Birthdays

TODAY: Mr Gene Barry, actor, 72; General Sir Cecil Blacker, former president, British Equestrian Federation, 78; Mr Bob Champion, trainer and former jockey, 46; Sir Christopher Cockerell, inventor of the hovercraft, 84; Vice- Admiral Sir Richard Frere, Chief of Fleet Support, 56; Rear-Admiral Sir Paul Greening, former Master of Her Majesty's Household, 66; Mr Allen Greenwood, former deputy chairman, British Aerospace, 77; The Earl of Halsbury, Chancellor, Brunel University, 86; Miss Andrea Jaeger, tennis player, 29; Vice-Admiral Sir John Lea, 71; Mr David Lyon, chief executive, Bowater, 58; Mr Tony Pigott, cricketer, 36; Mr Geoffrey Palmer, actor, 67; Sir John Sparrow, chairman, Horserace Betting Levy Board, 61; Mr Daniel Topolski, writer, photographer and rowing coach, 49; Mr Dennis Weaver, actor, 70; Professor John West, former Vice-Chancellor, Bradford University, 72.

TOMORROW: Miss Moira Anderson, singer, 54; Mr Spencer Batiste MP, 49; Professor Robert Buchanan, founder, Centre for the History of Technology, Bath, 64; Mr AR Dawson, rugby player, 62; Miss Beatrice de Cardi, archaeologist, 80; Sir John Dellow, former Deputy Commissioner, Metropolitan Police, 63; Miss Margaret Drabble, novelist, 55; The Earl of Dundee, former government whip, 45; Professor Charles Fletcher, physician and former chairman of Ash, 83; Mr David Hare, playwright, 47; Miss Rose Hill, actress and singer, 80; Sir Jack Jacob QC, former Senior Master of the Supreme Court, 86; Mr Phil Neale, cricketer, 40; Professor Sir Rudolf Peierls, physicist, 87; Miss Margaret Rawlings, actress, 88; Mr Nigel Rees, author, 50; Mr Jeffrey Rooker MP, 53; Mr Richard Stone, portrait painter, 43; Sir Arthur Vick, former Vice- Chancellor, Queen's University of Belfast, 83; Vice-Admiral Sir Barry Wilson, former Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, 58.