Main content

John Timpson

Kirsty Young interviews businessman John Timpson, who chooses the eight records that he would take with him to a desert island.

Kirsty Young's castaway is the businessman, John Timpson.

He is chairman of his eponymous high street retailers and the business is in his blood: started by his great-grandfather in 1865 it is now run by one of his sons.

Although he fulfilled his family's expectations by running the family firm, he's a man who ploughs his own furrow as all his staff are given the day off on their birthday, and can use the company's holiday homes for free. A proponent of what he calls 'upside down management', his employees, all of whom are called 'colleagues', enjoy an unusual degree of autonomy in the running of the individual shops and 10% of the company's employees have spent time in prison.

Married to his late wife Alex for over 47 years, together they fostered 90 children. He has written several books on leadership and pens a weekly business advice column.

Producer: Cathy Drysdale.

Available now

36 minutes

Last on

Fri 1 Apr 2016 09:00
成人快手 Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

Gloria Steinem

Next

Tom Hanks, actor

See all episodes from Desert Island Discs

Clips

See all clips from John Timpson (2)

Music Played

  • Fivepenny Piece

    Down Our Street

    • The Very Best of Fivepenny Piece.
    • EMI.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Scherzo from Piano Trio in B-flat Major "Archduke", Op. 97

    Performer: Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio.
    • Complete Cycle of Trios, Vol. 1.
    • Koch.

  • Elvis Presley

    (Let Me Be) Your Teddy Bear

    • Elv1S: 30 #1 Hits.
    • RCA.

  • Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong

    Isn聮t This a Lovely Day?

    • Ella and Louis.
    • Verve.

  • Carpenters

    Top Of The World

    • A Song for You.
    • A&M Records.

  • St. Winifred's School Choir

    There聮s No One Quite Like Grandma

    • Hello Children Everywhere, Vol 2..
    • EMI.

  • CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE

    • Buddy Holly

      True Love Ways

      • The Best of Buddy Holly.
      • MCA.

  • Dana Gillespie

    Drinking Wine Spo-Dee-Oh-Dee

    • Mustique Blues Festival 2006.
    • Mustique Blues Festival.

  • BOOK CHOICE

    The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

  • LUXURY ITEM

    Paper and pen

Credits

Presenter Kirsty Young
Interviewed Guest John Timpson
Producer Cathy Drysdale

Broadcasts

  • Sun 27 Mar 2016 11:15
    成人快手 Radio 4
  • Fri 1 Apr 2016 09:00
    成人快手 Radio 4

Featured in...

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast