Last Word

Matthew Bannister onMel Parry, the SAS veteran who was part of the team that stormed the Iranian embassy in London in 1980.Professor Alice Coleman, the geographer whose modifications to modernist high rise estates won the support of Margaret Thatcher.Hugh Callaghan, the labourer who was one of six men arrested after the Birmingham pub bombings of 1974. He served 16 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Cynthia Weil, the American songwriter behind hits like The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”, The Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place” and Dolly Parton’s “Here You Come Again”.Interviewee: Bob Shepherd Interviewee: Jo Kendall Interviewee: Professor Loretta Lees Interviewee: Chris MullinProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Iranian Embassy Siege, News bulletin, BBC Radio 4, 30/04/1980; Iranian Embassy Siege, Reports and interviews, BBC Radio 4, 01/05/1980; Iranian Embassy Siege, Reports and interviews, BBC Radio 4, 03/05/1980; Iranian Embassy Siege in London, News report, BBC Radio 4, 05/05/1980; Cynthia Weil interview: writing songs for male performers, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, YouTube uploaded 14/03/2016; Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann interview, Sunday Morning, CBS, 08/02/2015; Alice Coleman interview, The Friday Report: A Design for Living, BBC Two, 05/02/1988; 1974 Birmingham Pub Bombings report, BBC News, 15/08/1975; Birmingham bombings, 21 Dead And 182 Injured In Birmingham, RTE News Archive, 21/11/1974; Hugh Callaghan interview, World In Action, Granada Television, 18/03/1991; Hugh Callaghan interview, BBC Radio Ulster, 08/12/1996; Birmingham Six freed, News reports, BBC Newsnight, 11/03/1991; Hugh Callaghan singing, Songs of Love and Emigration: Two, The Irish Pensioners Choir, 2023;

Matthew Bannister onJeremy Clarke, who chronicled his experiences of living a “low life” in the Spectator magazine for more than 20 years. We have a tribute from Eric Idle.The women’s rights campaigner Dr. Moira Woods, who set up the Irish Republic’s first dedicated sexual assault treatment unit.Iain Johnstone, the film critic and documentary maker who told the stories of stars like Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand and John Wayne.Rita Lee, the singer known as Brazil’s “Queen of Rock”Interviewee: Eric Idle Interviewee: David Goodhart Interviewee: Rosita Sweetman Interviewee: Oliver Johnstone Interviewee: Camilo RochaProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Jeremy Clarke's Low Life: Dead cool, Jeremy has bitten the bullet and taken up yoga, The Spectator, uploaded Facebook 03/09/2023; Jeremy Clarke’s Low Life - Sharon has ditched Jeremy and is getting a dog, her mum has set him up on a blind date, The Spectator, uploaded Facebook 09/07/2023; Jeremy Clarke, Off the Page, BBC Radio 4, 09/07/2009; Dr Moira Wood appearance on Irish Television from 1994, YouTube, uploaded 10/02/2016; President Nixon visits Dublin 1966, RTE Archives, RTE website uploaded in 2016; Iain Johnstone appearance, Film 82: E.T. Review, BBC Archive, Facebook, uploaded 06/12/2017; Iain Johnstone, Jaws - from the Set 1974, YouTube, uploaded 09/01/2012; 1976: Tonight, BBC Archive, Facebook uploaded 20/02/2020; A Fish Called Wanda (1988), Official Trailer, MGM Studios, YouTube uploaded 09/08/2021; Harold Wilson appearance, Friday Night, Saturday Morning, BBC Two, 19/10/1979; Rita Lee, Lança Perfume, Live concert, MTV Brazil, YouTube uploaded 02/09/2015; Rita Lee – Agora So Fata Voce, Live Universal Music Group, YouTube uploaded 26/01/2017;

