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Johnny Mars, Alan Johnson MP, Amanda Waring, Brendan Walker

Libby Purves meets engineer and performer Professor Brendan Walker, former Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Secretary Alan Johnson MP, blues musician Johnny Mars and actor and campaigner Amanda Waring.

Libby Purves meets engineer and performer Professor Brendan Walker; former Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Secretary Alan Johnson MP; blues musician Johnny Mars and actor and campaigner Amanda Waring.

Professor Brendan Walker is an aeronautical engineer and TV presenter. He is known as the Renaissance Showman for his technology-inspired performances and has been dubbed 'the world's only thrill engineer.' In his new four-part series for Channel 4 he examines recent aviation incidents and near misses to discover what they tell us about safety in the sky.

Alan Johnson MP was general secretary of the Communication Workers Union before entering Parliament as Labour MP for Hull West and Hessle in 1997. He went on to serve as Health Secretary, Education Secretary and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Secretary, a post he held from June 2009 to May 2010. He was Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer until his resignation in 2011. His book, This Boy - A Memoir of a Childhood, is published by Bantam Press.

Johnny Mars is a blues singer and harmonica player. Born into a sharecropping family in the Deep South, he formed his first band in 1957 and performed at Woodstock. During his career he has played on the same bill as Jimi Hendrix and BB King. He is now involved in a music mentoring scheme called 'Dare to Dream'. He is playing alongside other musicians for the Clod Ensemble who are performing their show Zero at the Brighton Festival and Sadler's Wells.

Amanda Waring is the daughter of actor Dorothy Tutin. She is an actor herself and also a campaigner for dignity and compassion in care. She is appearing in her one woman show, For the Love of Chocolate, at the Festival of Chichester.

Producer: Paula McGinley.

Available now

43 minutes

Midweek guests: Amanda Waring, Brendan Walker, Alan Johnson, Johnny Mars

Midweek guests: Amanda Waring, Brendan Walker, Alan Johnson, Johnny Mars
Midweek guests: Amanda Waring, Brendan Walker, Alan Johnson, Johnny Mars

Credits

Role Contributor
Producer Paula McGinley
Producer Paula McGinley
Interviewed Guest Alan Johnson
Interviewed Guest Alan Johnson
Presenter Libby Purves
Presenter Libby Purves
Interviewed Guest Brendan Walker
Interviewed Guest Johnny Mars
Interviewed Guest Brendan Walker
Interviewed Guest Johnny Mars
Interviewed Guest Amanda Waring
Interviewed Guest Amanda Waring

Broadcasts

  • Wed 8 May 2013 09:00
  • Wed 8 May 2013 21:30

Podcast