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Last Word

Factual: Life Stories

Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently

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Matthew Bannister

Brian Aldiss

Neil George

Last Word: An inventor, an autogyro pilot, a photographer, a science fiction writer and a circus performer

An inventor, an autogyro pilot, a photographer, a science fiction writer and a circus performer

13/09/2013

BBC Radio 4 - Last Word, An inventor, an autogyro pilot, a photographer, a science fiction writer and a circus performer

Matthew Bannister on Ray Dolby, Wing Cdr Kenneth Wallis, Frederick Pohl and Lydia Gridneff

Matthew Bannister recalls inventor Ray Dolby, autogyro pilot Wing Cmdr Kenneth Wallis, photographer Lewis Morley, sci-fi writer Frederick Pohl and circus performer Lydia Gridneff.

Matthew Bannister on

Ray Dolby - the American engineer who invented the Dolby noise reduction systems which revolutionised our listening experience at home and in the cinema.

Wing Commander Kenneth Wallis the RAF bomber pilot who built and flew the autogyro in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice.

Frederick Pohl, the science fiction writer who also promoted the careers of many of his contemporaries. Brian Aldiss pays tribute.

And Lydia Gridneff who travelled the world as part of a circus family. Her son tells of touring Europe in a bus full of chimpanzees.

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