Alastair read Modern History at University College, Oxford between 1964 and 1968, and subsequently taught in India, and worked in Publishing in New York.

He then worked for the BBC for over 26 years, from 1971 to 1997, making programmes for both television and radio, almost always for the World Service. This period of his life will form the basis of his talk to us today I think.

Having presented, produced and edited a wide range of programmes, from current affairs to the arts, his final position was as head of English Programmes, with responsibility for all non-news English programmes on the World Service.

Moving to Oxford, he became the Secretary of the Oxford University Society (the organisation that supports Oxford alumni groups throughout the world) and then he moved to freelance work, including Oxford city and university guiding, local journalism, and tutoring students in media studies.

Alastair addressed the Club in June 2014, and his talk was entitled "Travels with Auntie".