Last Word

Julian Bream CBE, Elizabeth Ward OBE, Chris Graham-Bell, Stuart Christie

21 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Julian Bream Matthew Bannister onJulian Bream, said by many to be the greatest classical guitarist of all time. Elizabeth Ward, who campaign...

Hawa Abdi, Clive Ponting, President Lee Teng-hui, Richard Brooke

14 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Bannister onHawa Abdi, the Somali doctor who set up a clinic for pregnant women at her home that eventually became a sanctuary for thousands d...

John Hume, Stan Mellor MBE, Paulette Wilson, Sir Alan Parker

07 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: John HumeMatthew Bannister on:John Hume, the politician widely credited with driving through the Northern Ireland peace process.Stan Mellor,...

Stuart Wheeler, Josephine Cox, Miloš Jakeš, Peter Green

31 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Stuart WheelerMatthew Bannister onStuart Wheeler, the spread betting tycoon who used his millions to fund anti-EU political parties and camp...

John Lewis, Tony Elliott CBE, Wendy Cooling, Dr Alan Howard

24 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Bannister on John Lewis, the leading American civil rights campaigner who was beaten and imprisoned in the 1960s when he marched with Martin...

Jack Charlton, Zindzi Mandela, Charles Webb, Ida Haendel

17 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Jack CharltonMatthew Bannister onThe footballer Jack Charlton, who went from a pit village in Northumberland to become a Leeds United stalwa...

Ennio Morricone, Sir Everton Weekes, Baroness Maddock, Earl Cameron CBE

10 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Ennio MorriconeMatthew Bannister on:Ennio Morricone, the Italian composer best known for his scores for films like The Good, The Bad and the...

Milton Glaser, Terry Dicks, Professor Tom Arie, Else Blangsted

03 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Milton GlaserMatthew Bannister onThe graphic designer Milton Glaser who came up with the iconic “I heart New York” logo – but didn’t...

Sir Ian Holm, Jean Kennedy Smith, Felicity Bryan MBE, Lily Lian

26 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Sir Ian HolmMatthew Bannister on Sir Ian Holm, the respected actor best known for playing Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings films an...

Dame Vera Lynn, Professor Geoffrey Burnstock, Larry Kramer, Pierre Nkurunziza

19 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Dame Vera LynnMatthew Bannister on: Professor Geoffrey Burnstock, the eminent neurobiologist who identified the function of a neurotransmi...

Christo Javacheff, Cathie Sabin OBE, Dorothy Wakely, Jonathan Whitehead

12 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Christo JavacheffMatthew Bannister on:The artist Christo Javacheff, best known for his extremely ambitious projects to wrap significant buil...

Dr Stanley Ho, Roger Fellows, Margaret Meek Spencer, Mory Kanté

05 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Stanley HoJulian Worricker on:The man praised by both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for being the architect of the national minimum wage, Roge...

Margaret Maughan, John Cumming OBE, Jerry Givens, John Langdon, Eric Weissberg

29 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Margaret MaughanJulian Worricker on Britain’s first Paralympic gold medallist, Margaret Maughan; Tanni Grey-Thompson compares the games of...

Lord Robert May of Oxford, Dr Judith Darmady OBE, Mark Barkan, Saroj Lal

22 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Lord Robert May of OxfordMatthew Bannister onLord May, a former Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK government and President of the Royal Soc...

Little Richard, Dr Janet Carr OBE, Professor John Horton Conway, Florian Schneider

15 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Bannister onThe rock 'n' roll pioneer Little Richard, whose flamboyant performances and powerful vocal style influenced many who came after hi...

Catherine Hamlin, Irrfan Khan, Denis Goldberg, Ann Sayer

08 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Catherine HamlinMatthew Bannister onCatherine Hamlin the obstetrician who, with her husband, set about tackling the devastating effects of o...

Ronan O'Rahilly, Sir John Houghton CBE, Sue Davies OBE, Barbara Smoker

01 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Ronan O’RahillyMatthew Bannister onRonan O’Rahilly, the Irish businessman who ran the pirate radio station Radio Caroline on a ship off ...

