Last Word

Pictured: Oliver KnussenJulian Worricker on:British composer and conductor, Oliver Knussen, described as a towering figure in contemporary music....Barbara Harrell-Bond, who founded and then directed the Refugee Studies Centre at Oxford University....The media executive, Sam Chisholm, who drove the development of multi-channel television in Britain....Steve Ditko, the American artist and writer best known as co-creator of the Marvel Comics superheroes Spider-Man and Doctor Strange...and the last Transylvanian aristocrat to have lived through the communist purges, Anna Sandor de Kenos.Archive clips from: Jonathan Ross in Search of Steve Ditko, BBC Four, 16/09/07; Music Matters, Radio 3, 09/07/18; Horizon: Exodus, BBC Two, 06/03/95; Breakfast Time, BBC One, 05/01/89.

Photo: Lord CarringtonMatthew Bannister onLord Carrington, the Conservative Foreign Secretary who resigned after the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands.Karen Finch, the textile conservator who restored the garments of Bonnie Prince Charlie and Marlene Dietrich among many others. Claude Lanzmann, the French film maker best known for Shoah, the nine and a half hour documentary about the holocaust.Harlan Ellison, the outspoken American science fiction writer who published 70 books, more than 400 short stories and countless essays. Producer: Neil George.

Photo: Dame Gillian LynneMatthew Bannister on:The choreographer Dame Gillian Lynne, best known for her work on Cats and the Phantom of the Opera.Peter Firmin who, with his partner Oliver Postgate, created beloved children's TV characters like the Clangers, Noggin the Nog and Bagpuss.Reinhard Hardegen the last surviving U boat ace who took part in attacks on the East Coast of America in 1942 and Alan Longmuir, founder member of the Bay City Rollers. Archive clips from: Front Row, Radio 4, TX 2.7.2018.

Photo: Joe JacksonMatthew Bannister onJoe Jackson who drilled his children into becoming the Jackson Five, but was accused of abusive and violent behaviour by his most successful son, Michael.Paul Lamplugh, whose daughter Suzy was abducted and never found. He worked with his wife to campaign for greater safety for women working alone.Myrtle Allen, the chef who pioneered farm-to-table cooking at her family home in Ireland and became the country's first woman to win a Michelin star.Daisy Kadibil whose one thousand two hundred mile walk across Australia inspired the film Rabbit-Proof Fence. And Paddy Feeny who presented Top of the Form and sport on the BBC World Service for more than thirty years.Archive clips from: Woman's Hour, Radio 4 17/04/2006; The Best Dishes Ever, BBC Two 18/02/2016; Saturday Kitchen Best Bites, BBC Two 23/03/2014; The Best Dishes Ever, BBC Two 18/02/2016; MasterChef, BBC One 07/07/1991; Rabbit-Proof Fence, BBC One 26/12/2008; Top of the Form, Radio 4 22/12/1981.

Photo: Maria BuenoMatthew Bannister onThe conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky who brought Russian music to the UK - and British music to Russia.Maria Bueno, the Brazilian tennis player who won Wimbledon three times. Gena Turgel the holocaust survivor who married one of the British soldiers who liberated her.Zhao Kangmin, the Chinese archaeologist who played an important role in the discovery of the Terracotta Army.Leo Sarkisian the musicologist who travelled across Africa and brought back countless recordings for the Voice of America radio station. Interviewed guest: Robert Slotover Interviewed guest: Gerard McBurney Interviewed guest: Richard Evans Interviewed guest: Karen Pollock Interviewed guest: Paul Martin Interviewed guest: John Man Interviewed guest: Maria MargaronisArchive clips from: Prom 31, BBC Proms 2007, Radio 3, 05/08/2007; Proms on One, BBC One, 04/09/1992; The Gloria Hunniford Show, Radio 2, 08/07/1991; Radio 1 Newsbeat, 13/04/1995; Remembrance Week, BBC One, 05/11/2012; The Time of Your Life, B

