Last Word
469 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago -Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently
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Episodes
Chester Williams, Sheikh Yusuf Motala, Jan Ruff O’Herne, Ric Ocasek
September 20, 2019 15:48 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Chester Williams Matthew Bannister on Sheikh Yusuf Motala who founded the first traditional Islamic seminary in the UK, and trained hundreds of Imams. Chester Williams, the only black rugby player in the South African team that won the World Cup in 1995. Jan Ruff O'Herne who was forced to work in a brothel by the Japanese army during the war. She kept her story secret for fifty years, but ended her life campaigning against the use of rape as a weapon of war. Ric Ocasek, the ...
Hans Rausing, Sir Dawda Jawara, Sue Crockford, Terrance Dicks
September 13, 2019 15:48 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Hans Rausing, the Swedish-born industrialist who led the Tetra Pak company. In the 1990s he topped the Sunday Times Rich List ahead of the Queen. His daughter Sigrid pays tribute. Sir Dawda Jawara the first President of independent Gambia who faced two coup attempts. Sue Crockford, a feminist campaigner who made influential films about the social history of North London. Terrance Dicks, who was screenwriter and script editor for Dr Who and also wrote novelisations...
Robert Mugabe, Alla Verber, Ciaran McKeown, Bill Anderson MBE
September 06, 2019 15:45 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Robert Mugabe Matthew Bannister on The former President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe. He was once hailed as a hero of the liberation struggle but later seen by many as a tyrant. Alla Verber, the Russian socialite who brought high fashion to the newly wealthy in the post-Soviet society. Ciaran McKeown, who joined Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams to found the Peace People of Northern Ireland. Bill Anderson, described as Scotland's greatest ever Highland Games heavyweight athlete...
Lord Bell, Paule Marshall, David Koch, Richard Booth
August 30, 2019 16:00 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBMatthew Bannister on Lord Bell, the advertising and public relations executive who helped Margaret Thatcher to win three elections. Paule Marshall, the novelist who wrote about the experiences of black Americans of Caribbean origin. David Koch, the American billionaire who poured money into right wing political causes. Richard Booth, the second hand bookseller who was the self-styled King of Hay-on-Wye. Interviewed guest: David Hopper Interviewed guest: Michael Cockerell Interviewed g...
Peter Fonda, Princess Christina of the Netherlands, Geoffrey Paul OBE, Jim Bouton
August 23, 2019 16:14 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBPictured: Peter Fonda Matthew Bannister on Peter Fonda, the actor who became a hero of the 1960s counterculture, by riding his Harley Davidson across America in the classic film Easy Rider. Princess Christina of the Netherlands who was born nearly blind. When her mother Queen Juliana consulted a soothsayer, a constitutional crisis followed. Geoffrey Paul the respected long serving editor of the Jewish Chronicle. Jim Bouton, the baseball player whose memoir caused a scandal by revealing ...
Julia Farron OBE, Nuon Chea, June Fraser, Marcel Berlins
August 16, 2019 15:47 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Julia Farron Julian Worricker on: The Cambodian political leader, Nuon Chea, who was found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity during his time as a member of the Khmer Rouge.... Julia Farron, a dancer with the Royal Ballet, who's been described as a great performer of virtuoso roles.... The pioneering graphic designer, June Fraser, whose work has influenced so many of the logos and packaging we're familiar with today.... And Marcel Berlins, lawyer, broadcaster and c...
Toni Morrison, Hal Prince, Dr Elizabeth Killick, Li Peng, Barrington Pheloung
August 09, 2019 15:56 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBPictured: Toni Morrison Matthew Bannister on The Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, acclaimed for her novels which put the experience of black women centre stage. Hal Prince, the successful theatre producer and director behind West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera and Evita. The pioneering radar and sonar engineer, Dr Elizabeth Killick. Li Peng, the Chinese Premier who ordered troops to fire on unarmed students in Tiananmen Square. Barrington Pheloung, the TV and film composer...
