Last Word

Matthew Bannister onRob Reiner, the film director, screenwriter and actor behind pictures like “This Is Spinal Tap”, “Stand By Me” and “When Harry Met Sally”.Stanley Baxter, the Scottish comedian best known for his impersonations of Hollywood stars and royalty. The actor Bill Paterson pays tribute. And Joanna Trollope and Sophie Kinsella, two best-selling novelists who, in their different ways, told stories of modern life and relationships.Interviewee: Hadley Freeman Interviewee: Linda Evans Interviewee: Bill Paterson Interviewee: Brian Beacom Interviewee: Bill Scott-KerrProducer: Gareth Nelson-Davies Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn TansleyCORRECTION: In this episode we mistakenly refer to Stanley Baxter being born in 1928. He was born in 1926.Archive used: Rob Reiner interview, HardTalk, BBC News, 06/05/1998; All In The Family trailer, Tandem Productions, 1975; This is Spinal Tap, Sony Pictures Entrainment, uploaded to YouTube 31/07/2025; Stand By Me, Film Trailer, Castle Rock 1986, Dir: Rob Reiner; When Harry Met Sally, Official Film Trailer, 1989, Director: Rob Reiner; Joanna Trollope interview, BBC Four, 23/03/2014; Stanley Baxter: Compilation of Best Sketches and Impressions, BBC Scotland 1962; Stanley Baxter interview, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 02/02/1970; Stanley Baxter, Best of Show, BBC Television, 14/02/1961; Sophie Kinsella reads a second extract from her novel Mini Shopaholic, Transworld Books, uploaded to YouTube 08/09/2010; Confessions of a Shopaholic Trailer 2009, Touchstone Pictures, Director P.J. Hogan; Sophie Kinsella interview, Loose Ends, BBC Radio 4, 22/04/2013; Meet the Author: Sophie Kinsella, BBC News, 05/02/2017; Sophie Kinsella, Extract from book preview, What Does It Feel Like?, Read by Sally Phillips, Penguin Random House;

Matthew Bannister onIain Douglas-Hamilton, the zoologist who devoted his life to the study and conservation of African elephants.Vera Weisfeld, the businesswoman whose chain of What Every Woman Wants stores offered fashion designs at bargain prices.Frank Gehry, the architect best known for his flamboyant designs for the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los AngelesMartin Parr whose celebrated colourful photographs showed the messy details of British life.Producer: Ed Prendeville Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn TansleyArchive used The Late Show, BBC Two, 11/11/1992; Imagine… Frank Gehry: The Architect Says "Why Can't I?", BBC Two, 25/08/2015​; The John Tusa Interview, BBC Three, 09/01/2005;​ The Simpsons – "The Seven-Beer Snitch", Created by Matt Groening, Directors: Matthew Nastuk, David Silverman; Writers: Bill Odenkirk, Daniel Chun; Production companies: Gracie Films, 20th Century Fox Television; 8/05/2025; This Cultural Life: Martin Parr, BBC Radio 4, 10/04/2023​; Britain in Focus: A Photographic History – Series 1 Episode 3, BBC Four, 21/01/2020​; I Am Martin Parr, BBC Four, 01/09/2025​; The Natural World: Ivory Wars, BBC Two, 01/09/2025​; Encounters with Animals: Last Stand in Eden, BBC Two, 08/10/1989​; Encounters with Animals, BBC Two, 15/08/1980​; Outlook, BBC World Service, 02/12/2010​; Millionaires, BBC One, 17/12/1990; Reporting Scotland 2019: What Everyone Wants, BBC One Scotland, 23/11/2019​; What Every Woman Wants had all the clothes for women at Christmas 1985, UK ADS Uploaded to YouTube 27/12/2023

