Last Word

Julian 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.Producer: Laura NorthedgeInterviewed guest: Simon Halsey Interviewed guest: Nicholas Payne Interviewed guest: Jonathan Head Interviewed guest: Barbara Patilla Interviewed guest: Simon Elmes Interviewed guest: Sam Dunn

Matthew Bannister onJackie 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 GeorgeInterviewed guest: Michael Goldfarb Interviewed guest: Jonathan Agnew Interviewed guest: Fergus Murray Interviewed guest: Dr Rebecca Wood Interviewed guest: Sue GoodchildArchive clips used: 20th CENTURY FOX, Simpsons episode 8F05, 1991; WARNER, The World According To Me, 1987; YouTube, A Bi Geznut The Genius Which is Jackie Mason; Angel/EMI, Look Who's Laughing - Live at the London Palladium, 1997; SPORTS BOOK AWARDS, John Woodcock, 2018; WISEArchive, Bill Lacey interview, 2021.

Matthew Bannister onGillian 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 magazines of the late twentieth century, including 'Sounds', 'NME' and 'Kerrang!'.Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Bruce Donaldson Interviewed guest: Malcolm Fare Interviewed guest: Richard Greenwood Interviewed guest: Dr. Robert Owen Interviewed guest: James BrownArchive clips used: BRITISH FENCING interview, 2012; PATHE, Olympian wins at foil competition, 1957; CSA The Melbourne Rendezvous film, 1956; Global Entertainment Test Tube Foals, 2016; MYFOOTAGE.COM Bombers Sink Nazi Battleship, 1944; PATHE RAF's New 10 Ton Bomb, 1945; EMAP Kerrang! UK advert, 2007.

Matthew 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 GeorgeInterviewed guest: Noah Bakr Interviewed guest: Shibley Telhami Interviewed guest: Adam Horovitz Interviewed guest: John Hegley Interviewed guest: Matthias Ernst Interviewed guest: Professor Kurt Wüthrich Interviewed guest: Anil SinananArchive clips used: ABC NEWS, 06/10/1980; SPINE TV, 21/12/2011; Optic Nerve Ltd 2011-2021; Martin Packard, You Tube 2010; Devdas film, 1955; Kohinoor film, 1960; Mughal-E-Azam film, 1960.

Matthew Bannister onDonald 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 GeorgeInterviewed guest: Justin Webb Interviewed guest: Andrew Cockburn Interviewed guest: Joy Francis Interviewed guest: David Somerset Interviewed guest: John BennetArchive clips used: C-SPAN 19/03/2003; CNN 02/12/2002; AP 13/05/2004; Step Forward Youth 1977 by Menelik Shabazz; Burning an Illusion 1981 by Menelik Shabazz; Blood Ah Go Run 1981 by Menelik Shabazz; Autumn Breeze Movies, Mycenaean War and Peace 24/05/2010; Introduction to Mycenaeans and Mycenaean Culture, History with Cy 21/06/2019; History Victorum, The Citadel of Mycenae 04/06/2020.

Matthew 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 destabilised the government of South Vietnam during the war of the 1960s.Karla Burns, the Broadway and West End singer who became the first black person to win an Olivier Award. Horace 'Lyle' Hutley, thought to be the last surviving prisoner of war who worked on the infamous bridge over the River Kwai.Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Michael Carlson Interviewed guest: Nanette Burstein Interviewed guest: Professor Lien-Hang T. Nguyen Interviewed guest: Bill Ripper Interviewed guest: Allan MallinsonArchive clips used: CNBC News, 24/06/2021; Soft Focus with Jena Friedman, Adult Swim 2019; John McAfee on Larry King, Ora TV 11/03/2016; President Johnson Speaks on the Vietnam Crisis, British Pathe 1964; The Fall of Saigon, CBC News 1975; One On One, PBS 02/01/2019; It’s All Good With Sierra, Wichita Public TV 14/06/2012; The Battle of Dunkirk, British Pathe 1940; The Fall of Singapore, British Pathe/Gaumont/Reuters 1942; Far East Prisoners of War Return Home, British Movietone 11/10/1945.

Pictured: President Kenneth KaundaMatthew Bannister onThe 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 hits included Evita and Blood Brothers.Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Maureen Nkandu Interviewed guest: Katie Roife Interviewed guest: Darren Johnson Interviewed guest: Caroline Lucas Interviewed guest: Michael Coveney Interviewed guest: Willy RussellArchive clips used: Zambian Independence Celebrations, BBC Archives, October 1964; Reading Chekhov, Radio 3 08/07/2004; A Brunch Conversation with Janet Malcolm, Kelly Writers’ House 19/03/2013; Today, Radio 4 13/09/2002; Greens On The Record, BBC One 24/09/1989; The World This Weekend, Radio 4 16/04/2006; Taking Issue, BBC Radio Scotland 30/01/1986.

Pictured: Edward de BonoMatthew Bannister onEdward 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 Elvin, the Russian ballerina who made her name as a rival to Dame Margot Fonteyn at the Royal Ballet.Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Sarah Tucker Interviewed guest: Steve Van Doren Interviewed guest: Nicholas Smith Interviewed guest: Angus Hanton Interviewed guest: Raffaele Lauro Interviewed guest: Ronald Hynd Translator: Martin EspositoArchive clips used: Logical and Lateral, Radio 4 29/12/1976; Today, Radio 4 29/04/1976; Fast Times at Ridgemont High, directed by Amy Heckerling, Universal Pictures 1982; LA Olympics Opening Ceremony, ABC News 1984; Alastair Hanton Oral History, The Hanton Family 2021.

Matthew 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 performed to women-only audiences. Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Tommie Smith Interviewed guest: Professor Douglas Hartmann Interviewed guest: Keith Bradsher Interviewed guest: Charles Harvey Interviewed guest: Liza CowanArchive clips used: Athletics_400 Metres Final: BBC One, TX 18.10.1968; A Classless Civil Service: Radio 3, TX 10.7.1968; BBC News: BBC One, TX 28.2.1984

Matthew Bannister onThe 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 a member of the first all-female British expedition to the Himalayas. Producer: Rabeka NurmahomedInterviewed guest: Oliver Jeffers Interviewed guest: Julia Eccleshare Interviewed guest: Dr Bill Carroll Interviewed guest: Philip Parsons Interviewed guest: Kate RossArchive clips used: Open Book: Radio 4, TX 4.5.1999; The Severn Bridge at 50_A High Wire Act: BBC One Wales, TX 7.9.2016; Ladies Scottish Climbing Club: Radio Scotland, TX 20.12.2006

Julian 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 and who worked alongside Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock and Charlie Chaplin.Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Dr Gillian Leng Interviewed guest: Jeremy Hunt Interviewed guest: Simon Taylor Interviewed guest: Tom Brown Interviewed guest: Donogh O’BrienArchive clips used: BBC News: BBC One, TX 7.3.2018; BBC News, BBC One, TX 25.10.2014; Today Programme: Radio 4, TX 24.5.2021; On the Ropes: Radio 4, TX 1.3.2011; Today: Radio 4, TX 22.11.1984; Brain of Britain: Radio 4, TX 12.9.1977; Art for the Millions: Radio 4, TX 1.2.2018

Matthew Bannister onDr. 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 GeorgeInterviewed guest: Linda Spencer Interviewed guest: Art Fry Interviewed guest: Tom Sutcliffe Interviewed guest: Iona Brown Interviewed guest: Dr Tessa Dunlop Interviewed guest: Beneberu Demissie Kassa Interviewed guest: Revd Canon Tim KinahanArchive clips used: Twenty Minutes_Dutch Icons_Vermeer: Radio 3, TX 8.10.2002; Saturday Review: Radio 4, TX 9.11.2019

Matthew 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 life. The former poet laureate Andrew Motion pays tribute. Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Gregory Pappas Interviewed guest: Armistead Maupin Interviewed guest: Rachel Billington Interviewed guest: Noel ‘Razor’ Smith Interviewed guest: Ann Thwaite Interviewed guest: Andrew MotionArchive clips used: Hardtalk: BBC One, TX 19.3.2001; In Living Memory: Strangeways riot: Radio 4, TX 20.4.2005

