Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Desert Island Discs
Presented by Roy Plomley
A farmer and author, best known for his book 'Farmer's Glory' and writing about agriculture.
Eight records
The keepsakes
The luxury
Not recorded.
In conversation
Presenter asks
When did you start writing?
Read an article in a daily paper on agriculture, thought it was a lot of rot. Said to my wife, I could do better than that. And she said, Well, why don't you? At night in a duel, I was recovering from influenza, I remember and I sat down and wrote it with stump of pencil. … And my wife read it at the time and said, I think if you take all the swear words out of this, it won't be too bad. … They paid me three guineas for it, Roy.
Presenter asks
What was the first of your major successes?
Well all these articles that Fleet Street had rejected I joined them together and I uh Published them as a book called Farmer's Glory, and then they all said it was literature. I shall never trust them again.
Presenter asks
Which is your favorite among your books?
Well, I ought to say Farmer's Gory, but I don't. It's not a book. It's a document that just happened. Strawberry [Run], yes. You establish yourself with your second book. Uh I got a sneaking regard for that one. My best book as a tradesman is, in my view, the gentleman of the party. There are no loose ends. It's right for me to say it.
The recording
Timestamps play the recording from that turn
A G Street
This download is the only extract the BBC has of this edition of Desert Island Discs. The presenter was Roy Plumley.
A G Street
Arthur, when did you start writing?
A G Street
November 29th.
Presenter
Uh
A G Street
Had the
Presenter
This has been an early ambition.
A G Street
Uh
Presenter
No, flu.
Presenter
How did it happen?
A G Street
Yeah.
Presenter
Read an article in a daily paper on agriculture, thought it was a lot of rot.
Presenter
Said to my wife, I could do better than that. And she said, Well, why don't you?
Presenter
At night in a duel, I was recovering from influenza, I remember
Presenter
and I sat down and wrote it with stump of pencil.
Presenter
Well, my little girl's school books.
Presenter
And my wife read it at the time and said, I think if you take all the swear words out of this, it won't be too bad. So I
Presenter
Took my wife's advice, I took him out, sent it to morning paper that had published the offensive article.
Presenter
They paid me three guineas for it, Roy.
Presenter
Now, you think of that, three guineas in cash, you're hired up milkman, you don't have to employ anybody, you don't have to buy a cow that can die, it's money for rope. So you wrote a lot more? Mm. All sorts of things, love stories, humor.
Presenter
And then I learnt my lesson from a an editor of a weekly paper in Salisbury.
Presenter
who showed me the only thing to write about was something I knew something about.
Presenter
Which I did.
A G Street
Yes.
Presenter
What was The first of your major successes.
Presenter
Well all these articles that Fleet Street had rejected
Presenter
I joined them together and I uh
Presenter
Published them as a book called Farmer's Glory, and then they all said it was literature. I shall never trust them again.
A G Street
It was a great success farm as well.
Presenter
Uh
Presenter
Your second book was a novel.
Presenter
Strawberry Run, the story of how you get a pint of milk, all the animals and all the people who go towards its production.
Presenter
How many books have there been now?
Presenter
Far too many, Roy, far too many.
Presenter
Number thirty came out.
Presenter
Last month.
A G Street
Yes. Thirty, including diaries, books on agriculture.
Presenter
One detective story. One story about a child, oh, all sorts of things. Which is your favorite among your books?
Presenter
Well, I ought to say Farmer's Gory, but I don't. It's not a book. It's a document that just happened.
Presenter
Strawberry Brown, yes. You establish yourself with your second book.
Presenter
Uh I got a sneaking regard for that one.
Presenter
My best book as a tradesman
Presenter
is, in my view, the gentleman of the party. There are no loose ends. It's right for me to say it.
A G Street
Are you a systematic worker? When you are on a book, do you write for regular hours every day?
A G Street
Yeah.
A G Street
When you feel like it.
A G Street
Or when the farm lets you wish.
Presenter
Well, the most important thing in my life has always been sport, you see, hunting, shooting or fishing, and uh
Presenter
When that uh permits, we do a little farming and when
Presenter
That permits, we do a little writing or broadcasting.
Presenter
Yeah.
Presenter asks
Are you a systematic worker? When you are on a book, do you write for regular hours every day? Or when you feel like it? Or when the farm lets you?
Well, the most important thing in my life has always been sport, you see, hunting, shooting or fishing, and uh When that uh permits, we do a little farming and when That permits, we do a little writing or broadcasting.
“They paid me three guineas for it, Roy. … it's money for rope.”
“I shall never trust them again.”
“It's not a book. It's a document that just happened.”
“The most important thing in my life has always been sport, you see, hunting, shooting or fishing.”