Category: Audio vault

Photojournalist Don McCullin reflects on war and rural Somerset

Richard Uridge interviews the photojournalist, Don McCullin, in his Somerset home for BBC Radio 4’s Open Country programme. Produced by Hugh O’Donnell.

Like many journalists of my generation I’ve had a fascination with the work of the press photographer Don McCullin for my whole career. Each of his images manages to tell a story that us writers would struggle to convey in a thousand words.

Photo: Don McCullin/Contact Press Images

So I was beyond excited to interview him for BBC Radio 4’s Open Country programme a few years back. And fascinated to be reminded of his image of a lone Cuban missile crisis protestor in London from 1962 in the Guardian newspaper – “It’s been a cessit, really, my life”: war photographer Don McCullin on 19 of his greatest pictures.

It didn’t just tell a story then. It speaks to us now. Not least how the nature of protest has both changed and stayed the same. Juxtapose this image in your head with a contemporary one from the front line of protests in London now. And remember front lines aren’t always in war zones.

When I first posted this I promised to see if I could dig out the audio from my interview with him. Thanks to a very helpful producer at the BBC I’ve managed to secure a copy. I hope you’ll agree it makes a fascinating listen. Copyright, of course, remains with the BBC for who I am grateful for allowing me to share this programme first broadcast on January 22nd 2005.

You might also be interested to read this Guardian article from 9th October 2025 headlined ‘Somerset saved my sanity’: Don McCullin at 90 – in pictures

When madmen sailed the world

How accurately will The Mercy portray Donald Crowhurst, the British yachtsman who disappeared while taking part in the Sunday Times Golden Globe race? By all accounts Colin Firth plays the leading role with his usual understated flair and captures the descent into madness that we can only really extrapolate from Crowhurst’s log entries and radio broadcasts.

I didn’t have any more than Firth to work on when I made this radio documentary about Crowhurst and his fellow competitors Robin Knox-Johnson (the eventual winner), John Ridgway and Chay Blyth. So mine is necessarily an interpretation of limited facts mixed with dramatic licence, just like the Hollywood film version.

The lines between fact and fiction have always been blurred. Be fascinating nonetheless  to compare and contrast the two. Do bear in mind I had a fraction of the budget (under £3k as I recall)!

Please note that this programmes was produced for and first broadcast on BBC Radio 4. As a result it may contain copyright material so it is strictly for personal listening and must not be used for commercial gain without permission in writing. Please contact me if you’d like to obtain a licence.

CLEVER TREES – Westonbirt

In the last of his current series celebrating Clever Trees Richard Uridge visits the National Arboretum at Westonbirt in Gloucestershire, England.

Please note that this and other programmes in the Clever Trees series were first broadcast on BBC Radio 4. As a result they contain copyright material so they are strictly for personal use and must not be used for commercial gain withour our express permission in writing. Please contact me if you’d like to obtain a licence.

CLEVER TREES – Heligan

In the penultimate programme of his five part series on Clever Trees, Richard Uridge finds a headache-inducing specimen in the Lost Gardens of Heligan.

Please note that this and other programmes in the Clever Trees series were first broadcast on BBC Radio 4. As a result they contain copyright material so they are strictly for personal use and must not be used for commercial gain withour our express permission in writing. Please contact me if you’d like to obtain a licence.

CLEVER TREES – Australia

In the second of his programmes celebrating clever trees, Richard Uridge travels to Australia to investigate two apparent paradoxes: the tree that’s wet when it’s dry; and the clever idiot tree.

Please note that this and other programmes in the Clever Trees series were first broadcast on BBC Radio 4. As a result they contain copyright material so they are strictly for personal use and must not be used for commercial gain withour our express permission in writing. Please contact me if you’d like to obtain a licence.

CLEVER TREES – Malaysia

The time-telling Simpoh flower

Of all the clever things that trees can do telling the time has to be one of the smartest. In this episode Richard Uridge travels to Malaysia in search of the Simpoh, a tree which, according to legend, flowers at precisely the same time every day.

Please note that this and other programmes in the Clever Trees series were first broadcast on BBC Radio 4. As a result they contain copyright material so they are strictly for personal use and must not be used for commercial gain withour our express permission in writing. Please contact me if you’d like to obtain a licence.

CLEVER TREES – Washington

ct_washington

In the first of five programmes on arboreal “intelligence” Richard Uridge visits George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon to meet two conjoined holly trees.

Please note that this and other programmes in the Clever Trees series were first broadcast on BBC Radio 4. As a result they contain copyright material so they are strictly for personal use and must not be used for commercial gain withour our express permission in writing. Please contact me if you’d like to obtain a licence.