Birthdays

Mr Ian Brindle, Senior Partner, Price Waterhouse, 49; Mr Robin Cousins, ice-skater, 35; Mr Edward Cowie, lecturer and composer, 49; Mr Robert De Niro, actor, 49; Mr David Donne, chairman, Crest Nicholson, and Steetley, 67; Professor Sir Geoffrey Elton, historian, 71; Sir Leonard Figg, former diplomat, 69; Mr James Gulliver, chairman, James Gulliver Associates, 62; Sir Michael Hadow, former diplomat, 77; Dr Josef Hodin, art historian, 87; Mr Ted Hughes, Poet Laureate, 62; Miss Elizabeth Llewellyn-Smith, principal, St Hilda's College, Oxford, 58; Mr Seamus Mallon MP, 56; Professor Sir Leslie Martin, architect, 84; Mr George Melly, jazz singer, 66; Mr Alan Minter, middle- weight boxer, 41; Sir Alan Munro, ambassador to Saudi Arabia, 57; Sir Vidiadhar Naipaul, novelist, 60; Mr David Nicholson MP, 48; Miss Maureen O'Hara, actress, 71; Mr Hamish Orr-Ewing, former chairman, Rank Xerox, 68; Dr Ewan Page, Vice- Chancellor, Reading University, 64; Mr Nelson Piquet, racing driver, 40; M Jean-Bernard Pommier, pianist, 48; Lord Sharp of Grimsdyke, former chairman, Cable and Wireless, 76; Mr Barry Sheerman MP, 52; Mr Richard Stott, editor, Daily Mirror, 49; Miss Alfreda Thorogood, teacher of dancing, 50; Mr Anthony Valentine, actor, 53; Mr Guillermo Vilas, tennis player, 40; Sir Roy Watts, chairman, Thames Water plc, 67; Mrs Susan Williams, former Lord-Lieutenant of South Glamorgan, 77; Professor Michael Wise, geographer, 74.