to significant advances in the treatment of haemophilia. And the veteran actor, Norman Lloyd, whose career began in the 1920s a...
Spencer Silver, Kevin Jackson, Patricia Brown, Asfaw Yemiru
May 21, 2021 15:02 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Dr. Spencer Silver, the American chemist who invented the adhesive used in Post It Notes. Kevin Jackson, the writer, broadcaster and critic described as a “21st century man of letters”. Patricia Brown, who played a leading role in cracking German codes at Bletchley Park during the second world war. Asfaw Yemiru, the former street boy from Ethiopia who founded a school for orphans in Addis Ababa which has given free education to thousands of students. Producer: Neil...
Olympia Dukakis (pictured), Eric McGraw MBE, Anthony Thwaite
May 14, 2021 15:02 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMatthew Bannister on: Olympia Dukakis, the Greek-American actor who won an Oscar for playing Cher’s mother in Moonstruck and became an LGBT icon after playing Anna Madrigal in Tales of the City. Its author Armistead Maupin pays tribute. Eric McGraw who founded and edited a magazine for prisoners called “Inside Time”. Former inmate Noel “Razor” Smith explains how it changed the course of his life. Anthony Thwaite, the poet, editor and critic who was a pivotal figure in British literary lif...
Baroness O'Cathain, Michael Collins, Sharon Matola, Jim Steinman (pictured, with Meat Loaf)
May 07, 2021 15:02 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Baroness O’Cathain, the successful businesswoman who became Managing Director of the Barbican Arts Centre in London but left after losing the confidence of staff and artists. Michael Collins, the Apollo 11 astronaut who stayed in the Apollo command module while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. Sharon Matola, the former lion tamer who became an environmentalist in Belize, establishing a zoo to care for the country’s rare and rescued animals. Jim Stei...
Geoff Crowther, Isamu Akasaki, June Newton, Les McKeown (pictured)
April 30, 2021 15:02 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on: Geoff Crowther, the global traveller, writer and map maker whose work helped to build the success of the Lonely Planet guide books. Isamu Akasaki, the Nobel prize winning physicist whose discoveries paved the way for LED lighting. June Newton, who was a successful portrait photographer using the name Alice Springs to avoid comparisons with her husband and fellow photographer Helmut Newton. Les McKeown, the front man of the Scottish boy band The Bay City Rollers. At ...
Helen McCrory (pictured), Hans Küng, Eric Gordon, George Reynolds
April 23, 2021 15:02 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMatthew Bannister on Helen McCrory, the actor best known for playing the matriarch Aunt Polly in Peaky Blinders, but equally acclaimed for her classical stage performances. David Hare pays tribute. Hans Küng, the controversial Catholic theologian who often clashed with the Vatican and wrote many books including 'Does God Exist?” and “Can We Save The Catholic Church?”. Eric Gordon, the communist journalist who took his family to live in China under Chairman Mao and on his return bought the...
Baroness Shirley Williams (pictured), Glynn Lunney, Lyn Macdonald
April 16, 2021 15:02 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on: The Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Williams of Crosby. As Shirley Williams she was a Labour cabinet minister who abolished the 11-plus exam in many parts of the UK, then a member of the Gang of Four who founded the SDP and later the Lib Dem leader in the House of Lords. Her former colleague Lord Owen pays tribute. Glynn Lunney, who was the flight director on key American space missions, including the Apollo 11 moon landing and the aborted Apollo 13 mission, during whi...
Doreen Lofthouse OBE, Dr Chris Doake, Barbara Hosking CBE, Bernice Cohen
April 09, 2021 15:02 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Doreen Lofthouse, the Lancashire businesswoman who took Fisherman’s Friends lozenges from a Fleetwood chemist’s shop to a multi-million pound international company. Dr Chris Doake, the glaciologist who was able to predict with great accuracy the break-up of the Antarctic ice shelf. Barbara Hosking, who served as a Downing Street press officer under both Harold Wilson and Ted Heath and came out as a lesbian in her nineties. Bernice Cohen, the self-taught investor who...
Bob Davey MBE; George Segal (pictured); Lady Violet Aitken; Tony Hendra
April 02, 2021 15:03 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBMatthew Bannister on Bob Davey, the retired water board superintendent who made it his mission to restore an ancient church in Norfolk – and in the process made a remarkable archaeological find. George Segal, the American film star who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and starred opposite Glenda Jackson in the comedy “A Touch of Class”. Lady Violet Aitken, the aristocratic power boat racer who carried on competing despite a serious injur...
