Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Desert Island Discs
Presented by Roy Plomley
A professional entertainer who began his career as a redcoat at Butlins holiday camps after winning a talent contest while in the Air Force.
Eight records
The keepsakes
No book or luxury recorded for this episode.
In conversation
Presenter asks
What was your first job when you left school?
I, the only thing I did fairly well at school I enjoyed English … and writing … And so I thought that when I got a job it would have to be something where I could use that words, you know … I took the apprentice job, but I found that I was delivering errands, delivering boxes on a bicycle. And I didn't like that idea, so I packed that up after the long term of three days. Then I went and got a job as a clerk in a boot and shoe factory in Northampton.
Presenter asks
If you had stayed in the boot and shoe business, would you have made a success of it?
Thing I would have stayed anyway, they used to come in and catch me standing on the desk doing impressions of the directors and things like that and I don't think they'd have kept me too long.
Presenter asks
What got you out of it [the boot and shoe job]?
Well, the Air Force — I was conscription, national service — I was sent after the Air Force … Not much … Wasting the country's money I think … I think if there was a conscription today, it would help the younger members of the community quite a lot. It did me the world of good. I was always a mummy's little boy until I went into the air force and it really taught me to stand on my own two feet.
The recording
Timestamps play the recording from that turn
Speaker 1
This download is the only extract the BBC has of this edition of Desert Island Discs. The presenter was Roy Plumley.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Des O'Connor
What?
Speaker 1
Uh
Des O'Connor
Yeah.
Speaker 1
What was your first job when you left school?
Des O'Connor
Well, I the only thing I did fairly well at school I enjoyed English.
Des O'Connor
and writing and uh
Des O'Connor
And so I thought that when I got a job I it would have to be something where I could
Des O'Connor
use that words, you know. Um and so printing to me I saw an apple in the paper.
Des O'Connor
Apprentice apprentice one day I thought, oh well that'll be word, you see, I'll be able to write things. That's what I thought.
Des O'Connor
So, um
Des O'Connor
I took the apprentice job, but I found that I was delivering errands, delivering boxes on a bicycle.
Des O'Connor
And I didn't like that idea, so I I packed that up after the long term of three days.
Des O'Connor
Then I went and got a job as uh a clerk in a boot and shoe factory in Northampton. Yes. If you had stayed in the boot and shoe business, would you have made a success of it?
Des O'Connor
thing I would have stayed anyway was they used to come in and catch me standing on the desk doing impressions of the directors and things like that and I don't think they'd have kept me too long.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Des O'Connor
What got you out of it? Well, the Air Force, I was a um conscription, uh, national service, I was sent after the Air Force. Um doing what?
Des O'Connor
Not much.
Des O'Connor
Wasting the country's money I think. And yet it's not really a waste,'cause I'm sh without trying to um tell the country how to run itself, I think that if there was a conscription today, it would help the the younger members of the community quite a lot. It did me the world of good. I was always a mummy's little boy until I went into the air force and it really taught me to stand on my own two feet, you know. And when you were to mobilize?
Des O'Connor
I went while I was in the Air Force to a holiday camp for a week and I won a talent contest there and uh so they said that would you like to come back?
Des O'Connor
here uh as a as a red coat, which I did when I left the Air Force. And I had two years at the camps there. Great
Speaker 1
Great grounding, wonderful grounding. And this gave you an opportunity to do some performing as a red coat.
Speaker 1
What was your first appearance as a fully professional entertainer?
Des O'Connor
Well, I can remember that. It's indelibly in my mind. It was october twelfth, nineteen fifty three.
Des O'Connor
at the Newcastle Ponte Palace Theatre.
Des O'Connor
Ten past six. Myself, the orchestra, eight assherettes.
Des O'Connor
and sitting out front a posse.
Des O'Connor
I was diabolical. I tell you something, on the Monday morning I arrived at 10 to 8 for Bandcall. Now the theatre doesn't open till 10 and I sat in a transport cafe over the road looking at the stage door waiting for it to open and I rushed in the moment it opened and the scenery was coming out from the last show, you know, and I said, well, where's the rehearsal? They said, well the band doesn't get here till 11.
Speaker 1
Yeah, I
Des O'Connor
But I've been told if I put my music down by the microphone first, I could rehearse first, so I did this.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Des O'Connor
At eleven o'clock the band trotted in, you know, and some other artists started to turn up and I thought, well they all look terribly professional movement. I kept moving my music along one and I heard someone rehearse. Till eventually I went on at ten past one to rehearse. And and the the fellow said, where's your music? and I gave him I said, well that's it. He said, no, where's the rest? I said, well I only do those two.
Speaker 1
Hold up
Des O'Connor
He said, No, no, you don't understand we all we've got are two piano copies. Where's the rest of the
Des O'Connor
And it suddenly struck me that I needed
Speaker 1
And I suck.
Des O'Connor
Trumpets, trombones, violins, and I ended up singing two of the songs that the band were going to play in the interval because they had the parts. So that was the first week, but luckily I got some nice dates after that.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Speaker 1
Yeah.
Presenter asks
What was your first appearance as a fully professional entertainer?
Well, I can remember that. It's indelibly in my mind. It was October 12, 1953, at the Newcastle Ponte Palace Theatre … Ten past six. Myself, the orchestra, eight assherettes … I was diabolical. I tell you something, on the Monday morning I arrived at 10 to 8 for Bandcall … I rushed in the moment it opened … I said, 'Where's the rehearsal?' They said, 'Well, the band doesn't get here till 11.' … I heard someone rehearse till eventually I went on at ten past one … He said, 'Where's your music?' I gave him, I said, 'Well, that's it.' He said, 'No, where's the rest?' I said, 'Well, I only do those two.' … He said, 'No, no, you don't understand, all we've got are two piano copies. Where's the rest of the [parts]?' … It suddenly struck me that I needed trumpets, trombones, violins, and I ended up singing two of the songs that the band were going to play in the interval because they had the parts.
“I was always a mummy's little boy until I went into the air force and it really taught me to stand on my own two feet.”
“It was October 12, 1953, at the Newcastle Ponte Palace Theatre … Ten past six. Myself, the orchestra, eight assherettes … I was diabolical.”
“I ended up singing two of the songs that the band were going to play in the interval because they had the parts. So that was the first week, but luckily I got some nice dates after that.”