Desert Island Discs - Dame Anne Owers: I loved this programme

Desert Island Discs - Dame Anne Owers: I loved this programme. I heard it last Sunday. It will be repeated on Radio 4 on Friday March 4th at 9am. or you can listen to it using iPlayer or on a podcast. I have never enjoyed an edition of Desert Island Discs more than this one.

Dame Anne is best known as the the former Chief Inspector of Prisons. Her voice is warm, clear and beautiful. Her eventful life has been rich with happiness and achievement despite the early loss of her much-loved and gifted father, and then losing her mother on the day she married.

I was bowled over by her choice of records because her taste in music is so close to my own. She grew up in a very musical household, with a deep love of choral music and other vocal music, and this was illustrated in her choices. I was particularly moved by her third disc: the unaccompanied voice of June Tabor singing The Band played Waltzing Matilda.

Kirsty Young's Desert Island castaway today was Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesman, Vince Cable.

Vince Cable was such an interesting castaway on Radio 4's 'Desert Island Discs' today, and I also liked his choice of music. If you missed the programme you may like to catch the repeat on January 23rd.

See BBC webpage about Vince Cable on 'Desert Island Discs' -
Here's an extract from the webpage. - I hope it whets your appetite...

"Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesman, Vince Cable.

He studied economics at Cambridge and had a rich career before entering parliament in 1997. Now, he's become something of a media darling; seen by many as one of the few people able to understand - and make credible suggestions about - the current financial crisis.

In this personal interview, however, politics is largely set aside and instead Vince describes the home-life that shaped him as he grew up and the rich family life he has enjoyed as an adult."

And here's an extract from Vince Cable's website http://www.vincentcable.org.uk/news/001525/mp_stranded_on_desert_island.html:

"He said after the pre-recorded interview that "it was one of the most difficult things I have done. Kirsty was absolutely delightful but this was a far more gruelling interrogation than Paxman, Andrew Neil or John Humphreys, very personal and well outside my comfort zone as a parliamentarian specialising in economic and financial matters. Most of the discussion was about my childhood and family life which I have usually been reticent about discussing. The choice of records was terribly difficult; I had dozens of classical and popular favourites which I had to distil down to eight. I finished up with several of my son Paul and daughter-in-law Agnes singing which combined family attachment with my love of the music.""