Allan Ahlberg

Kirsty Young's castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is one of our best-loved children's authors, Allan Ahlberg. He started writing stories for children at his wife Janet's suggestion - she wanted someone to write the words so that she could provide the illustrations. They went on to produce more than three dozen picture books together including The Jolly Postman, Each Peach Pear Plum and Peepo! and their books sold in their millions.

In this moving programme, Allan describes the impact of Janet's diagnosis, how she faced up to the knowledge that she was dying and how, after her death, he worked through his grief by compiling another book - a very personal collection about her life and work.

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

Choices

1.

Judy Garland

The Trolley Song

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2.

Sir Charles Villiers Stanford

Drake’s Drum from Songs of the Sea

Soloist: Thomas Allen Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra & choir Conductor: Roger Norrington

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3.

Bob Dylan

Ain’t Talkin’

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4.

Norma Waterson

Anna Dixie

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5.

Dame Janet Baker

Come Sing and Dance

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6.

Ella Fitzgerald

I Didn’t Know What Time It Was

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7.

Castaway's favourite

Leonard Cohen

Closing Time

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8.

Josef Locke

Goodbye (from the White Horse Inn)

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Book

Selected Stories by Alice Munro

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Luxury item

A wall to kick a football against

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