David Owen

Desert Island Discs

BBC

Society & Culture, Music Commentary, Music, Personal Journals

4.4 • 13.7K Ratings

🗓️ 3 July 1988

⏱️ 36 minutes

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Summary

To celebrate his 50th birthday this week, David Owen, leader of the Social Democratic Party, has rather rashly agreed to be castaway on Sue Lawley's desert island! It might not be the most relaxing way to mark a half-century, but Dr Owen is a passionate sailor, so the situation has its charms. He is also very keen on poetry and music, both of which will accompany him to the mythical island.

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

Favourite track: Piano Concerto No 21 in C - Slow Movement by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: His own anthology of poems Luxury: A hot bath

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello I'm Kirstie Young and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.
0:05.0	For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.
0:08.0	The program was originally broadcast in 1988 and the presenter was Sue Lawley. My cast away this week is that most intriguing of politicians a lost leader. He captured the public imagination at the age of 38
0:35.8	when he became one of the youngest foreign secretaries in history. High office, however, did not
0:41.2	command his everlasting loyalty to the party which had promoted him.
0:45.5	And seven years ago, his belief in the need to find new ideas and new policies led him into
0:51.0	being one of the founder members of the Social Democratic Party.
0:54.0	Here, too, an eminent position was not enough to keep him in the fold.
0:58.0	Once more, his principles meant he had to break with his colleagues.
1:02.0	This week he's 50 years old, the leader of an
1:05.5	SDP which holds only three seats in the House of Commons and his chances of gaining power
1:11.2	look decidedly uncertain. He is of course David Owen.
1:15.0	Dr. Owen, happy birthday.
1:17.0	Thank you.
1:18.0	How does being dismissed to a Desert Island rank as a birthday treat, I wonder?
1:22.0	Well, I think I'm going to enjoy it.
1:24.0	I've always had a deep love of the sea
1:28.0	and I'm not afraid of my own company.
1:31.0	I think I will dislike being lonely and I'll constantly want to try and
1:36.8	sail away on any passing log and tie a shirt on it almost. I think I'll try and
1:42.4	escape.
1:43.0	Are you a natural loner do you think?
	...

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