The castaway in Desert Island Discs this week is the leader of the Liberal Democrats Paddy Ashdown. He'll be talking to Sue Lawley about his earliest memories of a childhood in India and a subsequent career which took him through the Royal Marines, into the diplomatic service and finally into the House of Commons just seven and half years ago.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Che Gelida Manina (from La Boheme) by Giacomo Puccini