Matthew Bannister onBaroness 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 Steinman, the songwriter whose masterwork “Bat Out Of Hell” became one of the best-selling albums of all time.Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Lord Faulkner of Worcester Interviewed guest: Sir Nicholas Kenyon Interviewed guest: Lou Nicolait Interviewed guest: Andrea Polanco Interviewed guest: Meat Loaf Interviewed guest: Don BlackArchive clips used: The Farming Week: Radio 4, TX 1.8.1987; Woman's Hour: Radio 4, TX 17.10.1989; 13 Minutes to the Moon: World Service, TX 15.5.2019; Naomi's Nightmares of Nature: CBBC, TX 2.7.2014; Simon Bates interview with Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman, recorded circa 1993, TX unknown; World at One: Radio 4, TX 21.4.2021; I Write the Songs - Series 3: Radio Wales, TX 12.3.2016

Matthew 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 their height the band provoked the same hysteria from fans as the Beatles had done a decade earlier. Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Ashley Crowther Interviewed guest: Tony Wheeler Interviewed guest: Hiroshi Amano Interviewed guest: Professor Russell Dupuis Interviewed guest: Dana Thomas Interviewed guest: Billy Sloan Interviewed guest: Nina MyskowArchive clips used: Newsnight: BBC One, TX 5.8.1999

Matthew Bannister onHelen 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 North London newspaper the Camden Journal and turned its fortunes around. George Reynolds, the colourful ex-offender who became a multi-millionaire, bought his local football club Darlington FC and once offered to pay off the mortgages of many of his employees and give them each a Mercedes car. Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: David Hare Interviewed guest: Mark Strong Interviewed guest: Michael Coveney Interviewed guest: David Willey Interviewed guest: Charles Curran Interviewed guest: Kim Gordon Interviewed guest: Mike AmosArchive clips used: Sunday programme: Radio 4, TX 7.10.2012; Infallibility Questioned - Prof. Hans Kung: Radio 4, TX 24.7.1971; BBC News: BBC One, TX 16.12.1968; Twenty-Four Hours - Gordon Family Interview: Radio 4, TX 20.10.1969; BBC News: BBC One, TX 16.10.1969; Midweek: Radio 4, TX 2.4.2003; Homeground - George Reynolds Playing By His Own Rules: BBC 2, TX 16.3.2004; Desert Island Discs – Helen McCrory: Radio 4, TX 3.7.2020

Matthew 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 which he played a key role in saving the astronauts' lives. His fellow flight director Gerry Griffin pays tribute.And Lyn Macdonald, the historian who documented the testimony of ordinary First World War soldiers. The author Sebastian Faulks tells us how she inspired his best-selling novel “Birdsong”. Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Julia Langdon Interviewed guest: Lord David Owen Interviewed guest: Gerry Griffin Interviewed guest: Kevin Fong Interviewed guest: Sebastian FaulksArchive clips used: Desert Island Discs - Shirley Williams: Radio 4, TX 3.2.2006; World At One: Launch of SDP: Radio 4, TX 26.3.1981; BBC News: BBC One, TX 29.11.1959; The Reunion – The Gang of Four: Radio 4, TX 17.8.2018; I Died In Hell... They Called It Passchendaele: Radio 4, TX 26.10.1977; Woman's Hour: Radio 4, TX 9.11.1974

Matthew Bannister onDoreen 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 became a TV star.Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Duncan Lofthouse Interviewed guest: David Pearce Interviewed guest: Dr Andy Smith Interviewed guest: Iain Dale Interviewed guest: Lawrence LeverArchive clips used: Women of the Year: BBC One, TX 16.10.1989; Government ad re preparations for the European Single Market: BBC One, TX 12.7.1990; Horizon: Antarctica - Ice Station Rescue: BBC Two, TX 5.2.2018; The Emma Barnett Show: Radio 4, TX 14.2.2018; The Morning Show: BBC One, TX 14.2.2003; Woman’s Hour: Radio 4, TX 4.6.1999

