Today’s birthdays

Viscount Weir, Chairman, Balfour Beatty plc, 1996-2003, is 89; Prof Donald Trelford, Editor of The Observer, 1975-93, 85; Mr Roger Mcgough, poet, 85; Mr Mick Moon, artist, 85; Lord Davies of Oldham, former Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords, 83; Sir Victor Blank, Chairman, Lloyds Banking Group plc, 2006-09, 80; Sir John Goldring, a former Lord Justice of Appeal; Senior Presiding Judge of England and Wales, 2010-12, 78; Sir George Iacobescu, Chairman, Canary Wharf Group plc, 77; Prof Dame Marina Warner, writer and critic; President, Royal Society of Literature, 2017-21, 76; Mr John Simpson, architect, 68; Ms Frances O’grady, General Secretary, TUC, 63; Lord Kennedy of Southwark, Opposition Chief Whip, House of Lords, 60; Sir Bryn Terfel, opera singer; bass-baritone, 57; Mr Mark Colbourne, former cyclist; Paralympic gold medallist, men’s individual C1 pursuit, silver medallist time trial and individual C1 time trial, London 2012, 53; and Mr David Duval, golfer; Open Champion 2001, 51.

Today is the anniversary of the abdication of the Kaiser in 1918. It is also the anniversary of the death of Dylan Thomas in 1953.