Birthdays

TODAY: Mr Nick Ainger MP, 43; Mr Geoffrey Bateman, ear, nose and throat surgeon, 86; Mr Phil Bennett, rugby player, 44; Mr Luciano Berio, conductor and composer, 67; Miss Lesley Bidstrup, industrial disease specialist, 76; Sir John Blelloch, former permanent under-secretary, Northern Ireland Office, 62; Rear-Admiral John Carlill, former secretary, Engineering Council, 67; Mr David Cope, Master of Marlborough College, 48; Professor George Crumb, composer, 63; Mr Barry Davies, television sports commentator, 52; Sir Robin Day, broadcaster, 69; Mr Frank Delaney, broadcaster, 50; Capt Thomas Dunne, Lord-Lieutenant, County of Hereford and Worcester, 59; The Earl of Gainsborough, former President, Association of District Councils, 69; Professor Peter Gellhorn, composer, conductor and director, 80; Col Sir John Gilmour, former Lord-Lieutenant of Fife, 80; Mrs Mildred Gordon MP, 69; Air Marshal Sir Michael Graydon, Commander-in-Chief, UK Air Forces, 54; Sir Ralph Halpern, former chairman, Burton Group, 54; Mr Wally Herbert, explorer, 58; Professor Dame Elizabeth Hill, Emeritus Professor of Slavonic languages, Cambridge, 92; Miss Sena Jurinac, soprano, 71; Sir Alan Neale, former senior civil servant, 74; Sir Fred Pontin, holiday camp founder, 86; Professor W. Lindford Rees, psychiatrist, 78; Mr Allan Rogers MP, 60; Sir Robert Sainsbury, joint president, J. Sainsbury plc, 86; The Marquess of Salisbury, former MP, 76; Mr Paddy Tipping MP, 43; Mr Bill Wyman, rock guitarist, 56.

TOMORROW: Sir Robert Andrew, former senior civil servant, 64; Lord Brimelow, former head of the Diplomatic Service, 77; Mr Henry Commager, historian, 90; Miss Juliet Fisher, dancer and teacher of contemporary dance, 51; Mr Martin Gilbert, historian, 56; Mr James Longcroft, managing director, Tournesol, Bermuda, 63; Mr David Mansel Lewis, Lord- Lieutenant of Dyfed, 65; Sir John Mayhew-Sanders, business consultant, 61; Mr Joe Mercer, jockey, 58; Miss Helen Reddy, singer, 50; Sir George Russell, chairman and group chief executive, Marley, 57; Mr Alan Smith, chief executive, Test and County Cricket Board, 56; Miss Galina Vishnevskaya, operatic soprano, 66; Professor Donald Wiseman, Assyriologist, 74.