Russi Taylor, Beji Caid Essebsi, Jane Hubert, Iván Erőd
August 02, 2019 15:54 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Russi Taylor Matthew Bannister on Beji Caid Essebsi who became the first democratically elected President of Tunisia in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. Russi Taylor the versatile voice artist best known for playing Minnie Mouse. She married the man who did the voice for Mickey Mouse. Jane Hubert, the anthropologist and psychologist who studied young people with severe learning disabilities and transformed the academic study of archaeology. Ivan Erod who fled persecution ...
Andrea Camilleri, Johnny Clegg OBE, OIS, Christopher Kraft, Paul Krassner, Professor Rolf Gehlhaar
July 26, 2019 15:48 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Andrea Camilleri Matthew Bannister on Andrea Camilleri, the Sicilian writer who created the Inspector Montalbano novels. His literary success began in his late sixties. Johnny Clegg, the white South African singer and guitarist who confronted the apartheid government by embracing Zulu music and culture. Christopher Kraft, the founder of mission control for the NASA space programme. Paul Krassner, the controversial American satirist who coined the word "Yippie". Professor Ro...
Audrey Eyton, Arthur Ryan, Jack Bond, Rip Torn
July 19, 2019 15:57 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBPictured: Audrey Eyton Matthew Bannister on Arthur Ryan, the Irish retailer who created Primark - known for selling fast fashion at low prices. Audrey Eyton, who devised the F-Plan diet, which encouraged people to eat fibre to lose weight. Jack Bond, the Lancashire cricket captain who led his team to success in the one-day game. Rip Torn, the film and stage actor known for his violent temper who appeared in DodgeBall, Men In Black and latterly The Larry Sanders Show. His daughter Ang...
Eva Kor, Christopher Booker, João Gilberto, John McCririck
July 12, 2019 15:54 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Eva Kor Matthew Bannister on Eva Kor who, with her twin sister, was the subject of experiments by the Nazi doctor Josef Mengele in Auschwitz. She later publicly forgave her tormentors. Christopher Booker, the founding editor of Private Eye and Telegraph columnist. João Gilberto, the Brazilian pioneer of bossa nova music whose hits included The Girl From Ipanema. And John McCririck, the eccentric TV racing pundit who was criticised for his sexist views. Interviewed guest: Alex...
Brenda Maddox, Ivan Cooper, Min Hogg, John Gunther Dean, Dave Bartholomew
July 05, 2019 15:57 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Brenda Maddox Matthew Bannister on Ivan Cooper, the human rights campaigner and politician from Northern Ireland who played a key role in the protests on Bloody Sunday. Min Hogg, the colourful founding editor of World of Interiors magazine. Her friend Nicky Haslam pays tribute. John Gunther Dean, the last US diplomat to be evacuated from Cambodia as war loomed. Brenda Maddox, author of many books including The Half Parent and a biography of James Joyce's wife Nora Barnacle. D...
Dr Henry Lynch, Judith Krantz, Lord Patel of Blackburn, Anthony Hedges
June 28, 2019 15:52 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Judith Krantz Matthew Bannister on Dr. Henry Lynch whose painstaking medical research revealed the causes of hereditary cancers. Judith Krantz, the American author who made a huge commercial success from her sex and shopping novels. Lord Patel, the Indian-born businessman who became a key figure in community relations in his adopted town of Blackburn. Anthony Hedges, the British composer whose prolific output ranged from light music to symphonies and choral works. Interviewed...
Franco Zeffirelli, Gloria Vanderbilt, Mohamed Morsi, Philomena Lynott
June 21, 2019 15:48 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Franco Zeffirelli Matthew Bannister on Franco Zeffirelli, the stage and film director known for his opulent designs and flamboyant personality. Gloria Vanderbilt, the heiress who overcame personal tragedy and was the first to market designer jeans. Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected President, who was ousted from office after only a year. Philomena Lynott, who ran a hotel frequented by rock stars and footballers and was the proud Mum of Thin Lizzy lead singer...
John Tidmarsh OBE, Sylvia Denman, Paul Darrow, Sheila Turner, Leon Redbone
June 15, 2019 12:29 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: John Tidmarsh Matthew Bannister on John Tidmarsh, who presented Outlook on the BBC World Service for thirty years and brought comfort to the Beirut hostages. John McCarthy pays tribute. Sylvia Denman, the Barbados-born lawyer who campaigned for better race relations in the UK and fought to improve educational outcomes for young black people. Paul Darrow, the actor best known as Avon, the anti-hero of the cult sci-fi TV show Blake's 7. Sheila Turner, who campaigned for better t...
