John Ridgway

Desert Island Discs

BBC

Society & Culture, Music Commentary, Music, Personal Journals

4.4 • 13.7K Ratings

🗓️ 23 November 1986

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

John Ridgway's adventures first became public when, in 1966, he rowed across the Atlantic with Chay Blyth. In conversation with Michael Parkinson, he recalls canoeing down the Amazon, sailing twice round the world, as well as exploits in Peru and the Himalayas, and he talks about his School of Adventure in Scotland. He also chooses the eight records he would take to the mythical island. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy Book: Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame Luxury: Shaving kit

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Kirstie Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs Archive.
0:05.3	For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.
0:08.4	The program was originally broadcast in 1986, and the presenter was Michael Parkinson.
0:14.4	It's likely that our castaway would find nothing too difficult in being banished to a desert island.
0:33.4	He's a man renowned for his sense of adventure.
0:36.0	In 1966, along with Che Blythe, he rode across Atlantic.
0:40.0	In 1968, he sailed single-handed to Brazil, and in 1970, he canoeed down the Amazon,
0:46.2	and twice, sailed around the world in his catch.
0:49.4	His latest adventure took him to the mountains of Peru, and gained him a new daughter.
0:53.8	He is John Ridgeway.
0:55.8	John, have you ever been on a desert island?
0:58.4	I don't think I've spent long on one.
1:00.6	I've been on islands where it didn't rain for seven years, that sort of thing.
1:04.0	What do you think being banished to a desert island?
1:08.0	I'm one of those people who I find as I got older, I like to do things exactly how I want to do them,
1:14.0	and you find that hard to find in the modern world a chance of doing it on your own.
1:18.8	I think I'd look forward to it, and to begin with, I'd certainly enjoy it.
1:24.0	After a while, I think I'd get fed up with it.
1:27.0	Of course, you want a much problem, would you? I imagine surviving.
1:31.0	You know how to build yourself shelter, you know how to get yourself food and water, and that's all thing.
1:36.0	Yes, I think that's the interesting part.
1:38.0	It's once you've got to a certain point of luxury that that's when it would pull.
	...

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