Last Word

Matthew Bannister on Bruce Page, the investigative journalist best known for leading the Sunday Times Insight team’s expose of the Thalidomide scandal. Dottie Frazier, the pioneering American scuba diver who kept a boa constrictor as a pet and rode a motorcycle until she was in her nineties. Josephine Veasey, the British mezzo-soprano acclaimed for her performances in works by Wagner and Berlioz....

John Wilson on Mary Coombs, the world's first female computer programmer in the commercial sector; Paul Farmer, a medical anthropologist who saved millions of lives in the world's poorest countries; Leslie Lonsdale-Cooper, who had a run-in with General Eisenhower and later went on to translate the comic book Tintin; and William Hurt, Oscar-winning actor. Producer: Neil George Interviewed guest: Fr...

Matthew Bannister on Shirley Hughes, the children’s author and illustrator whose books created a welcoming and recognisable picture of family life. Roger Graef, the documentary filmmaker who revealed the inner workings of the criminal justice system, the planning authorities and the treatment of children in care. Shane Warne, the Australian spin bowler hailed as one of the greatest cricketers of a...

Matthew Bannister on Sonny Ramadhin, the West Indian bowler who was one of the heroes of the side that scored a famous victory over England in 1950. Sister Catherine Wybourne, who was known as the 'digital nun' for her use of blogs and social media to communicate the messages of her order. Captain Raymond Savage, one of the last surviving prisoners of war who worked on the notorious Burma railway...

Matthew Bannister on Jamal Edwards, the young music entrepreneur whose YouTube channel supported the careers of grime and rap stars like Dave, Skepta and Stormzy. P.J. O’Rourke, the conservative American satirist who applied his barbed wit to reporting from the world’s trouble spots. Romaine Hart, whose Screen on the Green cinema gave a platform to art house films and was described by Quentin Tara...

Matthew Bannister on Beryl Vertue, the TV and film producer who brought us 'Men Behaving Badly' and 'Sherlock'. The actors Martin Clunes and Martin Freeman pay tribute. Flavio Carboni, the Italian wheeler dealer who was at the centre of many legal and political mysteries, including the death of the Vatican banker Roberto Calvi. Phil Harvey, the American businessman who set up a chain of sex shops...

Matthew Bannister on Bamber Gascoigne, the broadcaster and author best known as the long serving host of the TV quiz show 'University Challenge'. Norma Waterson, the revered singer who was part of the Waterson Carthy dynasty that played a leading role in the English folk revival. We have a personal tribute from her husband Martin Carthy and daughter Eliza Carthy. Claire Tomlinson, who broke down b...

Julian Worricker on: The diplomat Sir Crispin Tickell, who advised four prime ministers, and influenced international policy on climate change... The writer and performer, Barry Cryer, whose work spanned sixty years and involved scripts for most of the comedy greats... Darlene Hard, 21 times a Grand Slam tennis champion, described as one of the greatest doubles players of her generation... And the...

Matthew Bannister on Meat Loaf, the rock opera singer best known for his album Bat Out Of Hell. André Leon Talley, the fashion editor who played a leading role at US Vogue magazine and supported the careers of many designers. Jana Bennett, the BBC executive who led the transformation of TV science programmes and oversaw the Corporation’s move into the digital age. Kristin Baybars, whose beautiful...

Matthew Bannister on Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover who led the expansion of the family grocery business during the 1970s and 80s. David Stuart, the former gay escort and drug dealer who turned his life around and became a much loved support worker and advocate for the LGBT community. Elizabeth Selby, who with her husband ran one of the UK’s most successful photographic agencies, supplying pic...

Matthew Bannister on Sidney Poitier, the first black man to win a 'Best Actor' Oscar, known for his powerful performances in ‘In The Heat of The Night’, ‘Lilies of the Field’ and ‘To Sir, With Love’. His co-star in that film - Lulu - pays tribute. E.O.Wilson, the American biologist and champion of biodiversity who some have compared to Charles Darwin. Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who argued the la...

Matthew Bannister on Lord Rogers of Riverside, the influential architect who designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Lloyds Building in London. April Ashley, the transgender model who partied with pop stars and aristocrats during the Swinging Sixties and campaigned for changes to the law on gender identity. Joan Didion, the American writer best known for her memoir 'The Year of Magical Think...