Dame Jocelyn Barrow DBE, Keith Critchlow, Leonard ‘Nipper’ Read, John Prine

24 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Dame Jocelyn BarrowMatthew Bannister onThe artist, professor of architecture and expert on sacred geometry Keith Critchlow. He was a key fig...

Sir Stirling Moss OBE, Professor Margaret Burbidge, Mahmoud Jibril, Tim Brooke-Taylor OBE

17 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Sir Stirling Moss OBEMatthew Bannister on Sir Stirling Moss, the iconic British racing driver, noted for his courage and patriotism. Altho...

Dr Bill Frankland MBE, John Tydeman OBE, The Marquess of Bath, Honor Blackman

10 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Dr Bill FranklandJulian Worricker on:Dr Bill Frankland, who survived three years in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, studied under Alexander...

Albert Uderzo, Valerie Pettit OBE, Reverend Joseph Lowery, Julie Felix

06 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Albert UderzoMatthew Bannister onValerie Pettit OBE, the senior MI6 officer in charge of the daring operation to get Soviet double agent Ole...

Betty Williams, Dr Fuad Nahdi, Sol Kerzner, Kenny Rogers

27 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Picture Betty WilliamsMatthew Bannister on: Fuad Nahdi, the journalist, commentator and campaigner named as one of the world’s 500 most influential...

Michel Roux, Sammy McCarthy, Lilian Mohin, Roy Hudd

20 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Michel RouxMatthew Bannister onMichel Roux, the French chef who, with his brother Albert, transformed the British restaurant scene in the 19...

Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Max von Sydow, Professor Hannah Steinberg, Charles Portis

13 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Javier Pérez de CuéllarMatthew Bannister on The United Nations Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar. The Peruvian diplomat faced ma...

Katherine Johnson, Nexhmije Hoxha, Sir Michael Berridge, Diana Serra Cary (Baby Peggy)

06 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Katherine JohnsonMatthew Bannister onNexhmije Hoxha, the wife of the Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha. The couple ran a repressive Stalinist re...

Hosni Mubarak, Andrew Weatherall, Mary Higgins Clark, John Bevan

28 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Bannister onAndrew Weatherall, a hugely influential figure in the dance music scene of the 1990s, who revolutionised what a DJ could be and pr...

Heather Couper CBE, Leonard Woodley QC, Joseph Shabalala

21 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Heather CouperMatthew Bannister onHeather Couper, the astronomer who used her engaging media appearances to enthuse a generation about space...

Daniel arap Moi, Feng Huiyan, Professor Donald West, Colonel ‘Mad Mike’ Hoare

14 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Daniel arap Moi Julian Worricker on:Daniel arap Moi, who led Kenya for 24 years, but did so amidst corruption scandals and the repression of...

Kirk Douglas, Terry Hands CBE, Hazel Murphy, Seamus Mallon

07 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Kirk DouglasJulian Worricker on:Terry Hands, long serving artistic director of the RSC, who co-founded the Liverpool Everyman theatre and re...

Nicholas Parsons CBE, Mary Craig, Lord Maclennan of Rogart, Kobe Bryant

31 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Nicholas ParsonsMatthew Bannister on The Just A Minute host, TV presenter and actor Nicholas Parsons. Sheila Hancock and Tony Hawks pay trib...

Tony Garnett, Joy Rainey, Professor Cuchlaine King, Terry Jones

24 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Terry JonesMatthew Bannister on Tony Garnett, the TV and film producer whose tragic childhood inspired him to make influential films like Up...

Sir Roger Scruton FBA, FRSL, Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman, Bobby Neame CBE, Elizabeth Sellars

17 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Sir Roger ScrutonMatthew Bannister on Sir Roger Scruton, the leading conservative philosopher of his generation, known for his work on aesth...

General Qasem Soleimani, M.C. Beaton, George Laurer, Dr Sidney Holt

10 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: General Qasem SoleimaniMatthew Bannister on Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by an American drone strike. We try to uncover t...

Neil Innes, Steve Sawyer, Sheila Mercier, Alasdair Gray

03 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Neil InnesMatthew Bannister onNeil Innes, the talented musician who was a member of the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, worked with Monty Python and...

