Saturday Live

Long before the actor Larry Lamb achieved notoriety as the evil Archie Mitchell in EastEnders or twinkly Micky Shipman in Gavin & Stacey he'd lived a life dramatic enough to be made into a TV hit of its own. A working class London boy with a troubled dad and a much loved mum Larry blundered into acting more by chance than design. In his early years he filleted fish and worked as an encyclopedia salesman and later as an oil engineer in Libya and Canada. It was there he really discovered his passion for acting and went on to play opposite major stars - Maggie Smith, Vanessa Redgrave and Lauren Bacall among them. He's taken tea at Buckingham Palace and hung out in George Harrison's kitchen. Despite such successes Larry has always been a restless soul. Now, however, he says he's finally grown up.Katherine Mills is a magician and mentalist. Combining psychology and sociology with her love of trickery and magic, Katherine crosses the line between the possible and the truly amazing. She is one of only 100 women members in the Magic Circle out of 1,500 total members. Joy Ballard is head teacher of Willows School in Cardiff which features in a new series of the Educating Cardiff. Joy left school at 16 without any qualifications and didn't go back into education until she was 26. She has been a head teacher since 2007 and this year won the national Pearson Head Teacher Award. Educating Cardiff begins on Channel 4 on 25th August.Listener John Dalby wrote to say he'd led a full and interesting life over the past 67 years. Twenty plus years at sea, he was the first commercial "pirate hunter" and is now engaged in airborne reconnaissance and surveillance.This week's Inheritance Tracks are from the poet Simon Armitage. Producer: Maire Devine Editor: Karen Dalziel.

The prolific podcaster, comedian, writer and blogger Richard Herring joins Kate Silverton and Richard Coles to tell them why, after an unbroken run of performing a different stand-up show at the Edinburgh festival for the last eleven years, he's not going this year. Instead, he's re-enacting all his festival shows, plus creating a twelfth brand new one, in London.Former soldier Hannah Campbell was the first British mother wounded in Iraq in 2007. After years of surgery she decided to have her leg amputated and in her words, hasn't looked back since. She describes the mental and physical transformation she has been through since the attack and why she is now happier than ever.Listener Jonathan Lovett runs 'Tales of the Plague', a walking tour of London with his partner Mary Ann. He tells us about the three-day festival coming up (4th-6th September) to commemorate the 350th Anniversary of the Great Plague whilst dressed as a plague doctor and accompanied by his fake pet rat Robert.Noel Smith spent most of his adult life in prison. After the death of his son in 2001, he was inspired to turn his life around. Having already taught himself to read and write while in solitary confinement, he has gone on to have four books published. Noel now spends his time as the commissioning editor of 'Inside Time' newspaper and giving talks to young offenders.Conchita Wurst, Austrian pop star and drag queen who came to international attention for winning the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 shares her Inheritance Tracks. She chooses 'Goldfinger' by Shirley Bassey and 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This' by Paloma Faith.Plus listener Emma Clayton tells us about her Saturday's spent volunteering at her local Repair Cafe.Produced by Pete Ross Edited by Alex Lewis.

Simon Webbe is currently playing the part of the Big Bad Wolf in the Three Little Pigs but is perhaps best known for being a quarter of the boy band Blue. Simon made his theatre debut in Sister Act at the London Palladium and has also been a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. Simon tells Kate Silverton and Richard Coles about learning discipline and his hopes for breaking Hollywood. Simon is at the Palace Theatre, Cambridge Circus, London until the 6th September Annie Humphries is a loyal Saturday Live listener who emailed us with her story. Annie was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2006 and in 2009 had her larynx surgically removed. But that didn't stop Annie. She's a member of a Choir of Laryngectomies conducted by Dr Thomas Moors at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. Liz Cowley is known as the Gardening Poet. Now approaching her seventieth year she talks about a love of gardening in her slippers and being published late in life. Her book Gardening in Slippers, Poems for Garden Lovers is published by Gibson Square Books August 2015Mathew Clayton is the author of Lundy, Rockall, Dogger, Fair Isle - a romp around the islands of Great Britain. Mathew's love of island life came from his Grandparents who met while working for the monks on Caldey Island off South Wales. Published by Ebury PressAs usual JP Devlin will be in the studio making mischief and looking forward to hearing your stories. Comedian Bridget Christie inherited Have you Ever Seen the Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival from her late mother and passes on the theme from Steptoe and Son to her children.Producer: Maire Devine Editor: Fiona Couper.