Edward Seaga, Binyavanga Wainaina, Mary Stopes-Roe, Gloria Schiff, Dr John
June 07, 2019 15:54 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBPictured: Edward Seaga Julian Worricker on: The Jamaican politician, Edward Seaga, who led his country as prime minister throughout the 1980s Binyavanga Wainaina, one of Kenya's most prominent writers and LGBTQ activists The Vogue fashion editor and Manhattan socialite, Gloria Schiff Archivist, Mary Stopes-Roe, daughter of the bouncing bomb developer Barnes Wallis And the Grammy Award-winning, New Orleans born singer, Dr John. Interviewed guest: David Katz Interviewed guest: Ellah Wa...
Professor Murray Gell-Mann, Nan Winton, James McCord, Gregory Gray
May 31, 2019 15:51 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBPictured: Nan Winton Matthew Bannister on Murray Gell-Mann, the American physicist who won the Nobel Prize for his work on the theory of elementary particles. He coined the name "quarks" for the fundamental building blocks of matter. Nan Winton, the first woman to read the TV news on the BBC. She faced discrimination in the male-dominated BBC newsroom. James McCord, the CIA agent who was involved in the Bay of Pigs and the Watergate break in. Gregory Gray, the Irish singer who went fro...
Niki Lauda, Judith Kerr, IM Pei, Herman Wouk
May 24, 2019 15:51 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBPictured: Judith Kerr Matthew Bannister on Niki Lauda, the fearless racing driver who survived a terrible crash to make a dramatic comeback on the track. Judith Kerr, the author of much-loved children's books including the Mog series and The Tiger Who Came to Tea. I.M. Pei, the architect best known for the glass pyramid outside the Louvre in Paris. Herman Wouk, the American novelist and screenwriter who won the Pulitzer Prize for The Caine Mutiny. Interviewed guest: Simon Taylor In...
Doris Day, Brian Walden, Dorothy Rowe, Lorraine Warren
May 17, 2019 15:50 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Doris Day Julian Worricker on: One of Hollywood's top box-office stars of the 50s and 60s, actress and singer Doris Day. The Labour MP who became one of television's most exhaustive political interviewers, Brian Walden. Dorothy Rowe, one of the earliest figures in psychology to build a bridge between clinical practice and the general public. And the paranormal investigator, Lorraine Warren, whose best-known case focused on the house at the centre of the film, The Amityville Ho...
Winnie Jordan, Richard Green, Karol Modzelewski, Liz Howe, John Singleton
May 10, 2019 15:53 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: John Singleton Andrea Catherwood on: British Athlete Winnie Jordan who won a silver medal in the Empire Games in 1938 and became a celebrated British Champion after the war. American psychiatrist and lawyer, Richard Green, who advanced acceptance and understanding of gay and trans people. Founder of Poland's Solidarity movement, Karol Modzelewski. Liz Howe, the ecologist who spearheaded a modern environmental Domesday book for Wales. And John Singleton, US film director of th...
Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, Terry Rawlings, Neus Català, Heather Harper CBE, Peter Mayhew
May 03, 2019 15:52 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Peter Mayhew Matthew Bannister on Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, who served with the Irish Guards during the war, liberated his own country and then presided over its prosperity. Terry Rawlings, the film editor who worked on Alien, Chariots of Fire and the Bond film Goldeneye. Neus Català, the Spanish communist who fought Franco, joined the French resistance and survived a Nazi death camp. Heather Harper, the operatic soprano who was called up at the last minute to perform i...
Lyra McKee, Una-Mary Parker, Mira Markovic, Doreen Spooner, Edward Kelsey
April 26, 2019 15:47 - 28 minutes - 25.6 MBPictured: Lyra McKee Matthew Bannister on Lyra McKee, the 29 year old Northern Irish journalist who was shot dead by the New IRA. Una-Mary Parker who was the social editor of Tatler, a commentator on the Royal family and the author of best-selling novels. Mira Markovic, the wife of the Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who denied her husband's responsibility for atrocities during the Bosnian war. Doreen Spooner, the first woman to work as a staff photographer on a Fleet Street ne...