Andrew Graham-Yooll OBE, Andrea Newman, Peter Davis, Olly Croft OBE

27 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Julian Worricker on:The journalist, Andrew Graham-Yooll OBE, who risked his life to tell the story of the so-called 'disappeared' in Argentina in the ...

Kenny Lynch OBE, Chris Moncrieff CBE, Kate Figes, Branko Lustig

20 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Kenny Lynch OBEMatthew Bannister onChris Moncrieff, the journalist who covered parliament for the Press Association for more than 50 years. ...

David Bellamy, Nell Gifford, Yasuhiro Nakasone, Mariss Jansons

13 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: David BellamyMatthew Bannister onDavid Bellamy, the botanist who became a household name through his popular TV programmes, but fell from pr...

Bob Willis MBE, Gary Rhodes OBE, Dr Shuping Wang, Sir Stephen Cleobury CBE

06 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Bob WillisMatthew Bannister onBob Willis, the former England cricket captain, who was seen as one of the finest fast bowlers of his generati...

Sir Jonathan Miller, Field Marshal Lord Bramall, Clive James AO, CBE

29 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Jonathan MillerMatthew Bannister onSir Jonathan Miller, who hated the term polymath - but undoubtedly was one. He came to fame in the satiri...

Vladimir Bukovsky, Alison Prince, Keith Schellenberg, Robert Ponsonby

22 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Vladimir BukovskyMatthew Bannister onThe Russian dissident Vladimir Bukovsky, a long term opponent of the Soviet regime who revealed the use...

Nik Powell OBE, James Le Mesurier OBE, Frank Dobson, Hazel Vincent Wallace OBE

15 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Nik PowellMatthew Bannister onJames Le Mesurier, the former British Army Officer who set up the organisation that trained the White Helmet v...

Gay Byrne, Sadako Ogata, Robert Evans

08 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Gay ByrneMatthew Bannister onGay Byrne, the Irish TV and radio presenter who occupied a unique place in the nation's culture and public life...

Charles Jencks, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Irene Shubik, Raymond Leppard

01 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Charles JencksMatthew Bannister onThe architectural historian Charles Jencks, who was known as the godfather of postmodernism. He also invol...

Alicia Alonso, Deborah Orr, Joyce Cansfield, Clora Bryant

25 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Alicia AlonsoMatthew Bannister onAlicia Alonso, the Cuban ballerina who went on dancing when her sight began to fail. She also set up the Na...

Alexei Leonov, Sally Soames, Kary Mullis, Reg Watson

18 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Alexei LeonovMatthew Bannister onThe Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov who was the first person to walk in space.Sally Soames, the photographer...

Ginger Baker, Su Beng, John Haylett, Diahann Carroll

11 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Ginger BakerMatthew Bannister onSu Beng, the activist known as the father of Taiwan independence.Ginger Baker, the legendary drummer with ro...

Jessye Norman, Peter Sissons, Al Alvarez, Marita Lorenz

04 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Jessye NormanJulian Worricker on:The multiple award-winning American soprano, Jessye Norman, whose performances wowed audiences around the w...

Jacques Chirac, Sir Michael Edwardes, Cokie Roberts, Pat Cavendish O’Neill

27 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Jacques ChiracJulian Worricker on:Jacques Chirac, mayor of Paris for eighteen years, who served twice as French Prime Minister and twice as ...

Chester Williams, Sheikh Yusuf Motala, Jan Ruff O’Herne, Ric Ocasek

20 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Chester WilliamsMatthew Bannister onSheikh Yusuf Motala who founded the first traditional Islamic seminary in the UK, and trained hundreds o...

Hans Rausing, Sir Dawda Jawara, Sue Crockford, Terrance Dicks

13 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Bannister onHans Rausing, the Swedish-born industrialist who led the Tetra Pak company. In the 1990s he topped the Sunday Times Rich List ahea...

Robert Mugabe, Alla Verber, Ciaran McKeown, Bill Anderson MBE

06 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Robert MugabeMatthew Bannister onThe former President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe. He was once hailed as a hero of the liberation struggle but...

Lord Bell, Paule Marshall, David Koch, Richard Booth

30 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Bannister onLord Bell, the advertising and public relations executive who helped Margaret Thatcher to win three elections.Paule Marshall, the ...