Nawal El Saadawi (pictured), Brigadier Jack Thomas, President John Magufuli, Ion Mihai Pacepa
March 26, 2021 16:03 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBMatthew Bannister on: The Egyptian feminist writer Nawal El Saadawi who faced persecution and imprisonment but never wavered from her commitment to campaigning for women’s rights. Brigadier Jack Thomas who had a distinguished military career, serving during the Second World War, the Korean war and in Northern Ireland. John Magufuli, the autocratic President of Tanzania who advocated prayer and inhaling herbal infusions as a way of tackling the Coronavirus pandemic. Ion Mihai Pacepa, the ...
Murray Walker (pictured), King Goodwill Zwelithini, Mary Asprey, Bunny Wailer
March 19, 2021 16:03 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBJulian Worricker on: One of the best known sports commentators of his generation, motor racing's Murray Walker The woman who co-founded what became the charity, Missling People, Mary Asprey King Goodwill Zwelithini, who ruled the Zulu nation at a time of enormous change in South Africa And Bunny Wailer, founder member of the Wailers, whose album Blackheart Man is regarded as one of reggae's finest. Producer: Neil George Interviewed guest: Simon Taylor Interviewed guest: Nomsa Masek...
Nicola Pagett (pictured), Stan Shaw, Prof John Mallard, Rupert Neve
March 12, 2021 16:03 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBMatthew Bannister on Nicola Pagett, the acclaimed actor who made her name on TV in Upstairs Downstairs and as Anna Karenina but also excelled in classical stage roles. Later in life she suffered severe mental illness. Stan Shaw, one of the last Sheffield craftsmen known as “little mesters”. He spent eighty years forging, grinding and finishing blades in the city’s cutlery industry. Professor John Mallard, who led the team at Aberdeen University which developed the first full body MRI sca...
Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani (pictured), Sidney Alford, Alison Lurie, Chris Barber
March 05, 2021 16:03 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBMatthew Bannister on Sheikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani, the Saudi oil minister who presided over the 1970s embargo that caused crises for Western economies. Sidney Alford, the maverick explosives expert who created methods of defusing improvised explosive devices used in Northern Ireland, Afghanistan and the Middle East. He also demolished large buildings and created spectacular effects for film makers. Alison Lurie, the American novelist whose biting satires on academic life and manners have be...
Sir William Macpherson (pictured), Margaret Snyder, Eleanor Wadsworth, Iain Pattinson
February 26, 2021 16:03 - 26 minutes - 24.6 MBMatthew Bannister on Sir William Macpherson, the retired judge whose report on the investigation of the murder of Stephen Lawrence accused the Metropolitan Police of “institutional racism”. Margaret Snyder, seen by some as the United Nations’ first feminist. She established funds and projects to support women in developing countries. Eleanor Wadsworth, one of the last surviving women who delivered fighter planes during the second world war. Iain Pattinson, who gave up a career as an oil...
Carlos Menem (pictured), Mary Wilson, Robin Pooley, Larry Flynt
February 19, 2021 16:03 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBMatthew Bannister on: Carlos Menem, the flamboyant President of Argentina during the 1990s who transformed the country’s economy, but was dogged by allegations of corruption. Mary Wilson, a founding member of the Supremes who rivalled the Beatles for chart success during the 1960s. Robin Pooley, the businessman who started in the meat trade before switching to become Chief Executive of the Potato Marketing Board and transforming the fortunes of that humble root vegetable. Larry Flynt, t...
George Shultz, Yvonne Conolly, Maureen Colquhoun, Christopher Plummer (pictured)
February 12, 2021 16:02 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBMatthew Bannister on George Shultz, the US Secretary of State during the Reagan years who came close to brokering a deal to abolish all US and Soviet nuclear weapons. Yvonne Conolly, Britain’s first black female head teacher who overcame racism to become a role model for others. Maureen Colquhoun, the first UK member of parliament to be openly in a same sex relationship. When they heard the news, her local Labour Party deselected her. Christopher Plummer, the Canadian born actor who play...
Lewis Wolpert, Cicely Tyson, Prince Khalid Abdullah and Captain Sir Tom Moore (pictured)
February 05, 2021 16:03 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBMatthew Bannister on The biologist Lewis Wolpert who developed new theories about embryo development and was a passionate communicator of science. The award winning actor Cicely Tyson, best known for portraying strong, dignified African American women on stage and screen. Saudi Prince Khalid Abdullah who became one of the world’s most successful racehorse owners. His horses included the great Frankel who was unbeaten in 14 races. Captain Sir Tom Moore, the second world war veteran who b...
