Birthdays

TODAY: Lord Alport, Deputy Speaker, House of Lords, 85; Mr George Benson, singer and jazz guitarist, 54; Miss Sheila Cameron QC, Vicar-General of the Province of Canterbury, 63; Mr Brian Hanrahan, broadcaster, 48; The Very Rev Lawrence Jackson, Provost Emeritus of Blackburn, 71; Dr Harry Kay, former Vice-Chancellor, Exeter University, 78; Lord Lloyd-Webber, composer, 49; M Marcel Marceau, mime artist, 74; Mr Charles Pick, former managing director, Heinemann, 80; Sir Lynden Pindling, former prime minister of the Bahamas, 67; Mr Paul Rogers, actor, 80; Mr Paul Schockemohle, show- jumper, 52; Mr William Shatner, actor, 66; Mr Stephen Sondheim, composer and lyricist, 67; Professor Sir Colin Spedding, chairman, UK Register of Organic Food Standards Board, 72; Lord Stokes, former president, British Leyland, 83; Mr Leslie Thomas, author, 66; Admiral Sir Richard Thomas, former Black Rod and Serjeant-at-Arms, House of Lords, 65; Professor Sir Arnold Turnberg, President, Royal College of Physicians, 63; Professor David Watson, director, University of Brighton, 48.

TOMORROW: Professor Harry Allen, Emeritus Professor of American Studies, University of East Anglia, 80; Mr Mike Atherton, cricketer, 29; Sir Roger Bannister, former Master of Pembroke College, Oxford, 68; Mr Alan Bleasdale, playwright, 51; Mr Geoffrey Bush, composer, 77; Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, 44; Mr Barry Cryer, writer and comedian, 62; Professor Patrick Dowling, Vice-Chancellor, Surrey University, 58; Mr Professor Kenneth Gregory, Warden, Goldsmith's College, London, 59; Mr Akira Kurosawa, film director, 87; Sir David McNee, former Commissioner, the Metropolitan Police, 72; Mr Michael Manser, architect, 68; Mr Andrew Miller MP, 48; Mr Andrew Mitchell MP, 41; Mr Alfred Morris MP, 69; Mr Michael Nyman, composer, 53; Sir Desmond Pitcher, chairman, United Utilities, 62; Mr Oliver Sherwood, racehorse trainer, 42; Sir Ian Todd, consulting surgeon, 76; Sir Edward Warner, former diplomat, 86; Sir Denis Wright, former diplomat, 86.