Matthew Bannister on Tina Turner, the singer who overcame an abusive relationship to become an international superstar Martin Amis, one of the literary giants of his generation Leroy Cooper, the photographer who captured the social history of his area of Liverpool Rolf Harris, the entertainer who was imprisoned for sexually assaulting young girls Marlene Bauer Hagge, the last surviving founding member of the US Ladies Professional Golf AssociationInterviewee: Dan Franklin Interviewee: Leee John Interviewee: Ray Quarless Interviewee: Levi Tafari Interviewee: David Sillito Interviewee: Lewine MairProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used: Tina Turner - From the archives: Life of suffering and triumph, CBS Sunday Morning, originally broadcast October 2018, YouTube uploaded 25/05/2023; Tina Turner talks to Larry King about her life in music (1997), CNN, YouTube uploaded 21/05/2016; Will Gompertz interviews Tina Turner, Tina Turner: Simply the Best, BBC One, 26/11/2018; Anne Rohmer interviews Tina Turner (1985), Canada TV News , CTV YouTube uploaded 24/05/2023; Martin Amis interview, The Late Show: Face To Face, BBC TWO, 25/10/1993; Martin Amis, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 29/12/1996; Leroy Cooper interview with Flora Zajicek, Empathy Museum, 2022; Toxteth riots July 1981, BBC News; Marlene Bauer Hagge interview, LPGA Takeaway: 67 Years Later, the Founders Look Back, Golf.com YouTube uploaded 4/11/2016; 1960 U.S. Women's Open newsreel, United States Golf Association, YouTube uploaded 30/05/2014; Marlene Bauer, The Last Of The LPGA Founders, The Golf Library, YouTube uploaded 19/05/2023;

Matthew Bannister onNewton Minow, who was just 35 when he was appointed chairman of the US Federal Communications Commission by President John F. Kennedy. He gave a famous speech describing TV as a “vast wasteland” and helped to set up the Public Broadcasting Service.Vicky Neale, the mathematician who responded to her diagnosis with cancer by launching a podcast discussing the role of maths in cancer research. Lois Keith, who campaigned for equal rights for disabled people.Gerald Rose, the children’s book illustrator who won the Kate Greenaway Medal for his work on “Old Winkle and the Seagulls”Interviewee: Nell Minow Interviewee: Professor Hannah Fry Interviewee: Charlie Gilderdale Interviewee: Richard Rose Interviewee: Joanna Owen Interviewee: Dea BirkettProducer: Gareth Nelson-Davies Archive used:Newt Minow interview, Talk of the Nation, NPR, 06/09/2006; Newton Minow's interview, PBS News Hour, YouTube, uploaded 08/05/2021; Newton Minow on his 1961 "Vast Wasteland" speech, Emmy TV Legends, 04/05/2011; President Obama Awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom 2016, The Obama White House, YouTube, uploaded 22/11/2016; Vicky Neale, Maths+Cancer podcast, University of Oxford, date unknown - source: oxford.shorthandstories.com/maths-plus-cancer/ ; Vicky Neale appearance on The Infinity Monkey Cage, BBC Radio 4, 07/07/2014; Vicky Neale, Oxford Mathematics, YouTube uploaded 27/05/2022;

Matthew Bannister onThe opera singer Grace Bumbry who broke down barriers by becoming the first black performer at the Bayreuth Festival.Don Short, the showbusiness journalist who coined the term “Beatlemania” and became good friends with the Fab Four.Dame Rosemary Cramp, the archaeologist who deepened our understanding of the Anglo Saxon period.And Wee Willie Harris, the flamboyant rock’n’roller name checked in Ian Dury’s song “Reasons To Be Cheerful”Interviewee: David Brewer Interviewee: Daisy Dunn Interviewee: Professor Joanna Story Interviewee: Jonathan Wingate Interviewee: Tony ThorpeProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used:Royal Visit to Kenya - First Stage of the Commonwealth Tour, British Pathe, 1952; A taste of Beatlemania in the 1960s, CBS News, CBS YouTube channel, uploaded 21/01/2014; Don Short interview about the writing of his memoir 'The Beatles and Beyond', The Surrey Edit, YouTube uploaded 24/03/2020; Rosemary Cramp interview, On Site, BBC Radio, 03/09/1967; Professor Rosemary Cramp interview, PM, BBC Radio 4, 29/05/1979; Rosemary Cramp, Professor of Archaeology at Durham University, talks to Sue Macgregor about her life and work, BBC Radio 4, 08/12/1988; Meet The Archaeologist: Rosemary Cramp, YouTube uploaded 04/07/2014; Wee Willie Harris – Still Rocking, Celluloid Tapestry, YouTube uploaded 29/06/2023.

