Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Desert Island Discs
Presented by Roy Plomley
Prolific author of over 300 books under multiple pseudonyms, including children's books, novels, biographies and crime reporting.
Eight records
(Track not explicitly identified in transcript excerpt; omitted as no disc selections appear in the provided text.)
The keepsakes
No book or luxury recorded for this episode.
In conversation
Presenter asks
Is your writing talent in any way hereditary?
Yes, I'm the fourth generation. We all wrote. More than as a child, almost in my cradle. Yes, I published my first book at seven.
Presenter asks
What did you do as soon as you left school?
I never did a day's lessons in my life. I never went to school at all. I just read.
Presenter asks
How many books have you written?
Well, I don't really know. I write under other names. You see five other names. I've written over three hundred. I think about three twenty. I'm not sure.
Presenter asks
How did you get into journalism?
Oh, I began as a reporter. You see, after I'd finished children's books, I had to turn to music. And then when I became a widow, my first husband objected to my writing. He thought it was rather vulgar. And then I turned to Fleet Street and I went in as a reporter.
The recording
Timestamps play the recording from that turn
Ursula Bloom
This download is the only extract the BBC has of this edition of Desert Island Discs. The presenter was Roy Plumley.
Presenter
Miss Bloom, where are you born?
Ursula Bloom
I was born in Essex.
Presenter
Is your writing talent in any way hereditary?
Ursula Bloom
Yes, I'm the fourth generation. We all wrote. Really? Hmm? Did you start writing as a child? Oh, more than as a child, almost in my cradle. Yes, I published my first book at seven. Seven? Yes.
Presenter
Was that when you decided that writing was to be your career?
Ursula Bloom
Oh no, I decided when I was three.
Presenter
So what did you do? As soon as you left school, you you just have to do it.
Ursula Bloom
I never did a day's lessons in my life. I never went to school at all. I just read.
Presenter
Uh
Ursula Bloom
And uh I wanted to be a writer. My people wanted me to go in for music. My father thought I'd look wonderful in a blue sash on a platform playing the violin. Thank God that never came off.
Ursula Bloom
I uh was a pianist for a time.
Presenter
A professional pianist.
Ursula Bloom
Yes, oh yes, I got 30 Bob a week threppings off for a stamp. That was a pain.
Presenter
Where was that?
Ursula Bloom
Ah, Harpendon, in Hertfordshire. I played the piano in a cinema there.
Presenter
Yes.
Ursula Bloom
Very long hours total eleven.
Presenter
Mm-hmm.
Presenter
How many books have you written?
Ursula Bloom
Well, I don't really know. I write under other names. You see five other names. I've written over three hundred. I think about three twenty. I'm not sure.
Presenter
Yes, and and countless short stories.
Ursula Bloom
Oh yes, yes, quite a lot there. I can't do that one.
Presenter
Yes. And your journalism. How did that start? Was that did that?
Ursula Bloom
Oh, I began as a reporter. You see, after I'd finished children's books, I had to turn to music. And then when I became a widow, my first husband objected to my writing. He thought it was rather vulgar. And then I turned to Fleet Street and I went in as a reporter.
Presenter
Mm-hmm.
Presenter
What were your most interesting assignments in those days?
Ursula Bloom
Well, in those days I just took anything that came, and then I became very interested in murder. I did two years at the old bailey.
Ursula Bloom
And I found it absorbingly interesting. I'd read law to my first husband who was a barrister, and I do find murder to this day wildly interesting.
Presenter
And
Ursula Bloom
I just do.
Presenter
Adjust.
Presenter
We've talked about your crime reporting and the books you wrote, your children's books. Now what about the rest of the 320? You've written a number of historical books.
Ursula Bloom
I have, and novels, and I've written a lot of non-fiction books and biographies. I've written quite a lot of biographies.
Presenter
I have a
Presenter
Of whom in particular?
Ursula Bloom
Well, I've just published the Romance of Charles Dickens, which was a great delight to me to write,'cause I am a keen admirer of his. I published the biography of George Edwards and of Professor Lowe.
Presenter
One of your most successful books, the novel The Gypsy Vans, come through,
Presenter
It is true that you have gypsy blood yourself.
Ursula Bloom
My great-great-grandmother was a Norfolk gang woman, a gypsy of the wild. Yes, that is true.
Presenter
Hmm.
Presenter
Do you write systematically, Miss Bloom? Do you have regular hours every day?
Ursula Bloom
Oh yes, yes, I do. I start at seven every morning.
Presenter
Yes, and gas shoot will later.
Ursula Bloom
Then I have a break.
Ursula Bloom
If work is very urgent I come back to it before for. If not I have uh I go to Fleet Street and work there, getting jobs and that sort of thing, you know, touting my goods.
Presenter
Yeah.
Ursula Bloom
And uh then I start again from four and sometimes go through till eleven or twelve, it just depends. That's a good long day. Yes, but I like it, you know.
Presenter
Do you work straight onto the typewriter or?
Ursula Bloom
No, no, no, no, I don't. I write a great deal by hand. I only use the typewriter just um to type from my notes.
Presenter
How far back does your broadcasting career go?
Ursula Bloom
Oh goodness, I don't know. The late twenties, early thirties. I wouldn't know. I started off with in town tonight.
Presenter
Where's Don?
Presenter
You've written a good many plays for broadcasting, haven't you? How many?
Ursula Bloom
I had
Ursula Bloom
Oh, I think over a hundred.
Presenter
And a lot for the theatre too.
Ursula Bloom
Oh yes, I have.
Presenter
I believe you are a very accomplished needlewoman. In fact, you've had exhibitions of your work in London.
Ursula Bloom
Yes, I have. I don't know where you got that one from, but I have had exhibitions, quite a lot of them.
Ursula Bloom
And I do design some magazines, and I'm deeply interested in needlework. I think it's a lot of it just the gipsy in me, because colour appeals to me enormously. I love colour.
Presenter
Yes. I don't know where you'll find enough hours in the day for all the work you do.
Ursula Bloom
Oh, I ruthled them out.
Presenter asks
What were your most interesting assignments in those days?
Well, in those days I just took anything that came, and then I became very interested in murder. I did two years at the old bailey. And I found it absorbingly interesting. I'd read law to my first husband who was a barrister, and I do find murder to this day wildly interesting.
Presenter asks
You've written biographies — of whom in particular?
Well, I've just published the Romance of Charles Dickens, which was a great delight to me to write, 'cause I am a keen admirer of his. I published the biography of George Edwards and of Professor Lowe.
“Yes, I'm the fourth generation. We all wrote. More than as a child, almost in my cradle. Yes, I published my first book at seven.”
“I never did a day's lessons in my life. I never went to school at all. I just read.”
“My father thought I'd look wonderful in a blue sash on a platform playing the violin. Thank God that never came off.”
“I do find murder to this day wildly interesting.”
“I think it's a lot of it just the gipsy in me, because colour appeals to me enormously. I love colour.”