At the end of January, I had the honour and pleasure of being on Desert Island Discs. I liked Lauren Laverne and enjoyed talking with her. Afterwards I wondered if I’d been careful enough about what I said. Had I made a fool of myself? As the transmission date approached I was anxious. I told hardly anyone about the programme, in the totally unrealistic hope that people wouldn’t notice it was on. But it was OK. A few things I was worried about had been cut in the edit. The post-broadcast feedback has been amazing. I’ve been on the radio quite a lot over the years. Sometimes I’ve had a couple of messages from friends, sometimes nothing at all. This time I’ve received dozens of nice letters and emails from friends, acquaintances, ex-colleagues and a few people I’ve never met. I assume this happens to most people who are on Desert Island Discs. The programme evidently has an audience that other programmes don’t reach. No wonder it has lasted since 1942. There may have been negative comments on social media but I have a good way of dealing with that. I don’t look.
As usual, one of the good things about January and February is the pile of books I’ve been given for Christmas. They are mostly from a wish-list, so I’d been looking forward to reading them for a while. It feels extravagant to buy hardbacks for myself and I like to be helpful to people who need to think of something to give me. Late every autumn I tell my husband not to buy any books for himself until after Christmas. If he takes any notice, I have a few ideas for his children when they ring up and ask for advice about getting something for Dad. The most enjoyable item from my Christmas pile, so far, was The Spy and the Traitor, Ben Macintyre’s book about Oleg Gordievsky, subtitled The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in