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Desert Island Discs

Bruce Oldfield

Desert Island Discs

BBC

Music, Personal Journals, Society & Culture, Music Commentary

4.314.3K Ratings

🗓️ 9 February 1986

⏱️ 33 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Bruce Oldfield has achieved an international reputation as a fashion designer. In conversation with Michael Parkinson, he talks about his upbringing, first by a foster mother, then in one of Dr Barnado's homes, about his art college days and the problems of breaking into the fashion world.

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

Favourite track: The Magic Flute Act 1 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: The Destinies of Darcy Dancer, Gentleman by J P Donleavy Luxury: Cigarettes

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hello, I'm Kirstie Young and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs Archive.

0:05.2

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

0:08.3

The program was originally broadcast in 1986 and the presenter was Michael Parkinson.

0:30.0

I think it could be fairly said that being banished to a desert island

0:33.0

will probably be the least remarkable occurrence in the life of this week's castaway.

0:37.2

His story is the stuff of Hollywood soap operas abandoned by his parents.

0:41.5

He was brought up in institutions and foster homes.

0:44.2

Today, he's one of the world's most sought-after fashion designers,

0:47.3

whose creations adorn the likes of Joan Collins and Princess Diana,

0:51.3

and he is Blue Soul Field.

0:53.2

Blue, so welcome.

0:54.1

How only fat were you when you were taken into care by Dr. Benardos?

0:57.8

I think about six weeks old, but I spent a lot of time in convalescent homes

1:03.1

down in the south of England because I was a bit poorly.

1:05.3

Do you know why your parents abandoned you?

1:07.5

I think it was just the circumstances.

1:08.8

I mean, I was a love child, I don't think they call it that in those days.

1:13.2

And obviously my mother couldn't cope with me, so there you go.

1:17.8

How is it?

1:18.5

Do you know who your mother is?

1:20.1

I have names, but I've never really bothered to sort of, you know, search too deeply into it.

1:25.7

Why is that?

...

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