Midweek - 29/04/2009

RICHARD MAWBEY Richard Mawbey is a wigmaker. He is the owner and Managing Director of Wig Specialities in London, which is responsible for a wide range of work for theatre, television, film and private wear. He started out working with the legendary Danny La Rue and then moved into the world of theatre and film, creating the wig for the late Richard Harris’s portrayal of Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films and more recently making wigs for theatre productions such as Hairspray and La Cage Aux Folles. BENJAMIN TAYLOR Ben Taylor is a musician and singer. He follows in a rich family tradition - his parents are Carly Simon and James Taylor. His latest album, The Legend of King Folk, Prt 1- the Killing Bite, is his fourth album, the title of which refers to his love of kung fu movies and his own long-term practice of martial arts. The Legend of King Folk, Prt 1- the Killing Bite is available on Iris Records. XIAOMEI MARTELL Xiaomei Martell was born in Inner Mongolia, one of China's most remote regions, and spent her formative yars there during the Cultural Revolution. In her book Lion's Head, Four Happiness she tells of her life during the Cultural Revolution and the food that inspired her family and friends. Lion's Head, Four Happiness - A Little Sister's Story of Growing up in China is published by Random House. LEE DURRELL Lee Durrell is the widow of the conservationist Gerald Durrell. On his death in 1995, she succeeded him as the Honorary Director of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. To coincide with this, five Gerald Durrell titles have been reissued (by Summersdale) including Menagerie Manor which tells the story of how Gerald set up The Jersey Zoo (later named the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust).