Birthdays

TODAY: Mr John Alderton, actor, 53; Professor John Ashworth, director, London School of Economics, 55; Mr Rodney Bewes, actor, 56; Lord Bridges, former diplomat, 66; The Very Rev Edward Carpenter, former Dean of Westminster, 83; Mr Robert Dougall, television presenter, 80; Air Marshal Sir Eric Dunn, defence consultant, 66; Mr James Evans, former chairman, Press Association, 61; Lord Howard de Walden, racehorse owner and breeder, 81; Dr Kim Howells MP, 47; Miss Rosaline Kelly, journalist and publishing consultant, 71; Miss Verity Lambert, film producer, 58; Baroness Mallalieu, QC, 48; Sir David Nickson, chairman, Scottish Enterprise, 64; Mrs Margaret Parry, former headmistress, Heathfield School, 74; Mr F. Leslie Preston, architect, 90; Mr Alan Simpson, author and scriptwriter, 64; Mr Ernie Wise, comedian, 68.

TOMORROW: Professor Giovanni Aquilecchia, linguist, 70; Dr Gordon Beveridge, President and Vice-Chancellor, Queen's University, Belfast, 60; Vice-Admiral Sir David Brown, naval consultant, 66; Mr Geoffrey Clarke, artist and sculptor, 69; Miss Cecilia Colledge, former champion skater, 73; Sir David Croom-Johnston, former Appeal Court judge, 79; Mr Alistair Darling MP, 40; Mr Frederick du Preez, rugby player, 58; Mr Terence Frisby, actor and playwright, 61; Miss Lucy Gutteridge, actress, 37; The Right Rev Michael Hare Duke, Bishop of St Andrews, Dunkeld and Dunblane, 68; Miss Hope Lange, actress, 62; Professor Claude Levi-Strauss, social anthropologist, 85; Lord Macdonald, Chief of the Name and Arms of Macdonald, 46; Mr Keith Miller, former cricketer, 74; General Sir David Mostyn, 65; Miss Dervla Murphy, author, 62; Mr Randy Newman, singer and songwriter, 50; Dr William Nixon, engineer, 67; Sir Idris Pearce, surveyor, 60; Professor Sir Lewis Robertson, industrialist and administrator, 71; Mr Stephen Roche, cycling champion, 34; The Right Rev Patrick Rodger, Assistant Bishop, Edinburgh, 73; Mr Randolph Stow, novelist and poet, 58; Mr Saxon Tate, former chairman, London Futures and Options Exchange, 62; Mr Raymond Whitney MP, 63.