Arthur Smith, Dr Akiko Mikamo, Martin White, Tom Mitchell

02/19/14 • 41 min

Libby Purves meets plant hunter Tom Mitchell; psychologist Dr Akiko Mikamo; Martin White, professor of theatre at the University of Bristol and comedian Arthur Smith.

Tom Mitchell gave up his job as a banker to follow his dream and become a plant hunter. He now travels the world collecting rare and endangered plants which he cultivates from seed to sell from his nursery. He is a galanthophile (a lover and collector of snowdrops) and recently auctioned a new variety of the snowdrop flower - giving the highest bidder the opportunity to name the bulb after their Valentine.

Dr Akiko Mikamo is a psychologist who was born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan. In her book, Rising From the Ashes, she tells her father Shinji's story of survival and forgiveness. He was less than a mile away from the site where the atomic bomb exploded in August 1945 when he was 19. Akiko has drawn inspiration from her father who has devoted his life to peace and reconciliation. Rising From The Ashes - A true Story Of Survival And Forgiveness From Hiroshima is published by Lulu.

Martin White is professor of theatre at Bristol University who devised the candle lighting for the new Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The theatre is a replica of a Jacobean indoor playhouse and is lit solely by candles throughout performances - just as it would have been 400 years ago. The Knight of The Burning Pestle is at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare's Globe, London.

Arthur Smith is a comedian and writer whose show Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen (Vol 2) is at the Soho Theatre. He performed his first tribute to the Canadian singer-songwriter 14 years ago and in this new production he reflects on life, death and dementia using Cohen classics to accompany his personal observations. Arthur has been a comedian since the early 80s and has also written plays including An Evening with Gary Lineker and The Live Bed Show. Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen (Vol 2) is at the Soho Theatre, London.

Producer: Paula McGinley.

Libby Purves meets plant hunter Tom Mitchell; psychologist Dr Akiko Mikamo; Martin White, professor of theatre at the University of Bristol and comedian Arthur Smith.

Producer: Paula McGinley.

Previous Episode

Ben Garrod, Jack Charles, Clare Salaman, Colin Jones

Libby Purves meets primatologist Ben Garrod; Australian Aboriginal actor Jack Charles; musician Clare Salaman and photographer Colin Jones.

Ben Garrod is an evolutionary biologist, primatologist and skeleton builder. His new series Secrets of Bones, part of BBC Four's Life Inside Out season, explores the story of the skeleton and vertebrates of every size and shape. In the course of this six-part series Ben investigates how a single, universal body plan - the skeleton - has shaped the animal kingdom. Each skeleton differs in small but critical ways and those differences can be decoded to reveal an animal's complete life story - not only how it moves, where it lives and what it eats, but also its entire evolutionary journey. Secrets of Bones is broadcast on BBC Four.

Jack Charles is an Australian Aboriginal actor, musician and activist. One of Australia's Stolen Generation, he was taken from his mother at a young age and placed in a boys' home for Aboriginal children. His subsequent acting career was regularly interrupted by lengthy stints in jail and his long-term heroin addiction. Now drug free, his one man show, Jack Charles v The Crown, is inspired by his own story. Jack Charles v The Crown is at the Barbican.

Clare Salaman is a musician and composer who plays violin, baroque violin, hurd violin, hurdgurdy, nyckelharpa, medieval vielle, rebec, hardanger fiddle and accordion. Her group The Society of Strange and Ancient Instruments is staging Nine Daies Wonder which is based on an Elizabethan journey from London to Norwich by Shakespearian actor Will Kemp. Nine Daies Wonder is touring the UK.

Colin Jones is a photographer whose exhibition Fifty Years of The Who captures a young British rock group on the verge of greatness. As a youngster Colin was a member of the Royal Ballet before joining the Observer as a photographer in 1962. His friendship with Pete Townshend gave him access to The Who offstage as well as on - capturing the band's talent and raw energy. Fifty Years of The Who is at Proud Camden, London.

Producer: Paula McGinley.

Next Episode

Sacha Corcoran, Austin and Howard Mutti-Mewse, Gideon Lewis-Kraus, David Probert

Libby Purves meets educationalist Sacha Corcoran; film fans Austin and Howard Mutti-Mewse; writer Gideon Lewis-Kraus and auctioneer David Probert.

Sacha Corcoran is the new principal of Dv8 Academy which opens later this year. Based in East London, Dv8 Academy will teach 16 to 18-year-olds - specialising in the creative industries such as music technology, performance, fashion and event management. After a difficult start as a 16-year-old single mother, Sacha turned her life around and has worked in education since 1994. She was awarded a MBE this year for services to education.

As children twins Austin and Howard Mutti-Mewse began writing to Hollywood stars including Lillian Gish, James Stewart and Ginger Rogers. The twins began writing these letters at 11. By 18 they were visiting their favourite actors at home and this unique access captured a bygone age of Hollywood glamour. Their new book, I Used to be in Pictures - An Untold Story of Hollywood, chronicles the life they experienced with some of the greatest names in feature films. I Used to be in Pictures - An Untold Story of Hollywood is published by ACC Publishing Group.

Gideon Lewis-Kraus is a writer and journalist. Disillusioned with life as a Fulbright scholar in Berlin in 2007, he set out on three ancient pilgrimages. In his new book, A Sense of Direction, he recounts these journeys which take him from the Camino de Santiago in Spain to a solo circuit of 88 Buddhist temples on the Japanese island of Shikoku and finally to the tomb of a famous Hassidic mystic in the Ukraine. A Sense of Direction is published by One.

David Probert is an auctioneer. His career started at Hereford's Old Livestock Market which closed three years ago. David is featured in Chewing the Cud, a documentary about the historic market which features the memories of local people who used it over the years. Chewing the Cud is showing at The Courtyard, Hereford as part of the Borderlines Film Festival.

Producer: Paula McGinley.