Matthew Bannister has a star-studded cast on this week’s Last Word: Sir David Hare pays tribute to his friend and fellow playwright Sir Tom Stoppard.Boy George recalls the flamboyant fashion designer Pam Hogg.Sir Mark Rylance gives an insight into the many talents of the actor, director and writer Jack Shepherd.We also remember Yanxin He, one of the last surviving speakers in a village that spoke a secret language that helped women to share their suffering in a patriarchal society.Interviewee: Sir David Hare Interviewee: Boy George Interviewee: Dr Tessa Hartmann Interviewee: Yehong Wei Interviewee: Sir Mark Rylance Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn TansleyArchive used: Tom Stoppard, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 12/01/1985; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Hamlet), Official Promo, Director: Tom Stoppard; MGM Studios, 1990; Tom Stoppard interview, BBC One 29/05/1977; Shakespeare In Love, Official Trailer, MiraMax pictures 1998, Directed: John Madden; Pam Hogg interview, Icons of Style, BBC Scotland, 16/03/2025; Pam Hogg interview, BBC Radio 2, 26/09/2012; Pam Hogg music track: Honeyland, pamhogg.com/music; He Yanxin, interview, Hidden Letters Official Trailer, Fish+Bear Pictures, Director: Violet Du Feng; Nushu: The secret Chinese language, BBC Culture, Video by Harriet Constable; Co-produced by Fiona Macdonald; 16/11/2022; Acting with...Jack Shepherd , BBC Two, 15/04/1996; In Lambeth, BBC Two, 04/07/1993; Written and Directed by Jack Shepherd; Play For Today: Through The Night, BBC One, 04/09/1977; Wycliff, ITV Official Trailer, IMDB; Season 1, Episode 1: The Four Jacks; Director: Ferdinand Fairfax;

Kirsty Lang on: Jimmy Cliff, who took reggae music onto the global stage. His former record producer and founder of Island Records, Chris Blackwell pays tribute. Charlotte Bingham, the writer who mined the experience of her upbringing and relationships to pen dozens of novels and screenplays.Skye Gyngell, the Australian born chef whose devotion to fresh seasonal produce made a lasting impact on modern British cooking.David Bellos, the award-winning literary translator who revelled in linguistic challenges.Interviewee: Chris Blackwell Interviewee: Lloyd Bradley Interviewee: Candida Brady Interviewee: Thomasina Miers Interviewee: Rory O'Connell Interviewee: Alex BellosProducer: Gareth Nelson-Davies Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn TansleyArchive used: Jimmy Cliff interview, The First Time, BBC Radio 6, 26/08/2012; The Harder They Come, Official Film Promo 1972, Director: Perry Henzell, International Films Inc; Charlotte Bingham, If I had A Million, BBC Television, 23/11/1968; Skye Gyngell interview, The Food Programme, BBC Radio 4, 09/09/2007; Skye Gyngell interview, The Conversation, Star Chef, BBC World Service, 23/07/2018; David Bellos, The Verb, BBC Radio 3, 16/09/2011

Matthew Bannister on:Baroness Newlove, who turned a tragic event in her own life into a powerful campaign for victims’ rights.Zoe Wicomb, the South Africa-born author whose novels are set against the backdrop of the apartheid regime.Sir Geoffrey Bindman, the lawyer who helped to shape equality legislation, represented Labour politicians and fought many human rights cases.Roland Paxton, the civil engineer who campaigned to preserve the Forth Bridge and other fine examples of historic engineering.Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Colin PatersonArchive used: Helen Newlove, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 22/07/2018; Helen Newlove, Baroness Newlove speech , House of Lords, 15/07/2010; Art Work by Zoe Wicomb, Reader, Janice Acquah , Commonwealth Stories, BBC Radio 3, 11/03/2014; Zoe Wicomb, The Book Café, BBC Radio Scotland, 14/03/2011; Zoe Wicomb, My Life in Five Books, Series 2 BBC Radio 4 Extra, 21/03/2015; Sir Geoffrey Bindman QC - Legal Seminar Preserving the Rule of Law, Uploaded to YouTube 20/05/2013; Sir Geoffrey Bindman interview, Phil Williams: Race Relations special, BBC Radio 5 Live, 07/12/2015; Hardtalk: Geoffrey Bindman, BBC News, 01/06/2000; Law Lords Ruling on Pinochet ruling, BBC News, 25/11/1998; Britain’s Lost Routes, Highland Cattle Droves, BBC One, 14/06/2012; Roland Paxton interview, Good Morning Scotland, BBC Radio Scotland, 01/02/2011; Union Chain Bridge news item, Reporting Scotland, BBC Scotland, 17/04/2023.

Matthew Bannister onJames Watson who shared the Nobel Prize for identifying the structure of DNA, but was widely condemned later in life for his racist and sexist views.Pauline Collins, the comic actor who triumphed in the role of Shirley Valentine on stage and screen. The play’s director Simon Callow pays tribute.Judith Vidal-Hall, who edited the Index on Censorship magazine and campaigned for freedom of expression around the worldDugald Ross, the crofter and palaeontologist from the Isle of Skye who discovered dinosaur footprints on the island as a schoolboy.Producer: Ed Prendeville Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse G Edwards Editor: Glyn TansleyArchive: Witness History: Discovering the Secrets of DNA, BBC World Service, 25/04/2025; Archive on 4: DNA 60 Years On, BBC Radio 4, 30/10/2016; Interview with James Watson and Francis Crick, The Medical Television Centre, UT Southwestern, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre at Dallas, 16/05/1968; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 22/12/1989; Shirley Valentine, Paramount Pictures, 1989 (Producer: John Dark; Produced & directed by Lewis Gilbert; Written by Willy Russell); Upstairs Downstairs, ITV; Reporting Scotland 1830, BBC One Scotland, 11/06/2014; Grand Tours of the Scottish Islands: Northern Skye – A Land of Giants and Fairies, BBC Two, 26/04/2017; Out of Doors, BBC Radio Scotland, 07/08/2010; Newsnight, BBC Two, 20/02/2002; One Year On: 9/11, BBC One, 11/09/2002

Matthew Bannister onDick Cheney, the Republican politician who was Vice President under George W Bush and played key roles in both Gulf Wars.Yvonne Brewster, the Jamaican-born director and actor who founded the Black British Theatre Company Talawa.Mary ‘May’ McGee, the Irish woman who brought s successful legal challenge against the country’s ban on contraception.Peter Watkins, the film maker whose powerful depiction of a nuclear attack on the UK was banned by the BBCProducer: Gareth Nelson-Davies Assistant Producer: Catherine Powell Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn TansleyArchive used: Dick Cheney interview, Oral Histories, C-Span, 19/12/2007; Dick Cheney, PBS, 04/11/2025; Dick Cheney, Operation Desert Storm press Conference, 17/01/1991; George W Bush names Vice President candidate and running mate, CNN, 25/07/2000; Yvonne, Brewster interview, Fighting Talk, BBC Two, 22/02/1991; Mary McGee interview, No Country For Women documentary series, directed by Anne Roper, RTE ONE, 19/06/2020; May McGee interview, Misneach, May & Séamus McGee, TG4 YouTube Channel, uploaded 20/09/2023; The World This Weekend, BBC Radio 4, 23/05/1971; Yvonne Brewster, Desert Island Discs, Radio 4, 01/04/2005; Peter Watkins interview, The Lively Arts, BBC Radio 3, 22/05/1966; The War Game, BBC, 1966, Dir: Peter Watkins; Culloden, 1964 trailer , director: Peter Watkins;