Larry King (pictured), Catherine Ennis, Margaret Weston, Gerry Cottle
January 29, 2021 16:03 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBMatthew Bannister on Larry King, the American TV interviewer whose long running show on CNN attracted guests ranging from Presidents to pop stars. Christiane Amanpour pays tribute. Catherine Ennis, the organist at the City of London Church of St Lawrence Jewry who helped to design four major organs in the capital. Dame Margaret Weston, the Director of the Science Museum who spread funding around the UK by opening the National Railway Museum in York and the National Museum of Photography,...
Phil Spector (pictured), Grace Robertson, Paul Nihill
January 22, 2021 16:03 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBMatthew Bannister on: Phil Spector, the influential record producer who created the “Wall of Sound”. He died while serving a prison sentence for murdering actress Lana Clarkson. Grace Robertson, the photojournalist known for chronicling working class life in post war Britain. Paul Nihill, one of the world’s finest race walkers who won 96 consecutive races and was the first male British athlete to compete in four consecutive Olympic games. Producer: Neil George Interviewed guest: Mick ...
Michael Apted (pictured), Kay Ullrich, Katharine Whitehorn, Reginald Foster
January 15, 2021 16:03 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBJulian Worricker on the film-maker Michael Apted, famous for his work on the 7UP documentary series, but who also directed nearly 30 feature films. Kay Ullrich, an MSP after the first elections to the Scottish parliament, who Nicola Sturgeon described as one of the most influential figures in her life. Katharine Whitehorn, whose column in the Observer revolutionised the journalism that women wrote....and read. And the Vatican Latinist, Reginald Foster, who served four Popes, and who would...
Sir Brian Urquhart (pictured), Albert Roux, Dame Rachel Waterhouse, Gerry Marsden
January 08, 2021 16:03 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBMatthew Bannister on Sir Brian Urquhart, the international civil servant and war veteran who played a key role in setting up United Nations peacekeeping forces. Albert Roux, the French-born chef who, with his brother Michel, helped to revolutionise the quality of British restaurant cooking. Dame Rachel Waterhouse, the chair of the Consumers’ Association whose campaigns were behind many significant improvements in consumer legislation. And Gerry Marsden, lead singer of Gerry and the Pace...
Stella Tennant, George Bizos, Joan Feynman, Rishi Kapoor
January 01, 2021 16:20 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBMatthew Bannister on Stella Tennant, the iconic fashion model who rose to prominence in the 1990s, becoming the face of Chanel. George Bizos, the South African human rights lawyer who represented Nelson Mandela at the Rivonia Trial. Joan Feynman, the astrophysicist who made important breakthroughs in her study of auroras and solar cycles. Actor Rishi Kapoor, who appeared in almost 100 films and defined Bollywood for a generation. Interviewed guest: Plum Sykes Interviewed guest: Sir Nichola...
Millie Small, JJ Williams, Maurice Healy, Dame Fanny Waterman
December 27, 2020 20:30 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBJulian Worricker on Millie Jones, the singer who brought ska rhythms and Jamaican culture to a global audience with her hit song My Boy Lollipop. JJ Williams, the Llanelli, Wales and British Lions winger who became one of the stars of world rugby. Dame Fanny Waterman, who co-founded the Leeds International Piano Festival and introduced many of the greatest pianists of our time. And consumer champion Maurice Healy, editor of Which? magazine and director of the National Consumer Council, w...
John le Carré (pictured), Patience Thomson, Doug Scott, Dame Barbara Windsor
December 18, 2020 16:02 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBMatthew Bannister on The author John le Carré , the pen name of David Cornwell, who drew on his own experiences as a spy to elevate the espionage novel to new heights. Patience Thomson, the educator who devoted herself to helping children with reading difficulties and set up a publishing house to create books for them. Michael Morpurgo pays tribute. Doug Scott, the pioneering mountaineer who was the first Englishman to climb Mount Everest. His friend Sir Chris Bonington recalls Doug’s...
Mario Molina, Irina Antonova, Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, Peter Alliss (pictured)
December 11, 2020 16:02 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Mario Molina, the chemist who won the Nobel prize for revealing the devastating impact of CFCs on the ozone layer. Irina Antonova, the director of the Pushkin Museum in Moscow for more than fifty years. She was caught up in a controversy over her refusal to send back priceless works of art looted by the Soviet Army at the end of the Second World War. Valery Giscard d’Estaing, President of France between 1974 and 1981. He introduced liberal social reforms and was a pas...
Hamish MacInnes OBE, José Padilla, Anne Rasa
December 04, 2020 16:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on: Hamish MacInnes, the mountaineer known as “The Fox of Glencoe”. He climbed the Matterhorn aged 16, made four trips to Everest and was a stalwart of the Glencoe Mountain Rescue team. He was also an inventor, coming up with an all metal ice axe and a collapsible stretcher for use in rescue operations. His services were much in demand as an advisor to big budget films like The Eiger Sanction, the Mission and even Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Professor Anne Rasa, an ...
