Desert Island Discs

Sue Lawley's castaway is the actress Patricia Routledge.Once voted the nation's favourite actress for her television roles as Hyacinth Bucket and Hetty Wainthrop, she has also been successful in the theatre, in musicals, and of course in Alan Bennett's monologues Talking Heads. In conversation with Sue Lawley, she talks about her life and work and chooses eight records to take to the mythical island.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: String Quintet in C Major - Adagio by Franz Schubert Book: The collected works by John Donne Luxury: Tea service with tea

The castaway on this week's Desert Island Discs is Rick Stein. When the police closed his discotheque down because of too many fights on a Saturday night, all he had left was his restaurant licence. Living by the sea, he took the obvious option and opened a fish restaurant. Today he is Britain's best sea food chef and a passionate advocate for the pleasures of cooking and eating fish. In conversation with Sue Lawley, he talks about his life and work and chooses eight records to take to the mythical island.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Concerto for Flute, Harp & Orchestra in C Major by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Luxury: Thai fish sauce

Sue Lawley's guest this week is Rod Steiger. He talks about The Method, Marlon Brando and the depression which dogged him for nearly a decade. And he confesses why he couldn't go to the desert island without Frank Sinatra.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Send in the Clowns by Sarah Vaughn Book: Complete book of poetry by e e cummings Luxury: Self-contained external electric fan

Sue Lawley's guest this week is Martin Pipe. He has turned horse training into a science. His animals have the choice of a swimming pool, indoor canter and walking machine, while the on-site laboratory monitors their temperature, blood and weight throughout the day. Yet he retains his love for the horses themselves - a passion which has made him one of the most successful trainers in Britain.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Oh Carol by Neil Sedaka Book: Horse Management by R S Timmis Luxury: Winning post from Cheltenham race course

Sue Lawley's guest this week is Paddy Moloney. As the founder of the Chieftains he has taken Irish folk music around the world. No purist, some of his most popular pieces are influenced by other countries folk songs, most notably China, Spain and South America. He's collaborated with popular musicians too, sharing a stage with Mick Jagger, Elvis Costello and The Corrs.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Coast of Malabar by The Chieftains with Ry Cooder Book: The Book of Lempster (old Irish textbook currently in the Hague) Luxury: Tin whistle

Sue Lawley's guest this week is Profesor Igor Aleksander. He has been researching artificial conciousness for over 30 years. His first machine, Wisard, could recognise faces. His latest, Magnus, can think. He predicts that soon our computors will be so intelligent we won't be able to switch them off at the end of the day without feeling guilty.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Agnus Dei from Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi Book: Companions to the Mind by Richard Gregory Luxury: A virtual reality London Symphony Orchestra so he can conduct it

Sue Lawley's guest this week is the Shadow Home Secretary Ann Widdecombe. Since the last election she has used her free time to write a novel, but has no plans to become a full time author since politics remains her passion. Some two years after she spiked Michael Howard's bid to become leader of the Conservative Party, she is herself being talked about as a possible Tory Leader.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: How Great Thou Are by Aled Jones Book: Collected Poems by Thomas Gray Luxury: (Hot) shower

Sue Lawley's guest this week is James Dyson. Today he's one of the richest men in Britain, but he began with an idea, a piece of cardboard and some sticky-backed plastic. Five years and more than 5,000 prototypes later, he was confident that he had invented a new type of vacuum cleaner. But that was to prove only the beginning of a long, drawn-out battle to get it licensed.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Slowdown by Wax On Wax Off Book: Olives: The Life and Love of a Noble Fruit by Mort Rosenslum Luxury: Olive Oil

Sue Lawley's guest this week is the film composer John Barry. The Pope is said to adore his soundtrack to Dances with Wolves. Although he's probably best known for the theme tunes he wrote for the Bond movies; including Goldfinger and Diamonds are Forever. In all, he's won five Oscars - not bad for a Yorkshire lad who happened to hit London just as it began to swing.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Symphony No.9 - Adagio by Gustav Mahler Book: Eternal Echoes by John O'Donohue Luxury: Grand piano

Sue Lawley's guest this week is Chris Bonington. In a climbing career spanning 48 years he has stood astride British mountaineering 'like a hairy colossus', climbing and leading expeditions as well as photographing and writing about them. Along the way he has seen many friends perish on the mountains and more than once narrowly escaped death himself.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: Once I Had A Sweetheart by Joan Baez Book: History of the English-Speaking Peoples by Sir Winston Churchill Luxury: Power Book G3 (laptop computer)