Matthew Bannister onThe actor Prunella Scales, best known for playing Sybil in the TV comedy Fawlty Towers. Her son Samuel West reflects on her long career and happy marriage to fellow actor Timothy West. Gillian Tindall, the writer who pioneered the technique of exploring history through the portal of a particular house or area. Roger Smith, who co-founded and ran the Great Outdoors Challenge, encouraging thousands to walk across Scotland.Anthony Grey, the novelist and journalist who was held in solitary confinement for over two years by Red Guards during China’s Cultural Revolution.Producer: Ed Prendeville Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn TansleyARCHIVE USED: Great Canal Journeys Series 1 Episode 1, Channel 4, 10/03/2014; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 05/06/1992; Suppose I Lose It, BBC Radio 4, 16/05/2016; A Question of Attribution, BBC Two, 20/10/1991; Fawlty Towers: Series 1: The Hotel Inspectors, BBC Two, 10/10/1975; Fawlty Towers: Series 2: The Psychiatrist, BBC Two, 26/02/1979; Fawlty Towers: Series 2: Basil the Rat, BBC Two, 25/10/1979; Fawlty Towers: Series 1: The Builders, BBC Two, 26/09/1975; Fawlty Towers: Series 2: Communication Problems, BBC Two, 19/02/1979; BBC News, BBC Radio 4, 26/11/1968; Anthony Grey To Be Released: Mother Waits, BBC News, 03/10/1963; Anthony Grey Released: Mother Hears News, News, 04/10/1963; Radio Newsreel, BBC World Service, 12/10/1969; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 01/11/1969; Anthony Grey: One Man’s Freedom, One Pair of Eyes, BBC Two, 26/06/1971; Return to Peking, BBC Two, 12/12/1988; Voices from a French Village, BBC Radio 4, 29/05/1996; Robert Elms, BBC Radio London, 05/09/2016; Bricks and Mortals, BBC Radio 4, 18/05/2005; The Adventure Show, BBC Two Scotland, 03/08/2008; Scotland Outdoors - A Coast to Coast Backpack Challenge, Beekeeping in Kinross and the Capercaillie of Speyside, BBC Radio Scotland, 24/05/2025;

In this special edition of Last Word, Matthew Bannister talks to the actor Samuel West about his mother Prunella Scales.Prunella died on the 27th October, aged 93.Known for her work on stage and screen over many decades – Prunella was particularly renowned for her role as Sybil on Fawlty Towers. In addition to countless other roles, she appeared as Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett’s A Question of Attribution in the early 90s – earning a BAFTA nomination. In later life – as she began living with dementia – her hobby of canal boating alongside her husband – the actor Timothy West – was turned into a much loved series on Channel 4.Producer: Ed Prendeville Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Editor: Glyn Tansley

Matthew Bannister on The influential Kenyan politician Raila Odinga, who was detained for his pro-democracy campaigns, but went on to be the country’s Prime Minister. Bill Colley, who designed and built traditional wooden racing boats.Baroness Rosalind Howells of St Davids, who campaigned for racial equality and supported the family of Stephen Lawrence after his murder.And Sister Marion Irvine, the American nun who took up marathon running in middle age and went on to break many records.Producer: Gareth Nelson-Davies Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn TansleyARCHIVE USED: Raila Odinga interview about his struggles in Kamiti, NTV Kenya YouTube channel uploaded 26/01/2020; Raila Odinga state funeral, BBC World Service, 17/10/2025; Raila Odinga profile, Reuters, BBC News Channel, 19/10/2025; Raila Odinga on anti-government protests in Kenya, BBC Africa, 27/03/23; The interview: Leader of the National Super Alliance, Kenya - Raila Odinga, BBC World Service, 07/02/2018; Bill Colley: The Last wooden racing boat builder, Real Time series, BBC News, 05/12/2013; The Boys in the Boat, Official Trailer, Warners Bros. UK and Ireland, Director George Clooney, Warner Bros YouTube Channel, uploaded 18/10/2023; The Boys in the Boat | Bill Colley Featurette, Amazon MGM Studio, YouTube channel, 23/11/2023; Rasalind Howells interview from the New Cross Fire report, Newsnight, BBC News, 15/01/2001; The Powerlist Interviews - Rosalind Howells, Powerful Media, YouTube Upload, 23/05/2018; BBC News report, New Cross Fire, 18/01/1981; BBC Newsroom South East, 1993; BBC Newsroom South East, 08/10/1997; National Theatre War Horse Trailer, Music Comp Adrian Sutton, Production National Theatre, YouTube uploaded 14/01/2016; Sister Marion Irvine interview, Silver Into Gold, Writer and Dir: Lynn Mueller, Publisher: Barr Films, Irwindale, CA, 1986;