Suzy Klein and Kate Silverton present this week's Saturday Live.He's a stand up comedian who has done musicals, panto, hosted game shows, is a panelist on Just a minute, who won Celebrity big brother, came third on Strictly and has written 3 adult novels. Now Julian Clary has turned his hand to children's fiction. He joins us to talk about his varied career.Listener Jackie Winter got in touch with us about her experience clocking up more than 100,000 miles over her 40 years as a tandem rider. And all that despite not being able to ride a pedal cycle! She joins us to tell us about her life as a 'stoker'.Sean Myatt is a puppeteer and academic who teaches puppetry at Nottingham Trent University. He will join us to talk about object theatre, scenography, being a puppet captain at the Olympics opening ceremony and working with Kate Bush.Peter Marren is a butterfly obsessive. A repentant child collector and lifelong fan, he muses on our relationship with this most beautiful of insects. How have they been regarded over the years? And why are they so important to us?Fresh from her win on Celebrity Masterchef, ex Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt talks about another passion in her life - her dogs. Having a rescue dog herself, she visits Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to see what life is like for rescued animals.We hear the inheritance tracks of interior designer Kelly Hoppen who chooses Aretha Franklin's Say a Little Prayer and I feel Good by James Brown.Julian Clary's book is The Bolds Peter Marren's book is Rainbow Dust, Three Centuries of Delight in British Butterflies both are out now.Producer: Corinna Jones Editor: Karen Dalziel.

Comedian and writer Jenny Eclair talks about her latest novel Moving, which taps into her obsession with motherhood and family secrets; whilst taking Jenny back to memories of being a life model and drama student in Manchester.Alan Gardner has won awards for his work and he's now starring in TV series The Autistic Gardener. Alan talks about making the show, his passion for plants and recent Asperger syndrome diagnosis.JP Devlin visits the Marie Curie hospice in Solihull to talk to the terminally ill in-patients and day visitors.Listener Moira got in touch because she would like to be reunited with her childhood doll's house. She talks about why the house and its contents have such significance.Christopher Green is an award-winning writer and performer. He was the first Artist in Residence at the British Library and his comic creations include US country music singer Tina C. Christopher talks about his alter egos and his interest in Hypnosis.Choreographer Matthew Bourne shares his Inheritance Tracks. He has chosen Julie Andrews singing The Sound of Music and Night and Day, sung by Ella Fitzgerald.Producer: Claire Bartleet Editor: Karen Dalziel.

The tenor Alfie Boe joins Richard Coles and Suzy Klein to talk about his latest project with Pete Townhend's Classic Quadrophenia, and going to Broadway to star as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. Azi Ahmed grew up in a devout Pakistani family in Manchester and set off for Central Saint Martins in London. Leading a double life she set up an internet company and then, with no military experience, entered Chelsea Barracks for selection training hoping to become part of the SAS. Felicity Finch meets the World's Oldest Siblings. The Tweeds of Coventry are 12 siblings with a combined age of almost 1,020.Sylvia Holder on why in her 77th year she swapped retirement on the Sussex coast for a school in one of India's poorest districts. Miles Hunt of The Wonder Stuff talks about his obsession with keeping diaries and memorabilia. And, as The Proms season starts, Katie Derham shares her Inheritance Tracks. Bachianas Brasileiras No.5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos and Fire and Rain by James Taylor.Pete Townhend's Classic Quadrophenia is available now on the Deutsche Grammophon label. Worlds Apart - A Muslim Girl with the SAS, by Azi Ahmed. The Wonder Stuff Diaries '86-'89 by Miles Hunt is out now, and further instalments are being published.Produced by Louise Corley.

Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles are joined by comedian Phill Jupitus. Having carved out a career in stand up, he was the voice that launched BBC 6 Music, spending 5 years presenting Breakfast. He is a regular on a multitude of TV and radio panel shows and was a team captain on Never Mind the Buzzcocks for 18 years. He starred in the West End musical Hairspray and more recently toured with the Mel Brooks' musical The Producers.Sue Lawrence is a food writer and one of the very first Masterchef winners. After several successful books about Scottish cooking she has just written her very first novel about family secrets - after uncovering a few of her own.Cassandro is one of the stars of Lucha Libre a highly choreographed form of Mexican wrestling. A drag queen in a world of machista's, we talk to him about rejection, addiction, salvation and the cultural impact of Lucha Libre.Amanda Shipman is a Saturday Live listener who has designed a garden for her mum who has dementia. She was inspired after she noticed the way her mum still engaged with the flowers and bees in her garden. Amanda's design has just been accepted into Hampton Court Flower Show in 2016.We also have the Inheritance Tracks of Irish folk singer Mary Black and the moment Jim Naughtie was reunited with a book he won in a school essay competition which had ended up in the possession of Radio 4 listener Peter Gray.*Phill Jupitus will be starring in THREE different productions a day for the duration of the Edinburgh Festival which runs form 7th to 31st August. *'Fields of blue flax' by Sue Lawrence is published by Freight books *Cassandro stars in 'The Greatest Spectacle of Lucha Libre' which is taking place at York Hall, Hackney, London between 9-11th July. *Mary Black choses Ewan McColl's 'School days over' and Bob Dylan singing 'Forever Young' as her Inheritance Tracks.Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Karen Dalziel.