Matthew Bannister onBob 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 injury.Tony Hendra, the outrageous British-born comedian who made his name in America. He edited the magazine National Lampoon, wrote for Spitting Image and played the manager of Spinal Tap in the classic spoof rockumentary. Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Nick Ullett Interviewed guest: Sue Gattuso Interviewed guest: Michael Goldfarb Interviewed guest: Laura LeviArchive clips used: Making History: Radio 4, TX 8.5.2012; BBC NEWS: BBC One, TX 11.7.1969

Matthew 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 senior Romanian intelligence officer who defected to the West and lived the rest of his life under a secret identity. Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Mona Eltahawy Interviewed guest: Sally Nabil Interviewed guest: John Thomas Interviewed guest: Brigadier Norman Allen Interviewed guest: Zuhura Yunus Interviewed guest: Prof Ronald RychlakArchive clips used: Woman’s Hour: Radio 4, TX 25.7.2011; Woman at Point Zero: Radio 4, TX 19.4.1993; Breakfast News: BBC One, TX 14.7.1988

Julian 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 AspreyKing 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 GeorgeInterviewed guest: Simon Taylor Interviewed guest: Nomsa Maseko Interviewed guest: Sophie Macaulay Interviewed guest: Trevor McDonald Interviewed guest: David Katz Interviewed guest: Clive AllickDesert Island Discs: Radio 4, TX 16.3.2014; 5 Live Sport Special - Murray Walker (BBC Podcast); BBC News: BBC One, TX 24.9.1994; BBC News: BBC One, TX 26.5.1991; The learning zone: BBC 2, TX 15.1.1998

Matthew Bannister onNicola 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 scanner.Rupert Neve, the recording engineer who designed mixing desks revered by rock stars and music producers. Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Simon Williams Interviewed guest: Michael Coveney Interviewed guest: Prof David Lurie Interviewed guest: Dave Harries Interviewed guest: Phil WardArchive clips used: Woman’s Hour: Radio 4, TX 23.9.1997; Shelford Interviews: Rupert Neve discusses how technologies in the 60's changed sound engineering

Matthew Bannister onSheikh 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 been compared to Jane Austen.Chris Barber, the jazz trombonist and band leader who was a leading figure in the trad boom of the 1960s.Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Dr Mai Yamani Interviewed guest: Javier Blas Interviewed guest: Jeffrey Robinson Interviewed guest: Roland Alford Interviewed guest: Prof Judith NewmanArchive clips used: Panorama: BBC One, TX 20.11.1973; Book at Bedtime – Foreign Affairs: Radio 4, TX 11.10.2004; Desert Island Discs: Radio 4, TX 9.3.1985; 15 Minute Drama - Imaginary Friends: Radio 4, TX 11.7.2011; Chris Barber - Leader of the Band: Radio 2, TX 20.4.2011

Matthew Bannister onSir 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 company executive to write jokes once described as “blue chip filth” for “I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue”.Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Lord Brown Interviewed guest: Joshua Rozenberg Interviewed guest: Marilyn Carr Interviewed guest: Wanjira Mathai Interviewed guest: Jon Naismith Interviewed guest: Nick Utechin Interviewed guest: Jack DeeArchive clips from: Pathe News (A.T.A. 1943); Kaleidoscope: Radio 4, TX 9.2.1991; I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue: Radio 4, TX 15.12.2020 and TX 21.6.1999.

Matthew 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, the multi-millionaire pornographer who saw himself as a champion of free speech. Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Jill Hedges Interviewed guest: Professor Ernesto Calvo Interviewed guest: John Tuckwell Interviewed guest: Michael Pollitt Interviewed guest: Adam White Interviewed guest: Peter WhiteArchive clips from: Breakfast with Frost, BBC One, TX 25.10.1998; Midweek, Radio 4, TX 2.3.2011; Ken Bruce, Radio 2, TX 16.9.2019; BBC Breakfast, BBC One, TX 12.7.1994; No Triumph No Tragedy - Larry Flynt, Radio 4, TX 19.1.1999

