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 Friday听听听16:00-16:30
Sunday听20:30-21:00听(rpt)
Radio 4's weekly obituaries programme |
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This week |
Friday 17th August 2007
(Rpt) Sunday 19th August
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Lord John Biffen
Politician who has died aged 76.
John Biffen served as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, then Secretary of State for Trade under Margaret Thatcher. In 1982 she gave him the job which seemed to suit him perfectly - Leader of the House. He held the position for five years, earning the respect of MPs from all parties, but he became听increasingly concerned about the confrontational direction of the Thatcher government. He was sacked after the 1987 election and became an outspoken critic of Mrs. Thatcher from the backbenches, describing her regime as 鈥淪talinist鈥 and campaigning against the poll tax.
John Biffen was born in Somerset, the son of a tenant farmer. He was educated at the village school, the local grammar school and then at Jesus College Cambridge where he took a first in history. Turning his back on farming, he started work at Tube Investments in the West Midlands. In 1961 he won a by- election in Oswestry and continued to represent the Shropshire constituency for more than thirty five years.
Matthew Bannister talks to Lady Biffen and Lord Kinnock .听Michael Heseltine speaks on the Today programme.
John Biffen was born November 3rd 1930. He听died August 14th 2007. |
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Merv Griffin
Entertainer and Entrepreneur who has died aged 82.
Merv Griffin hosted five thousand five hundred programmes on American TV, ranging from his own long running Talk Show to top rating quizzes and game shows. He started his career as a singer and sold three million copies of "I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts", released on his own record label in the 1950s.听
Merv Griffin听was spotted by Doris Day and broke into movies, but it was on TV that he really made his mark. He started to devise his own formats 鈥 and made millions when two of them: 鈥淲heel of Fortune鈥 and 鈥淛eopardy鈥 were syndicated around the world. At the same time Merv was hosting a long running talk show with guests ranging from pop stars to presidents. When he retired, he sold his production company for two hundred and fifty million dollars, which - according to Forbes magazine 鈥 made him the richest Hollywood performer in history.
Matthew Bannister talks to听the film and TV actor Robert Loggia.
Merv Griffin was born July 6th 1925. He died August 12th 2007. |
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Dr Jim MacKeith
Forensic psychiatrist who has died 68.
Dr. Mackeith was a tireless campaigner against miscarriages of justice and his expert evidence helped to release many innocent people who had been wrongly convicted of crimes on the basis of their confessions. They included the Guildford Four, Judith Ward who spent eighteen years in prison after wrongly confessing to three IRA bombings in the 1970s and Vincent Hickey whose conviction for murdering 13 year old Carl Bridgewater in 1978 was finally overturned in 1997.
Matthew Bannister talks to Professor Gisli Gudjohnsson who worked with Jim MacKeith and to Paddy Hill of the Birmingham Six.听 Paddy Hill听served sixteen and a half years in prison for crimes听he did not commit. Four of his fellow defendants had confessed to carrying out IRA pub bombings in Birmingham 鈥 but evidence from forensic psychiatrist Jim MacKeith showed that the confessions were false.
Jim Mackeith was born October 29th 1938. He听died August 5th 2007. |
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Anthony Howard Wilson
Record label boss and听broadcaster who has died aged 57.
Tony Wilson听was the man behind Factory records and the Hacienda club in Manchester. He started out as a television presenter for Granada television and his wit and self acknowledged pomposity made sure he became a听colourful听cultural commentator.
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Writer CP Lee pays tribute to his friend.
Tony Wilson was born February 20th 1950. He died August 10 2007. |
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