IT used to be said of Desert Island Discs, when it was being compared with other long-running radio programmes, that few were as dependent upon the personality of its presenter. It’s now 37 years since Roy Plomley last sat in the host’s chair. Since then, Michael Parkinson, Sue Lawley, Kirsty Young and Lauren Laverne have proved more than adequate successors, with slight adaptations bringing more depth or varied emphases, allowing it to move with changing times. However, a glow of nostalgia still surrounds the show’s association with its creator.
‘Why didn’t we think of Desert Island Discs before?’ wrote Leslie Perowne, the BBC’s head of Popular Record Programmes, when Plomley first presented the idea in 1941. Plomley had dabbled in acting before drifting into broadcasting as an announcer and occasional presenter and Perowne was used to receiving the ambitious 27-year-old freelance’s
Denne historien er fra March 02, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 02, 2022-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
