Birthdays

TODAY: The Duchess of Gloucester, 52; Professor William Balchin, geographer, 82; Sir Brian Barder, former High Commissioner to Australia, 64; Professor Arthur Bell, former director, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 72; Lord Brightman, former Judge of Appeal, 87; Mr Michael Buckley, the Ombudsman, 59; Miss Wendy Craig, actress, 64; The Earl of Cranbrook, chairman, English Nature, 65; Mr Joseph Dwyer, executive chairman, George Wimpey, 59; Brigadier Jill Field, former director, Defence Nursing Services, 64; Mr Stephen Frears, film director, 57; Mr David French, former director, Relate, 51; Mr Ronald Hines, actor, 69; Mr Richard Hornby, former chairman, Halifax Building Society, 76; Mr Alan Lamb, cricketer, 44; Mr Scottie McClue, broadcaster, 42; Mr Stanley Metcalfe, former chairman, Ranks Hovis McDougall, 66; Sir David Mitchell, former MP, 70; Mr Johnny Morris, broadcaster, 82; Sir Antony Pilkington, former chairman, Pilkington plc, 63; Mr Paul Ramirez, tennis player, 45; Mr Lionel Richie, singer and songwriter, 49; Mr Budge Rogers, rugby player, 59; Mr Vikram Seth, novelist, 46; Professor Sir Richard Southwood, zoologist, and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Oxford University, 67; Mr John Taylor, guitarist, 38; Miss Claire Tomalin, writer, 65; Sir Haydn Tudor Evans, former High Court judge, 78; The Right Rev John Waine, former Bishop of Chelmsford, 68; Mr Brian Wilson, rock singer and composer, 57.

TOMORROW: Prince William of Wales, 16; Mr Joseph Bamford, founder, J.C. Bamford Excavators, 82; Miss Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan, 45; Lord Brooke of Alverthorpe, trade union leader, 56; Mr Christopher Brown, former director and chief executive of the NSPCC, 60; Mr Jeremy Coney, cricketer, 46; Professor Anna Davies, philologist, 61; Mr Ray Davies, rock singer, 54; Mr John Edrich, cricketer, 61; Mr Wally Fawkes, cartoonist and jazz musician, 74; Miss Kate Hoey MP, 52; Sir Bernard Ingham, former chief press secretary to the Prime Minister, 66; Mr Gerald Kaufman MP, 68; Professor Patricia Lindop, radiobiologist, 68; Mr Ian McEwan, novelist, 50; Sir Michael McWilliam, former director, School of Oriental and African Studies, London University, 65; Sir Michael Marshall, former MP, 68; Mr Peter Marshall, former Commissioner, City of London Police, 68; Sir John Morgan, diplomat, 69; Sir Edwin Nixon, former deputy chairman, National Westminster Bank, 73; Mr Richard Poulton, founder Headmaster, International School of the Regents, Pattaya, Thailand, 60; Mr Malcolm Rifkind QC, former MP, 52; Sir Hugh Rossi, former MP, 71; Miss Jane Russell, actress, 77; Lord Saatchi, advertising executive, 52; Mlle Francoise Sagan, author, 63; Mr Maurice Warren, chairman, Aggregate Industries, 65.