Miriam Stoppard
Encyclopedia
Miriam Stoppard OBE
(née Stern and subsequently Miriam Moore-Robinson, born 12 May 1937), is a British
doctor
, author
, television presenter and agony aunt.
. Her parents were Orthodox Jews. Her father Sidney was a nurse and her mother Jenny worked for the Newcastle school dinners service. She was born in Newcastle upon Tyne
attended the Central High School
on Eskdale Terrace there and trained as a nurse at the Newcastle General Hospital
(Royal Free Medical School). She went on to study medicine at King's College, Durham (which became Newcastle University in 1963). After qualifying as a doctor she worked at the city's Royal Victoria Infirmary
and specialized in dermatology
as a senior registrar
at Bristol Royal Infirmary. She then became a research director and then managing director in the pharmaceutical industry for Syntex
.
and Where There's Life.
.
She writes on health issues and acts as an agony aunt for the Daily Mirror newspaper
, having previously answered readers' letters for The TV Times magazine. Her company, Miriam Stoppard Lifetime, sells her books and health products.
She is currently writing a book with Magnus Scheving
about healthy lifestyles for kids.
Stoppard was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to healthcare and charity.
Oona King
who unsuccessfully contested the Labour Party nomination for Mayor of London in 2010.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4566526.stm
From 1972 to 1992 she was married to the playwright Tom Stoppard
. One of her sons is the actor Ed Stoppard
.
:"The horrible sincerity of Miriam Stoppard makes me want to go out and commit mass murder
". She was named Journalist of the Year at the Stonewall Awards on 6 November of that year.
She was mentioned in Coronation Street
on 31 July 2009 when Maria asked a stressed Tony
"Who are you? Miriam Stoppard?"
Stoppard was also mentioned in the popular television show Psychoville
on June 18, 2009 when the character Joy Aston (Dawn French) sarcastically mistakes one of the ante-natal parents she coaches as Dr. Miriam Stoppard after the ante-natal parent had corrected Joy's use of the term "soft spot" instead of "fontanelle".
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(née Stern and subsequently Miriam Moore-Robinson, born 12 May 1937), is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
doctor
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, television presenter and agony aunt.
Early life and medical career
Miriam was born in Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. Her parents were Orthodox Jews. Her father Sidney was a nurse and her mother Jenny worked for the Newcastle school dinners service. She was born in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
attended the Central High School
Central Newcastle High School
Central Newcastle High School is an independent all-girls school in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.-History:Central Newcastle High School was officially opened in 1895 and moved into its current home around 1899 with the foundation stone for the current building being laid by Earl Grey on the 13th of...
on Eskdale Terrace there and trained as a nurse at the Newcastle General Hospital
Newcastle General Hospital
Newcastle General Hospital was for many years the main hospital for the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and is managed by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust...
(Royal Free Medical School). She went on to study medicine at King's College, Durham (which became Newcastle University in 1963). After qualifying as a doctor she worked at the city's Royal Victoria Infirmary
Royal Victoria Infirmary
Originally founded as the Newcastle Infirmary in 1751, the Royal Victoria Infirmary , in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, was opened on 11 July 1906 by Edward VII on of Town Moor given by the Corporation and Freemen. The fully furnished and equipped hospital, containing twenty wards, a nurses' home,...
and specialized in dermatology
Dermatology
Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin and its diseases, a unique specialty with both medical and surgical aspects. A dermatologist takes care of diseases, in the widest sense, and some cosmetic problems of the skin, scalp, hair, and nails....
as a senior registrar
Senior Registrar
A Senior Registrar was a type of doctor in the United Kingdom or Ireland, but the post no longer exists.Senior Registrars were medical practitioners who were undertaking, or had completed, several years of higher level training in a hospital specialty or Public Health but had not yet gained a...
at Bristol Royal Infirmary. She then became a research director and then managing director in the pharmaceutical industry for Syntex
Syntex
Laboratorios Syntex SA was a pharmaceutical company formed in Mexico City in 1944 by Russell Marker to manufacture therapeutic steroids from the Mexican yam....
