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Sue Lawley's castaway is inventor James Dyson.

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

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45 minutes

Last on

Fri 25 Jun 199909:00
BBC Radio 4

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Music Played

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    St Matthew Passion - Erbarme dich

    Soloist: Kathleen Ferrier Orchestra: Jacques Orchestra

    • Kathleen Ferrier: Vol. 2 Bach: St Matthew Passion.
    • Decca.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Bassoon Concerto in B flat major

    Soloist: Gwydion Brooke Orchestra: The Royal Philharmonic

    • Mozart: Concertos.
    • EMI Classics.

  • Bob Dylan

    Simple Twist of Fate

    • Blood On the Tracks.
    • Columbia.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Warum ist das Licht gegeben, Op. 74/1

    Artist: Bath Camerata

    • Giraffe Productions - CASTAWAY'S DISC.

  • Max Bruch

    Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor - 2nd movement

    Soloist: Maxim Vengerov Orchestra: The Leipzig Gewandhaus

    • Bruch: Mendelssohn: Violin.
    • Teldec.

  • Henry Purcell

    Blessed are they that fear the Lord

    Artist: Kings College Choir

    • Purcell: Anthems.
    • HMV.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • wax.on wax.off

      Slowdown - CASTAWAY'S DISC

  • Adagio in G Minor for Organ & Strings

    Choir: Choir of New College Oxford Conductor: Edward Higginbottom

  • Book Choice

    • Olives: The Life and Love of a Noble Fruit - Mort Rosenslum

  • Luxury Choice

    • Olive Oil

Credits

PresenterSue Lawley
Interviewed GuestJames Dyson

Broadcasts

  • Sun 20 Jun 199911:15
    BBC Radio 4
  • Fri 25 Jun 199909:00
    BBC Radio 4

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