Matthew Bannister on Harry Belafonte, the singer and actor who was also a leading civil rights campaigner.Jerry Springer, whose TV talk show was once voted the worst in history – but was watched by millions around the world.Valerie Winn, the runner who became the face of a campaign to allow women to compete in top level middle distance races.Kate Saunders, the novelist, journalist and critic who won the Costa Prize for Children’s Literature for her book Five Children on the Western Front.Interviewee: Michael Shnayerson Interviewee: Amanda Craig Interviewee: Wendy Sly Interviewee: Jene GalvinProducer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesArchive used:Harry Belafonte, Desert Island Discs, BBC Home Service, 06/10/1958; "Sing Your Song": Remembering Harry Belafonte, Who Used His Fame to Help Civil Rights Movement, Democracy Now, YouTube uploaded 26/04/2023; Harry Belafonte interview, Film Night, BBC Archive originally broadcast 15/04/1972; Civil Rights, British Pathe, uploaded YouTube 25/11/2016; Harry Belafonte interview, PBS Newshour, PBC, YouTube uploaded 15/11/2011; Kate Saunders introduction on Have I Got News For You, BBC ONE, 28/09/1990; Jerry Springer , Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 06/11/2009; Jerry Springer resigns from Cincinnati city council in 1974, WCPO, YouTube uploaded 28/04/2016; Jerry’s Final Thought Brings Him To Tears, Jerry Springer Show, YouTube uploaded 21/09/2015; When Paxman met Springer, BBC Newsnight, 26/02/2014;

Matthew Bannister onBarry Humphries, best known for his comic creations Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. We have tributes from Rob Brydon and John Humphrys.Len Goodman, who went from working as a welder to international fame as head judge of Strictly Come Dancing.Professor Elizabeth Murray, a pioneer in the use of digital technology in health care.And Jah Shaka, dub reggae star, producer and sound system king.Interviewee: Rob Brydon Interviewee: John Humphrys Interviewee: Mary Richardson Interviewee: Anne Pender Interviewee: Professor Fiona Stevenson Interviewee: Neil Fraser (also known as music producer Mad Professor) Interviewee: Bryan GeeProducer: Paul MartinArchive used: Dame Edna Everage on Parkinson, BBC One, 1998, uploaded to YouTube 01/07/2017; One More Audience with Dame Edna Everage, ITV, 1988, uploaded to YouTube 22/04/2023; Another Audience With Dame Edna Everage, ITV, 1984, uploaded to YouTube, 01/09/2022; Barry Humphries on Parkinson, BBC One, 1982, uploaded to YouTube. 23/04/2023; Barry Humphries, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 29/05/2009 Dame Edna Everage on the Today Programme, BBC Radio 4, 18/09/2019; Len Goodman, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 24/06/2011; Jah Shaka, Junior Brown, Warriors, Reggae Records Archives, YouTube uploaded 26/09/2022; Jah Shaka sound system live London, (Tape Edit)YouTube uploaded 15/10/2022;

