Last Word

Pictured: Des O'ConnorMatthew Bannister onThe 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 designers like Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan.Interviewed guest: David Steadman Interviewed guest: Fergus Trim Interviewed guest: Sughra Ahmed Interviewed guest: Canon Andrew Wingate OBE Interviewed guest: Ali MacGraw Interviewed guest: Rosemary Feitelberg Interviewed guest: Andrea RobinsonProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 01/09/1969; Jimmy Tarbuck, The Daily Mail 17/11/2020; One Minute With Des O’Connor, Radio 1 01/01/2000; The Morecambe & Wise Show, BBC Two 25/12/1975; Front Row, Radio 4 06/10/

Pictured: Lord SacksMatthew Bannister onThe 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 the Rolling Stones, campaigned to get Timothy Leary released from prison and struggled with addiction. Once she entered recovery she hosted an early podcast called Future Primitive. Jim Radford, the singer-songwriter and peace campaigner who took part in the D-Day landings aged 15 – and later performed his song based on the experiences at the Royal Albert Hall to mark the 70th Anniversary.Interviewed guest: Dr Rowan Williams Interviewed guest: Jenni Frazer Interviewed guest: Clive Anderson Interviewed guest: Sir Kenneth Branagh I

Pictured: Sir Sean ConneryMatthew Bannister onSir 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 on TV during the 1980s. His catchphrase was “Rock On Tommy”.Interviewed guest: Christopher Bray Interviewed guest: Professor Peggy Reynolds Interviewed guest: Mary Robinson Interviewed guest: Alex Stepney Interviewed guest: Gary Richardson Interviewed guest: Rob Harper Interviewed guest: Darren Harper Interviewed guest: Lee MackProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Sean Connery In His Own Words, BBC 2 Scotland 18/08/2015; Dr No, directed by Terence Young, Eon Productions 1962; With Great Pleasure, Radio 4 09/11/2000; ‘Our Future W

Pictured: David TooleMatthew Bannister onDavid 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 children’s author who also wrote the first self-published novel to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize and completed an unfinished work by Dorothy L. Sayers.Interviewed guest: Jenny Sealey Interviewed guest: Oliver Cumming Interviewed guest: John Stapleton Interviewed guest: Sally Magnussen Interviewed guest: Julia Eccleshare Interviewed guest: Oliver Soden Reader: Emma HandyProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Midweek, Radio 4 01/03/2017; The Cost of Living, directed by Lloyd Newson, DV8 Physical Theatre 2005; In Business, Rad

Pictured: Herbert KretzmerMatthew Bannister onHerbert 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 taught Princess Anne and many other students to ride before taking holy orders as a forty-two year old widow. Interviewed guest: Don Black Interviewed guest: Russell Davies Interviewed guest: John Harding Interviewed guest: Peter Straus Interviewed guest: Sister Jane Bertelsen Interviewed guest: Ginny Elliott MBE Interviewed guest: Steve AxonProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: The Reunion, Radio 4 17/10/2003; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 17/10/2003; Gamal Abdel Nasser’s speech on Yemen 1962, IEPlus 27/03/2015; Everything You Nee

Pictured: Derek MahonMatthew 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, the voice coach who helped many celebrated performers – including Shirley Bassey, Annie Lennox and Peter Gabriel – to overcome problems with their singing. Interviewed guest: Sean O’Brien Interviewed guest: Peter Hilton Interviewed guest: Uma Shahani Interviewed guest: Ang Tshering Sherpa Interviewed guest: Bhadra Sharma Interviewed guest: Nikki SladeProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Derek Mahon, Radio Ulster 15/01/1984; Arts Extra Special - Derek Mahon: A Celebration, Radio Ulster 16/12/2008; Poetry Please, Radio 4 28/01/20

Pictured: Kenzo TakadaMatthew 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 company.Interviewed guest: Dana Thomas Interviewed guest: John O’Reilly Interviewed guest: Niall Cherry Interviewed guest: Amanda Windsor Interviewed guest: Bill Fellows Interviewed guest: Diane Dorrans SaeksProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Flower by Kenzo, directed by Patrick Guedj 2018; The Clothes Show: Catwalk Special, BBC One 23/10/1994; Kenzo Takada – Renegades of Fashion, Fashion Industry Broadcast 01/03/2020; Red Devils of Arnhem (1944), British Pathe 13/04/2014; Today, Radio 4 08/05/2020; A Bridge Too Far, directed

Julian Worricker on:The campaigning journalist and editor, Sir Harold Evans, voted the greatest of all time by his peers....Ruth Bader-Ginsburg, US Supreme Court Justice, who served in that role for 27 years and became something of a judicial celebrity....The charity worker Helen Taylor-Thompson, who co-founded Europe's first AIDS hospice at a time of great hostility towards those with the disease....And the boxer, Alan Minter, who became the undisputed middleweight champion of the world.Presenter: Julian Worricker Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Jessica Levinson Interviewed guest: Brenda Feigen Interviewed guest: Roy Greenslade Interviewed guest: Dr. Veronica Moss Interviewed guest: John McDonaldArchive clips from: Archive on 4 - Harold Evans at 90, Radio 4 23/06/2018; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4, 07/04/2000; John Dunn Show, Radio 2, 04/09/1980

Pictured: Juliette GrecoJulian Worricker on the French singer and actor, Juliette Greco, who rose to fame on the famous Left Bank in Paris after the war....Bob Gore who revolutionised outdoor clothing with his invention of the waterproof fabric, Gore-Tex....The ecologist Dame Georgina Mace, who changed the way threatened species were classified and reshaped worldwide conservation policies....And the Czech director, Jiri Menzel, who won an Oscar for his 1966 film 'Closely Observed Trains'.Interviewed guest: Agnes Poirier Interviewed guest: David Cole Interviewed guest: Professor Kate Jones Interviewed guest: Professor Ian ChristieProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: In Town Today, Radio 4 24/03/1962; ‘Vive Paris’: The Liberation of Paris in 1944, British Movietone 29/06/2015; Roots of Heaven, directed by John Huston, Darryl F Zanuck Productions / Twentieth Century Fox 1958; Moon Landing Live, BBC America 20/07/2019; Perseverance Launch to Mars, NASA 30/07/2020; The Life Scientific, Radio 4 12/07/2016; Clo

Pictured: Sir Terence ConranMatthew Bannister on: Sir Terence Conran, the designer and businessman who transformed the UK’s approach to home décor and eating out.Dame Diana Rigg, the actor who combined a critically acclaimed stage career with stardom on TV and film.Shere Hite, who wrote the Hite Report which changed attitudes to female sexuality.Toots Hibbert, the Jamaican singer often called “the man who invented reggae".Interviewed guest: Deyan Sudjic OBE Interviewed guest: Michael Quinn Interviewed guest: Matthew Sweet Interviewed guest: Lola Atkins Interviewed guest: Dame Jenni Murray Interviewed guest: David Katz Interviewed guest: Glady WaxProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Profile, Radio 4 22/04/1983; The Festival of Britain, British Pathe 07/05/1951; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 01/09/1996; Game of Thrones Series 7 Episode 3, directed by Mark Mylod, HBO 30/07/2017; Front Row, Radio 4 10/09/2020; Today, Radio 4 11/09/2020; Private Passions, Radio 3 3/12/2012; The Avengers, ABC 1965; Woman’s Hour,

Pictured: Stuart KingJulian Worricker on: Stuart King, who co-founded a humanitarian charity which involved perilous flights to southern Africa in light aircraft straight after the war.... The Khmer Rouge executioner, known as Comrade Duch, found guilty of some of the worst atrocities carried out by that regime in Cambodia.... Deirdre Le Faye, a scholar and professor, whose knowledge of the life and works of Jane Austen has been described as 'unparalleled'..... And the man with the pipe whose success on the bowling greens raised the profile of his sport, David Bryant.Interviewed guest: Max Grove Interviewed guest: Jonathan Head Interviewed guest: Nic Dunlop Interviewed guest: Dr Gillian Dow Interviewed guest: David Rhys JonesProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: 70 Years of MAF, MAF 2020; Remembering D-Day, MAF 2020; Today, Radio 4 30/03/2009; Comrade Duch Dies, Bloomberg Quick Take News 02/09/2020; Duch Statements Apology, Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia 15/08/2012; Jane Austen’s

