reporting for the times on the conquest of everest. in 1972, she had gender reassignment surgery, an experience she wrote about in the book conundrum. jan morris wrote more than a0 books, and leaves behind a collection of unique and vivid descriptions of some of the world's greatest cities. our arts correspondent, rebecca jones, looks back at an extraordinary life. jan morris, award—winning travel writer and historian, journalist, and one of the earliest to undergo gender reassignment surgery. life had begun as james, a dashing young army officer turned ambitious newspaper reporter, whose moment came in 1953 with the conquest of everest. morris reported the achievement for the times, more interested in climbing the career ladder than the ascent itself. to fool rivals, morris sent news of the success in code. the times published it on coronation day. for a moment, james morris was one of the most famous journalists in the world.

when i got onto this thing, i was thinking always of getting a scoop, as we used to say then, of beating the opposition and getting the news home. that was what interested me. in 1956, morris revealed that the french, british and israelis had colluded in seizing the suez canal. they'd hotly denied it. this is tokyo, one of the biggest and busiest and most unusual of the world's capitals. it's big because 8 million people live here. it's busy because it's the capital of japan, a great industrial power where they make anything from artificial pearls to ocean liners. by 1958, morris was reporting for the bbc and writing travel books. a visit to venice after world war ii inspired an influential book that opened a new chapter. the whole sense of the city, the sadness of it, the beauty of it, the fascination, the fun of it all stuck — bonk — went into my mind, and i have never got rid of it from that day to this. its success paved the way

for a career as a full—time writer, turning to history, with a trilogy on the british empire. but a momentous decision beckoned. never feeling right as a man, something morris's wife had always known, she became one of the first britons to undergo a gender reassignment operation. she wrote a book about it, conundrum, shocking some. she defended herself publicly. it's an arrogant, egotistical book about myself, and i'm afraid that you must take it or leave it. she lived in wales. it agreed with her softer side more than england, she said. she wrote more than a0 books, but always feared she'd be remembered less for her writing than for her private life. the writerjan morris, who's died at the age of 94. that's it. now on bbc one, time for the news where you are. have a very good night.

hello and welcome to our look ahead to what the the papers will be bringing us tomorrow. joining me are the assistant editor of the daily mirror, jason beattie and deputy comment editor at the telegraph, madeline grant. the telegraph reports that families will be allowed to meet for up to a week at christmas — but tough restrictions may remain in place until then. the mirror leads on news of the vaccine — writing that it's seen an nhs document that says the roll—out could begin next month if supplies are ready. the express adds that everyone in the uk could be given

vaccine by spring if it's approved by the regulator. the times reports that borisjohnson told tory mps to "form a square" of protection around the home secretary — priti patel — after an official inquiry found that she had sworn, shouted at and bullied senior officials. meanwhile the financial times writes that the uk has bet half a billion dollars of taxpayer money in the race to become a global satellite internet provider — competingwith the likes of elon musk. the mail reports that the earl of spencer has questioned the credibility of the investigation into the bbc interview with his sister princess diana. so let's begin. thank you forjoining us this evening. the daily mirror's front page, whereas jabs for all april,

there is hope hopefully for us this can be rolled out in the way we help? yes, it is potentially very good news this first came about today from a report in the health service journal specialist magazine which had seen these documents saying that a vaccine was on its way and potentially could be ruled out for everybody by april. then matt hancock gave a press conference this evening and more less confirmed it. now, there's a lot of hurdles to overcome. i quite like the phrase used by the deputies medical officer for england in the press conference when he said, are we on the glide path? yes. could there be side wins? yes that is a possibility as well, so yes that is a possibility as well, so it needs approval. as you said,

this pfizer drug is getting fast approvalfrom the this pfizer drug is getting fast approval from the american regulator, the fda, and matt hancock is saying that he has asked uk regulators to do likewise. but that is the key thing, will he get approval? side wins indeed, could put this of course. how do you foresee the events of the next few months because it says here virus jabs for all by april but does that really m ea n jabs for all by april but does that really mean everyone, but everyone wa nted really mean everyone, but everyone wanted to have a vaccine? that is a good question and there is a risk that if things are seemed to be rushed or they feel things are being rushed or they feel things are being rushed through by the government, it will exacerbate that feeling and i think it's very important, given the amazing success we think it's very important, given the amazing success we seem to think it's very important, given the amazing success we seem to have had re ce ntly amazing success we seem to have had recently come every week seems to bring a new, amazing story about the pi’ogi'ess bring a new, amazing story about the progress of vaccinations and all of a sudden three turn up at once.

alongside that, people have to have confidence that things are being done at the appropriate pace or it will exacerbate this feeling which could stir up problems notjust for this round of vaccinations but for future vaccinations but i think what is the really hard thing is the fact that they have made very public the desire to move from the previous strategy was to vaccinate only the vulnerable to vaccinating everyone which shows that they must have real faith in the ability of these new vaccinations to do that, sol faith in the ability of these new vaccinations to do that, so i take heart from it. think we will struggle is with how the government rules it out because they haven't exactly covered themselves in glory ona exactly covered themselves in glory on a range of issues including test and trace, readying the nhs for the second wave and so on. that is likely to be where the headwind comes from, from within government. it is going to be an absolutely enormous undertaking to get these vaccinations ruled out to the entire

