Friday 28 March 2014

Best Desert Island Discs subject...

Just recently, I learned that every Desert Island Discs programme is available for free, on the BBC website.

I used to listen to many of these several years ago, because I would be driving up to London every Friday. Of course, some of the subjects were way over my head, some were very funny, and others were particularly good and very interesting.

One particular programme leapt out at me at the time (1984), as things were very different for us back then. It was another era!

If you have a little spare time this weekend, the one mentioned below is well worth a listen. Don Mccullin comes across as a very deep and thoughtful sort of man, and the way he describes what he did as a war photographer is amazing, and his way of describing scenes is just as good as his photography. Roy Plomley as always is superb, and says very little, thereby letting his subject put his reasoned argument across so well. He was also on the radio last weekend, talking in the same measured way and I always wanted to hear this programme again!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/castaway/c3d7aaf1#p009mhn5

10 comments:

The Jannie said...

Thank you for the link - I can see lots of time being spent there!

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

Dear Don McLean, I so liked him as Gunner "Lofty" Sugden of the Royal Artillery Concert Party. Where could I see his photos of post war India?
He also had a powerful tenor voice, and Apple Pie still brings tears, and then there was Crackerjack! The man was a dynamo!

Scrobs. said...

Thank you, The Jannie, or may I call you 'The'?

It's a great BBC facility, and it is a pleasure to listen to the excellent way Roy Plomley used to host each programme!

Not that I don't like the latter presenters, in fact, I think Kirsty Young is pretty good!

Scrobs. said...

I'm sure you mean Don Estelle, Byron...

Don McLean sang 'Australian Pie', and 'Vinnie the Poo'!

Crackerjack was just a load of cauliflowers being chucked around by Archie Andrews..;0)

rvi said...

I think I'll sit this one out.

Carry on.

Trubes said...

Thank for the link Michael.... I shall look forward to listening when I can drag myself from The DT Crosswords, competitive on-line Scrabble, writing on my blog and reading others, etc etc.

Hope all is well at the Turrets,
best wishes,
Di..xx

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

You don't get away that easily, Reevers, just name your favourite escapee!

Paaah!

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Trubes, it's so nice to see your name in lights here again!

We're into cryptic crosswords on another blog, so different from here, and there's a load of us- well four, who are actually putting in the posts, as one says!

rvi said...

I don't have a favourite escapee Scrobs, but if you are asking me to provide a list of folks I would like to see (or even happily pay to see!) marooned on a desert island for a few years then I could probably fill a few pages here!

Indeed as it happens, many years ago, I was actually marooned on a beautiful, but not deserted, Pacific Island, literally in the middle of nowhere. I was called on to do a brief job which took something under two hours to complete, but by a tragic coincidence the Cessna I travelled in on had already left on its return journey (and the football match had resumed on the pitch which doubled as the 'runway'). It was not due to return for the next 7 days. I can tell you, Carruthers, that it was damned tough in the Pacific with all these hunky natives and their ladies with clacking coconut shell "upperwear" (which they sometimes wore).

Fortunately the once a month supply ship had been in a few days before my arrival, so there was a plentiful supply of fresh supplies and Victoria Bitter in the capacious fridges and freezers of the local tiny but comfortable hotel. Ah, memories!

PS: If you get stuck with some awkward puzzle clue, repeat it here and your illustrious readership will doubtless try to help proved a solution or two for your consideration.