Mary Marsh has been director and chief executive of the NSPCC for six years. She played a key role in combining two leading child-abuse charities, ChildLine and the NSPCC, earlier this year. Formerly headmistress of Holland Park Comprehensive, and before that a geography teacher in Letchworth, Hertfordshire, she has four sons and lives in Greenwich and Portland, Dorset. She says she enjoys “good company and walking in mountains and by the sea.” She is on holiday this week but is planning a family birthday celebration at home. Mary Marsh is 60 today. RGT
Ian Brindle, deputy chairman, Financial Reporting Review Panel, 63; Hugo Brunner, Lord-Lieutenant of Oxfordshire and chairman of Chatto and Windus, 1979-85, 71; C. A. M. Busch, chairman of Philips Electronics and Associated Industries, 1989-90, 69; Robin Cousins, ice-skater, 49; Robert De Niro, actor, 63; D. L. Donne, chairman of Argos, 1990-95, 81; Sir Leonard Figg, Ambassador to Ireland, 1980-83, 83; Sir Frederick Goodwin, chief executive, Royal Bank of Scotland Group, 48; Thierry Henry, footballer, 29; John Humphrys, broadcaster, 63; I. G. McAllister, chairman, Network Rail, 1992-2001, 63; Seamus Mallon, SDLP MP for Newry & Armagh, 1998-2003, 70; George Melly, jazz singer, 80; Alan Minter, boxer, 55; Sir Alan Munro, Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, 1989-93, 71; Sir Vidia Naipaul, author, 74; John Naylor, national secretary of the National Council of YMCAs, 1982-93, 63; Hamish Orr-Ewing, chairman of Rank Xerox, 1980-86, 82; Dr E. S. Page, Vice-Chancellor of Reading University, 1979-93, 78; Nelson Piquet, racing driver, 54; Richard Stott, Editor of Today, 1993-95, 63; Alfreda Thorogood, artistic adviser, Royal Academy of Dancing, 64; Susan Williams, Lord-Lieutenant of South Glamorgan, 1985-90, 91; Professor Michael Wise, geographer, 88; Professor Sir Tony Wrigley, Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, 1994-2000, and president of the British Academy, 1997-2001, 75.