Pictured: Chadwick BosemanMatthew Bannister onChadwick Boseman, whose portrayal of the King of the fictional African kingdom of Wakanda in the movie Black Panther made him a global star.Sir Kenneth Robinson, the charismatic education expert whose TED talk “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” has been viewed online more than 67 million times.Lord Renton, the Tory politician who was Chief Whip when Margaret Thatcher was forced to step down as leader.Doreen Davies, who presided over the music policy and daytime output of BBC Radio 1 during its heyday in the 1970s and 80s.Interviewed guest: Amon Warmann Interviewed guest: Chris Anderson Interviewed guest: Dr Andy Hargreaves Interviewed guest: Julia Langdon Interviewed guest: Simon Mills Interviewed guest: Johnny BeerlingProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Marshall, directed by Reginald Hudlin, Chestnut Ridge Productions 2017; Get On Up, directed by Tate Taylor, Imagine Entertainment 2014; Jo Whiley, Radio 2 14/10/2014; 42, directed by Brian Helgeland, Warner Bros 2

Pictured: Dr James Partridge OBE (c) Paul Chambers PhotographyJulian Worricker on: The theatre designer, Sally Jacobs, whose work included a groundbreaking production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, set in a white box on stage…. James Partridge, whose life was transformed by facial burns suffered in a car accident, and who went on to campaign for equal treatment for all, irrespective of appearance…. The tennis player Angela Buxton, who faced discrimination in the sport because of her Jewish heritage, and who formed a winning doubles partnership with Althea Gibson…. And Philip Horniblow, variously described as a mountaineer, soldier, spy and doctor, who spent thirty years of his working life in the Middle East.Interviewed guest: Anna Furse Interviewed guest: Phyllida Swift Interviewed guest: Richard Evans Interviewed guest: Dawn Robertson Interviewed guest: Nigel GiffordProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, directed by Peter Brook 1970, RSC / MIT Global Shakespeare; The Reun

Pictured: Julian Bream Matthew Bannister onJulian Bream, said by many to be the greatest classical guitarist of all time. Elizabeth Ward, who campaigned for the introduction of the kidney donor card after her son went through three transplants.Chris Graham-Bell, the founding publisher of the Gay Times magazine.Stuart Christie, the anarchist who was involved in a plot to blow up the Spanish dictator General Franco.Interviewed guest: Lord Michael Berkeley CBE Interviewed guest: Andrew Green Interviewed guest: Sally Taber Interviewed guest: Nigel Bell Interviewed guest: Robert Hanwell Interviewed guest: Branwen Christie Interviewed guest: Duncan CampbellProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Julian Bream: My Life in Music, Avie 2006; Man With A Guitar, BBC Sound Archive 25/09/1961; East Midlands Today, BBC One 22/05/1997; Man Alive, BBC Two 14/02/1980; Newsroom South East, BBC One 17/06/1991; Profile: Stuart Christie, Radio 4 10/07/1981; By Fair Means or Foul, Radio 4 20/11/1973; Angry Brigade Trial, Sound Arc

Matthew Bannister onHawa Abdi, the Somali doctor who set up a clinic for pregnant women at her home that eventually became a sanctuary for thousands during violence in the country.Clive Ponting, the civil servant who leaked details of the sinking of the Argentine cruiser the General Belgrano during the Falklands War, but was acquitted of breaching the Official Secrets Act.Lee Teng-hui, the first democratically elected President of Taiwan.Richard Brooke, the mountaineer who played a leading role in the Commonwealth Trans Antarctic Expedition of 1957.Interviewed guest: Cindy Sui Interviewed guest: David Brooke Interviewed guest: Sarah J. Robins Interviewed guest: David LeighProducer: Neil George

Pictured: John HumeMatthew Bannister on:John Hume, the politician widely credited with driving through the Northern Ireland peace process.Stan Mellor, who became the first jump jockey to ride one thousand winners.Paulette Wilson, who was wrongly threatened with deportation and went on to campaign for justice for others affected by the Windrush scandal.And the film director Sir Alan Parker, who brought us 'Bugsy Malone', 'Fame' and 'Midnight Express'. His friend and colleague Lord Puttnam pays tribute.Interviewed guest: Denis Murray OBE Interviewed guest: Barry Turley Interviewed guest: Brough Scott MBE Interviewed guest: Patrick Vernon Interviewed guest: Lord David Puttnam CBEProducer: Paula McGinleyArchive clips from: The Signing of the Good Friday Agreement April 1998, Irish Foreign Ministry 16/01/2014; Northern Ireland Peace Agreement, BBC Sound Archive 10/04/1998; Bill Clinton on John Hume, The Pat Kenny Show, Newstalk 04/08/2020; When I'm 64: John Hume, Radio 4 21/08/2001; Londonderry Riots 1969, Pathe N

