Hello, I'm Krestey Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 1990, and the presenter was Sue Lawley. My castaway this week is a publisher. When he came to Britain 52 years ago, he had a 16 and

sixpony postal order in his pocket and spoke very poor English. Today he is a cultured and successful businessman whose eminent friends

attend his parties speak at the important occasions which he organises or write books for

his firm. The poor immigrant has become one of Britain's leading

intellectual and social figures and appear of the realm into the bargain. His title

naturally enough is not redolent of the Shires but of one of London's most bohemian

suburbs he is the Baron of Chelsea George Videnfeld they say Lord Videnfeld that you do

more than commission books actually you invent them would you plead guilty to that?

Well the most exciting thing in rather arduous profession for me is to create ideas

pursue ideas create ideas, pursue ideas, create ideas, and then make them with suitable writers.

And sometimes there are explosive results, one very other. sometimes you have a very suitable

combination sometimes very unsuitable one but it is the most exciting thing

you can do so when you sit on our desert island will you think back on all the

missed opportunities, all the people you should have suggested a good idea to?

I think it's got wonderful opportunity of thinking about past mistakes. But I

understand that you're not at all a practical man, so your chances of survival are pretty low.

They are almost non-existent because I'm hopeless mechanically and not fit for the 21st century when it comes to to mechanical things.

But can you at home manage to put on the kettle?

I mean can you make a cup of tea?

No, I can't. Unfortunately, it's not enough dictation.

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