Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
First UK woman professor of surgery, a leading vascular surgeon who pioneered stroke prevention surgeries.
On the island
Eight records
Waltz No. 2 from Suite for Variety Orchestra
Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra (conductor: Stephen Sloane)
I suppose I came to Shostakovich from reading his life story and the traumas that he went through in his life and for his art. And this is not a dark piece at all. It's a very happy piece. It would make me on my desert island feel like dancing, I think.
During lockdown, possibly the most inspired birthday gift that I got was from my friend in Australia… So that London Transport bus sits now in my lounge and I'm very proud of it. And so this piece just fits.
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat major, Op. 83: III. AndanteFavourite
Elaine Grimo, Vienna Philharmonic (conductor: Andris Nelsons)
I've chosen Brahms's second piano concerto, and in particular one bit of it where the cello comes into its own… On one occasion I received a proposal of marriage to this cello solo. So it's a very romantic piece of music…
I became Max's friend for the whole of his life… At one point he said he was going to write an opera about the operating theatre with me in it, but I don't know whether he ever did. But at least I can have a piece of his music, and this particular recording I think he is playing it.
Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, K. 478 (first movement)
Daniel Barenboim, Kian Soltani, Michael Barenboim, Julia Deneka
By this time I was in Liverpool and interested in getting together a small group of musicians to play chamber music… it's one of the things that gives me great happiness now.
City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus, BBC Philharmonic (conductor: Yan Pascal Tortelier)
Gabrielle Foray's Pavan is just one of those pieces that I've always loved. I've always thought I would want to have it wherever I was. I've played in it, so I know the music well, and it's just there so that I can enjoy it.
Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Meryl Streep
Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus
This is my Mamma Mia record. I was taken to see Mamma Mia by the grandchildren… and came out singing. I mean what's not to love?
Ständchen (from Schwanengesang, D. 957)
I'm having a romantic final piece by my favourite composer, Schubert… The songs that he's written are wonderful and romantic, and I used to play these on the piano, and Jack, my husband, who has a very nice tenor voice, would sing them. So this is a very romantic ending of my choices.
In conversation
Presenter asks
2:33What was the appeal of surgery in particular for you?
In truth, I probably had an inkling for surgery before that because my much-loved toy as a child was a panda, and that panda had its appendix removed numerous times and put back in again. But none the less it was at about that time that I read about some of the history of surgery, and was completely fascinated by the fact that people would, for example, open the chest for the first time, not really knowing that the patient could survive having their chest opened. It took a lot of courage.
Presenter asks
3:22But how does it feel when you're actually doing it?
Well, you start small. I think people imagine that you plunge into a difficult aortic operation on day one, and of course, you don't. So you start with just a little tiny cyst or a lump or a bump or a toenail or something of that sort, something fairly small, and you work up to the more important, major, life-threatening conditions. And you never lose when you start a major operation that moment of reflection, of thinking about what is going to happen next. But you then start in a job of work and you do it with skill and with precision, a skill that you've learned, precision that you've gained over the years. And you really have nothing then to fear, and you simply get on with the job.
Presenter asks
21:21What about the patients? What did they make of you?
The keepsakes
The book
The luxury
I will think of my father saying, You should always have a piano. You can play it, you can eat off it, and you can sleep under it, which would be lovely.
If you've got all afternoon, I'll tell you some lovely stories about people coming in and being shocked at this. I'll give you one brief story, and that was a man who came in who had an aortic aneurysm. I sat and talked to him, took his history. By this time I was a professor of surgery and I wrote all this down. I then said, 'Would you mind taking your clothes off and popping on the couch so I can examine you?' So he stripped naked, lay on the couch. I examined him from top to toe. He never said a word. And then I said, 'Right, you can put your clothes on again.' And at that point, he said to me, 'And when am I going to meet Professor Mansmith?' Which I thought it was amazing that somebody would actually strip naked to some woman that he didn't know who it was. And let her examine them from head to toe. But there we are. You do need to retain a sense of humour in this thing, otherwise all is lost.
Presenter asks
29:01How did you manage to transition into that new role?
I had a lot to learn. I'd had an academic job. I'd done research all through my career. That wasn't new to me, but running a department was, and worrying about finances, that was perhaps the biggest problem for me to begin with, was working out how to keep finances secure, because you have employees and money doesn't grow on trees, as we all know, and you have to make sure that you're producing the research and the income to support that research. So it was quite a hard time, and there were moments when I wondered why I what madness had made me accept this new job.
Presenter asks
31:45What's been the most difficult aspect of lockdown?
Not having a hug from any of my grandchildren has been the worst thing. I mean, I haven't had a hug in months, and hugs are really very important, I think, in life. So yes, that's hard because my Jack, as I'm sure you realise, died almost seven years ago now. So there's nobody every day and when I see the grandchildren they are very careful with me and obey the rules and don't give me a big hug. I look forward to that very much.
“I was completely fascinated by the fact that people would, for example, open the chest for the first time, not really knowing that the patient could survive having their chest opened. It took a lot of courage.”
“I found a piano, and I sat and played, and sure enough, by the end of that evening, I had a group of friends around me.”
“I wanted to be a surgeon first and foremost. It didn't have to be vascular.”
“We are not prima donners. We shouldn't be prima donners. We are a member of a team.”
“I can remember him saying, 'I guess Fridays must be as bad for you as they were for me. I'll cook on Fridays.'”
“Not having a hug from any of my grandchildren has been the worst thing.”