Sian Williams and Richard Coles with Caitlin Moran, and Bonnie Tyler's Inheritance Tracks. 
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THE VERY REVEREND COLIN SLEE
Dean of Southwark who has died aged 65.
The Very Reverend Colin Slee was the outspoken Dean of Southwark. He was on the liberal wing of the church, a staunch advocate of women bishops and supporter of gay clergy. But in terms of liturgy and the dress code for priests he was more of an Anglo Catholic, insisting on following what he saw as the proper form. He oversaw the construction of a refectory, conference centre and library to complement the Southwark Cathedral building and presided over the expansion of its congregation.
Last Word spoke the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, to the religious affairs writer Stephen Bates, and to the Chief Executive of the Tutu Foundation UK, Tina Lambert.
Colin Bruce Slee was born 10 November 1945 and died 25 November 2010. -
LESLIE NIELSEN
Canadian comic actor who has died aged 84.
Leslie Nielsen was the Hollywood actor who came into his own late in his career as star of the disaster movie spoof “Airplane!”. His performance as the deadpan doctor caught up in every disaster movie cliché had audiences rolling in the aisles. And with the same production team of the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams, he went on to satirise police procedurals in “The Naked Gun” and its successful sequels. During his career he appeared in more than a thousand films and TV series.
Matthew spoke to the film critic Mark Eccleston.
Leslie Nielsen was born on February 11, 1926 and died on November 28, 2010. -
PROFESSOR MAURICE WILKES
Computer pioneer who has died aged 97.
Sir Maurice Wilkes was one of the pioneers of computer science. Working at Cambridge University in the 1940s, he designed and oversaw the construction of one of the world’s first computers, known as the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator, or EDSAC. He also established the computer laboratory at Cambridge and was its head from 1945 to 1980.
Last Word spoke to the computer expert and commentator Bill Thompson and to Professor Andy Hopper, Head of the Computer Lab at Cambridge.
Professor Sir Maurice Wilkes was born on June 26, 1913 and died on November 29, 2010. -
PETER CHRISTOPHERSON
Photographer and musician who has died aged 55.
Peter Christopherson led a dual life. He was a talented and innovative photographer and video director who designed album covers for bands like Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. He also shot the early promotional pictures for the Sex Pistols and designed window displays for Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s legendary King’s Road Shop – Sex. But under the nickname “Sleazy”, Peter was also a member of the controversial band Throbbing Gristle. The other band members were the performance artists Genesis P Orridge and Cosey Fanni Tutti, and the sound engineer Chris Carter who built his own synthesisers.
We spoke to Cosey Fanni Tutti and to Aubrey Powell of the design studio Hypgnosis.
Peter Martin Christopherson was born 27 February 1955 and died 25 November 2010. -
ROZSIKA PARKER
Feminist, art historian and writer who has died aged 64.
Rozsika Parker was a feminist art historian. She worked with others to challenge the male dominated view of the history of art. She was born in London and studied at the Courtauld Institute before becoming the art critic of Spare Rib magazine in 1972. Rosie, as she was known, worked with Griselda Pollock on the influential book “Old Mistresses, Women Art and Ideology” which was published in 1981.
Matthew spoke to Griselda Pollock, now a Professor at Leeds University.
Rozsika Parker was born 27 December 1945 and died 5 November 2010.
Broadcasts
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BBC Radio 4Fri 3 Dec 2010 16:00 BBC Radio 4
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BBC Radio 4Sun 5 Dec 2010 20:30 BBC Radio 4
Free download
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Last Word
Radio 4’s obituary programme, marking the lives of significant figures who have died recently,...
