Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

Joining Gyles on this episode of Rosebud is the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey. But this isn't a conversation about politics, it's about Ed's life, his family, his experience of profound loss, and his involvement with caring for his closest relatives - his mother, who died of cancer when he was 15, and his son, John, who was born with neurological difficulties. This is a very moving episode, with some discussion of illness, death and bereavement.

Sir Ed talks to Gyles about his father and mother, both of whom died too young - his father when Ed was only 4 years old, and his mother 11 years later. He paints a vivid picture of them, and particularly of his mum - her beauty, her courage and her love. He also talks about the years after his mum's death, when he and his brother lived alone in the family bungalow and had some wild parties with their school friends. He then talks about the birth of his son John, and the amazing work done by the Peto Institute in Hungary to improve his mobility and strength, and the dedication and commitment of his wife, Emily. All of this has led Ed to write a book Why I Care, about his experience of caring and about the importance of supporting carers.

This is a very moving, inspiring conversation, full of hope and of love.

Ed's book is available here. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube here. Join The Rosebud Family here. And visit our website here.
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1972 comes to a close, and Gyles is still building his unique portfolio career: touring the country dressed as Snoopy one minute, being the star columnist for Woman magazine the next. At one point, Fanny Cradock writes to him to reassure him that trying out lots of different jobs is no bad thing - when you're a man of many talents, it would be a shame not to put them all to good use! Enjoy this, diary fans.

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Dame Siân Phillips transports Gyles back to her childhood in Wales in the 1930s and 40s, where she grew up in a Welsh-speaking mining village, of which she paints a vivid picture. She describes hearing her policeman father play the piano and sing, playing spy games out with her friends, listening in on meetings of the Home Guard in the kitchen during the war. She also talks about her early success as an actress in her teens, going to RADA, and how she met Peter O'Toole and used to sit up all night with him playing the guitar. She talks about playing Marlene Dietrich and Livia in I, Claudius. This is an evocative interview with a remarkable actress and person. Cue the music.

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Last Sunday, 18th January, was Winnie-the-Pooh Day. It was the birthday of its creator, the author A A Milne. And Winnie-the-Pooh, his most famous book, was first published 100 years ago, in January 1926. Pooh became one of the most beloved children's book of all time, selling millions of copies around the world, and making the Milne family extremely wealthy - but not entirely happy. In this episode, Gyles tells the story of Pooh, A.A. Milne, Christopher Robin, and of the complex and sometimes sad reality behind the stories.

As you may know, Gyles published a brilliant book all about A. A. Milne and his family last year. Called Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear, it's published by Penguin Michael Joseph and is available here.

This episode has some Gyles and Harriet chat (we find out about Harriet's own connection to the Milnes) and then it features a talk Gyles gave at the Henley Literature Festival, in front of a live audience, all about his book and A. A. Milne.

We hope you enjoy this!

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David Baddiel joins Gyles this week to tell his unconventional family story. David paints a vivid picture of his childhood home in Dollis Hill, north-west London, and of the unusual people in it: his parents, and two brothers. His father, a frustrated scientist who ended up selling Dinky cars in an antiques market, was angry, disappointed, and hilarious. His mother was aspirational, cultured, with an extremely high sex drive. (This episode contains discussions of sex and relationships, and swear words, and is for 18+ listeners only). Their story is remarkable, sometimes funny, sometimes shocking, and, in the end, very moving.

David's Channel 4 series, David Baddiel: Cat Man starts on Friday 16 January at 8pm. It's about David's love of cats, which started in childhood. His book, My Family is well worth reading, and is available here.

Enjoy this!

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