David Thouless, Nadja Poderegin, Ian Cognito, Dr Michael O’Donnell, Les Reed
April 19, 2019 15:41 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Nadja Poderegin Julian Worricker on: David Thouless, whose work in the world of quantum mechanics earned him a share of the Nobel Prize for Physics. The Serbian actress, Nadja Poderegin, who went from 'Bond girl' on screen to be a publisher and novelist. Stand-up comedian, Ian Cognito, whose act was much loved on the comedy circuit but never allowed on TV. Michael O'Donnell, who combined a medical background with a career in journalism and broadcasting, notably on Radio 4. An...
Sydney Brenner, Dan Robbins, Edda Tasiemka, Ian McDonald
April 12, 2019 15:50 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBPictured: Sydney Brenner Matthew Bannister on Sydney Brenner, the Nobel Prize-winning biologist who worked with Francis Crick to map DNA. Dan Robbins, the artist who invented painting by numbers. Edda Tasiemka, the archivist who kept a comprehensive newspaper and magazine cuttings collection in her North London home. Ian McDonald, the Ministry of Defence spokesman during the Falklands War who became a familiar face on TV and was known for his sonorous delivery. Interviewed guest: Prof...
Michel Bacos, Agnes Varda, Victor Hochhauser CBE, Barbara Low, Ranking Roger
April 05, 2019 15:56 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBPictured: Agnès Varda Matthew Bannister on Michel Bacos, the pilot of the Air France jet that was hi-jacked to Entebbe in 1976. He was offered the chance to leave, but chose to stay with the hostages until they were freed in a dramatic raid by the Israelis. The film director Agnès Varda, known as the mother of the French New Wave. The impresario Victor Hochhauser who specialised in bringing top Russian artists to the UK. The biochemist Barbara Low who used X-ray crystallography to ident...
Baroness Warnock, William Hucklesby QPM, Rose Hilton, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya CBE FRS, Scott Walker
March 29, 2019 16:47 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Baroness Warnock Matthew Bannister on Baroness Warnock, the philosopher who set down the principles which govern human fertilisation treatment and embryo research. William Hucklesby, the Police Commander who led the anti-terrorist branch at the time of the Hyde Park and Brighton bomb attacks. Rose Hilton, the artist who put her career on hold to support her husband, but gained recognition after his death. Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, who brought together academics and indus...
Gillian Freeman, Sir Peter Hutchison, Sister Dorothy Bell, Dick Dale
March 22, 2019 16:47 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Dick Dale Matthew Bannister on Gillian Freeman, the novelist and screenwriter whose books include The Leather Boys, a story of a gay love affair between two working class men in the 1960s. Sir Peter Hutchison who travelled to remote parts of the world to collect rare plants. Sister Dorothy Bell, the nun who after a career devoted to education, turned her attention to AIDS awareness. And the King of the Surf Guitar Dick Dale. Interviewed guest: Michael Arditti Interviewed gues...
Professor Mike Oliver, Jacques Loussier, Professor Richard Lacey, The Reverend Ruth Scott
March 15, 2019 16:56 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Jacques Loussier Matthew Bannister on Mike Oliver, who was paralysed from the neck down after diving into a swimming pool as a teenager. He became the UK's first Professor of Disability Studies and transformed the debate about disabled people's rights. Jacques Loussier, the French pianist and composer best known for his jazz arrangements of the works of J.S. Bach. Professor Richard Lacey, the microbiologist who warned of the dangers to humans of mad cow disease. The Reveren...
France-Albert Rene, Simon Norton, Belle Tutaev, Dr Ian Adamson OBE, Keith Flint
March 08, 2019 17:00 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBPictured: Simon Norton Matthew Bannister on France-Albert René, the Seychelles President who came to power in a coup and stayed in office for more than 25 years. Simon Norton, the brilliant but eccentric mathematician who became fascinated by public transport. Belle Tutaev who campaigned for better early learning provision for the UK's children. Ian Adamson, the Northern Ireland doctor who wrote many learned history books and became Lord Mayor of Belfast. And Keith Flint, the flambo...
