Today’s birthdays

Mr James Watson, Chairman, NFC plc, 1991-94, is 84; Mr John N. Elliott, Publisher, Tatler and

Bystander, 1968-82, 84; Mr Richard Ormond, Director, National Maritime Museum, 1986-2000, 80; Miss Christine Truman, former tennis player; now commentator, 78; Mr Cliff Thorburn, former snooker player; World Champion 1980, 71; Prof Roy Foster, Carroll Professor of Irish History, University of Oxford, 1991-2016, 70; Mr Ed Straw,

Chairman, Relate, 1994-2000, 70; the Earl of Gainsborough 69; Mr Fergus Cochrane-dyet, diplomat; High Commissioner to Zambia, 54; Miss Kate Moss, fashion model,

45; and Ms Charlotte Henshaw, former swimmer; Paralympic silver medallist, women’s 100m breaststroke - SB6, London 2012, now paracanoeist, 32. Today is the anniversary of the death of Edward Gibbon, the English historian, in 1794.