Photo: Leslie GranthamTina Daheley on Peter Mayer, the publisher who was given a fatwa for printing 'The Satanic Verses'. Professor Celia Brackenridge, the sports scientist who campaigned for child protection in sport. Anthony Bourdain, American TV chef and author of 'Kitchen Confidential'. Leslie Grantham, the actor better known as 'Dirty Den' in EastEnders. Singer Teddy Johnson, part of the double act with Pearl Carr, who represented the UK in the 1959 Eurovision Song Contest.Archive clips from: Kaleidoscope, Radio 4 20/10/1985; View at the Top, Radio 4 03/09/1985; Bookshelf, Radio 4 02/06/1985; Woman's Hour, Radio 4 05/05/2008; Front Row, Radio 4 14/08/2000; Midweek, Radio 4 23/01/2002; Book of the Week, Radio 4 23/01/2002; A Cook's Tour, Radio 4 Extra 25/11/2010; Kitchen Confidential, Radio 4 Extra 28/05/17; The Gloria Hunniford Show, Radio 2 08/07/1991; Desmond Carrington's Icons of the 50s, Radio 2 18/01/2011; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 09/04/1989.

Photo: Peter StringfellowTina Daheley on the nightclub owner Peter Stringfellow, who introduced nude table dancing to Britain.Graham Corbett, the first Chairman of Postcomm, and Eurotunnel's chief financial officer. Kate Spade, American fashion designer who rose to fame with her range of handbags in the 1990s.John Julius Norwich, aristocratic man of letters, historian, travel writer and broadcaster.Eli Avivi, self-proclaimed president of the independent state of Achzivland in Israel. Interviewed guest: Fiona Lafferty Interviewed guest: Anne Corbett Interviewed guest: Robert Peston Interviewed guest: Artemis Cooper Interviewed guest: Raffi BergArchive clips from: BBC Radio Sheffield, 2012; Archive Hour: Clubbin', 21/09/2002 Radio 4; God of the Week, 01/01/94 Radio 1; Richard Bacon: Peter Stringfellow and Adam Henson, 01/03/2011 5 Live; The Today Programme, 26/03/2001 Radio 4; The Today Programme, 03/10/02 Radio 4; Chronicle: The Fall of Constantinople, 25/11/1967 BBC TV; Round Britain Quiz, 20/09/93 Radio 4; F

Photo: Anne Coates OBEMatthew Bannister on the prolific film editor Anne Coates, who worked on Laurence of Arabia, The Elephant Man and Fifty Shades of Grey.John Ashdown-Hill, the historian who helped to discover the bones of Richard III under a Leicester car park.Dr Davida Coady who travelled the world from Biafra to Honduras helping the sick and starving.Ted Dabney - one half of the partnership that started the successful computer games company AtariBrendan Ingle, the Sheffield based boxing trainer who developed the careers of Herol "Bomber" Graham and "Prince" Naseem Hamed. Archive clips from: Back Row, Radio 4 15/12/00; Front Row, Radio 4 07/12/16; Woman's Hour, Radio 4 13/02/07; BBC News 24, 04/02/13; People's Century 1954: Living Longer, WGBH and BBC Worldwide 05/01/97; Newsnight, BBC Two 27/10/81; Sport on 4, Radio 4 04/03/95; World Championship Snooker, BBC Two 03/05/09.

Photo: Philip RothJulian Worricker on:Beth Chatto, the gardener and writer regarded as one of the most influential horticulturists of the past 50 yearsThe multiple award-winning American novelist, Philip Roth...author of Portnoy's Complaint and American PastoralDoreen Simmons, who moved to Japan in her forties and became an authority on sumo wrestlingBritain's first Muslim judge, Khurshid Drabu, described as a pioneer in promoting community cohesionAnd June Milne, writer, publisher, and trusted guardian of the works of independent Ghana's first leader, Kwame Nkrumah.Archive clips from: The Cancer of Betrayal, 03/03/07 Radio 4; Woman's Hour, 18/08/08 Radio 4; Gardening Gurus, 30/01/00 Radio 4; Front Row, 27/06/11 Radio 4; The World Tonight, 15/07/05 Radio 4; Sumo wrestling commentary, NHK TV.

Matthew Bannister onBaroness Jowell - the former Labour Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell - who led the campaign to bring the Olympic Games to London and supported the survivors of the 7/7 bombings.Tom Wolfe, author of The Right Stuff and Bonfire of the Vanities and a pioneer of using literary techniques to tell factual stories.Dennis Nilsen, who killed up to fifteen young men at his home in North London before dismembering their bodies. Kate Adie recalls covering the story for the BBC.And Will Alsop, the maverick architect who won the Stirling Prize for designing the Peckham Library in South London.Presenter: Matthew Bannister Producer: Neil George.

Matthew Bannister onBruce Tulloh, who ran across the United States in record time and became European 5,000 metres champion barefoot. Emma Smith the author of an acclaimed novel based on her travels to India with Laurie Lee.Professor Peter Waddington the sociologist who studied policing and came up with the technique of "kettling" to control street protestsThe Dowager Countess of Harewood, an Australian former model whose affair with the married Earl caused a scandal in the 1960s.And Ronald Chesney, half of the writing partnership that brought us the hit TV sitcoms The Rag Trade and On The Buses. Presenter: Matthew Bannister Producer: Neil George.

Matthew Bannister onLord Martin of Springburn: the former House of Commons speaker Michael Martin. He resigned after MPs lost confidence in his handling of the row over their expenses. Caroline Brown, the cellist who founded the Hanover Band to perform the works of Beethoven, Haydn and Schubert on period instruments.Valerie Riches, who campaigned for traditional family values and against abortion.Gustav Born, the pharmacologist who made significant discoveries about blood clotting.Michael Anderson, the prolific film director best known for making The Dam Busters.Producer: Neil George.

Matthew Bannister onAvicii, the Swedish DJ whose songs became anthems for millions of festival goers around the world. He was found dead aged 28 in Oman. Dr. Ruth Nussenzweig the medical researcher who laid the foundations for the development of a vaccine for malaria.Anita Shreve, the author of 18 novels, including The Pilot's Wife which sold more than three million copies.Guy Playfair, the ghost hunter who investigated the controversial Enfield Poltergeist in the 1970s. And Bob Bura, half of the animation team that brought us Trumpton, Camberwick Green and Chigley.

Matthew Bannister onBarbara Bush, the first woman in history to see both her husband and son sworn in as President of the USA. Milos Forman, the film director who made Amadeus and the multi Oscar winning One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.Dame Daphne Sheldrick who devoted her life to saving elephants orphaned by poachers and other Kenyan wild animals.Livia Gollancz, the french horn player who took over the running of the family's successful publishing house from her father. And Dale Winton who presented Pick of the Pops on radio and Supermarket Sweep on TV.Producer: Neil George.

Photo: Gillian AyresMatthew Bannister onThe artist Gillian Ayres, known for her large, exuberant abstract paintings, which reflected her exuberant character.General Efraín Ríos Montt, the Guatemalan dictator who was convicted of genocide against his own people.David Cobham, the naturalist and film maker who brought Tarka the Otter to the screen.Nikki Sievwright, the Sixties model who went on to serve in the Ulster Defence Regiment.Fergus Anckorn, who used his skill as a magician to win food for his fellow inmates in Japanese prisoner of war camps.

Photo: Winnie Madikizela-MandelaMatthew Bannister onWinnie Madikizela-Mandela who was one of the leading anti apartheid campaigners in South Africa, but also faced allegations of being involved in violence and fraud. Drue Heinz, who used the money from her husband's canned food business to become a major supporter of writers and artists.Ray Wilkins, the footballer who captained England and played for 12 different clubs including Chelsea and Manchester United.Eric Bristow, five times world darts champion.And Steven Bochco, the American TV writer and producer who brought us Hill Street Blues and LA Law. Archive clips: Sport on Four, Radio 4 12/01/1985; Sporting Greats, BBC TV 30/03/1999; Woman's Hour, Radio 4 02/10/1986.

