British Library

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and the second largest library in the world by number of items cataloged. A Grade I listed building, the library is a major research library, holding around 170 million items from many countries, in many languages and in many formats, both print and digital: books, manuscripts, journals, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, videos, play-scripts, patents, databases, maps, stamps, prints, drawings. The Library's collections include around 14 million books, along with substantial holdings of manuscripts and historical items dating back as far as 2000 BC.

Links To Peel[]

In an article from the Guardian newspaper published on 1st May 2012, journalist Alex Petridis interviewed Sheila Ravenscroft at Peel Acres about Peel's record collection and how he was concerned with what would happen to them after he died, even to the extent of discussing with the British Library about them.

"I haven't moved them. When he first died, the last thing on earth I ever, ever wanted was anything to happen to it – because there it was, and as long as it was there, it was a huge part of John. But I have to say, seven-and-a-half years later, it's becoming a huge worry. He used to worry about it so much that, a long time before he did die, he'd already talked to the British Library and people about it. He really did want it to stay as a collection. I don't know what should happen, the whole logistics of it. But the one thing I do feel is that it shouldn't be gathering dust in our home." [1]

The British Library ultimately never kept his record collection, but did store over a thousand of his shows, including his regular radio programmes and documentaries presented by him on radio and some from TV. There are no collection of complete Peel's radio shows before 23 November 1982 and none later than 23 September 1999 in the British Library, except for an 11 August 1968 programme and some In Concert shows.

Shows[]

Show's tracklistings on the site below from the British Library.

1968

1971

1972

1976

1977

28 November 1977

1979

13 March 1979

1981

08 June 1981

1982

23 November 1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

External Links[]

Wikipedia
Official Website
British Library's Sound & Moving Image Catalogue NOTE this unfortunately went offline in October 2023 following a cyberattack and has not yet been restored.