Main content

Lady Soames

Sue Lawley's castaway is the writer Mary Soames.

The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is Lady Soames, historian and only surviving child of Winston Churchill. A distinguished author and now Chairman of the Board of the National Theatre, she'll be talking to Sue Lawley about her extraordinary life - recalling her blissful childhood spent at Chartwell, the family's country home. She'll also be talking about the many state visits she made with her father and her husband - and remembering a conversation she had with General de Gaulle, who gave her lots of good advice on the best places to walk dogs in Paris.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Symphony No 6 In F Major Op 68 Pastoral by Ludwig van Beethoven
Book: Memories From Beyond The Grave by Chateaubriand
Luxury: Supply of fine Havana cigars

Available now

40 minutes

Last on

Fri 3 Sep 1993 09:05
麻豆社 Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

Sir Isaiah Berlin

Next

Sir Ernst Gombrich

See all episodes from Desert Island Discs

Music Played

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Ludwig van Beethoven

      Symphony No. 6 in F major 'Pastoral'

      • Beethoven: The Nine Symphonies.
      • Decca.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Cantata No. 147: Herz und mund und Tat und Leben

    • John Ogdon And Brenda Lucas: Music For 2 Pianos.
    • IMP.

  • Carroll Gibbons

    A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square

    • The Vintage Bands.
    • EMI.

  • Richard Pasco

    To His Coy Mistress

    • Best Loved Verse Read By Gwen Watford And Richard Pasco.
    • LFP.

  • Julia Ward Howe

    Battle Hymn Of The Republic

    • God Bless America.
    • RCA.

  • Franz Schubert

    Impromptu in A flat major, D935 No. 2

    • Schubert: Impromptus D 899 & D 935.
    • Philips.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Let the bright Seraphim (from Samson)

    • Kiri Te Kanawa 'Ave Maria'.
    • Philips.

  • Huddersfield Choral Society

    O Worship The King

    • The Hymns Album - Huddersfield Choral Society.
    • EMI.

  • Book Choice

    • Memories From Beyond The Grave - Chateaubriand

  • Luxury Choice

    • Supply of fine Havana cigars

Credits

Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest Lady Soames

Broadcasts

  • Sun 22 Mar 1992 12:15
    麻豆社 Radio 4
  • Fri 27 Mar 1992 09:05
    麻豆社 Radio 4
  • Sun 12 Apr 1992 12:15
    麻豆社 Radio 4
  • Fri 17 Apr 1992 09:05
    麻豆社 Radio 4
  • Fri 3 Sep 1993 09:05
    麻豆社 Radio 4

Featured in...

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast