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Desert Island Discs
Presented by Roy Plomley
BBC radio commentator renowned for Boat Race commentaries since 1931 and for stunt broadcasting.
Eight records
No specific disc information is present in the transcript. The transcript contains only conversational excerpts, not structured music choices.
N/A
The keepsakes
No book or luxury recorded for this episode.
In conversation
Presenter asks
You've given a broadcast commentary on every boat race since when?
Since 1931. Through thick and thin, flood and pestilence.
Presenter asks
Wasn't there one year when you didn't finish the course?
A lot of people say they hate to mention it, but it's absolutely true. It happened also to be the year of the snowstorm.
Presenter asks
Could you tell me about your experience as a stunt commentator, particularly the circus one?
That was one of them, yes. But that, of course, was during the development period of radio. And these particular stunts … they were broadcasting from the top of a fire escape and then jumping into a jumping sheet … and from a diver's suit at the bottom of the rubber, and then perhaps while driving a tank. … I think probably that the most amusing was a circus one. I had to stand on the back of a cantering horse. And I was wearing a belt connected to a pulley so that if I fell I wouldn't hit the ground. I fell, of course, obviously, and I grabbed hold of the horse's tail. And the men holding the other end of the rope to stop me hitting the ground laughed so much they actually let go.
The recording
Timestamps play the recording from that turn
Presenter
Yeah.
John Snagge
This download is the only extract the BBC has of this edition of Desert Island Discs. The presenter was Roy Plumley.
Presenter
Well now we were going to talk about the boat race commentaries. You were a rowing man yourself, weren't you?
John Snagge
Yes, I rode to my college.
Presenter
And you've given a broadcast commentary on every boat race since when? Since 1931. Through thick and thin, flood and pestilence.
John Snagge
Yes, the thought.
John Snagge
The races seem to have been especially eventful, rarely, since the war.
John Snagge
There was a year when our launch collided with a press launch which um
Presenter
Thank you. Did you stop to pick up the president?
John Snagge
No, they were picked up, but uh
Presenter
Her motto was the show must go on. Bravo.
Presenter
Uh I hate to mention this, but wasn't there one year when you didn't finish the course?
John Snagge
A lot of people say they hate to mention it, but it's absolutely true. It happened also to be the year of the snowstorm.
Presenter
Yeah.
John Snagge
We had engine trouble and had to hand over at the end of the race to the television commentary.
John Snagge
And the television people had been in trouble themselves earlier on. They'd been literally snowed under, snow on the lens.
John Snagge
But it's not quite true to say that we didn't finish the course.
John Snagge
Because with the engine coughing, we finally got to Mortlake.
John Snagge
About twenty minutes after the race was over, and I found out what the result was,
John Snagge
But as he went up there were ironic cries from both banks of Well Road B B C
Presenter
Yeah.
Presenter
At one time you made a great reputation as a stunt commentator. I remember one broadcast you led as a bareback circus rider.
John Snagge
That was one of them, yes. But that, of course, was during the development period of radio. And these particular stunts, uh, they were broadcasting from the top of a fire escape and then jumping into a jumping sheet which looked rather like a half crown when you looked down at it, and from a diver's suit at the bottom of the rubber, and then perhaps while driving a tank. But, um,.
John Snagge
They were all great fun, you know, but I think probably that the most amusing was a circus one.
John Snagge
I had to stand on the back of a cantering horse.
John Snagge
And I was wearing a belt connected to a pulley so that if I fell I wouldn't hit the ground.
John Snagge
I fell, of course, obviously, and I grabbed hold of the horse's tail.
John Snagge
And the men holding the other end of the rope to stop me hitting the ground laughed so much they actually let go.
“Since 1931. Through thick and thin, flood and pestilence.”
“A lot of people say they hate to mention it, but it's absolutely true. It happened also to be the year of the snowstorm.”
“I fell, of course, obviously, and I grabbed hold of the horse's tail. And the men holding the other end of the rope to stop me hitting the ground laughed so much they actually let go.”