Matthew Bannister onPeter Gurney, the George Medal winning bomb disposal expert who regularly risked his life to defuse explosive devices, including the mortars that were fired at 10 Downing Street by the IRA in 1991.Diane Keaton, the actor best known for her collaboration with Woody Allen in Annie Hall and Manhattan.Peter Hall, the pioneering English winemaker from Sussex who turned his Breaky Bottom grapes into acclaimed sparkling wines.Angela Bond, who saved the much-loved Bush Theatre in West London from closure. The director Josie Rourke and the writer Jack Thorne pay tribute.Producer: Ed Prendeville Assistant Producer: Ribika Moktan Researcher: Jesse Edwards Editor: Glyn TansleyArchive used: BBC News, BBC, 07/02/1991; Newsnight, BBC, 26/10/1981; It’s My Story: The Long Walk, BBC Radio 4, 26/03/2012; The Food Programme: A Vintage Year for Homegrown Wine, BBC Radio 4, 22/11/2018; Food and Drink, BBC, 10/08/1982; Annie Hall, MGM, 1977; Cast: Diane Keaton; Director: Woody Allen; Producers: Fred T. Gallo, Robert Greenhut, Jack Rollins, Charles H. Joffe; Screenwriters: Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman; Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4, 15/11/2011; Front Row, BBC Radio 4, 19/06/2017; Diane Keaton – Seems Like Old Times, Columbia Pictures, 1980

Matthew Bannister onPatrick Bradley, the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles.Dame Jilly Cooper, the best-selling author of the racy “Rutshire Chronicles”.Sara Jane Moore, the political extremist who tried to assassinate US President Gerald Ford.Dame Patricia Routledge, the actor best known for her portrayal of Hyacinth Bucket in the TV comedy Keeping Up Appearances.Producer: Ed PrendevilleArchive: With Bennett: Patricia Routledge, BBC Radio Ulster FM, 01/05/2004; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 13/08/1999; Rivals, Walt Disney Studios, Disney Plus UK / Happy Prince, 25/09/2024; Mark Lawson Talks to Jilly Cooper, BBC4, 19/09/2006; In My Own Words: Jilly Cooper, BBC One, 30/09/2024; Hay Festival, BBC Arts, 31/08/2018; Riders, Anglia Films, ITV, 1993 (writer: Jilly Cooper, Charlotte Bingham, Terence Brady; dir: Gabrielle Beaumont), LEFT, RIGHT AND CENTRE, BBC One Scotland, 19/05/1989; Gerald Ford assassination attempt, YouTube; New Voices (RU) 2015/16: Time of Our Lives (Ep. 38), BBC Radio Ulster FM, 31/01/2016

Matthew Bannister onDame Jane Goodall, the primatologist and environmental campaigner who changed our understanding of animal behaviour. Chris Packham pays tribute.Tony Harrison, the Yorkshire born poet who took his writing to new audiences through theatre and TV. Michael Rosen assesses his work. Lord Menzies Campbell, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats.Danny Thompson, the upright bass player who blended folk and jazz and worked with musicians ranging from Kate Bush, Paul Weller to John Martyn and Donovan - who shares his memories. Interviewee: Chris Packham Interviewee: Professor Ben Garrod Interviewee: Michael Rosen Interviewee: Magnus Linklater Interviewee: Donovan Interviewee: Jacqui McShee Interviewee: Martin SimpsonProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Tony Harrison, Meriden, BBC World Service, 21/10/1992; The Mysteries, Cottesloe Theatre, The National Theatre, Channel 4 Television, Directed by Bill Bryden, Writer Tony Harrison,,1985; V by Tony Harrison reads short extract from the poem 'V'. BBC Radio 4, 21/01/2013; Menzies Campbell Elected Leader Of The Liberal Democrats, BBC News, 02/03/06; Menzies Campbell, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 17/10/2004; Menzies Campbell, Iraq War, BBC News, 24/02/2009; Danny Thompson plays bass, extract from, Pentangle - Blue Monk, Songs From The Two Brewers, ITV, Danny Thompson YouTube Channel, 08/05/1970;