.
Television presenter
Stoppard became well known during the 1970s and 1980s as a television presenter on scientific and medical programmes such as Don't Ask MeDon't Ask Me (TV programme)
Don't Ask Me was a popular British television science show made by Yorkshire Television for the ITV network and ran from 1974 to 1978. It attempted to answer science-based questions and contributors included Magnus Pyke , Rob Buckman , David Bellamy , Miriam Stoppard , and Derek Griffiths...
and Where There's Life.
Writing
She has written several books about health, including the Children's Medical Handbook, but particularly on the subject of women's healthWomen's health
Women's health refers to health issues specific to human female anatomy. These often relate to structures such as female genitalia and breasts or to conditions caused by hormones specific to, or most notable in, females. Women's health issues include menstruation, contraception, maternal health,...
.
She writes on health issues and acts as an agony aunt for the Daily Mirror newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
, having previously answered readers' letters for The TV Times magazine. Her company, Miriam Stoppard Lifetime, sells her books and health products.
She is currently writing a book with Magnus Scheving
Magnús Scheving
Magnús Örn Eyjólfsson Scheving was born 10 November 1964 to Þórveig Hjartardóttir and Eyjólfur Magnússon Scheving. He is an Icelandic writer, producer, entrepreneur, and a famous athlete. He is the creator and co-star of the children's television show LazyTown.-Career:In 1992 he became the...
about healthy lifestyles for kids.
Stoppard was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to healthcare and charity.
Family
Her niece is the former MPMember of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Oona King
Oona King
Oona Tamsyn King, Baroness King of Bow is a Baroness and Member of the House of Lords, and former Chief Diversity Officer of Channel 4. She previously had served as a Labour Party Member of Parliament for Bethnal Green and Bow from 1997 until 2005, when she was defeated by Respect candidate George...
who unsuccessfully contested the Labour Party nomination for Mayor of London in 2010.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4566526.stm
From 1972 to 1992 she was married to the playwright Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
. One of her sons is the actor Ed Stoppard
Ed Stoppard
Edmund Stoppard , often credited as Ed Stoppard, is a British actor.-Life and career:Stoppard was born in London, United Kingdom, the son of playwright Tom Stoppard and physician/author Miriam Stoppard , through whom he is related to former MP Oona King...
.
Popular culture
Stoppard was mentioned in the song "Architecture and Morality; Ted and Alice" by the band Half Man Half BiscuitHalf Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
:"The horrible sincerity of Miriam Stoppard makes me want to go out and commit mass murder
Mass murder
Mass murder is the act of murdering a large number of people , typically at the same time or over a relatively short period of time. According to the FBI, mass murder is defined as four or more murders occurring during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders...
". She was named Journalist of the Year at the Stonewall Awards on 6 November of that year.
She was mentioned in Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
on 31 July 2009 when Maria asked a stressed Tony
Tony Gordon
Anthony "Tony" Gordon was a fictional character in the itv soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by actor Gray O'Brien. The character first appeared on screen on 16 September 2007 and making his final appearance on 9 June 2010 after deciding to sacrifice himself in the Underworld fire. He is a...
"Who are you? Miriam Stoppard?"
Stoppard was also mentioned in the popular television show Psychoville
Psychoville
Psychoville is an award-winning British dark comedy television serial written by and starring The League of Gentlemen members Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. It debuted on BBC Two on 18 June 2009. Pemberton and Shearsmith each play numerous characters, with Dawn French and Jason Tompkins in...
on June 18, 2009 when the character Joy Aston (Dawn French) sarcastically mistakes one of the ante-natal parents she coaches as Dr. Miriam Stoppard after the ante-natal parent had corrected Joy's use of the term "soft spot" instead of "fontanelle".
External links
- Her website
- Miriam Stoppard Books
- Miriam Stoppard Blog - Daily Mirror