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Desert Island Discs

Castaway guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

Eight tracks, a book and a luxury: what would you take to a desert island? Guests share the soundtrack of their lives.

Desert Island Discs: Catherine Cookson

08/09/1984

Catherine Cookson

BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Catherine Cookson

Roy Plomley's castaway is writer Catherine Cookson

Roy Plomley's castaway is writer Catherine Cookson.

Catherine Cookson is a very successful writer with 61 novels, all in print, to her name. But she was brought up in very poor circumstances on Tyneside by her mother, leaving school at the age of 13.
In conversation with Roy Plomley, she talks about her days 'in service', about how she came to run a workhouse laundry, how eventually she became a full-time novelist, and she chooses the eight records she would take to the mythical island.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Thora by Adams/Wetherey
Book: Her own autobiography
Luxury: Piano

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Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Letter from America by Alistair Cooke

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics from 1946 – 2004.

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics, as broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from 1946 – 2004.

Alistair Cooke’s weekly talks on American life, history and politics. Over 900 programmes, as broadcast from 1946 – 2004.

Alistair Cooke - Letter from America

Letter from America by Alistair Cooke: Mondale gets mad

06/06/2014

Mondale gets mad

BBC Radio 4 - Letter from America by Alistair Cooke, Mondale gets mad

Presidential hopeful Mondale gets fighting mad in the campaign.

Democrat nominee Mondale gets fighting mad over unemployment and national debt - but the polls still show his support is slipping away.

Democrat nominee Mondale gets fighting mad over unemployment and national debt - but the polls still show his support is slipping away. The sound quality on this recording is variable/poor.

This archive edition of Letter from America was recorded by one of two listeners, who between them taped and labelled over 650 Letter From America programmes from 1973 to 1989. It was restored by the BBC in 2014.

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