Midweek - 07/10/2009

Lively and diverse conversation with Libby Purves and guests Jonathan Phang, Richard Anderson, Shenda Amery and the Duchess of Rutland. Emma, Duchess of Rutland was the daughter of a Welsh farmer and trained as an opera singer before running her own interior design business. After marrying the Duke of Rutland she took on the role of chatelaine of Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire. In her new book, Belvoir Castle, she looks at a thousand years of its history through family, art and architecture. Belvoir Castle: 1000 years of Family, Art and Architecture is published by Frances Lincoln. Jonathan Phang organised the party on The Marchioness which sank in the Thames 20 years ago, killing 51 people. Jonathan lost many people close to him including his partner, friends and colleagues. Since the disaster he has lived with this terrible burden, and now he has made a documentary for BBC One, The Marchioness and Me, in which he tries to finally tackle and lay to rest what he describes as 'survivor guilt'. Richard Anderson has worked as a tailor on Savile Row since 1982, when he started as a 17-year-old apprentice with Huntsman, one of its oldest and most traditional firms. Some of its most distinguished clients included Rex Harrison, Katharine Hepburn and Gregory Peck. He rose to become the youngest head cutter in their 150 year history and now runs his own company, Richard Anderson Ltd. Bespoke: Savile Row Ripped and Smoothed is published by Simon and Schuster. Shenda Amery is an artist and sculptor whose work has included sculpting the busts of two sitting British prime ministers, Baroness Thatcher and John Major, and painting the portrait of former prime minister Tony Blair. In her latest work, Rage, she reflects on how man is affecting the world and the environment. It is on show in London at Xerxes Art, 52 Haymarket, SW1.