William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, (born December 8, 1951) is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on science. Born an American, he was a resident of Britain for most of his adult life before returning to the US in 1995. In 2003 Bryson moved back to Britain, living in the old rectory of Wramplingham, Norfolk, and was appointed Chancellor of Durham University.

Bill shot to prominence in the United Kingdom with the publication of Notes From A Small Island (1995), an exploration of Britain, for which he made an accompanying television series. He received widespread recognition again with the publication of A Short History of Nearly Everything (2003), which popularised scientific questions for a general audience.

Evan Harris was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, the son of South African Jewish parents (his father was a medical professor). He was brought up in Liverpool, where he had a state education at the Liverpool Blue Coat School. He won a scholarship to Harvard High School in California in 1984, and later won a scholarship to Wadham College, Oxford, where he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in physiology and a diploma in medical sociology. He completed his education at the Oxford Medical School where he received a Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery and qualified as a doctor in 1991.

Evan began his career at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital in 1991 as a Pre-Registration House Officer (junior doctor). A year later, he moved to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, specialising in acute medicine and surgery. In 1994 he moved to Oxfordshire Health Authority, becoming an honorary specialist registrar in public health and working on issues to do with NHS staffing and training. He held the position of local British Medical Association representative and negotiator from 1992–1994, following which he was elected to the BMA's National Council.

Evan is a humanist, and is a Vice President of both the British Humanist Association and Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association. He was also a vice-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group, before his defeat in the 2010 general election. In addition, he is an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society, and the Patron of the Oxford Secular Society.

David Mason is an Art dealer with two galleries in London St. James’s.  He is married with four children. 

David Mason fought the Thalidomide Campaign against Distillers in the 1970s to obtain compensation for all the victims of the drug Thalidomide.  His first daughter was a victim.  He went on to fight the Opren Campaign in 1977 obtaining increased compensation.

His other charitable work includes founding the British Equestrian Olympic Fund which raised funds for the British Equestrian Olympic Team to take part in the Montreal Olympics in 1976. Chairman of the Gunnar Nilsson Cancer Treatment Research Campaign (Gunnar Nilsson was a Formula One driver) to raise funds to build the Gunnar Nilsson Wing at the Charing Cross Hospital assisted by Sir Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti and Prince Bertil of Sweden.

Founding Chairman of the Oxford Transplant Campaign in 2006 to raise funds for the new wing and equipment at the Oxford Transplant Centre at the Churchill Hospital.

The reason for such an active involvement with the Oxford Transplant Unit was the appreciation and realisation that the unit is without doubt the centre of excellence and in the opinion of many probably unparalleled.  Within this unit there is great leadership and knowledge by gifted doctors, surgeons and specialists in this field that deserve every bit of help possible.  They really are quite outstanding.

Esther Louise Rantzen, CBE (born 22 June 1940) is an English journalist and television presenter, who is best known for presenting the BBC television series That's Life!, and for her work with various charitable causes. She is founder of the child protection charity ChildLine and is currently in the process of creating a helpline for older people, to be called The Silver Line, designed to combat loneliness.

Esther was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, to Katherine Flora (née Leverson, 1911–2005) and Henry Barnato Rantzen (1902–1992). She has one younger sister, Priscilla N. Taylor (née Rantzen). She was educated at the North London Collegiate School and Somerville College, Oxford, where she read English, performed with the Oxford University Dramatic Society(OUDS), became Secretary of The Experimental Theatre Club (ETC) and joined the Oxford Theatre Group, performing in Oxford and Edinburgh.