大象传媒

So many fascinating people, so many stories, and sometimes, it seems, so little time to tell them.聽 Roy Jenkins choses just half-a-dozen of the individuals who featured in our programme last year, welcomed us into their lives, and shared their opinions.

Garin Jenkins had a reputation as one of the hard men in Welsh rugby - tough, committed, and familiar with the sin bin.聽 Since retiring with 58 caps, and three World Cup tournaments behind him, he鈥檚 spent a great deal of time coaching younger players.聽 He鈥檚 also heard as part of the Radio Wales commentary team, and speaking to all kinds of gatherings about the Christian faith which has grown increasingly important to him.聽 When we talked at the start of last season鈥檚 Six Nations, the hard man reflected on one of his hardest times.

In December the agonised parliamentary debate on bombing Syria threw into sharp relief the decision to invade Iraq in 2003, and ahead of a public lecture in Swansea, we met a man who had a unique vantage point in that conflict.聽 Major General Tim Cross, was Britain鈥檚 most senior figure in charge of humanitarian aid and reconstruction.聽 He鈥檚 an Anglican lay minister, and chair of the Christian think-tank Theos.聽

The General Election saw many familiar figures disappearing from the Commons, few more popular than Paul Murphy, the miner鈥檚 son from Abersychan who stood down after 28 years as Labour MP for Torfaen.聽 He鈥檇 played a key role in the Northern Ireland peace negotiations and served as secretary of state there, as well as two periods as secretary of state for Wales.聽聽 Paul Murphy鈥檚 Roman Catholic faith has been an important driving force in his politics, and before he went to the Lords as Baron Murphy of Torfaen he reflected on what he saw as the biggest ethical and moral issues facing the United Kingdom.