Hello, I'm Christy Young, and this is a download from the Desert Island

Discs Archive. This edition may be slightly different from what was

actually broadcast, but it's the only version we have. It comes from the

British Library's radio collection. It was

archived without the music, so although the Castaways choices are introduced,

they're not part of this recording. Full details can be found on the Castaway's page on the Desert Island Discs website.

The program was originally broadcast in 1979.

And the presenter was Roy Plumlee.

Our cast away this week is the writer of spy stories, Ted Alberi.

Now Ted, you write spy books, you've also been in the intelligence business yourself.

Yes, I was in the intelligence business yourself? Yes I was in the

Intelligence Court during the war. We'll talk about that later. Musical side first. Have

you any musical proist? Do you play an instrument? I used to play the cello very badly and play it worse now. I play the piano very badly, sort of very low-grade fat swallow left hand to keep you from falling off the piano stool. Have you ever played either instrument in public?

No, not knowingly anyway.

You may have had the French windows open but they're not beyond that.

No.

And what's the first disc you've chosen?

The first disc I've chosen? The first disc of chosen is by Harry Roy, marvelous man,

great romantic, this part the kind of music he played, and it's 12th Street rag.

I hope everybody notices a beautiful piano bit in the middle which was the Tiger Ragamuff in Ziva Morton and Dave Kay,

who once pushed me aside at the stage door of the hippodrome and made the whole of my next three months glamorous. dragged by Haddy Roy and his band recorded in 1933.

What part of the country do come from, turn?

...