What did Mikhail Gorbachev identify as the key problem within the Soviet Union? How should the British Ambassador in Moscow manage their relationship with the Kremlin? And was it the experience of working in the KGB that made Vladimir Putin such a ruthless operator?

In this week's episode, John Tusa speaks to diplomat and former British Ambassador to the USSR, Rodric Braithwaite.

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What does it take to become a conductor? Are great conductors always open to feedback? Why has the teaching of music in schools been underfunded for decades, and what has this meant for British culture?

This week, John speaks to conductor, John Carewe

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How did an Englishman organise the rescue of over 600 Jewish children from the Nazis in Czechoslovakia? Did the children receive a warm welcome in Great Britain? And what was the fate of the parents who were left behind?

In this week's episode, John speaks to Lady Milena Grenfell-Baines MBE, who escaped the Nazis as part of the Kindertransport in 1939.

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What was at the heart of the dispute that led to Michael Heseltine taking on Margaret Thatcher for the Tory leadership? What type of Prime Minister would he have been? And does Michael Heseltine still think Brexit was a mistake? 

This week, John speaks to politician, publisher, and gardener, Lord Michael Heseltine.

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What does it take to run one of the world’s most influential newspapers? How easy is it to work in the United States as a British journalist? What was it like to play on Wimbledon’s iconic Centre Court?

In this week’s episode, John speaks to journalist Sir Geoffrey Owen.

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What does it take to be a composer? Why shouldn’t you worry about the past? How does a composer come to terms with an ever-changing musical landscape? 

In this week’s episode, Sir John Tusa speaks to composer, Thea Musgrave.

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What did it take to put on performances in London with artists from the USSR? Are classical musicians easy to work with? What role do culture and the arts play in diplomacy?

This week John is joined by impresario, Lilian Hochhauser.

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What makes a theatre or concert hall really come alive? Why is the way people flow through a space so important to its design? Do architectural legacies tend to fade quickly? 

John Tusa talks to architect, Nicholas Thompson.

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What did Myra Hindley think of Mary Queen of Scots? How is learning how to have fun just as important as hard work? Why was it so important to bring a woman's perspective to history?

John Tusa talks to author, Lady Antonia Fraser.

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What are the economics of happiness? How is happiness measured? Are we failing the next generation by not ensuring their wellbeing?

John Tusa speaks to Lord Richard Layard about a lifetime dedicated to the research of society.

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