Harry Secombe — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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Tuning in…

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
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Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
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Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Harry Secombe — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Artist

Harry Secombe

10 episodes

Chosen over the decades

10

Total castaways

1960s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Clive Jenkins
Dame Maggie Teyte
David Broome
Donna Ockenden
Hetty King
Julie Bentley
June Spencer
Lady Margaret Tebbit
Peter Bull
Sir John Glubb

Donna Ockenden
Donna Ockenden on the promise she made to baby Gina
Castaway · 23 March 2025Lauren Laverne
June Spencer
June Spencer on climbing to the highest point of a desert island to shout Hallelujah
Castaway · 22 December 2024Lauren Laverne
Julie Bentley

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
Browse the archive
About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Julie Bentley on being sick on her first day as a police photographer

Castaway · 7 December 2014Kirsty Young

Lady Margaret Tebbit

05°26′S 166°58′W

Lady Margaret Tebbit

Margaret Tebbit on kicking her husband

Castaway · 31 December 1995Sue Lawley

08°28′S 065°17′W

Clive Jenkins

Clive Jenkins on the world's first Fairy Penguins Crossing sign

Castaway · 14 October 1990Sue Lawley

03°02′S 116°22′W

Peter Bull

Peter Bull on his mother giving away his teddy bear to a jumble sale

Castaway · 13 August 1983Roy Plomley

14°15′S 109°41′W

David Broome

David Broome on first being lifted into the saddle aged two and a quarter

Castaway · 14 February 1981Roy Plomley

06°45′S 122°45′W

Sir John Glubb

John Glubb on finding his World War I diary after 50 years in a trunk

Castaway · 15 April 1978Roy Plomley

04°46′S 051°06′W

Hetty King

Hetty King on hiding under her mother’s crinoline to avoid the school board

Castaway · 14 April 1969Roy Plomley

Dame Maggie Teyte

01°36′S 073°03′W

Dame Maggie Teyte

Maggie Teyte on being told she was forgotten in America

Castaway · 15 April 1968Roy Plomley