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

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

The program was originally broadcast in 1985, and the presenter was Roy Plumlee. This week our castaway is the artist and naturalist Gordon Benningfield.

Gordon is music important in your life?

Oh yes, very much so Roy.

I mean I think if you have any connections with the arts you've got to be interested

in music and poetry and sculpture and

paint the whole lot because I feel that artists are influenced within themselves

within their friends and within artists and composers and writers the past so music does play a great part certainly my life yes have you any

musical skill do you play an instrument unfortunately not I'd love to be able to play an

instrument but I haven't got around to it now but you do play discs and did you find it very difficult had a

instrument but I haven't got around to it now. But you do play discs and did you find it very difficult to choose just eight?

Slightly yes I mean there's many things you love but there are certain records and recordings of important pieces of music

which reflect parts of your life so it was relatively easy for me to pick the

eight. What's the first one? Well the first one is George Shearing

I'll remember April because it was the first record I ever bought in the 50s and it reminds me

very much of those times. The The The The George Shearing, I'll remember April, the first record you ever bought.

You are a countryman, of course Gordon. Were you born in the country?

Oh no, I was born in London.

Near the Tower of London, Burmanse, that area.

Because my father's profession was the River Thames.

He was a Lyttaman.

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