"You can sort of close your eyes and see your sister there, all stab wounds and head all bashed in. It just doesn't go away."Earlier, in an interview with Independent Radio News, Mr Gilford acknowledged that the death penalty and "blood money" - compensation for a victim's family - were not the only punishments available to the courts. Asked what would make him ask for clemency, he replied: "That I don't know until such time as we get more facts and time to contemplate the aspects."It is something that we have some weeks to think about and contemplate It is not a matter of a simple question, yes or no, now It's something that we have got to think about. He has consistently said he wanted the death penalty carried out, and appeared to adhere to that yesterday in an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live's Midday with Mair programme.When asked by the journalist Eddie Mair whether he would consider clemency in the case, he replied: "Not at this stage, no." However, by the end of the five-minute interview, he appeared to soften his position. But, as a result of the Saudi court adjourning the women's trial for three weeks so lawyers could make a plea for clemency, he said he would use the time to think about his position. Mr Gilford, of Adelaide, and his family are the only people who can save Ms Parry and Ms McLauchlan if they are found guilty of beating, stabbing and smothering his sister to death last December at the King Fahd Military Medical Complex in Dhahran. Frank Gilford, brother of Yvonne Gilford, the Australian nurse allegedly murdered by the Britons Deborah Parry and Lucille McLauchlan, made conflicting statements about his willingness to see the death penalty carried out. "It is beholden on practices to give people the freedom," she said..

The man who holds the fate of two British nurses in his hands hinted yesterday that he had not ruled out asking a Saudi court to spare them from being beheaded. "Our generation felt it was more important to master the profession and be good at it."Up to 30 per cent of the students are women and Denise Bennetts hopes they will not have to be their own bosses to succeed. And Gabriele Bramante seized the public imagination with her glass and steel Citizens' Advice Bureau in Chessington.Denise Bennetts, 44, who runs a practice with her husband Rab producing buildings such as Powergen's headquarters, said despite the presence of some all-women practices, there was no women's movement in architecture. "We've won the battle," Ms van Heyningen said.Ms van Heyningen's experience is that being a woman can be positive "You have a certain surprise advantage on the building site. They do slightly expect you not to know about building, but once you've shown you do, they jolly well listen."She points out it is feasible to work as a single practitioner "But they aren't the people who become famous. They're not doing the big, flashy buildings."Women are being noticed for what they do. For example, Jane Darbyshire, who works in Newcastle with her partner David Kendall, was awarded the OBE in 1994 for "services to architecture" after developing a national reputation for housing, hospice, urban renewal and sports and arts centre schemes.Kate Macintosh gained an MBE for her long and distinguished career including work on the Royal National Theatre.

She thinks it is probably more difficult for employees, rather than partners, and certainly for women outside London who do not get the same salaries and promotions as their male colleagues.But the breakthrough has been made. And his magazine, Perspectives, this month devotes eight pages in praise of the women who, it claims, "are finally transforming this last bastion of sexism".Joanna van Heyningen, 51, who runs her own practice with husband Birkin Haward, believes this will be the "last gasp of interest in women".She concedes she was one of only a handful of women at a dinner of several thousand architects earlier this month. Next week the Royal Institute of British Architects (Riba) unveils an exhibition of their work in its Heinz Gallery.The Prince of Wales' Institute of Architecture is holding a one-day seminar on women in architecture next week. Though they comprise only 10 per cent of the profession, they are finally in the limelight.The Design Museum in London has just finished a series of lectures on women designers and architects. This autumn, a new award celebrating women in architecture is being launched in her memory.But the Jane Drew Award will not be alone in honouring women architects.