The publisher George Weidenfeld says he has no thought of slowing down. “I have a five-year plan for intense work ahead of me. As time goes on the contacts you’ve built up are more easily correlated and it gets easier. You don’t have to start digging from the beginning.” He spends a lot of time travelling, mainly to America, Israel and Central Europe. He chairs a think-tank and sits in the House of Lords and is anxious about the future. “
In my long life I’ve never seen such a fraught period, and I include the 1930s. It is not so much a clash of cultures as a clash of the interpretation of them.” He’ll be celebrating his birthday at two events, in London and Berlin. Lord Weidenfeld is 87 today.
RGT
Advertisement
Sir Gavyn Arthur, Lord Mayor of London, 2002-03, barrister and recorder, 55; Carol Barnes, broadcaster, 62; Jacqueline Bisset, actress, 62; Lieutenant-General Sir Derek Boorman, Lieutenant of HM Tower of London, 1989-92, 76; Sir George Engle, First Parliamentary Counsel, 1981-86, 80; Niall FitzGerald, KBE, chairman, Reuters, 61; Lord Flowers, chairman of the Nuffield Foundation, 1987-98, 82; Duke of Hamilton and Brandon, Hereditary Keeper of the Palace of Holyroodhouse, and test pilot, Scottish Aviation, 1970-72, 68; Goran Ivanisevic, tennis player, 35; Jessica Mann, author and journalist, 69; Lord Moynihan, Minister for Sport, 1987-90, 51; the Right Rev George Noakes, Archbishop of Wales, 1987-91, 82; Tony Pickard, GB tennis coach of the year, 1988, 72; Sir Thomas Risk, Governor of the Bank of Scotland, 1981-91, 84; Lord Sheldon, Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, 1964-2001, 83; George Staple, director of the Serious Fraud Office, 1992-97, 66; James Stuart-Smith, Judge Advocate General, 1984-91, 87; Professor Sir Keith Sykes, anaesthetist, 81; Shane Warne, cricketer, 37.