Hello I'm Krestey Young and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 1988 and the presenter was Sue Lawley. My castaway this week is a writer and an artist, but first of all a guide.

He is the constant companion of any serious walker in the Lake District.

Indeed a man would be a fool to set out without him. He's charted, it's every fell and tarn, and many

two in the Yorkshire Dales, in Scotland and in North Wales. Books written in his own hand, accompanied by detailed maps and careful

pen and ink drawings. The guides which have sold more than a million now are a Walker's

passport to pleasure. They're known of course fondly as Wainwright's.

My castaway is Alfred Wainwright. Not a name, Mr Wainwright that you revealed for years, Alfred. Do you dislike it so much?

It's a nice name for a little boy, but it doesn't suit a man, I think. And I tried to keep it anonymous for a very long time but you failed in the

I failed in the end yes you've got a reputation for being a bit of a recluse not liking publicity why is that? I suppose it's true

to some extent because with one or two exceptions I do prefer my own company to that of other people and during my

walking years I always walked alone.

But is it that you don't like other people? Do you think you're naturally antisocial?

Yes, I am antisocial and getting worse as I get older. It started as shyness. It isn't shyness now. I can face anybody now and

not feel inferior to them. But I'd much rather be along.

Well now you're an ideal cast away in that sense because most people come along onto the desert island and say, I'm going to miss people but you don't

care about that at all no not at all no so you're looking forward to being

cast away well it depends on the conditions I mean if there's a chip shop on the island I can

go on for years. There isn't one of those and it's hot. Do you like the heat?

Not particularly. No. And music. Do you prefer silence or do you like music?

I prefer silence. I think I should make it quite clear that music has never played an important part in my life.

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