The organisation for former pupils, parents, governors and staff of St Mary's College has attracted a high-profile VIP guest for its annual dinner this year.

The Friends of St Mary's have announced that former pupil and BBC Director-General Lord John Birt will be the guest speaker at their third reunion event.

This will take place at the Marriott Hotel in Liverpool city centre on the evening of Saturday November 21st.

After leaving St Mary's in 1963 John Birt went on to study engineering at Oxford before joining Granada TV and then London Weekend Television (LWT) where he was Head of Current Affairs.

In the mid 1970s he produced David Frost's famous interviews with disgraced former US President Richard Nixon which were the subject of the recent film, Frost Nixon.

Later he became Director of Programmes at LWT before joining the BBC as Deputy Director General and Director of News.

He went on to spend eight years in the top job of Director-General of the corporation where he was awarded a knighthood and then a life peerage. He took his seat in the House of Lords in 2000 and was subsequently appointed as a personal advisor to Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Michael Mansour, Chair of the Friends of St Mary's, commented: "I am absolutely delighted that Lord Birt accepted our invitation to speak at the dinner - this is a real coup for us.  I am sure that there will be a huge amount of interest amongst members in what he has to say and that this will help to make our 2009 dinner the best yet".

John Birt was a pupil in what is widely regarded as a vintage year for St Mary's with classmates including Vincent Nichols and Ivor Roberts.

Vincent Nichols was recently appointed as Archbishop of Westminster, the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales.  Sir Ivor Roberts is a former British Ambassador to Italy and the current President of Trinity College Oxford.

To reserve tickets for the Friends of St Mary's annual dinner ring Chris Parkinson at the school on 0151-924 3926.

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