Jane Dolby's guest appearances

Jane Dolby

Midweek

The Sociable Homeschooler

Lisa Inside Addiction

Tim Tate

Peter Layton

Gina Campbell

Michael Mosley

Patrick Stewart

Jancis Robinson

Gavin Turk

James Buchanan

Diana Nyad

Martin White

Caitlin Doughty

Charlotte Mason

Lynda La Plante

Michael Parker

Stacey Lane

OwlTail

Huan Hsu

Polly Findlay

Deborah Frances-White

Libby Purves meets director Polly Findlay; writer Huan Hsu; comedian and performer Deborah Frances-White and Jane Dolby, founder of the Fishwives Choir.Huan Hsu is a journalist and academic. In his book, The Porcelain Thief, he tells the story of his great-great-grandfather Liu, a scholar in the late 19th century who lived in the village of Xingang in China. In 1938, as the Japanese army approached, he buried his collection of prized porcelain in a vault in the ground before fleeing with his family. Huan's family eventually settled in the US and the treasure remained buried. It wasn't until eighty years later that he decided to go to China to look for it. The Porcelain Thief is published by Fourth Estate.Polly Findlay is an award-winning director whose production of The Merchant of Venice stars Makram Khoury as Shylock. A former child actor, Polly started out as an assistant director at the National Theatre and her recent productions include Arden of Faversham and Treasure Island. The Merchant of Venice is at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.Deborah Frances-White is a comedian and writer. Her four-part BBC Radio series, Deborah Frances-White Rolls The Dice, is the story of how she tracked down her biological mother. Adopted at ten days old and brought up in Australia, Deborah began the search for her family after moving to the UK to study. As a performer she has toured the country with solo stand-up shows and performed in London's West End and at the Edinburgh Festival. Deborah Frances-White Rolls The Dice is broadcast on BBC Radio 4.Jane Dolby was a single mother when she fell in love and married the fisherman who lived next door. They had two children together before Colin was lost at sea during a freak storm in 2008 while out fishing in the Thames Estuary. Without a proof of death Jane struggled financially and was supported by the Fishermen's Mission charity. To thank the charity Jane founded the Fishwives Choir which is currently touring the UK. Song of the Sea by Jane Dolby is published by Orion Books.

Libby Purves meets director Polly Findlay; writer Huan Hsu; comedian and performer Deborah Frances-White and Jane Dolby, founder of the Fishwives Choir. Huan Hsu is a journalist and academic. In his book, The Porcelain Thief, he tells the story of his great-great-grandfather Liu, a scholar in the late 19th century who lived in the village of Xingang in China. In 1938, as the Japanese army approached, he buried his collection of prized porcelain in a vault in the ground before fleeing with his family. Huan's family eventually settled in the US and the treasure remained buried. It wasn't until eighty years later that he decided to go to China to look for it. The Porcelain Thief is published by Fourth Estate. Polly Findlay is an award-winning director whose production of The Merchant of Venice stars Makram Khoury as Shylock. A former child actor, Polly started out as an assistant director at the National Theatre and her recent productions include Arden of Faversham and Treasure Island. The Merchant of Venice is at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. Deborah Frances-White is a comedian and writer. Her four-part BBC Radio series, Deborah Frances-White Rolls The Dice, is the story of how she tracked down her biological mother. Adopted at ten days old and brought up in Australia, Deborah began the search for her family after moving to the UK to study. As a performer she has toured the country with solo stand-up shows and performed in London's West End and at the Edinburgh Festival. Deborah Frances-White Rolls The Dice is broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Jane Dolby was a single mother when she fell in love and married the fisherman who lived next door. They had two children together before Colin was lost at sea during a freak storm in 2008 while out fishing in the Thames Estuary. Without a proof of death Jane struggled financially and was supported by the Fishermen's Mission charity. To thank the charity Jane founded the Fishwives Choir which is currently touring the UK. Song of the Sea by Jane Dolby is published by Orion Books.

Huan Hsu, Polly Findlay, Deborah Frances-White, Jane Dolby

This week my guest is Jane Dolby who has a public relations business called Delicious PR. She has a background in music and psychology and quips that it didn't take her long to discover she was better at promoting music than making it!  She now helps emerging artists develop their profiles.  We first met just over a year ago while I was visiting prospective digs with my student daughter in Leigh-on-Sea.  Although I’d set up three places to visit she was the only person I connected with that afternoon despite several attempts to meet with the other landladies.   God obviously had other plans!  My daughter had said she would “know”whether she wanted to live in the house by its feel.  A cheery, “do you want a cup of tea?” called from the kitchen to us standing at the open front door swept all her fears away!  One year on and Jane has agreed to join me for another cup of tea and natter this afternoon when we are going to be talking about the dramatic turn her life took three years ago.

The Boy Next Door:  Jane Dolby