Writer and actress Sally Phillips first appeared regularly on our screens in female comedy series Smack the Pony. Roles in Alan Partridge and Bridget Jones soon followed and since then she's carved out a niche as one of the UK's top comedy actors - appearing in Rescue Me, Parents, Skins and Jam and Jerusalem in the UK and Green Wing, Veep and Parents across the pond. On Radio 4 she's Claire in the Community, she's popularised the phrase "bear with..." as posh girl Tilly in TV sitcom Miranda and wrote film The Decoy Bride starring David Tennant. She joins us fresh from wrapping on Austen/ Zombie mash up: 'Pride, Prejudice and Zombies'.Colin Furze lives in Stamford, Lincolnshire where he was born. A former plumber, he now works as an inventor creating weird and wonderful inventions such as a flamethrower scooter and the world's fastest mobility scooter, for which he set a new world record.Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich met twelve years ago in an Italian restaurant in Israel. They moved to the UK and worked at Oxo Tower, J Sheekey and Ottolenghi, before setting up their own restaurant, Honey & Co, serving their version of middle eastern food.Toby Jones is the author of three novels and three works of non fiction including 'The Dark Heart of Italy'. Six years ago he and his wife decided to start an experiment in communal living in Somerset. They bought a house in Windsor Hill Wood, and set about finding guests to create what has become a successful and well known refuge for those needing respite from their ordinary lives.Ex Jackson 5 member and guitarist Tito Jackson chooses his inheritance tracks. He inherited Papa's Got a Brand New Bag by James Brown and would pass on Thank You by Sly & The Family Stone.Two listeners who were caught up in the 7/7 bombings in London in 2005 say special thank yous to two guardian angels.And Charles Collingwood aka Brian from The Archers tells us about his Saturday passion for cricket.Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich's The Baking Book and A Place of Refuge by Tobias Jones are out now.Producer: Corinna Jones Editor: Karen Dalziel.

With Richard Coles and Aasmah Mir.Boris Becker is the only person to have won two Wimbledon titles by the time he was 18. He talks about tennis, his love of Wimbledon, a place he now calls home, and life away from the courts.Lorna Luft discusses her life and relationship with her mother, Judy Garland. Whilst Lorna loves entertaining audiences onstage she reveals there's one song she won't be singing.The Katanas are 19-year-old identical twins called Millie and Hope. At 14 they played twins in the BBC drama Waterloo Road. They're currently putting an album together.Explorer Benedict Allen shares his Inheritance Tracks: the theme tune to the 1964 TV series The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Four Strong Winds sung by Neil Young.Samer Nashef is a heart surgeon who is also a pioneer in developing ways to measure the risk of operations. Samer's other passion is crosswords and he's compiled a quiz for Saturday Live, with thanks to Arachne and Rufus for some of the "classic" clues".Boris Becker's Wimbledon is out now. The Naked Surgeon by Samer Nashef is out now. Lorna Luft is currently in the UK performing The Songbook of Judy GarlandProducer: Claire Bartleet Editor: Karen Dalziel.

The comedian and travel writer, Dom Joly, joins Aasmah Mir and Richard Coles. Best known as the star of Trigger Happy TV, he has written a number of books including The Dark Tourist for which he visited some of the world's most unlikely destinations such as Chernobyl and North Korea. Julia Miles spent 28 years as the wife of a diplomat, living in Libya, Saudi Arabia and Athens, has worked as a social worker, a probation officer and is now a psychotherapist. She reveals the realities of life as ambassador's wife, ranging from food shortages to terrorist incidents. Saturday Live listener, David Ainsley, shares the story of his the best Father's Day gift he ever received. JP Devlin meets Peter Firmin, creator of the sets and puppets for The Clangers, Bagpuss and Basil Brush. At the age of 30, armed with a cannon, Gary Stocker took a break from a lucrative career in law for a shot at fame as a human cannon ball - performing as The Great Herrmann. The actor and presenter Bradley Walsh shares his Inheritance Tracks: Stranger in Paradise by Tony Bennett and The Hungry Years by Neil Sedaka. Viv Albertine is best known as the guitarist for the all-female English punk group The Slits. After the band broke up in 1981 Viv left music behind to become an aerobics instructor, a mother and housewife, and an artist. She returned to music in middle age, picking up her guitar for the first time in 25 years.Additional Information Here Comes the Clown - A Stumble Through Showbusiness by Dom Joly. The Ambassador's Wife's Tales by Julia Miles. A new series of The Clangers is on CBeebies. Bradley Walsh stars in Sun Trap on BBC One on Wednesday nights at 10.35pm. Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys, by Viv Albertine is in paperback.