Matthew Bannister onSir Nicholas Grimshaw, the architect who designed the international terminal at London’s Waterloo Station and the Eden Project.John Stapleton, the TV presenter who fronted Watchdog with his wife and ITV’s breakfast and daytime shows. His friend Greg Dyke pays tribute.Mary Elizabeth Dodd, the physiotherapist who pioneered new treatments for cystic fibrosis.And the glamorous Italian film star Claudia Cardinale who was a muse for the directors Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti.Interviewee: Andrew Whalley Interviewee: Greg Dyke Interviewee: Professor Kevin Webb Interviewee: Rita Di SantoProducer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: The Late Show, BBC Television 01/02/1989 ; The Eden Project, BBC News 15/03/2001 ; Desert Island Discs – Nicholas Grimshaw , BBC radio 4 , 14/12/2003; John Stapleton in conversation , BBC Radio Wales 01/11/2013; John Stapleton, Argentina report; Newsnight, BBC Two, 13/04/1982 ; John Stapleton , report on Motorways, Nationwide, BBC One, 01/03/1976; The Time The Place, Central Television, ITV, 09/11/1992; John Stapleton, BBC Election 1987, 12/06/1987; Watchdog, BBC One, 11/01/1988 ; John Stapleton report, Panorama, The Class of 81, BBC One, 07/09/1981; Life File , BBC 12/02/1988; The Leopard, director: Luchino Visconti, from the novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp 1963; Hardtalk - Claudia Cardinale , BBC 29/11/2011

Matthew Bannister on:Robert Redford, the film star who believed his striking good looks could be a curse as well as a blessing.Barbara Harvey, the mediaeval historian who revealed fascinating details of the lives of the monks of Westminster Abbey.Rosa Roisinblit, one of Argentina’s Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo who finally tracked down the grandson who had been abducted at birth and given up for adoption. And the Oscar winning film designer Stuart Craig who brought the Harry Potter world to life on the big screen. Director Chris Columbus pays tribute.Interviewee: Chris Columbus Interviewee: Michael Feeney Callan Interviewee: Professor Joanna Innes Interviewee: Professor John Blair Interviewee: Amy BoothProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Trailer, 20th Century Studios Youtube Channel, uploaded 18/09/2015; Robert Redford interview, Parkinson, BBC Television, 1980; Barefoot in the Park film trailer, 1967, Paramount movies digital channel uploaded 10/10/2014; All the President's Men - Original Theatrical Trailer, Warner Brothers Rewind YouTube Channel uploaded 09/07/2014; Rosa Roisinblit interview, BBC Newsnight, 04/04/2013; Guillermo Pérez Roisinblit interview, 60 minutes, CBS News Television, 60mins Facebook channel uploaded 28/07/2025; Mother of plaza de mayo report, International Assignment, BBC Radio 4, 04/09/1981; Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Official Trailer, Harry Potter YouTube Channel, uploaded 24/09/2023; Stuart Craig interview, The One Show, 05/03/2012; Stuart Craig Interview, The Film Programme, BBC Radio 4, 09/11/2007;

John Wilson on: The Duchess of Kent, who stepped back from royal duties to teach music in primary schools. Giorgio Armani whose suit designs help define the look of the 1980s and beyond. Valerie Pearlman who made legal history by being the first judge in the UK finish a trial via fax machine and video link from her hospital bed. Rick Davies, who sold millions of records in the 70s and 80 as one of the two singers in the band Supertramp.Producer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: The Royal Wedding: HRH Duke of Kent and Miss Katharine Worsley in York Minster, BBC, 08/06/1961; Real Story, BBC One, 15/03/2004; Royal Wedding, BBC Archives, 08/06/1961; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 21/12/1990; Ladies’ Singles, 1993 Wimbledon Championships, BBC Archives; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 21/12/1990; BBC Look North Hull, BBC, 06/09/2025; The Clothes Show, BBC; Rick Davies Interview, WLNG 92.1FM, “Lunch on the Deck”; Bark Out Loud Dogs Media, LLC – Supertramp Interview