population potentially. do you think the government is up to it? oh, my gosh, there is a question that is difficult to answer. there are some things this government has got right, such as the building of the nightingale hospitals, but other things such as test and trace, the initial failure things such as test and trace, the initialfailure to things such as test and trace, the initial failure to provide enough protective kit, the failure to protective kit, the failure to protect care homes, they had gone disastrously wrong. the key thing and matt hancock was brimming with confidence, the key thing with this particular vaccine, the pfizer one, it has to be stored at —70 degrees. that adds a whole new of complicity onto storing it and delivering it. the daily telegraph, i would ask you about a week of christmas freedom on the cards. it is confusing, one day we are the cards. it is confusing, one day we are being told we might be able to see our families over christmas

but it would mean five days of pain afterwards but another day we are told it won't happen but now the front page of the telegraph says a week of christmas freedom is on the cards, families will be allowed to meet but have instructions or take place until then. what is going to happen, no one knows surely? even the way they have phrased it has been nebulous. on the cards, it leaves the door open that if the situation were to deteriorate further, then they would be able to come back and say, actually, perhaps not. what is being said is that families could eat up to a week christmas time but tough restrictions would remain in place up restrictions would remain in place up to that point and they will get a window between december 22 in december 28 window between december 22 in december28 in window between december 22 in december 28 in which they could not just assemble together but they would also be able to head a listening of the sections on hospitality venues and reportedly the chancellor has been especially

keen to give businesses a few days in which to trade before christmas because as you know, that is a period in which many businesses make extraordinary amount of their revenue then before christmas so it does seem like as well as the confusion, that there is some of the old tension going on within the cabinet the chancellor flying the flag for greater liberalisation of the numberof flag for greater liberalisation of the number of daily deaths reported within 28 days for positive tests today, we saw a, given that number of people are dying with, and is it right to be talking about a week freedom of a christmas any month? this is a fairly difficultjudgment call. on one hand, families want to be together and everybody understands that after a gruelling year, is difficult but upon the other hand, the scientists have warned that this could be throwing

fuel on the fire and if we do ease restrictions for christmas, we will pay the price of having tougher restrictions in january. pay the price of having tougher restrictions injanuary. some are saying that for every one day ees, you can have five days of extra restrictions. i think this is important to remember, for some people, even if they do is restrictions, if you are shielding, you are still going to have a lonely christmas and it will be very tough. i don't think we should forget them either. let us talk about other cultures as well because there has been an argument that we are not allowed to celebrate the festivals, should christmas be another exception? i think christmas is different to both of those festivals in the sense that so much is geared around christmas, even for people who are not christian. the whole country gives itself around that, even country gives itself around that, even those of no faith. it is difficult, it is horribly difficult

but i do think christmas is slightly different because it is a part of the national calendar for the whole nation larger swathes of the country. my personal view is that the problem with this slim window is that it doesn't really, i think it isa danger that it doesn't really, i think it is a danger that you run the risk of creating this big spike inactivity all at once and then it bottlenecks. i almost wonder if this could be the festival equipment —— make equivalent of the 10pm curfew in which people don't have time to move and you get people spilling out at once. i would and you get people spilling out at once. iwould have preferred and you get people spilling out at once. i would have preferred a situation in which people were given the facts about the area they were in and allowed to weigh at the risks for themselves and act according to their discretion and potentially do so their discretion and potentially do so any bigger and of time rather than this short period where as we have seen previously, but you often get is people rushing to go out before the new real change comes in and that in itself drives its own

spike. jason comedy agree? i agree with some of it. i am slightly cautious about advising people to ta ke cautious about advising people to take matters into their own hands. one persons freedom is another person possibly catching the disease inadvertently or otherwise. there are reasons ivy have restrictions and there are reasons why a national lockdown is preferable because it is easier to understand the rules and it shows a more collective effort. i understand the sympathy and the sentiment of where she is coming from but i am cautious about it. let us move on from but i am cautious about it. let us move on to the times, their front page carrying the priti patel story, the headline being, defiant pm digs in over priti patel bullying. jason, criticism from some quarters and praise from others what boris johnson has done, sticking by his woman. i don't think there should be

any praise for this at all, it sends any praise for this at all, it sends a terrible message in anti—bullying week, to schools and other workplaces. i think it is a degradation of standards in public life, i think if somebody so clearly brea ks life, i think if somebody so clearly breaks a ministerial code, then they should be some sort of reckoning because of that and i think it priti patel had any dignity, she would have offered her resignation and if borisjohnson cared about decency in others, he would have ordered her to go. does boris johnson not care about decency and others, do you think? well, i think it does tell us something about his position, doesn't it? the fact that despite everything that jason has described, that he is clearly attempting to move heaven and earth to keep priti patelin move heaven and earth to keep priti patel in post. he does have this habit of sticking by wrongdoers in

his cabinet were people who have followed fowler something or other, he has stuck by dominic cummings, stuck by robert over the allegations of richard desmond so there is this tendency to cling on people but i think he is clearly not going to get rid of priti patel. what she signals to the party is quite important. she typically sits on the right of the tory party, she is seen as being tough on migration and the issue of the small boats in the channel would public be causing primus to end his team a lot more trouble if they didn't have someone who is seen as very hawkish on this issue like her in the post. as for the allegations themselves, we don't know the full extent of it. it is clear she broke the ministerial code but they also say she was not aware of having broken the code sol say she was not aware of having broken the code so i suppose that is what the basis in which they are not demanding a resignation. in the same

way, if in hr,