Ray Reardon

Speaker 10:00

Hello, I'm Kirstie Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Disc's Archive. For rights' reasons we've had to shorten the music. The programme was originally broadcast in nineteen seventy nine, and the presenter was Roy Plumley.

Presenter0:31

Our castaway this week is for the sixth time World Professional Snooker Champion. It's Ray Reardon.

Presenter0:37

Ray, you you are from South Wales, aren't you? Yes, yes. Whereabouts exactly?

Ray Reardon0:39

Yes, yes. So you were top of the valleys really, I suppose, near to for those who aren't aware where it is, it's near Ebervale and Murtha.

Presenter0:42

Yeah.

Ray Reardon0:47

We won the choir.

Ray Reardon0:49

Well, I I thought I was quite a good singer actually. Unfortunately nobody agreed with me and I I find that if in the bath I I'm terrific actually.

Ray Reardon0:58

And ways and down there, we all like to render a nice little song and get

Speaker 40:59

Take it and

Ray Reardon1:03

Rid of some of your pent-up feelings. No, singing is marvelous. It's it's a great medium.

Ray Reardon1:08

Now, what's the first record you've chosen?

Ray Reardon1:11

Well

Ray Reardon1:12

It's a it's a it's a record which I heard way back in nineteen forty-five actually on on V J Day.

Ray Reardon1:19

And this is a time of jubilation.

Ray Reardon1:22

and every one in Tredega had gathered round the clock at eleven o'clock at night.

Ray Reardon1:26

and I heard a a woman sing a song called Ramona.

Ray Reardon1:30

And that is the song is my first choice for the island, Ramona.

Presenter1:33

Well, the the record that you've chosen wasn't available in 1945.

Ray Reardon1:38

This was just one of the local singers who sang it over at Tanai. But but on this occasion I I would think I'd go for The Bachelor's.

Speaker 41:54

You're mine.

Speaker 41:59

Ramona

Speaker 42:01

I hear the mission bells abomin.

Speaker 42:08

Mona

Speaker 42:10

They're ringing out our song of love

Presenter2:15

Ramona, sung by The Bachelors.

Ray Reardon2:17

You come from a large family, re?

Ray Reardon2:20

No, th there's just uh my father, mother and uh my brother.

Presenter2:25

I know.

Ray Reardon2:29

Yes, so that that was well used by everybody because my father came from quite a large family. He was a a brother of five and he also had two sisters.

Ray Reardon2:39

And of course his elder brother came to live with us. And that's how I became interested in the game actually. They started me playing on this miniature table. How old were you when you started to play? I would say around the eight.

Ray Reardon2:49

And of course

Presenter2:49

Yeah.

Ray Reardon2:51

Snooker wasn't the game then, it was billiards.

Ray Reardon2:54

an honest miniature table which supplied a set of billiard balls. But the balls wouldn't go along the cushion into the pocket, which meant that it was destroying your enthusiasm of the game. If a thing won't work, there's no point in playing it.

Ray Reardon3:06

So what I did I used marbles.

Ray Reardon3:09

For the Reds, and of course they went in all right. And then from there, of course, it stimulated my interest and.

Speaker 13:10

Yeah.

Ray Reardon3:15

I eventually went under the big table. How old were you then when you graduated to the full size?

Presenter3:19

Uh

Ray Reardon3:20

It would

Ray Reardon3:20

Well, my father used to take me up to the to the Eagle Workman's Institute where I learned to play the game eventually.

Ray Reardon3:26

on a Thursday when it was quiet, and I'd I'd be then, what, nine, ten? Yes. And of course uh we used to have a couple of games. And then the moment people started coming in, we'd have to get off the table.

Ray Reardon3:39

So I at least look forward to my Thursdays. And you shared promise right away. Not exactly. I I took part in the first.

Ray Reardon3:46

Tournament or or championship, shall I say, and the boys' championship when I was twelve. Yes.

Ray Reardon3:51

No good, didn't win anything. Didn't even go one round actually.

Ray Reardon3:55

And the following year at thirteen I I went one round further.

Ray Reardon3:59

Lost in the second round.

Ray Reardon4:00

But any sad that's progress.

Speaker 14:01

Yeah.

Ray Reardon4:02

And of course by seventeen I was really coming into the thing then because I joined the leagues and gained more experience. Well at seventeen you won the Welsh Amateur Championship. Yes, I won that for six years actually, from forty nine to fifty five. Well by that time you were working down the pit?

Ray Reardon4:16

Yes, I was a Bevanby. Mhm. Came out in the Bevanboy scheme from school.

Ray Reardon4:21

And

Presenter4:21

The family moved from South Wales to Staffordshire. Were there better opportunities there? What what was the reason for the move? Yeah.

Ray Reardon4:28

I suppose I I was mainly instrumental in this. I used to go away with my family on the holidays. And in those days it used to be up in Blackpool actually.

Ray Reardon4:38

And of course by the time you go back home to the valleys you think, well,

Ray Reardon4:42

Coming away from holiday, back home to Vice Holiday it's not very inspiring really.

Ray Reardon4:46

I'd like a move, and I talked my mother into doing it.

Ray Reardon4:49

And then she spoke to my father and then he requested a transfer through the mining industry.

Presenter4:54

Mm-hmm.

Ray Reardon4:55

And uh we moved to Stockholm Trent. Oh, that's where we finished up because actually we didn't have a lot of say in it.

Ray Reardon5:01

If you ask for a chance here, you go where they send you.

Presenter5:03

Uh

Ray Reardon5:03

So it could have been anywhere, really?

Ray Reardon5:05

But I was pleased it was still going to trant.

Presenter5:07

Yeah.

Ray Reardon5:07

It was while you were

Presenter5:07

But down a a Staffordshire pit that you had the horrifying experience of being buried. Yes, tha that wasn't a very pleasant thing.

Ray Reardon5:15

Be one your own. Yes, that was something that

Ray Reardon5:18

Well

Ray Reardon5:20

You you either get out of it alive or or or you're not with us anymore.

Ray Reardon5:24

And I came out of it okay. I was I was unscarred actually. Yeah. Other than multiple bruises and scratches, of course. How long did the ordeal last?

Presenter5:27

How do you

Ray Reardon5:32

Three hours. Were you able to move at all? No, nothing. Not even an eyelash.

Ray Reardon5:37

So I thought, that's it, that's the end of mining.

Ray Reardon5:42

Because you never know how dangerous that particular job is actually until something happens to you. Mhm. I mean, I came out of school at the age of fourteen, went straight into the mines. And I did eleven years in the mines.

Ray Reardon5:54

And I never realized the danger that was there.

Ray Reardon5:57

I was quite happy working in the mines, to be quite honest.

Ray Reardon6:00

But it's only when something happens that you you realize what the potential danger actually is.

Presenter6:06

Right, now before we get you into a surface job, let's have your second disc. What's that to be?

Ray Reardon6:11

Well, I mean Still in the valleys, actually.

Ray Reardon6:14

And this is the one from the Morrison Orphus Cooper. One of my favorites actually. It's a song of all nations and

Ray Reardon6:20

Nigel Hopkins is a singer.

Speaker 46:26

And what's all there to come on?

Speaker 46:34

Colin side by side and call this one live

Speaker 46:46

See that?

Presenter7:12

The Modiston Orpheus Choir with Nigel Hopkins.

Presenter7:15

A Song of All Nations.

Presenter7:18

So a job

Presenter7:20

On the surface you'll draw

Ray Reardon7:21

Find the police for it.

Ray Reardon7:22

Yes, well, well, of course in between there uh I I got married. Yes. Uh I got married when I was twenty seven.

Ray Reardon7:30

And

Ray Reardon7:31

It was one of my wife's uh choices that I came out of the mines actually. In fact, I I would say that if I hadn't come out of the mines, I don't think that we would have been married.

Ray Reardon7:40

She she didn't like the idea of her husband working in the mines. So

Ray Reardon7:44

Out I came and

Ray Reardon7:46

We had a year where we didn't do anything looking for because I mean I wasn't a skilled man in any description.

Ray Reardon7:52

And then I applied for the the police force. Mhm. Passed the various tests and and of course uh I was in the police force for seven years, eight months actually. In Stoke. In Stockholm Trent Station at Hanley.

Presenter8:02

I know you had two commendations for bravery, which shows that you were pretty good as a policeman.

Ray Reardon8:07

Well I always say whatever job you do, if you don't like doing it, you can never do it properly. Were you getting time to play snooker?

Ray Reardon8:15

In my own time, yes. But but they were very good to me, oh yes. How far had you got? You you won the English Championship. 1963, English Championship.

Ray Reardon8:24

So I'd been in the police force from sixty to sixty seven.

Ray Reardon8:27

With

Presenter8:27

When did it cross your mind that it might be possible to turn professional?

Ray Reardon8:31

I had never had any aspirations of being a professional snooker player.

Presenter8:35

There weren't many professionals anyway, were there?

Ray Reardon8:38

Yeah.

Presenter8:38

Yeah.

Ray Reardon8:38

Mm.

Presenter8:38

How many, roughly?

Ray Reardon8:39

Four four, is that all?

Ray Reardon8:41

Well, yes, because you see the the game was was in the doldrums a bit, you know, I mean

Ray Reardon8:46

There was Joe Davis, Fred Davis.

Ray Reardon8:49

Oh, you know, Volume, Rex Volumes. Yeah.

Presenter8:51

Yeah.

Ray Reardon8:51

Joe Davis. Half a dozen at the most, you could say, really. Not enough to run a championship. But um

Ray Reardon8:59

John Spencer turned in'sixty-seven.

Ray Reardon9:01

And in that year I got selected to represent England in a a Test series against South Africa over in their country.

Presenter9:09

Yes.

Ray Reardon9:10

And it was whilst on there actually that this business of professionals cropped up actually. One of the people over there, a fellow name of Ken Shaw.

Ray Reardon9:17

Said to me that I should turn professional and

Ray Reardon9:20

and he said that if I did do this, then he would guarantee me a tour of their country.

Ray Reardon9:24

To sort of help to supplement me a little bit. Which I did, though.

Presenter9:25

Two signs.

Presenter9:28

Yeah.

Presenter9:29

Yes, that was a good incentive.

Ray Reardon9:30

Many it is a bit of a risk, isn't it, really? Because there was no guarantees, it was just all verbal arrangement.

Ray Reardon9:36

But he stuck to his bargain and I turned pro and within three months I was back out of the game.

Presenter9:40

Meant giving up your your police house and all the rest of it?

Ray Reardon9:44

Yes, and of course there's my wife Susan there to look after. My son Darren.

Ray Reardon9:49

So it was a bit of a risk, really. Right. I had three hundred pounds, actually. That was my total life serving sort of superannuation refund, as one would say.

Presenter9:57

Well, how you've got on. We'll hear when you've chosen another record. What shall we have for number three?

Ray Reardon10:02

Well

Ray Reardon10:03

I'm a bit of a sentimentalist, I suppose, but I also like a bit of fun as well.

Ray Reardon10:08

I I'm a quite happy person because

Ray Reardon10:10

We've got a very nice family, lovely wife and children.

Ray Reardon10:13

I'd like a

Ray Reardon10:14

Tony Hancock in The Blood Dawn

Ray Reardon10:18

No, no, no, no. I've just taken a sm

Presenter10:20

Small sample to test.

Ray Reardon10:22

Yeah.

Presenter10:22

A sample. How much do you want then? Well, a a pint, of course.

Presenter10:26

Pint? Have you gone raving mad? Oh, well, of course, I mean, you must be joking. A pint is a perfectly normal quantity to take.

Presenter10:35

You don't seriously expect me to believe that. I mean, I came in here, in all good faith, to help me country. I don't mind giving a reasonable amount, but a pint

Presenter10:43

And that's very nearly it.

Ray Reardon10:44

And armful.

Presenter10:46

Tony Hadcock as the blood donor.

Presenter10:50

Right, Ray, you're a professional snoker player with a capital of three hundred pounds.

Presenter10:54

And you entered for the first time for the World Professional Championship. Exciting.

Ray Reardon10:58

Exciting, isn't it?

Presenter10:58

Yeah. Really? Well, yes.

Ray Reardon11:00

It was exciting for me at that time as well. In how many countries is Snooker played?

Ray Reardon11:05

It's mostly played in our country really, but it's also played in

Ray Reardon11:09

Australia, which would be the next uh largest country for play.

Ray Reardon11:14

South Africa.

Ray Reardon11:15

And Canada. So mostly Commonwealth countries. How did you do that first year? Terrible.

Ray Reardon11:22

There was only eight of us in it, actually. I lost to Fred Davis in the quarter finals.

Ray Reardon11:27

My news is a great game. I lost twenty five twenty four actually.

Ray Reardon11:30

But what a great experience, isn't it, really? And life's all about experience.

Presenter11:34

So those first two or three years as a pro were w were pretty tough, I suppose?

Ray Reardon11:38

Very tough, very tough.

Presenter11:39

Were you able to keep going on Snooker Alone, or did you have to fill in?

Ray Reardon11:42

Well see what happened then uh there wasn't a lot happening in this country.

Ray Reardon11:47

We hadn't started the Pop Blacks or anything like that. I mean, we just introduced the championship in'69.

Ray Reardon11:53

And by the April of seventy I had eight pounds in the bank and I was doing sort of spare time jobs, working for a newspaper actually.

Presenter11:57

Uh

Ray Reardon12:02

Yeah.

Presenter12:02

Doing what?

Ray Reardon12:03

Pushing those great big toilet rolls on the machine.

Presenter12:07

Pretty rough wick, isn't it?

Ray Reardon12:08

Right.

Presenter12:08

I think so. And you were getting a bit of prize money here and there. I suppose you entered for smaller tournaments and

Ray Reardon12:13

No, there there was nothing going then. Nothing going. Well, sixty seven, sixty eight.

Ray Reardon12:18

Sixty-nine is very little tone on sky.

Ray Reardon12:21

The championship was reintroduced in'sixty nine.'

Ray Reardon12:24

Pot Black was recorded in Sixty Line, the first programme.

Presenter12:27

Yeah.

Ray Reardon12:28

But of course

Ray Reardon12:30

Although I won the Pop Black programme, the first one.

Ray Reardon12:34

It wasn't being released until the following June.

Ray Reardon12:36

So you sort of couldn't capitalize upon that fact.

Ray Reardon12:41

Even though you knew you'd won it and you knew all of it now.

Ray Reardon12:45

Yeah.

Presenter12:45

It is all in the capital.

Ray Reardon12:46

When were you well, champ?

Presenter12:47

Begin for the first time.

Ray Reardon12:48

Nineteen seventy.

Ray Reardon12:50

A big year for you.

Presenter12:51

We just

Ray Reardon12:55

My daughter'd come along with them, of course, so Melanie.

Ray Reardon12:58

I think that championship if he hadn't won it.

Ray Reardon13:01

Yeah.

Presenter13:01

I may have had to change my ideas.

Presenter13:04

Well, you did win it, so.

Presenter13:06

Record number four.

Ray Reardon13:08

Now we're gonna have something that always excites me. Zoba the Greek, because I love dancing. And every time I hear this piece of music,

Ray Reardon13:15

It really sets my feet guy.

Presenter13:48

Zorbers dance Stanley Black conducting the London Festival Orchestra. So Ray, world champion for the first time. Did that mean that offers started rolling in at once?

Ray Reardon13:57

Yes, yeah, it it certainly changed things actually. Well, firstly, that

Presenter14:00

But

Ray Reardon14:02

I mean the prize then

Ray Reardon14:05

I believe it was it was a thousand pounds.