Peter Fonda, Princess Christina of the Netherlands, Geoffrey Paul OBE, Jim Bouton

23 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Peter FondaMatthew Bannister onPeter Fonda, the actor who became a hero of the 1960s counterculture, by riding his Harley Davidson across Am...

Julia Farron OBE, Nuon Chea, June Fraser, Marcel Berlins

16 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Julia FarronJulian Worricker on:The Cambodian political leader, Nuon Chea, who was found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity duri...

Toni Morrison, Hal Prince, Dr Elizabeth Killick, Li Peng, Barrington Pheloung

09 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Toni MorrisonMatthew Bannister onThe Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, acclaimed for her novels which put the experience of black wo...

Russi Taylor, Beji Caid Essebsi, Jane Hubert, Iván Erőd

02 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Russi TaylorMatthew Bannister onBeji Caid Essebsi who became the first democratically elected President of Tunisia in the aftermath of the ...

Andrea Camilleri, Johnny Clegg OBE, OIS, Christopher Kraft, Paul Krassner, Professor Rolf Gehlhaar

26 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Andrea CamilleriMatthew Bannister on Andrea Camilleri, the Sicilian writer who created the Inspector Montalbano novels. His literary success...

Audrey Eyton, Arthur Ryan, Jack Bond, Rip Torn

19 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Audrey EytonMatthew Bannister onArthur Ryan, the Irish retailer who created Primark - known for selling fast fashion at low prices.Audrey Ey...

Eva Kor, Christopher Booker, João Gilberto, John McCririck

12 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Eva KorMatthew Bannister onEva Kor who, with her twin sister, was the subject of experiments by the Nazi doctor Josef Mengele in Auschwitz. ...

Brenda Maddox, Ivan Cooper, Min Hogg, John Gunther Dean, Dave Bartholomew

05 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Brenda MaddoxMatthew Bannister onIvan Cooper, the human rights campaigner and politician from Northern Ireland who played a key role in the ...

Dr Henry Lynch, Judith Krantz, Lord Patel of Blackburn, Anthony Hedges

28 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Judith KrantzMatthew Bannister onDr. Henry Lynch whose painstaking medical research revealed the causes of hereditary cancers.Judith Krantz,...

Franco Zeffirelli, Gloria Vanderbilt, Mohamed Morsi, Philomena Lynott

21 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Franco ZeffirelliMatthew Bannister onFranco Zeffirelli, the stage and film director known for his opulent designs and flamboyant personality...

John Tidmarsh OBE, Sylvia Denman, Paul Darrow, Sheila Turner, Leon Redbone

15 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: John TidmarshMatthew Bannister onJohn Tidmarsh, who presented Outlook on the BBC World Service for thirty years and brought comfort to the B...

Edward Seaga, Binyavanga Wainaina, Mary Stopes-Roe, Gloria Schiff, Dr John

07 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Edward SeagaJulian Worricker on:The Jamaican politician, Edward Seaga, who led his country as prime minister throughout the 1980sBinyavanga ...

Professor Murray Gell-Mann, Nan Winton, James McCord, Gregory Gray

31 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Nan WintonMatthew Bannister onMurray Gell-Mann, the American physicist who won the Nobel Prize for his work on the theory of elementary part...

Niki Lauda, Judith Kerr, IM Pei, Herman Wouk

24 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Judith KerrMatthew Bannister on Niki Lauda, the fearless racing driver who survived a terrible crash to make a dramatic comeback on the trac...

Doris Day, Brian Walden, Dorothy Rowe, Lorraine Warren

17 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Doris DayJulian Worricker on:One of Hollywood's top box-office stars of the 50s and 60s, actress and singer Doris Day.The Labour MP who beca...

Winnie Jordan, Richard Green, Karol Modzelewski, Liz Howe, John Singleton

10 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: John SingletonAndrea Catherwood on:British Athlete Winnie Jordan who won a silver medal in the Empire Games in 1938 and became a celebrated ...

Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, Terry Rawlings, Neus Català, Heather Harper CBE, Peter Mayhew

03 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Peter MayhewMatthew Bannister onGrand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, who served with the Irish Guards during the war, liberated his own country an...

Lyra McKee, Una-Mary Parker, Mira Markovic, Doreen Spooner, Edward Kelsey

26 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Lyra McKeeMatthew Bannister onLyra McKee, the 29 year old Northern Irish journalist who was shot dead by the New IRA. Una-Mary Parker who wa...

David Thouless, Nadja Poderegin, Ian Cognito, Dr Michael O’Donnell, Les Reed

19 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Nadja PodereginJulian Worricker on:David Thouless, whose work in the world of quantum mechanics earned him a share of the Nobel Prize for Ph...

Sydney Brenner, Dan Robbins, Edda Tasiemka, Ian McDonald

12 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Sydney BrennerMatthew Bannister onSydney Brenner, the Nobel Prize-winning biologist who worked with Francis Crick to map DNA. Dan Robbins, t...

Michel Bacos, Agnes Varda, Victor Hochhauser CBE, Barbara Low, Ranking Roger

05 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Agnès VardaMatthew Bannister onMichel Bacos, the pilot of the Air France jet that was hi-jacked to Entebbe in 1976. He was offered the chan...

Baroness Warnock, William Hucklesby QPM, Rose Hilton, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya CBE FRS, Scott Walker

29 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Baroness WarnockMatthew Bannister onBaroness Warnock, the philosopher who set down the principles which govern human fertilisation treatment...

Gillian Freeman, Sir Peter Hutchison, Sister Dorothy Bell, Dick Dale

22 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Dick DaleMatthew Bannister onGillian Freeman, the novelist and screenwriter whose books include The Leather Boys, a story of a gay love affa...

Professor Mike Oliver, Jacques Loussier, Professor Richard Lacey, The Reverend Ruth Scott

15 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Jacques LoussierMatthew Bannister onMike Oliver, who was paralysed from the neck down after diving into a swimming pool as a teenager. He be...

France-Albert Rene, Simon Norton, Belle Tutaev, Dr Ian Adamson OBE, Keith Flint

08 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Simon NortonMatthew Bannister onFrance-Albert René, the Seychelles President who came to power in a coup and stayed in office for more than...

André Previn KBE, John Haynes OBE, Tony Mendez, Lady Grantchester

01 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: André PrevinMatthew Bannister onAndré Previn, the conductor and pianist whose repertoire ranged from the classics to film and jazz music. ...

Lady Falkender, Karl Lagerfeld, John Stalker, Andrea Levy, Peter Tork

22 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Bannister onLady Falkender who was the controversial political secretary to Harold Wilson for twenty seven years.Karl Lagerfeld, the designer...

Gordon Banks OBE, Vikki Orvice, David Garman OBE, Mary Oliver, Albert Finney

15 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Matthew Bannister onGordon Banks, the goalkeeper in England's 1966 World Cup winning team, who made one of the greatest saves of all time in 1970.Vik...

Rosamunde Pilcher OBE, Hugh Lewin, Lamia Al-Gailani, Dr Stewart Adams OBE, Dr Adam Watson

08 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Rosamunde Pilcher Andrea Catherwood on:Activist Hugh Lewin who was jailed for his stand against apartheid in South Africa,Iraqi archaeologis...

Jeremy Hardy, Diana Athill OBE, Sir Conrad Swan, Michel Legrand

01 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Jeremy HardyJulian Worricker on:Comedian Jeremy Hardy, a mainstay of The News Quiz and I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue on Radio 4....Editor and ...

Hugh McIlvanney, Jennie Buckman, John Beavis, David Pritchard

25 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Hugh McIlvanneyMatthew Bannister on Hugh McIlvanney, the respected sports writer known for his love of language and combative approach to li...

Joe Casely-Hayford, Judge Nicholas Crichton, Professor Sophie Oluwole, Professor Paul O’Brien CBE, Carol Channing

18 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Joe Casely-HayfordMatthew Bannister onJoe Casely-Hayford, the fashion designer whose creations ranged from punk to Savile Row tailoring. His...