Matthew Bannister onGeorge 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 played many roles on stage and screen, but will always be remembered as Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music.Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Angela Errigo Interviewed guest: Rose Gottemoeller Interviewed guest: Philip Taubman Interviewed guest: Denise Patrick Interviewed guest: Dame Angela Eagle Interviewed guest: Peter TatchellArchive clips from: Maureen Colquhoun on Countdown to Number 10, Radio 4 TX 3.5.1979; I Was Britain’s First Black Headteacher, BBC World Service TV, TX 8.3.2020; West Indian Teacher, Pathe News TX 1969; William Shatner’s memories of Christopher Plummer, BBC World News TX 5.2.2021

Matthew Bannister onThe 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 became a national hero when he raised millions of pounds for NHS charities as he approached his 100th birthday. Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Julian Muscat Interviewed guest: Brough Scott Interviewed guest: Matt Wolfe Interviewed guest: Prof Jim SmithArchive clips from: Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 TX 25.6.1996; The Essay, Radio 3 TX 25.3.2008; Conversations, Radio 3 TX 27.3.1993; The Michael Ball Show, Radio 2 TX 6.9.2020

Matthew Bannister onLarry 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, Film and Television in Bradford.Gerry Cottle, the charismatic circus owner who overcame bankruptcy and sex and cocaine addiction to evolve the art form as public tastes changedProducer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Christiane Amanpour Interviewed guest: Michael Carlson Interviewed guest: Sir Roger Gifford Interviewed guest: Sir Andrew Parmley Interviewed guest: Heather Mayfield Interviewed guest: David Morgan Interviewed guest: Professor Vanessa Toulmin Interviewed guest: John HazeArchive clips from: Profile, Radio 4 TX 26.03.1974; In Tune, Radio 3 TX 14.10.2016; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 TX 21.9.1984

Matthew 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 GeorgeInterviewed guest: Mick Brown Interviewed guest: Prof. Amanda Hopkinson Interviewed guest: David AinsworthArchive clips from: Five Master Photographers, Radio 3 TX 14.8.1990; Olympic Memories Part 3/6 - Mexico 1968, Radio 4 TX 1.4.1984; Olympics 1964: 50km walk, Radio 4 TX 18.10.1964

Julian 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 never acknowledge that the language he was expert in was anything other than alive.Producer: Neil GeorgeInterviewed guest: Claire Lewis Interviewed guest: Shelley Joffre Interviewed guest: Nicola Sturgeon Interviewed guest: Julie Welch Interviewed guest: David WilleyArchive from: Today Programme, Radio 4 TX 8.1.2021; On Top of A Column, Radio 4 TX 14.7.1971; A Point of View, Radio 4 TX 12.9.2008; Reginald Foster, High Priest of Latin, Radio 4 TX 16.4.1992; Today Programme, Radio 4 TX 27.12.2008; A World in Your Ear, Radio 4 TX 19.12.2003

Matthew Bannister onSir 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 Pacemakers, best known for his hit versions of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “Ferry ‘Cross The Mersey”.Interviewed guest: Alison Bernays Interviewed guest: Andrew Gilmour Interviewed guest: Rowley Leigh Interviewed guest: Brian Yates Interviewed guest: Peter Parfet Interviewed guest: Spencer LeighProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips used: Profile: Brian Urquhart, Radio 4, 28.2.1981; Pathe News – Shaping the Future; The Liberation of Bergen Belsen –WS Historic Moments; Desert Island Discs: Albert & Michel Roux, Radio 4, 1986; Albert & Michel Roux on Roux Scholarship – YouTube; File on 4: Quangos, Radio 4, 7.6.1978; Farming Today, Radio 4, 17.10.1988

Matthew 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 Nicholas Stadlen Interviewed guest: Christopher Riley Interviewed guest: Laura Tenenbaum Interviewed guest: Haroon RashidArchive clips from: HARDtalk, BBC News 11/10/2011; Remembering Rivonia, BBC World Service 06/03/2018; Nelson Mandela Released from Prison, BBC News Archive 11/02/1990; The Fantastic Mr Feynman, dir. Christopher Riley, BBC2 12/05/2013; Bobby, R.K. Films Ltd 28/09/1973; Prem Rog, K.R. Films Ltd. 31/07/1982; Agneepath, Dharma Productions/Eros International 26/01/2012.Producer: Dan Hardoon