Ray Reardon14:08

I mean, over the years it's increased as we know, but

Ray Reardon14:11

Even then it was no large cries.

Ray Reardon14:13

But what he did do, I I'd also got a contract with one of the holiday companies doing the the circuit for them.

Presenter14:20

Run the holiday camp.

Ray Reardon14:21

Yes, it was Puntins actually, yeah. I'm still with them. Oh, wonderful people to work with actually.

Ray Reardon14:27

Now that'd give me security. Yes, that takes a security.

Presenter14:28

Because the game is a

Ray Reardon14:31

It's a winter sport in our country because of our climate. With the with the dark nights and light nights. So in the summer that give me a full occupation actually.

Presenter14:39

You do exhibition games.

Ray Reardon14:41

What what happens? I go to their campus in a plane's demonstration.

Ray Reardon14:45

We have two volunteers out of the audience, and

Ray Reardon14:47

Sometimes three, depending on when you would like to apply.

Ray Reardon14:51

But it likes to be done within an hour because there's so much to do on these places.

Ray Reardon14:54

And then I finish off with, say, twenty minutes of trick and fancy shots.

Ray Reardon14:59

So, in all, it's quite a happy situation, really. Everybody enjoys it. I certainly enjoy it.

Presenter15:04

Is there any variation in the sets of balls you're given to play with?

Ray Reardon15:09

Years ago they used to play with the ivory ball, which was an inanimate ball, and which was much heavier than it is today. And of course being animated, it lost its shape.

Ray Reardon15:18

Which would cause a lot of problems on the snooker table.

Ray Reardon15:21

Then they went into the crystallite bowl.

Ray Reardon15:24

Which is

Ray Reardon15:25

Not quite as heavy as the ivory ball.

Ray Reardon15:28

I know today across the modern supercrystal light bulb.

Ray Reardon15:32

which again is lighter than either of the previous two.

Ray Reardon15:35

And of course it's all different to play with actually. Yes, you've got to adjust your game. I think it's better really. But it takes time to to readjust to the lighter ball, the different angles which is created by it.

Ray Reardon15:46

When you put side on it reacts differently. When you screw the ball, it it's easier to screw the ball because it's lighter.

Ray Reardon15:53

But all these things are to the good.

Ray Reardon15:56

Record number five.

Ray Reardon15:58

Well

Ray Reardon15:59

One of my favorites one that I can never stop laughing at.

Ray Reardon16:02

Spike Johnson is City Slickers.

Ray Reardon16:04

You always ate the one you love.

Speaker 416:12

You always hurt

Speaker 416:18

The one you love.

Speaker 416:24

No one

Speaker 416:27

You shouldn't hurt?

Speaker 416:30

At all.

Presenter16:35

Spike Jones and his City Slickers.

Presenter16:37

I believe, Ray, before a world championship you like to get away on your own for a couple of weeks to to concentrate, to think what you're going to do, is that right?

Ray Reardon16:46

Yes, uh I do. I I did that last year.

Presenter16:49

Uh

Ray Reardon16:49

Yeah.

Presenter16:49

Ready to

Ray Reardon16:49

Yeah.

Presenter16:49

Yeah.

Ray Reardon16:49

I went to Trinidad actually. Hm. I went there to play golf.

Ray Reardon16:55

Well, you know, playing golf is is a wonderful game, really. It's a bit of fun, it's a recreation.

Ray Reardon17:01

Have a little bit of exercise. You there's not many people round on a golf course, so you have some peace and quiet.

Ray Reardon17:07

Are you nervous before a game, before an important game?

Presenter17:07

You know,

Ray Reardon17:10

Probably a little bit tensed up perhaps, but the moment the game starts...

Ray Reardon17:14

Then all that's gone, you you concentrate on on the matter in hand, then?

Presenter17:18

How long are you on your feet? I mean, during a a tournament, during a championship? How how long?