Pictured: Stuart WheelerMatthew Bannister onStuart Wheeler, the spread betting tycoon who used his millions to fund anti-EU political parties and campaigns.Josephine Cox, the multi-million selling author whose novels often drew on her working class childhood in Blackburn.Miloš Jakeš, the General Secretary of the Czech Communist Party at the time of the Velvet Revolution.Peter Green, the revered guitarist who founded Fleetwood Mac, but later suffered severe mental health problems.Interviewed guest: Philip Collins Interviewed guest: Kimberley Young Interviewed guest: Professor Mary Heimann Interviewed guest: Bernie MarsdenProducer: Steven WilliamsArchive clips from: HARDtalk, BBC News 24 11/10/2019; General Election, ITN 24/05/2001; Nigel Farage on Stuart Wheeler, VoteLeaveMedia 02/04/2009; A Woman’s Fortune by Josephine Cox, read by Carole Boyd, Audible/HarperCollins 2018; Woman's Hour, Radio 4 02/09/1999; Woman’s Hour, Radio 4 09/10/2001; The Lion’s Den by Josephine Cox, read by Robert Glenister, Radio 4 Ex

Matthew Bannister on John Lewis, the leading American civil rights campaigner who was beaten and imprisoned in the 1960s when he marched with Martin Luther King and later served as a Congressman. Tony Elliott CBE, who founded the listings magazine Time Out and oversaw its transformation into a global brand. Wendy Cooling, the former teacher who, through the Bookstart scheme, gave millions of babies and toddlers their first books. Dr Alan Howard, the nutritionist who came up with the Cambridge Diet which became an international commercial success.Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed Guest: Bob Harris Interviewed Guest: Alan Yentob Interviewed Guest: Michael Carlson Interviewed Guest: Justin Somper Interviewed Guest: Jon Howard Interviewed Guest: Julio BrunoArchive clips from: Tomorrow's People, BBC 15/04/1972; Woman's Hour, Radio 4, 01/02/2008; The Perfect Diet?, BBC 2 28/11/1987

Pictured: Jack CharltonMatthew Bannister onThe footballer Jack Charlton, who went from a pit village in Northumberland to become a Leeds United stalwart and member of England’s 1966 World Cup winning team – and then a successful manager of the Republic of Ireland.Zindzi Mandela, the youngest daughter of Nelson Mandela who was an anti-apartheid activist and later South Africa’s ambassador to Denmark. Charles Webb, the author of the novel The Graduate which became a classic film starring Dustin Hoffman. Charles was anti-materialism and gave away his royalties and even his homes.Ida Haendel, the Polish-born violinist known for her interpretations of Walton, Britten and Sibelius, who appeared at the BBC Proms 68 times.Interviewed guest: John Murray Interviewed guest: Milton Nkosi Interviewed guest: Jack Malvern Interviewed guest: Norman LebrechtProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Football Daily, 5 Live 11/07/2020; England v Scotland, BBC Sound Archive 10/04/1965; Desert Island Discs: Jack Charlton, Radio 4 2

Pictured: Ennio MorriconeMatthew Bannister on:Ennio Morricone, the Italian composer best known for his scores for films like The Good, The Bad and the Ugly and The Mission, but keen to be remembered also for his avant garde classical works.Sir Everton Weekes, the outstanding batsman who played a key role in West Indian cricket’s success in the 1940s and 50s.Baroness Maddock, the Liberal Democrat politician who won a stunning victory in the Christchurch by-election in 1993.Earl Cameron, the Bermuda-born actor whose long career included roles in many hit TV series as well as films like Pool of London, Thunderball and Guns at Batasi. Interviewed guest: David Willey Interviewed guest: David Temple Interviewed guest: Donna Symmonds Interviewed guest: BC Pires Interviewed guest: Lord Alan Beith Interviewed guest: Baroness Jenny RandersonProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Outlook, World Service 07/01/2015; Everton Weekes in his own words, Sky Sports January 2019; England v West Windies 1950 Test Match, Pathe