André Previn KBE, John Haynes OBE, Tony Mendez, Lady Grantchester
March 01, 2019 16:58 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: André Previn Matthew Bannister on André Previn, the conductor and pianist whose repertoire ranged from the classics to film and jazz music. He took part in a celebrated sketch with Morecambe and Wise. John Haynes, publisher of the Haynes manuals which gave amateur mechanics a step by step guide to repairing their cars. Tony Mendez, the CIA operative who smuggled American diplomatic staff out of Tehran disguised as a film crew. The story later became the Hollywood film Argo. L...
Lady Falkender, Karl Lagerfeld, John Stalker, Andrea Levy, Peter Tork
February 22, 2019 17:45 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBMatthew Bannister on Lady Falkender who was the controversial political secretary to Harold Wilson for twenty seven years. Karl Lagerfeld, the designer who re-vitalised Chanel, developed Fendi and became an icon in his own right. John Stalker, the Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police who led an investigation into allegations of a shoot to kill policy in Northern Ireland. Andrea Levy, the award winning novelist who reflected the experience of children of the Windrush gene...
Gordon Banks OBE, Vikki Orvice, David Garman OBE, Mary Oliver, Albert Finney
February 15, 2019 16:51 - 28 minutes - 26 MBMatthew Bannister on Gordon Banks, the goalkeeper in England's 1966 World Cup winning team, who made one of the greatest saves of all time in 1970. Vikki Orvice, the first woman to work as a football writer on a national tabloid newspaper. David Garman, the inventor of the portable bath lift and many other devices to help people with disabilities. Mary Oliver, the American poet known for her works about animals and the natural world. The acclaimed actor Albert Finney who was nominated...
Rosamunde Pilcher OBE, Hugh Lewin, Lamia Al-Gailani, Dr Stewart Adams OBE, Dr Adam Watson
February 08, 2019 16:52 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Rosamunde Pilcher Andrea Catherwood on: Activist Hugh Lewin who was jailed for his stand against apartheid in South Africa, Iraqi archaeologist Lamia Al-Gailani who helped rebuild the National Museum of Iraq after looting, Dr Stewart Adams, the Boots pharmacist who invented Ibuprofen, Scottish ecologist Adam Watson who devoted his life to protecting the Cairngorms, and author Rosamunde Pilcher, the mistress of the British Family Saga. Interviewed guest: Lord Peter Hain Inte...
Jeremy Hardy, Diana Athill OBE, Sir Conrad Swan, Michel Legrand
February 01, 2019 16:56 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Jeremy Hardy Julian Worricker on: Comedian Jeremy Hardy, a mainstay of The News Quiz and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue on Radio 4.... Editor and author, Diana Athill, who wrote candidly about her personal life especially in her later years... Sir Conrad Swan, who, as Garter King of Arms, was the senior heraldic authority of England... Oscar-winning composer, pianist, conductor and arranger, Michel Legrand.... Interviewed guest: Mark Steel Interviewed guest: Jeremy Corbyn Interv...
Hugh McIlvanney, Jennie Buckman, John Beavis, David Pritchard
January 25, 2019 16:48 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBPictured: Hugh McIlvanney Matthew Bannister on Hugh McIlvanney, the respected sports writer known for his love of language and combative approach to life. Jennie Buckman, the theatre practitioner who trained a generation of famous actors and founded a company to give voice to the disadvantaged. John Beavis, the surgeon who was forced to retire from the NHS through ill health but then spent the next 25 years training medical professionals in war zones around the world. And David Pritc...
Joe Casely-Hayford, Judge Nicholas Crichton, Professor Sophie Oluwole, Professor Paul O’Brien CBE, Carol Channing
January 18, 2019 16:53 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Joe Casely-Hayford Matthew Bannister on Joe Casely-Hayford, the fashion designer whose creations ranged from punk to Savile Row tailoring. His children, who followed him into fashion, pay tribute. Nicholas Crichton, the judge who pioneered specialist family drug and alcohol courts in the UK. Professor Sophie Oluwole, who was a powerful advocate for African philosophy. Professor Paul O'Brien, the pioneer of nanotechnology who developed new ways of producing the quantum dots whi...