Ray Reardon17:23

It depends how many balls you've bought, I suppose.

Presenter17:27

Yeah.

Ray Reardon17:27

I mean, I've played games when I've sat down all the time.

Presenter17:28

Yeah.

Ray Reardon17:31

For instance, in one of the tournaments uh done in Slough.

Ray Reardon17:34

I'm sure most of our followers would have read it where John Spencer made a hundred and forty seven break. Yeah. So in other words, he's potted fifteen reds, fifteen blacks in all the colours.

Ray Reardon17:45

So his opponent may have broke off, and that's the only shot he had.

Ray Reardon17:49

So he didn't do much action. And this happens to to myself, to others, to everybody in time.

Ray Reardon17:55

Ah, and of course when he's sitting down

Ray Reardon17:57

There is nothing you can do about it. You can only win the game when you're at the table.

Presenter18:01

And I'm told that although a snooker player spends all these hours bending over the table, he never gets backache. Is that true?

Ray Reardon18:07

That's very true, yeah.

Ray Reardon18:09

Sometimes your headaches a little bit. Especially if you've got a heavy night out the night before and you you're leaning forward and all the blood rushes to your head.

Speaker 118:15

But

Presenter18:15

Rushes there That's perfect.

Ray Reardon18:18

And when you miss balls, you see people say, what's the matter with this? My eyes aren't too good t today.

Ray Reardon18:24

Of course sometimes your memory goes as well and then you're in trouble.

Presenter18:26

You talked about the tremendous present boom in Snooker as a result of television and uh and pot black.

Presenter18:33

I read somewhere that Snooker gets about the same audience figures as Show Jumping.

Ray Reardon18:37

Yeah.

Ray Reardon18:37

That wouldn't surprise me at all.

Presenter18:39

And it's certainly cheaper to put on.

Ray Reardon18:41

The biggest problem with our game, unfortunately, is that it's it's a limited field for spectators.

Ray Reardon18:47

It isn't really if you can get the the right auditorium. When we played in Australia we had four thousand people watching.

Ray Reardon18:53

Because we played at a basketball stadium.

Presenter18:56

Perhaps.

Ray Reardon18:56

and everybody could see it quite nicely.

Ray Reardon18:59

But it is a problem really,'cause the further away you go, the less you can see. Mind you, you remember years ago that Joe Davis played at the

Ray Reardon19:07

Where did he play it in London then? I remember seeing him with a great big mirror, that's correct, it is.

Speaker 119:08

Uh

Presenter19:08

I remember seeing him.

Presenter19:12

Yeah.

Ray Reardon19:14

And that's a few years ago. But so it can be done, you see, because it is an entertaining game. It's a sport, but it does provide a lot of entertainment also.

Presenter19:24

Another record, please. What shall we have?

Ray Reardon19:26

I I I'd like a a nice

Ray Reardon19:29

dance type of record, a smooth record, relaxing record, one

Ray Reardon19:33

When I'm at home and when I'm out with my wife for an evening meal or a dance.

Ray Reardon19:38

One that we always dance to Love Story by Montevarney Place.

Presenter20:12

Theme from the film Love Story by Mantavani and his orchestra. Ray, are you anything of a do-it-yourself, man?

Ray Reardon20:19

Not really now.

Presenter20:21

So you don't mind.

Ray Reardon20:22

But you've got to keep the hands nice and and the fingers supple and and and slim and what have you and

Ray Reardon20:27

And in any case, if they get a bit rough, my wife complains about'em, so I look after'em for her, that's what I say, and yeah.

Presenter20:33

You will live a very sheltered life. Talking of which, could you put up a shelter on

Ray Reardon20:37

Oh, I'm very useful, actually.

Presenter20:38

Oh no.

Ray Reardon20:40

Oh, years ago in little spare time, you know, I used to go round doing

Ray Reardon20:44

Painting, decorating, anything to supplement the income.

Presenter20:47

Ready? Oh, yes. Oh, well fine. You can have a a decorative hut, even if perhaps a not very secure one.

