Peel's collection is still number one

ASPIRING young rock bands are still sending records to late DJ John Peel's home - two-and-a-half years after he died.

The legendary broadcaster's widow, Sheila Ravenscroft, said young artists were still keen to have their records added to Peel's famous collection at their Suffolk home.

She added she had still not decided what to do with the huge record library he amassed over the decades, which includes 26,000 LPs, 40,000 singles and 40,000 CDs.

She said: “It's just exactly as it was. We still do get a few records sent here, obviously nothing on the scale of how it was, but people do ask for their records to be part of his collection.

“I feel a bit strange about that, because what's there is there, but it's nice to get them and I like listening to them. I have added some, the ones I think John would like.”

Peel, who lived at Great Finborough, near Stowmarket, died of a heart attack while on holiday in Peru in October 2004.

His death was mourned by thousands of musicians and devotees to his long-running BBC show, which gave new bands an outlet for their music. Many bands were given a helping hand in their careers by Peel after sending him their records and CDs.

The British Library had expressed an interest in taking on Peel's record collection, currently stored in the family's farmhouse, but Mrs Ravenscroft said she could not bear the thought of parting with it.

Mrs Ravenscroft added she was delighted at the burgeoning career of her second oldest son, Tom, who is gaining a cult following for his Channel 4 Radio podcast.

His ethos is very much the same as his late father, listening to everything he is sent and playing only the brightest, freshest music.

She said: “It's a podcast, but people call him a DJ and it's very much new music. I'm very proud of him, and I know John would be too.”