BRIAN REDHEAD

'Brian Redhead' (28 December 1929 - 23 January 1994) was a British author, journalist and broadcaster. He was probably best known as a co-presenter of the ''Today'' programme on BBC Radio 4 which he worked on from 1975 until 1993, shortly before his death. He was a great lover and promoter of the city of Manchester and the North West in general, where he lived and worked for many years.

Contents

Biography

Books by Brian Redhead

External links

Biography

Brian Redhead was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and was educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle and Downing College, Cambridge.
His career in journalism started in 1954 as a journalist for the ''Manchester Guardian'' newspaper. Later in his career he worked as editor of the ''Manchester Evening News''. For many years he chaired the Saturday night Radio 4 topical conversation programme ''A Word In Edgeways''. He joined ''Today'' after being passed over for the editorship of ''The Guardian'' in favour of Peter Preston.
During his time on the ''Today'' programme, Redhead was famously accused of political bias by Conservative Chancellor Nigel Lawson, and in reply enquired "Do you think we should have a one minute silence now in this interview, one for you to apologise for daring to suggest that you know how I vote and secondly perhaps in memory of monetarism which you have now discarded." He later had a similar set-to with Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Lilley.
Redhead and his ''Today'' colleague John Timpson had a series of running jokes on the programme, including the mythical organisations "The Friends Of The M6" (long-suffering motorists trapped in its frequent traffic jams) and "The League Of Pear-Shaped men" (of which he and Timpson were the principal members).
The death of one of Redhead's sons in a car crash in 1982 led him to rediscover religious faith, and he became a confirmed member of the Church of England. In the last years of his life there was some speculation after his retirement from ''Today'' he would train for ordination as an Anglican priest. In the Radio 4 series ''The Good Book'' he charted the history of the Bible.
During the 1991 Gulf War he was a volunteer presenter on the BBC Scud FM service^[1]. In 1993 his health started to fail and he was in pain on his left side and leg. He was thought to need hip surgery, but in fact had a ruptured appendix which was leaking toxins, causing liver and kidney failure and other problems. He took leave from ''Today'' in early December, expecting to return after Christmas, but never returned, dying in January 1994.

Books by Brian Redhead

★ Brian Redhead ''Manchester - a Celebration''. André Deutsch Limited, London. ISBN 0-233-98816-5

★ Brian Redhead ''Personal Perspectives''. Harper Collins Publishers January, 1996 Hardcover ISBN 0-00-638685-7

★ Brian Redhead ''Plato to NATO: Studies on political thought''. Penguin Books 23 February, 1995 ISBN 0-14-024677-0

★ Brian Redhead and Kenneth McLeish (ed.), ''The Anti-Booklist''. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1981. ISBN 0-340-274476

External links

★ Radio Hall of Fame: Brian Redhead

★ Manchester Celebrities: Brian Redhead