Julian Worricker onMillie 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, who was instrumental in bringing in shopping on a Sunday, cheaper air fares and better food labelling.Interviewed guest: Chris Blackwell Interviewed guest: Chris Salewicz Interviewed guest: Phil Bennett Interviewed guest: Petroc Trelawny Interviewed guest: Richard ThomasProducer: Paul Waters

Matthew 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 adventures. Dame Barbara Windsor – the much loved actor who went from Carry On to Eastenders.Interviewed guest: Adam Sisman Interviewed guest: Sir Chris Bonnington Interviewed guest: Denise Prior Interviewed guest: Alice Thomson Interviewed guest: Michael MorpurgoProducer: Neil George

Matthew Bannister onMario 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 passionate supporter of closer European integration. Peter Alliss, the jovial former player who became known as TV’s “Voice of Golf”Interviewed guest: Tony Adamson Interviewed guest: Prof James Shields Interviewed guest: Konstantin Akinsha Interviewed guest: Dr Tony CoxProducer: Neil George

Matthew 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 expert in animal behaviour who studied the matriarchal society of the dwarf mongoose and then set up a sanctuary for meerkats in the Kalahari region.The Spanish DJ Jose Padilla who pioneered chill out music by providing a soundtrack to the sunset on Ibiza. Producer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Final Ascent: The Legend of Hamish MacInnes, BBC 4, 01/11/2020; Singular Scots, Radio 4, 12/09/1991; A Time to Talk, Radio Scotland, 10/01/1974; The Eiger Sanction, The Malpaso Company/ Universal Pictures; Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Python (Monty) Pictures / EMI Films; Natural Selection: Mongoose, BBC Bristol, 25/10/1985; Jóse Padilla – An Ibiza Original, A Fact Magazine Documentary; Moments in Love: A History of Chillout Music, Radio 2, 01.05.2004

Pictured: Diego MaradonaMatthew 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 than 50 books chronicling her travels around the world and one describing her decision to undergo gender reassignment surgery. Interviewed guest: Asif Kapadia Interviewed guest: Chris King Interviewed guest: Patrick Costeloe Interviewed guest: Paul ClementsProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Today, Radio 4 26/11/2020; 5 Live Breakfast, 26/11/2020; Diego Maradona, directed by Asif Kapadia, On The Corner/Film 4 14/06/2019; Match Commentary: World Cup 1990 Semi Final - Italy v Argentina, BBC Sound Archive 1990; Woman’s Hour, Radio 4 29/03/2003; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 16/06/2002; Profile, Radio 4 01/06/1978; The Verb, Radio 4 14/02/2020.

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 06/10/2011; Jimmy Tarbuck, ITV News 16/11/2020; This Morning, ITV 16/11/2020; Countdown, Channel 4 29/09/2008; Good Morning Britain, ITV 16/11/2020; Tomorrow's World, BBC One 15/01/1997; Ataullah Siddiqui, Cardiff University/Islam UK 21/01/2019.

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 Interviewed guest: Lara TambacopoulouProducer: Neil GeorgeArchive clips from: Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 26/041991; Sunday, Radio 4 25/08/2013; Today, Radio 4 28/11/2019; Whose Line Is It Anyway, Channel 4 1988; Whose Line Is It Anyway, Radio 4 February 1988; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 25/02/1990; Finding Your Feet, directed by Richard Loncraine, Eclipse Films 2017; Napoleon by John Sessions, directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh 1989; Margaret, directed by James Kent, Great Meadow Productions 2009; Future Primitive: Heartmending, 23/08/2020; My Psychedelic Love Story, directed by Errol Morris, Fourth Floor Productions 22/10/2020; Good Morning Britain, ITV 31/05/2019; D-Day Veteran Goes Back to the Beaches, BBC Three Counties Radio 06/06/2019; Jim Radford Goes Back to Normandy, Legasee Educational Trust 01/08/2017; BBC News 05/06/2019.