Nancy Roman, Ralph Koltai CBE, Julia Grant, Jin Yong, Norman Gimbel
January 11, 2019 16:49 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBPictured: Nancy Roman Matthew Bannister on Nancy Roman, the American space agency NASA's first Chief Astronomer. She was known as the mother of the Hubble Telescope. Ralph Koltai, the influential theatre set designer who worked on more than 250 productions. Julia Grant, the transgender activist who allowed her transition from male to female to be filmed by the BBC. Jin Yong, the Chinese writer whose martial arts adventures sold 100 million copies. And Norman Gimbel, the prolific lyric...
Dame June Whitfield, Sir Jack Zunz, Thomas Baptiste, David Austin OBE, Karre Mastanamma
January 04, 2019 16:52 - 28 minutes - 25.6 MBPictured: June Whitfield Matthew Bannister on Dame June Whitfield, the comic actress whose long career spanned classic radio shows and Absolutely Fabulous. Sir Jack Zunz, the civil engineer who led the construction of the Sydney Opera House and became chairman of Ove Arup. Thomas Baptiste, the Guyana-born actor who appeared in Coronation Street and The Ipcress File and campaigned for colour blind casting. David Austin, who devoted his life to breeding new varieties of English roses. ...
Sister Wendy Beckett, Nicolas Roeg, Inge Borkh, Professor Sir Aaron Klug, Geoff Emerick
December 28, 2018 17:01 - 28 minutes - 26 MBPictured: Sister Wendy Beckett Julian Worricker on: The nun, Sister Wendy Beckett, who became an unlikely television star when she brought her knowledge of the history of art to the small screen... Nicolas Roeg, the film director behind such classics as Don't Look Now and The Man Who Fell to Earth... The German soprano, Inge Borkh, described as one of the most exciting operatic performers of her era... The Nobel prize winning scientist, Professor Sir Aaron Klug, credited with ground-br...
Sir David Weatherall, Penny Marshall, Evelyn Berezin, Zhores Medvedev, Nancy Wilson
December 21, 2018 16:52 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Nancy Wilson Matthew Bannister on Sir David Weatherall, the world renowned haematologist and geneticist who pioneered molecular approaches to medicine. Penny Marshall, the first woman to direct a film which grossed more than a hundred million dollars. She also starred in the US TV sitcom Laverne and Shirley. Evelyn Berezin who invented the first computerised word processor for secretarial use. Zhores Medvedev, the Soviet scientist who revealed the use of psychiatric hospitals...
Peter Boizot, Judith Kazantzis, Sir Sze-Yuen Chung, Sister Cecylia Roszak, Scott English
December 14, 2018 16:58 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Peter Boizot Matthew Bannister on Peter Boizot who founded the Pizza Express chain of restaurants and invested heavily in his home town of Peterborough. Judith Kazantzis, the feminist poet, novelist and activist. Sir Sze-Yuen Chung, the Hong Kong businessman who led the campaign for residents' views to be heard during the handover negotiations between the UK and China. Cecylia Roszak, the Polish nun who helped to save Lithuanian Jews from the Nazis during the second world war....
Harry Leslie Smith, Pete Shelley, Monica Sims, Professor Wendy Atkin OBE, Ivan March
December 07, 2018 16:50 - 28 minutes - 25.6 MBPictured: Pete Shelley Matthew Bannister on Harry Leslie Smith who grew up in poverty in Yorkshire. He became an outspoken campaigner for the welfare state and a social media star in his nineties. Pete Shelley, lead singer and songwriter of Buzzcocks. Monica Sims, the BBC executive who ran children's TV, then became Controller of Radio 4. Wendy Atkin, the epidemiologist who devised a breakthrough screening test for bowel cancer. Ivan March, the music critic who set up a record lending ...
Baroness Trumpington, Roy Bailey, Chief Inspector Henry Stevens GC, Bernardo Bertolucci
November 30, 2018 16:55 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBPictured: Baroness Trumpington Matthew Bannister on Baroness Trumpington, who worked for Lloyd George and at Bletchley Park during the war then became a government minister noted for her cheerfully unstuffy attitude. Roy Bailey the socialist folk singer who teamed up with Tony Benn in an award winning live act. Henry Stevens, the police officer who won the George Cross for repeatedly tackling a burglar who shot him in the face. Bernardo Bertolucci, director of the acclaimed film "The L...
