John Peel Wiki

Changes to the look of John Peel Wiki will take place in the near future due to a new skin being rolled out over Oct/Nov across Wikia. Please see the Wikia Staff Blog for further details. On this site, the changes will affect the navigation from the left menu, as well as introduce a fixed page width with narrower content space. Please be patient while adjustments are made for the switch to the new system.

UPDATE: As the change is now in force for some users, I have switched the navigation to the simplified one for the new system. Please check Navigation in the Help section if you can't find things. I also initially made small adjustments to the front page layout, but have now reverted to the old look until all users are on the new system.

COUNTDOWN: Just a reminder for people still using Monaco that the final switch to the new skin is due on Nov. 3. After that, it will no longer be offered as an option. Sorry. Nothing to do with me.

Steve W

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John Peel Wiki

Show[]

Name
  • It Makes Me Laugh
Station
YYYY-MM-DD
  • 1980-05-04
Comments
  • Scripted programme in a series.
  • JP alerts his listeners to this programme in the 29 April 1980 show, giving the original broadcast date and time (12 noon), and refers to it again in the 06 May 1980 show. It was repeated on 16 May 1981.
  • The extracts are read by Victoria Plum and Jon Glover.

Sessions[]

  • n/a

Tracklisting[]

Introduction

  • (JP: 'Several years ago, my mother, something of a hoarder, presented me in a small private ceremony with all of my school reports. I must confess that they made unpleasant and deeply disturbing reading. But I won't bore you with details. The only one which concerns us here is the first of them, written when I was four years old. I should explain that my real name is John Ravenscroft, rather than John Peel, but this didn't prevent the headmistress, a Miss Jones, from observing:)
  • (Strident and educated Scottish voice): 'Robin has failed to make much impression in his first term.')
  • (JP: 'Rereading this recently, I was truly delighted with Miss Jones' observation, feeling that it confirmed my own rather lugubrious view of myself, and it serves today to indicate the direction in which we are, I hope, going to stroll together. Not for me the great blockbusters of humour: P.G. Wodehouse, James Thurber, Robert Benchley, the Goons, Tony Hancock or Fawlty Towers, although each of these has had me in fits on occasion. But somehow, extracts from these writers and shows don't really work for me. I have to enjoy the whole as a whole, and the task of isolating moments from books and records has proved difficult and painful.)

List Of Extracts Read

Conclusion

  • (JP: 'Well, that's it for me...no belly laughs, perhaps, but I never was much of a chap for the belly laugh: more of a wry smile and a whispered, "Your round, I think". I hope you will have at least chuckled, heard something that was new to you, and that, all in all, Robin has on this occasion, made an impression. Goodbye.')
  • (15 minutes of Edward Greenfield's 'Turntable'.)

File[]

Name
  • 1) Peel IMML 16-5-81
  • 2) It Makes Me Laugh 1980-05-04 John Peel.mp3
Length
  • 1) 0:43:50 (programme itself 30 minutes)
  • 2) 0:28:48
Other
  • 1) Stereo, 96 kbps
  • 2) Many thanks to Chris J Brady
Available