Nancy Roman, Ralph Koltai CBE, Julia Grant, Jin Yong, Norman Gimbel

11 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Nancy RomanMatthew Bannister onNancy Roman, the American space agency NASA's first Chief Astronomer. She was known as the mother of the Hubb...

Dame June Whitfield, Sir Jack Zunz, Thomas Baptiste, David Austin OBE, Karre Mastanamma

04 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: June WhitfieldMatthew Bannister onDame June Whitfield, the comic actress whose long career spanned classic radio shows and Absolutely Fabulo...

Sister Wendy Beckett, Nicolas Roeg, Inge Borkh, Professor Sir Aaron Klug, Geoff Emerick

28 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Sister Wendy Beckett Julian Worricker on:The nun, Sister Wendy Beckett, who became an unlikely television star when she brought her knowledg...

Sir David Weatherall, Penny Marshall, Evelyn Berezin, Zhores Medvedev, Nancy Wilson

21 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Nancy WilsonMatthew Bannister onSir David Weatherall, the world renowned haematologist and geneticist who pioneered molecular approaches to ...

Peter Boizot, Judith Kazantzis, Sir Sze-Yuen Chung, Sister Cecylia Roszak, Scott English

14 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Peter BoizotMatthew Bannister onPeter Boizot who founded the Pizza Express chain of restaurants and invested heavily in his home town of Pet...

Harry Leslie Smith, Pete Shelley, Monica Sims, Professor Wendy Atkin OBE, Ivan March

07 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Pete ShelleyMatthew Bannister onHarry Leslie Smith who grew up in poverty in Yorkshire. He became an outspoken campaigner for the welfare st...

Baroness Trumpington, Roy Bailey, Chief Inspector Henry Stevens GC, Bernardo Bertolucci

30 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Baroness TrumpingtonMatthew Bannister onBaroness Trumpington, who worked for Lloyd George and at Bletchley Park during the war then became a...

John Large, William Goldman, Dr Sarah Ntiro, Richard Baker, Patsy Rodgers

23 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: William GoldmanMatthew Bannister onWilliam Goldman, the Hollywood screenwriter behind a string of hits including Butch Cassidy and the Sunda...

Aubrey Manning, Max Levitas, Babs Beverley, Janet Paisley, Stan Lee

16 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Stan LeeMatthew Bannister onThe naturalist and expert on animal evolution Aubrey Manning who presented the acclaimed BBC TV series Earth Sto...

Lord Heywood, Pamela Lonsdale, Sangharakshita, Tom Jago, Francis Lai

09 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Lord HeywoodMatthew Bannister on Lord Heywood, the senior civil servant who worked with four Prime Ministers: Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Davi...

Wanda Ferragamo, Wim Kok, Ntozake Shange, Mohamed Sahnoun, Keith Killby

02 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Wanda FerragamoMatthew Bannister onWanda Ferragamo - who took over her husband's successful Italian shoe making business and turned it into ...

Anthea Bell OBE, Captain Michael Howard, Baroness Hollis of Heigham, Cicely Berry CBE, Tony Hiller

26 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Baroness HollisMatthew Bannister onAnthea Bell who translated the works of Freud and Kafka into English - but was even better known for maki...

Paul Allen, Dr Mary Midgley, Leon Lederman, Roger Mainwood

19 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Paul AllenMatthew Bannister onPaul Allen who teamed up with his school friend Bill Gates to found the computer software company Microsoft. A...

Ray Galton, Professor Gerald Russell, Evelyn Anthony, Sir Roger Gibbs, Montserrat Caballé

12 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Montserrat CaballéMatthew Bannister on Ray Galton, who, with his writing partner Alan Simpson, created Hancock's Half Hour and Steptoe and ...

Charles Aznavour, Dr Charles Kao, Elizabeth de Mauny Wainwright, John Cunliffe

05 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Charles AznavourMatthew Bannister onCharles Aznavour, the French singer who "made despair popular". The lyricist Don Black, who worked with ...

Chas Hodges, MJ Long, Arthur Mitchell, Rick Turner, Rachid Taha

28 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Pictured: Chas HodgesMatthew Bannister onChas Hodges, the session musician who became one half of the cockney duo Chas and Dave and had hits like Gert...