Matthew Bannister onAnne Perry, the best-selling crime novelist who committed a murder when she was a teenager.Dame Mary Quant, the influential fashion designer at the heart of the swinging 60s. Pattie Boyd recalls the coat Mary designed for her wedding to George Harrison.Jean Argles, who – with her sister - served as a codebreaker during the second world war.Ahmad Jamal, the jazz pianist and composer whose restrained but intense style inspired Miles Davis. Joe Stilgoe pays tribute.Producer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesInterviewee: Joanne Drayton Interviewee: Jenny Lister Interviewee: Pattie Boyd Interviewee: Tessa Dunlop Interviewee: Joe StilgoeArchive used: Carnaby Street, British Pathe News, 1969; Mary Quant interview with ITN about the ideas that guided her innovative designs, ITN Archive, YouTube uploaded 13/04/2023; Mary Quant interview, Woman’s Hour, BBC Radio 4 , 16/02/2012; Anne Perry: The Making of a Writer, Open Road Media, YouTube uploaded 21/03/2010; Ian Rankin interview with Anne Perry, YouTube uploaded 18/08/2007; Heavenly Creatures film promo, YouTube uploaded 22/07/2014; Jean Argles interview, Legasee, The Veterans Video Archive, recording date unknown, source: legasee.org.uk;

Matthew Bannister on Ben Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trials. He devoted his life to campaigning for an international system of justice for the victims of such crimes. Seymour Fortescue, the banker who pioneered the credit and debit card revolution.Valerie Elliott, the respected journalist who reported on politics and then rural affairs.Rachel Pollack, the author and trans activist best known for her award-winning novel Unquenchable Fire and for creating the first mainstream transgender superhero. Her friend Neil Gaiman pays tribute.Producer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesInterviewee: Don Ferencz Interviewee: Neil Gaiman Interviewee: Andrea Gittleman Interviewee: Alisa Kwitney Interviewee: Rick Kelsey Interviewee: Jennie Fortescue Interviewee: Tony Harrop-GriffithsArchive used: British Pathe, The Nuremberg Trials (1945), VS Court Assembling, YouTube, uploaded 13/04/2014; Ben Ferencz interview, BBC News, HardTalk, 22/07/2017; Rachel Pollack interview on The Tarot of Perfection, YouTube uploaded 14/07/2010; Rachel Pollack discussing her inspirations, Fortress Comics, YouTube uploaded 04/05/2022; Valerie Elliott, Genethod Gwent, Come Down to Earth Boy, YouTube, uploaded 18/12/2018;

Matthew Bannister onNigel Lawson – Baron Lawson of Blaby, the reforming Chancellor of the Exchequer under Margaret Thatcher. He cut income tax, led the campaign of privatisation and paved the way for the Big Bang in the City of London.Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou, the Ethiopian-born nun acclaimed for her unique musical compositions.Ken Buchanan, the Scottish boxer who became World Lightweight Champion.Mary Rayner, the children’s author and illustrator best known for her books about Mr and Mrs Pig and their ten piglets. Producer: Gareth Nelson-DaviesInterviewee: Jim Black Interviewee: Ilan Volkov Interviewee: Kate Molleson Interviewee: Sarah RaynerArchive used: Nigel Lawson - Chancellor of Exchequer, Budget statement, House of Commons, BBC News, 13/03/1984; Lord Baker interview, Today, BBC Radio 4, 04/04/2023; Nigel Lawson, Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, 03/12/1989; Nigel Lawson interview, In The Psychiatrist Chair, BBC Radio 4, 01/09/1998; Nigel Lawson interview on Government’s White Paper on Public Expenditure, The World Tonight, BBC Radio 4, 01/11/1979; Margaret Thatcher speech to Conservative Party Conference, BBC News, 14/10/1983; Nigel Lawson comments on his resignation in the House of Commons, BBC News, 31/10/1989; Lord Moore interview, Today, BBC Radio 4, 04/04/2023; Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou interview, The Honky Tonk Nun documentary, BBC Radio 4, 18/04/2017; Ken Buchanan interview, Scotland Today, BBC Scotland, 18/09/1971; Ken Buchanan interview, Scottish Sporting Legends, BBC Scotland, 18/10/2002; This Sporting Life – Ken Buchanan, BBC Scotland, 03/04/2023 ; Undisputed: The Life and Times of Ken Buchanan, BBC Scotland, 14/09/2021; Babe, Universal Studios promo, IMDB uploaded 1995.