John Large, William Goldman, Dr Sarah Ntiro, Richard Baker, Patsy Rodgers
November 23, 2018 16:53 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBPictured: William Goldman Matthew Bannister on William Goldman, the Hollywood screenwriter behind a string of hits including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All The President's Men and The Princess Bride. John Large, the respected nuclear engineer who highlighted the safety risks facing the industry. Richard Baker, the long serving BBC television newsreader who also presented classical music programmes, including the Proms, on radio. Dr. Sarah Ntiro, the first woman in East Africa t...
Aubrey Manning, Max Levitas, Babs Beverley, Janet Paisley, Stan Lee
November 16, 2018 17:07 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBPictured: Stan Lee Matthew Bannister on The naturalist and expert on animal evolution Aubrey Manning who presented the acclaimed BBC TV series Earth Story. The Jewish Communist campaigner Max Levitas who fought Oswald Moseley's fascist blackshirts. The singer Babs Beverley - one third of the close harmony singing group the Beverley Sisters. Janet Paisley the poet and novelist known for her work in the Scots language. Stan Lee - revered creator of comic book icons like Spiderman, the X-...
Lord Heywood, Pamela Lonsdale, Sangharakshita, Tom Jago, Francis Lai
November 09, 2018 16:56 - 28 minutes - 25.7 MBPictured: Lord Heywood Matthew Bannister on Lord Heywood, the senior civil servant who worked with four Prime Ministers: Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Theresa May. Pamela Lonsdale, the children's TV producer who brought us Rainbow. Sangharakshita, the British born Buddhist leader whose reputation was tarnished by allegations of sexual misconduct with his students. Tom Jago, the drinks marketeer who developed Bailey's Irish Cream, Malibu and Le Piat D'Or. And Francis Lai,...
Wanda Ferragamo, Wim Kok, Ntozake Shange, Mohamed Sahnoun, Keith Killby
November 02, 2018 16:52 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBPictured: Wanda Ferragamo Matthew Bannister on Wanda Ferragamo - who took over her husband's successful Italian shoe making business and turned it into a global fashion brand. Wim Kok, the Dutch prime minister whose career was overshadowed by the Srebrenica massacre. The writer Ntozake Shange, best known for her choreopoem "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf". The Algerian diplomat Mohamed Sahnoun who played a key role in ending several conflicts in ...
Anthea Bell OBE, Captain Michael Howard, Baroness Hollis of Heigham, Cicely Berry CBE, Tony Hiller
October 26, 2018 15:49 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBPictured: Baroness Hollis Matthew Bannister on Anthea Bell who translated the works of Freud and Kafka into English - but was even better known for making Asterix the Gaul funny in his second language. Captain Michael Howard, the intelligence officer who was part of T-Force which was set up after the second world war to seize German assets and bring them back to the UK. Baroness Hollis, the Labour peer who campaigned for the poor and disadvantaged. Cicely Berry, the voice coach who tr...
Paul Allen, Dr Mary Midgley, Leon Lederman, Roger Mainwood
October 19, 2018 15:50 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MBPictured: Paul Allen Matthew Bannister on Paul Allen who teamed up with his school friend Bill Gates to found the computer software company Microsoft. After he left, he used his billions to support medical research, education and an American football team. Mary Midgley, the philosopher who wrote about the relationship between humans and animals and enjoyed lively debates with her colleagues. Leon Lederman, the physicist who won the Nobel prize for his work on the neutrino and described t...
Ray Galton, Professor Gerald Russell, Evelyn Anthony, Sir Roger Gibbs, Montserrat Caballé
October 12, 2018 15:54 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBPictured: Montserrat Caballé Matthew Bannister on Ray Galton, who, with his writing partner Alan Simpson, created Hancock's Half Hour and Steptoe and Son. Paul Merton pays tribute. Gerald Russell, the psychiatrist who was the first to describe the eating disorder bulimia nervosa. Evelyn Anthony, the novelist whose historical romances sold millions of copies. The financier Sir Roger Gibbs, who transformed the fortunes of the Wellcome Trust. And the Spanish opera singer Montserrat Cab...