Diego Maradona, Rosalind Grimshaw, Jan Morris CBE
November 27, 2020 16:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Diego Maradona Matthew Bannister on: Diego Maradona, the flawed footballing genius who was worshipped by fans in Argentina and his adopted home city of Naples before drug abuse and scandal tainted his reputation. We speak to Asif Kapadia, director of the acclaimed film about Maradona’s life. Rosalind Grimshaw, the talented stained glass artist whose works include a spectacular window depicting the seven days of creation at Chester Cathedral. And Jan Morris, the author of more t...
Des O’Connor CBE, Richard Trim OBE, Dr Ataullah Siddiqui, Edith Raymond Locke
November 20, 2020 16:00 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Des O'Connor Matthew Bannister on The comedian Des O’Connor, an all-round entertainer equally at home telling jokes, hosting a chat show or recording an album. Richard Trim, the radar engineer who developed the technology that supports modern air traffic control systems. Dr Ataullah Siddiqui, the leading Muslim scholar who played a major role in creating inter-faith dialogue. Edith Raymond Locke, the editor of Mademoiselle Magazine who supported the early careers of fashion d...
Lord Sacks, John Sessions, Joanna Harcourt-Smith, Jim Radford
November 13, 2020 16:06 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Lord Sacks Matthew Bannister on The former Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks, a respected scholar and broadcaster who reached out to other faiths, but had trouble reconciling the different strains of opinion in his own. John Sessions, the actor and comedian who used his gift for improvisation and mimicry in TV shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway, Spitting Image and Stella Street. Clive Anderson and Sir Kenneth Branagh pay tribute. Joanna Harcourt-Smith, the socialite who was friends with...
Sir Sean Connery, Eavan Boland, Nobby Stiles MBE, Bobby Ball
November 06, 2020 16:00 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Sir Sean Connery Matthew Bannister on Sir Sean Connery, seen by many as the definitive James Bond, he won an Oscar for The Untouchables and was a supporter of the Scottish National Party. Eavan Boland, who changed the course of Irish poetry by making women’s experiences central to her work. The footballer Nobby Stiles, one of only two Englishmen to have won both the World Cup and the European Cup. Bobby Ball, the comedian whose double act with Tommy Cannon was hugely popular o...
David Toole OBE, Professor Valerie Curtis, Frank Bough, Jill Paton Walsh CBE
October 30, 2020 17:04 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: David Toole Matthew Bannister on David Toole, the disabled dancer who starred in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics. Professor Val Curtis, who was known as the Queen of Hygiene for her expertise on sanitation and research in how to communicate public health messages. Frank Bough, the popular presenter of TV shows like 'Grandstand' and 'Nationwide' whose BBC career ended in disgrace after he was caught taking drugs with prostitutes. Jill Paton Walsh, the award winning...
Herbert Kretzmer, James Nash, Tom Maschler, Sister Chiara Hatton Hall
October 27, 2020 11:55 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Herbert Kretzmer Matthew Bannister on Herbert Kretzmer, the journalist turned lyricist, best known for writing the lyrics for the musical Les Misérables. James Nash, the flamboyant adventurer who came under fire as a Colonial Officer in the Middle East during the last days of the British Empire. Tom Maschler, the influential publisher who promoted the careers of many leading novelists and founded the Booker Prize. Sister Chiara Hatton Hall, known as 'The Galloping Nun'. She ta...
Derek Mahon, Professor Gerta Vrbová, Ang Rita Sherpa, Helena Shenel
October 16, 2020 15:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Derek Mahon Matthew Bannister on Derek Mahon, one of Ireland’s greatest poets of recent times, whose work 'Everything’s Going To Be Alright' was read on Irish TV and radio at the start of the Covid lockdown. Professor Gerta Vrbová, who spent her youth fleeing Nazi persecution, then carried out pioneering work on the interaction between muscles and nerves. Ang Rita Sherpa, the only person to have climbed Mount Everest ten times without using supplemental oxygen. Helena Shenel,...
Kenzo Takada, Colonel John Waddy, Frank Windsor, Ann Getty
October 09, 2020 15:00 - 28 minutes - 25.6 MBPictured: Kenzo Takada Matthew Bannister on: Kenzo Takada, the Japanese-born fashion designer who made Paris his home and was known for his bold use of colour. Colonel John Waddy, the former head of the SAS who was wounded at the Battle of Arnhem. Frank Windsor, the actor best known for playing Detective Sergeant Watt in Z Cars and Softly Softly. Ann Getty, who married into the Getty family and used her fortune to rescue a publishing house, support the arts and start an interior design ...