Gyles's diary, episode 29

In this episode, we join Gyles on a research trip to the sex shops and shows of Copenhagen with Lord Longford, other members of the Pornography Commission, and assorted members of the press. Because of that, this episode of Rosebud does contain some sexual content. We also hear about a dinner party at Fanny Craddock's, one of Michael Redgrave's final performances, and Michele's fears about her vichyssoise soup. Plus we read a poem from a Rosebud listener. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matthew Syed - table tennis Olympian, writer, broadcaster, thinker and Rosebud fan - is our guest today. And this is a genuinely fascinating, and inspiring, conversation. Matthew tells Gyles about his unconventional and wonderful family: his charismatic father, his hardworking and loving mum, his brother and sister and his best friend, Mark. He talks about his Pakistani father's experience of racism at work, he talks about how he and his brother got into table tennis, and how the unique ecosystem in their part of Reading - guided by the teacher, mentor and coach, Peter Charters - created a number of champions in the sport. Matthew's story is fascinating, gripping, and moving. We really encourage you to listen to this episode - this interview, and the characters who are described in it, will inspire you. It's a special one. Thank you to Matthew for sharing your story with us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest today is the broadcaster Angela Rippon, who looks back at her childhood and her career of over 60 years in newspapers, television and radio. From her close-knit family in Plymouth, with a doting father and a hardworking mother, Angela was instilled with the values that have led her to have a career of impressive longevity. She tells Gyles about her father's interesting war, about his present to her of a Box Brownie camera which would later inspire her to become a photo-journalist, and about her close friends from school. She talks about her first job on the local papers in Plymouth, about rising through the ranks at the BBC and about the TV-AM debacle of the 1980s. She talks about Strictly and about her first memory of joy. Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gyles talks to the writer, psychotherapist and agony aunt Philippa Perry. And this is a fascinating conversation about family dynamics, the salience of childhood experience, and how small adjustments in the way we speak to children can make a big difference to their self-esteem. It's also about how Philippa's own emotionally cold childhood - via Swiss finishing school and private detective work - led her to become one of the UK's best selling writers on psychotherapy. Her books "The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read" and "The Book You Want Everyone You Love to Read" have sold millions of copies worldwide. Philippa is also well known as the wife of the artist and Rosebud alumnus Grayson Perry, and she tells Gyles about their first date and about why their relationship works so well.Philippa's Substack is well worth reading and subscribing to here.Enjoy this! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's diary time, diary fans - yippee! In this episode, Gyles gets invited onto Lord Longford's famous committee to investigate pornography, and sex, on film and television. Gyles is there to represent the voice of youth, along with Cliff Richard. Plus Gyles carries on with his "son et lumière" production company, hangs out with Cyril Fletcher, and his parents move into a hotel. Plus an email and a fun case of mistaken identity. Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lee Mack is one of the funniest and most successful British comedians working today; and if you're a fan of Would I Lie To You? then you'll no doubt know, and love, his work. In this fascinating and in-depth conversation we find out the roots of Lee's talent for making people laugh. He tells Gyles about his childhood, growing up above pubs in the North West, in a family atmosphere that was full of parties, jokes and fun, and never touched on anything serious. That changed when his parents suddenly separated, and Lee started a new school and found that the best way to fit in was to be the class clown. We hear about the year he spent working at the stables where they'd trained Red Rum, and his talent for darts. We hear about meeting his wife and his first standup gig. This is a rare podcast appearance from Lee: thank you to him for his honesty, openness and for all the funny stories.Lee hosts the 1% Club, which is on ITV on Saturdays. He created, writes, and stars in, Not Going Out, which is one of Harriet's favourite shows, and is well worth a watch and is available on BBC iPlayer. And, of course, he is a team captain on Would I Lie To You? and is brilliant at it.Enjoy this. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Armistice Day, we bring you an episode of Rosebud which opens at the Garden of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey, where Gyles meets veteran and double amputee turned skydiver Al Hodgson. We then take you to Salisbury, and an interview with Sir Nicholas Soames, himself a former soldier who later became a longstanding Conservative member of parliament, recorded live at Godolphin School in aid of the Edward Heath Charitable Foundation. Sir Nicholas talks to Gyles about his remarkable family: his grandfather was Sir Winston Churchill. We hear what Churchill was like as a grandfather and family man, about his unusual daily routine, and about his immense courage. We hear about Clementine Churchill, and about Sir Nicholas's parents - Christopher and Mary Soames, and their distinguished careers. This is a fascinating episode about a great family who were so central to the history of Britain in the twentieth century. Sir Edward Heath's former home in Salisbury Cathedral Close, Arundells, is open to the public and is well worth a visit. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Petula Clark has been famous since she was a child, when she was discovered on a wartime BBC radio show, and she has been on the radio, film and television ever since. In this episode she talks to Gyles about her remarkable and long career, about what it was like to grow up as a child star and about her complex relationship with her father. She talks about finding fame in France, and about Downtown, Don't Sleep in the Subway and working with Fred Astaire. She talks about her mother's early death from tuberculosis, and the death last year of her husband, Claude Wolff. This is a fascinating, poignant and intriguing conversation with one of our most enduring stars. Petula Clark's new book, "Is That You, Petula?" is out now and available here. Thank you Petula for taking the time to talk to us at Rosebud. Cue the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another great episode of diaries for you, featuring another special appearance from Michèle, Gyles's wife. In this episode we discuss whether you can have too much of a good thing, we find out what one word we'd each use to describe one another, and we read a listener email from Claire Gammon in Sydney. Gyles's diaries are from the second half of 1970, in which he and Michèle rent their first flat, in Muswell Hill, north London. Gyles meets lots of people from the BBC and, at the end of the year, Gyles and Michèle go on a memorable trip to Israel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The actor Samuel West is our guest today, and we recorded this episode earlier this month, not long before his mother, Prunella Scales's death on 27 October, and not long after his father, Timothy West's memorial service in London (Timothy West died in November 2024). In this conversation, Sam talks about his parents, Timothy West and Prunella Scales, and what it was like to grow up immersed in the theatrical world. Timothy was often away on tour, and Sam talks about missing him - but being inspired by his work ethic and by the life of the classical touring actor. He talks about his mother's talent and about her famous portrayal of Sybil Fawlty. He talks about his own university days, and how winning a bottle of champagne in a first year drama competition was a turning point. He talks about Stanislavsky and the craft of acting. And finally he talks about his parents' love of barge holidays, and the joy their TV barging brought to so many.This episode is a celebration of a great theatrical family, and we're delighted and honoured that Sam recorded a Rosebud conversation with Gyles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.