Desert Island Discs

Andrew Ramroop, tailor

08.06.2022 - By BBC Radio 4Play

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Andrew Ramroop is a Savile Row tailor, whose international client list has included film stars and royalty. Andrew grew up in a remote village in Trinidad and sewed his first garment at the age of nine, creating a simple pair of trousers from a pillowcase. He left school at 13 and was apprenticed to a local tailor who told him tales about the pinnacle of sartorial excellence, Savile Row – the place where James Bond’s suits were cut. Inspired by this vision, Andrew saved up for a ticket to sail to the UK: he emigrated at the age of 17, only the second person to leave his village. He found work on Savile Row, went on to complete a degree at the London College of Fashion, and then gained a job at Maurice Sedwell, eventually taking over the business when Maurice retired. In recent years, Andrew has been closely involved in training the next generation of tailors. He was awarded an OBE in 2009, for his work in tailoring and training, and was the UK’s Black Business Person of the Year in 2017. DISC ONE: Portrait of Trinidad by The Mighty Sniper

DISC TWO: Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2 by Pink Floyd

DISC THREE: Time Will Tell by Jimmy Cliff

DISC FOUR: The Boxer by Simon & Garfunkel

DISC FIVE: It's a Man's Man's Man's World by James Brown & The Famous Flames

DISC SIX: Desiderata by Les Crane

DISC SEVEN: Maria La O by Neil Latchman

DISC EIGHT: Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel

BOOK CHOICE: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

LUXURY ITEM: A tenor steel pan drum

CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel Presenter Lauren Laverne

Producer Sarah Taylor

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