Ray Reardon20:51

Not very secure.

Ray Reardon20:56

I I couldn't imagine myself being on an island and not trying to do something to get off it.

Ray Reardon21:01

It depends how long I would have been there.

Ray Reardon21:05

And then I'd swim off it, if anything.

Presenter21:07

All right, now don't do anything rash. Another record.

Ray Reardon21:11

We've had a couple of records from Wales and other

Ray Reardon21:13

I'd have to have the national anthem, Land of My Fathers, sung by

Ray Reardon21:18

Well, actually I'd like to sing it myself.

Ray Reardon21:21

But unfortunately, as you know, I'm such a bad singer that I'm gonna have to stand in for me to dig a

Ray Reardon21:26

Male voice, choir.

Speaker 421:49

Give God

Presenter22:29

The Tradego Orpheus Male Voice Choir, which brings us to your last disc.

Ray Reardon22:35

This is the last disc would I'd have to play. My word then.

Ray Reardon22:38

I would suppose it'd be something

Ray Reardon22:41

That's very reminiscent of my game of snooker, actually.

Ray Reardon22:44

And it would be something like when you go to the table in a in a match winning situation.

Ray Reardon22:51

And you know that when you get to the table, all you gotta do is pop the walls and you go and you win the title.

Ray Reardon22:56

So you don't rush into the table.

Ray Reardon22:58

So to start off

Ray Reardon23:00

Very high actually.

Ray Reardon23:02

Because

Ray Reardon23:04

You find yourself rushing into the table what you shouldn't do.

Ray Reardon23:07

And then you you'd slow yourself down.

Ray Reardon23:09

to calm yourself because you know you got the old situation there ready made the win.

Ray Reardon23:14

And you get on and do it.

Ray Reardon23:16

It's like a symphony, you see.

Ray Reardon23:18

So I would say with a

Ray Reardon23:20

Beethoven simply number five, please.

Presenter24:23

The opening of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Sir George Schulte conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Presenter24:28

If you would have only one disc of the out of the eight you've chosen, which would you stay with?

Ray Reardon24:33

Roy, that would be a tobacco as number five, actually.

Presenter24:35

And we're going to allow you one luxury to take to the island.

Ray Reardon24:40

Well

Ray Reardon24:41

I like golf so much that I'd take a set of golf clubs. Provided I could take some golf balls to go with it, you know. A bag full of golf balls. Anyway, I wouldn't lose many, would I really? Because there'd be no one there to take them and dogs to pick'em up and pick

Presenter24:46

Oh well, yeah.

Presenter24:48

Yeah.

Presenter24:52

But

Presenter24:53

You must

Ray Reardon24:53

Uh

Ray Reardon24:54

Still um

Presenter24:56

And one book you're allowed, not the Bible and Shakespeare, which are already on the island, and we put the bar up on multi-volume encyclopedias.

Ray Reardon25:03

Yes, well in that case then uh I don't have a lot of time to do much reading.

Presenter25:08

So you you've written a book about Uh

Ray Reardon25:10

I've written a book on snooker called Classic Snooker, yes.

Presenter25:10

I've written a book.

Ray Reardon25:13

And I I do write for the Sunday Mirror. But the book that I'd like would be one of Alastair MacLean, something very exciting and thrilling and full of adventure.

Presenter25:16

But the book

Ray Reardon25:22

I would think uh

Ray Reardon25:24

Where Eagles Day. That would be lovely.

Presenter25:26

All right, and we'll have another one of his bound in with it because it's not a good idea. Thank you. Yes, that'd be nice. It'd be very useful.

Ray Reardon25:29

Thank you.

Presenter25:32

And thank you, Ray Reardon, for letting us hear your Desert Island Discs.

Ray Reardon25:36

Thank you, Roy, for having me along. It's been a pleasure.

Presenter25:38

Goodbye, everyone.

Speaker 125:46

You've been listening to a podcast from the Desert Island Discs Archive. For more podcasts, please visit bbc.co.uk slash radio four.