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Lady Betty Boothroyd, Marianne Mantell, John Motson OBE, Sulamita Aronovsky

Kirsty Lang on politician Lady Betty Boothroyd, publisher Marianne Mantell, football commentator John Motson OBE and pianist Sulamita Aronovsky.

Kirsty Lang on

The extraordinary Lady Betty Boothroyd (pictured) who went from humble beginnings in a Yorkshire mill town to becoming Westminster’s first female Speaker.

John Motson OBE - the ±«Óãtv’s voice of football for half a century,

The pioneering New York publisher Marianne Mantell who paved the way for audio books...

And Lithuanian pianist Sulamita Aronovsky who founded London’s International Piano competition.

Producer: Neil George

Interviewed guest: Julia Langdon
Interviewed guest: Matthew Rubery
Interviewed guest: Ricky George
Interviewed guest: Jonathan Powell

Archive clips used: YouTube/ The Independent, Baroness Betty Boothroyd’s best moments uploaded on 27/02/2023; ±«Óãtv One, Parkinson 04/11/2000; Central Cinema Company Film, …und abends in die Scala (1958) film clip; ±«Óãtv News Archive, Betty Boothroyd obituary – clips from speech at House of Commons; Caedmon Recordings, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, A Story and Five Poems – Dylan Thomas TC 1002; Caedmon Recordings, Ezra Pound Reading His Poetry TC 1122; Caedmon Recordings, JRR Tolkein Reads and Sings his The Lord of the Rings TC 1478; Caedmon Recordings, Ernest Hemingway Reading TC 1185; ±«Óãtv Two, Victoria Derbyshire Show – John Motson interview 06/09/2017; ±«Óãtv One, Grandstand 07/07/1990; ±«Óãtv Two, Sunday Grandstand 24/06/1984; ITV News – Bernard Ingham item 24/02/2023; ±«Óãtv Radio 3, Music Matters 17/06/2019; London International Piano Competition, promotional video from YouTube.

Available now

28 minutes

Lady Betty Boothroyd

Born 8 October 1929; died 26 February 2023 aged 93. 

Last Word spoke to journalist and writer Julia Langdon.

Marianne Mantell

Born 23 November 1929; died 22 January 2023 aged 93. 

Last Word spoke to Professor of modern literature and author Matthew Rubery.

John Motson OBE

Born 10 July 1945; died 23 February 2023 aged 77. 

Last Word spoke to friend, broadcaster and former footballer Ricky George.

Sulamita Aronovsky

Born 5 May 1929; died 15 December 2022 aged 93.

Last Word spoke to her former student, the pianist and composer Jonathan Powell.

Broadcasts

  • Fri 3 Mar 2023 16:00
  • Sun 5 Mar 2023 20:30

Podcast