John Wilson onJoe Bugner, the heavyweight boxer who fought the titans of the sport from Henry Cooper, Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier. Ann McManus, the writer for Coronation Street who went on to be one of the founders of Shed Productions that created hit drama series such as Bad Girls, Footballer Wives and Waterloo Road.Angela Mortimer Barrett, the multiply Grand Slam winning tennis player – winner of the 1961 Wimbledon women’s singles championship. And Frank Strang, the entrepreneur who bought a RAF radar station in Shetland and turned it into a space port.Interviewee: Gareth A Davies Interviewee: Eileen Gallagher Interviewee: Debbie Jevans Interviewee: Chris Jones Interviewee: Scott HammondProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Joe Bugner, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 11/06/1973; Battle of Britain Heavyweights, Cooper v Bugner, BBC, 16/03/1971; Ali v Bugner, World Championship Fight, BBC, 01/07/1975; Ann McManus interview, BBC Radio 4, Front Row, 08/03/2006; Coronation Street, Hayley tells Roy scene, Coronation Street YouTube channel, uploaded 07/02/2015; Bad Girls, Season 1 Episode 1 - Trailer, Bad Girls YouTube Channel, uploaded 18/06/2019; Bad Girls, ITV Promo, 1999; Angela Mortimer interview, 1961, BBC; Wimbledon Women's Singles Championship, BBC Radio, 1961; Frank Strang interview, BBC Radio Shetland, 17/07/2025; Frank Strang interview; Frank Strang obituary, BBC Radio Shetland, 13/08/2025;

John Wilson on: Broadcaster David Richardson who was for over 60 years a leading voice in the farming community Doris Lockhart Saatchi, the Art collector who along with her former husband Charles Saatchi transformed the UK art scene in the 80s and 90s Dame Annette Brooke who for 14 years was the Liberal Democrat MP for Mid Dorset and North Poole Byron Rogers, the biographer and journalist who sought out and chronicled the lives of many eccentric charactersProducer: Ed PrendevilleArchive; BBC News, BBC, 02/07/2014; BBC News, BBC, 12/05/2013; BBC News, BBC, 05/04/2008; BBC News, BBC, 14/09/2008; Late Again, BBC Two, 14/03/1992; BBC News Ten, BBC, 07/10/2008; On Your Farm: A New Dawn for British Farming?, BBC, 24/07/2016; The Food Programme, BBC, 04/06/1976; Farming Today, BBC, 21/08/2025; Farming, BBC, 21/08/1977; The Last Human Cannonball (Episode 5), BBC Radio 4 Extra, 28/11/2009; Sara’s People, BBC Radio Wales, 01/01/2004

John Wilson on: Actor Terence Stamp, the Oscar nominated 60s screen icon who went onto play many villains in his later film career Baroness Stephanie Shirley, the pioneering computer scientist and founder of her own software companyKay Dunbar who founded the Ways with Words literary festival which ran in Devon for 30 years Eric Midwinter was one of the three co-founders of u3a to encourage continued learning in retirementProducer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: Desert Island Discs, BBC, 12/03/2006; Billy Budd, Rank Film Distributors, 1962; Superman II, Warner Bros, 1980; Far from the Madding Crowd, Warner-Pathe Distributors, 1967; Front Row, BBC, 16/05/2013; Morning Live, BBC, 08/03/2022; HARDtalk, BBC, 07/03/2000; Spotlight, BBC News Plymouth, 11/07/2023; Spotlight, BBC News Plymouth, 02/09/1996; Archive on 4: Kindertransport, BBC, 09/2015; Lifespan, AS Choices, 16/08/1987; Armchair Discussions with u3a, u3a UK, n.d.; You and Yours, BBC, 12/12/2016

Matthew Bannister onJim Lovell, the astronaut who commanded the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission.Biddy Baxter, the editor who left an indelible stamp on the children’s TV show Blue Peter. Sarah Greene pays tribute.Razia Jan, the Afghan/American who founded a school for girls in Afghanistan after 9/11.Iris Williams, the Welsh born singer whose career took off after an appearance on Radio 2.Producer: Ed PrendevilleArchive used: The Festival of Politics, The Scottish Parliament, 2009; Jim Lovell on Apollo 13 Mission, permission granted by NASA Media Team; 13 Minutes Presents: The Space Shuttle – Apollo 13: Bonus 1. Jim Lovell, 14/04/2020; Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 06/06/2014; Blue Peter, BBC One, 18/11/1963; The Things We Forgot to Remember, BBC Radio 4, 30/05/2005