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 Will Become The Past of Other Women’ by Eavan Boland, read by Fiona Shaw, The Royal Irish Academy 09/12/2018; Archive on 4: Four Women Poets Today, Radio 4 18/07/2020; My Top Ten: Bobby Ball, Radio 1 15/09/1985; Not Going Out, BBC One 30/12/2009.

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, Radio 4 29/07/2010; Science Stories, Radio 4 28/08/2019; Off The Page, Radio 4 Extra 13/07/2016; Grandstand, BBC One 1960; Woman’s Hour, Radio 4 09/07/1975; Nationwide, BBC One 05/08/1983; Desert Island Discs, Radio 4 26/04/1987; PM, Radio 4 26/10/2020; BBC Breakfast Time, BBC One 17/01/1983; The John Dunn Show, Radio 2 17/10/1984; News 92, Radio 1 01/09/1992; Treasure Islands: Jill Paton-Walsh, Radio 4 20/11/1991; The Dolphin Crossing by Jill Paton Walsh, Faber & Faber 15/11/2012, read by Emma Handy; Private Passions, Radio 3 07/12/2014; Knowledge of Angels by Jill Paton Walsh, Black Swan 01/01/1995, read by Natasha Pyne, Radio 4 10/10/1994.

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 Need To Know About The Permissive Society, Radio 4 22/07/1971; Kaleidoscope: First Among Equals, Radio 4 22/10/1986; Burghley Horse Trials, AP / British Movietone 21/07/2015; Nuns’ Vows at Ladywell Convent 1962, British Pathe 13/04/2014.

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 28/01/2007; New Poems, Radio 3 19/08/1974; Gerta Vrbová: Oral History, Imperial War Museum 15/04/2003; 60 Minutes Australia, Nine Network 05/10/2018; Last Rites of Ang Rita Sherpa, Nepal Tourism TV 23/09/2020; Slate: Shirley Bassey, BBC One Wales 16/09/1993; Saturday Live, Radio 1 06/04/1985.

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 by Richard Attenborough, Joseph E Levine Productions 1977; Oosterbeek Battlefield Tour 2011, Bart H 18/03/2016; Woman’s Hour, Radio 2 24/03/1971.

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; Closely Watched Trains, directed by Jiri Menzel, Filmove Studio Barrandov 1966; The Film Programme, Radio 4 09/05/2008.

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, Radio 4 02/05/2006; The First Time With Toots Hibbert, 6 Music 17/01/2019.

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 iPod, Radio 4 06/06/2010; 11th Commonwealth Games 1978, BBC Sound Archive, 10/08/1978; David Bryant Interviewed by Brian Roberts, Today, Radio 4 01/11/1966; Bowling Tips From David Bryant, Bowls UK 18/09/2016.

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 2013; Trevor Nelson's Rhythm Nation, Radio 2 19/11/2019; Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler, Marvel Studios / Walt Disney Pictures 2018; Front Row, Radio 4 09/02/2018; Chadwick Boseman – A Tribute from Marvel Studios, JoBlo Movie Trailers 31/08/2020; Sir Ken Robinson: Do Schools Kill Creativity?, TED February 2006; Sir Ken Robinson: How To Escape Education’s Death Valley, TED Talks Education April 2013; The Radio One Story, BBC Two 09/05/2010; Jimmy Young, Radio 2 13/06/1978; John Lennon Dies, Today Archives / NBC News 09/12/1980.

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 Reunion, Radio 4 08/05/2015; Turandot: Puccini’s Final Opera, Royal Opera House 25/09/2013; ITV News 17/08/2020; About Face, Radio 4 18/07/1993; North West Tonight, BBC One 02/07/2004; Angela Buxton on Althea Gibson, BET News 2004; Fry v Buxton, Wimbledon Ladies’ Finals, BBC Sound Archive 07/07/1956; Nationwide, BBC One 15/06/1981.