Photo: Zena SkinnerJulian Worricker on:Charles P Lazarus, the founder of Toys 'R' Us - a store chain which, for decades, captured the hearts of consumers around the worldBrazilian political activist Marielle Franco, who grew up in the favelas and was elected to Rio city council Landscape designer John Brookes, described as 'the man who made the modern garden'....Zena Skinner, one of the most popular chefs on television in the 1960s and 70sAnd convicted Nazi war criminal, Oskar Groning, who became known as the bookkeeper of AuschwitzArchive clips from: AUSCHWITZ: THE NAZIS AND ‘THE FINAL SOLUTION’, BBC ONE 11/01/2005; GARDENER’S WORLD, BBC TWO; GARDENER’S QUESTION TIME, RADIO 4

Photo: Lady Dean of Thornton-le-FyldeMatthew Bannister onLady Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde who, as Brenda Dean, was the leader of the print union Sogat during the bitter Wapping dispute of 1986.Sir William McAlpine who combined running the family construction business with a passion for saving the UK's railway heritage, including the Flying Scotsman.Cardinal Keith O'Brien who resigned as Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh after apologising for sexual misconduct.Katie Boyle, the TV and radio broadcaster who presented the Eurovision Song Contest.Garech Browne, who devoted himself to recording and promoting Ireland's traditional music.Archive clips from: WOMAN'S HOUR, RADIO 4 23/08/1981; A LIFE IN QUESTION, RADIO 4 21/12/2003; BBC NEWS, RADIO 4 24/02/2010; SUNDAY, RADIO 4 19/03/2012; THE REUNION, RADIO 4 25/08/2017; LEGENDS:THE CHIEFTAINS, BBC TV 14/03/2008; FRANCIS BACON: A BRUSH WITH VIOLENCE, BBC TV 28/01/2017.

Photo: Professor Stephen HawkingMatthew Bannister onProfessor Stephen Hawking, one of the world's best known scientists who carried out pioneering research into black holes. The Astronomer Royal, Sir Martin Rees pays tribute.Hubert de Givenchy, the French fashion designer who dressed Audrey Hepburn.Michele Hanson who wrote a popular newspaper column about her struggles to bring up her teenage daughter. That daughter - Amy - pays tribute.Sir John Sulston, the biologist who led the project to sequence the human genome.And the comedian Sir Ken Dodd, whose shows could last into the early hours of the morning.Archive clips from:TODAY PROGRAMME, RADIO 4 14/3/2018; THE KEY TO THE UNIVERSE:THE SEARCH FOR THE LAWS OF CREATION, BBC TV 27/01/1977; KEN DODD:HOW TICKLED I'VE BEEN, RADIO 2 03/11/2007; DESERT ISLAND DISCS, RADIO 4 03/06/1990; HOME TRUTHS, RADIO 4 03/01/2004; LATE NIGHT WOMAN’S HOUR, RADIO 4 26/05/2017; THE LIFE SCIENTIFIC, RADIO 4 29/11/2011; DESERT ISLAND DISCS, RADIO 4 13/05/2001

Photo: Sir Roger BannisterMatthew Bannister onTrevor Baylis, the eccentric inventor who came up with the wind up radio.Lerone Bennett, the American academic who wrote many influential books on black history including "Before the Mayflower".Penny Vincenzi the best selling novelist who told stories of glamorous heroines, romance and business intrigue.Ian Aitken one of the UK's most influential political columnists. Jim Naughtie pays tribute.Sir Roger Bannister, the neurologist who was the first person to run the mile in under four minutes. We'll find out what happened when he tried to help me do the same. Producer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: MATTHEW BANNISTER, Radio 5 Live 5.5.2004; TOMORROW'S WORLD, BBC TV 24.9.1997 and 15.4.1994; GO4IT, BBC TV 11.5.2008; ABRAHAM LINCOLN:SAINT OR SINNER, BBC TV 3.2.2011; RADIO 2 ARTS PROGRAMME 13.10.2000; KALEIDOSCOPE, RADIO 4 14.11.1995.