Julian Worricker on Janice Long, the pioneering female DJ who was heard on Radios 1 and 2 and was a familiar face on Top of the Pops. “Marvellous” Marvin Hagler, one of the greatest middleweight boxing champions of all time. Esther Bejarano, one of the last survivors of the Auschwitz women’s orchestra who devoted her life to campaigning against racism. Leslie Bricusse OBE, the prolific songwriter...

Julian Worricker on The feminist writer bell hooks, credited with prompting new, radical thinking about race, gender and class. Shirley McGreal, founder of the International Primate Protection League, whose work in conservation led to her opening a gibbon sanctuary in South Carolina. The singer, dancer and actor, Lionel Blair, whose career began during World War II, and spanned eight decades... An...

Matthew Bannister on The journalist and feminist Mary Maher. She edited the women’s page of the Irish Times and was a prime mover in campaigns for equal rights. The bass player Robbie Shakespeare. With his partner Sly Dunbar he formed a powerful rhythm section in demand by artists from Peter Tosh and Black Uhuru to Grace Jones, Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan. Anwar Ditta, the British Asian mother who f...

Matthew Bannister on Sir Antony Sher, one of the finest actors of his generation, who was also a writer and a painter. We have a heartfelt personal tribute from his husband, the Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company Gregory Doran. Roger Phillips, the colourful plant photographer who produced many authoritative books on wild flowers, trees and plants but was perhaps best known for his...

Matthew Bannister on Stephen Sondheim, the acclaimed composer and lyricist who revolutionised the stage musical. We have a tribute from Imelda Staunton who gave award-winning performances in some of his finest roles. Sir Frank Williams, the Formula One motor racing team owner who continued to enjoy great success after breaking his neck in a car crash that left him quadriplegic. His close friend an...

Matthew Bannister on Ian Wallace, one of the most influential figures in British ornithology. At one time he had seen a wider variety of species of birds than anyone else in Britain. Rossana Banti, the Italian partisan who risked her life acting as a courier for the Resistance. Ivy Nicholson, the model who was once a muse for Andy Warhol but fell on hard times and ended up sleeping on the streets....

Kirsty Lang on Aaron Beck the Eminent psychiatrist who developed cognitive behavioural therapy into the world’s most popular treatment for depression and anxiety. Joan Carlyle the principal soprano at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for almost 20 years. Etel Adnan one of the Arab world's most important writers, and author of one of the most important War Novels ever written and Anne Bradford...

Matthew Bannister on Sir Archie Lamb who rose from Foreign Office filing clerk to become one of the UK’s most distinguished ambassadors. John Boyden, the record producer who founded the Classics For Pleasure label to bring classical music to a wide audience at affordable prices. Ida Nudel, whose campaigns on behalf of Jewish people refused permission to emigrate to Israel from the Soviet Union led...

Matthew Bannister on Sir Michael Rutter who was known as the 'father of child psychiatry'. He pioneered research into many aspects of child development. Christopher Wenner - also known as Max Stahl - who changed career from Blue Peter TV presenter to intrepid documentary film maker. Sister Megan Rice, the American nun who campaigned against nuclear weapons. She was arrested and sent to prison for...

Matthew Bannister on Bernard Haitink, one of the greatest orchestral conductors of his generation, known for his interpretations of Mahler, Bruckner and Wagner. Victor Gregg, the British soldier who was caught up in the Dresden bombing raids, suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and later went undercover for MI6. Ruthie Tompson, one of Walt Disney’s longest serving animators, she worked on clas...

Kirsty Lang on Colin Powell, who rose from an impoverished childhood in Harlem to become US Secretary of State A much loved Irish poet: Brendan Kennelly who learnt his storytelling skills growing up in his father’s pub in County Kerry A ground-breaking female scientist Myriam Sarachik who had to contend with the deeply entrenched sexism And the extraordinary story of John Clunies-Ross - former rul...

Matthew Bannister on Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, once described as the world’s most dangerous man - but hailed as a hero in his native Pakistan for leading the country’s development of nuclear weapons. Dr. R. Allen Gardner, the American ethologist who trained a chimpanzee to use sign language. Beresford King-Smith, who played a key backstage role in the success of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orches...

Matthew Bannister on Antony Hewish, the radio astronomer who won the Nobel Prize for his work on discovering pulsars. Roger Michell, the film, theatre and TV director who brought us Notting Hill, The Buddha of Suburbia and Persuasion. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the President of Algeria for more than twenty years, who was ousted from power after trying to secure a fifth term in office. And Jane Powell,...