Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: John Peel RIP

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Posted by Pete Naples (Member # 761) on 10-26-2004, 10:34 AM:

I heard on the radio today that DJ and broadcaster John Peel passed away suddenly at the age of 65, he was on a working holiday in Peru with his wife when he suffered a heart attack.

I grew up with radio, as my family did not have a television when I was a young child, John Peel is one of my earliest memories, and one of the few radio shows that me and my parents agreed was worth listening to.

Today broadcasting and popular music lost one of their true bastions.

You will be missed by many John.

Edited to add more info and link

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3955289.stm

Legendary radio DJ John Peel dies

Veteran BBC broadcaster John Peel has died at the age of 65, while on holiday in Peru.

Peel, whose radio career spanned 40 years, was on a working holiday in the resort of Cuzco with his wife Sheila when he suffered a heart attack.

He was BBC Radio 1's longest-serving DJ and in recent years had also presented Home Truths on Radio 4.

Radio 1 controller Andy Parfitt said Peel's contribution to modern music and culture was "immeasurable".

He added: "John Peel was a broadcasting legend. I am deeply saddened by his death as are all who work at Radio 1.

"John's influence has towered over the development of popular music for nearly four decades.

"He will be hugely missed."

Mr Parfitt told Radio 1 Newsbeat Peel had been on a holiday of a lifetime when he died.

He added: "He had gone on holiday with Sheila to a place where he had always wanted to go."

Peel was born in Heswall, near Chester, and after completing his military service in Britain in 1962, went to the US where he began working for a radio station in Dallas.

He joined Radio 1 at the beginning in 1967, and established himself with the late night programme Top Gear.

He became one of the first DJs to give exposure to punk, reggae, hip-hop, before they crossed over into the mainstream.

[ 10-26-2004, 11:36 AM: Message edited by: Pete Naples ]

Posted by David Buckley (Member # 2600) on 10-26-2004, 02:04 PM:

This is truly a sad day.

John Peel was such an important influence in enabling people who wanted to be able to make music to be heard, particularly when their style was not mainstream that his loss leaves a gap that will never be bridged.

Just about everyone who lived in the UK for most of my lifetime who was interested in music at some point was touched by JP, whether they knew it or not.

I'm reminded of the quote from the (also sad and untimely) death of Jon Postel, something like "we have lost our compass", an accolade paid to the very few. John Peel was one of the select few.

RIP John, we'll miss you.

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 10-26-2004, 02:42 PM:

This is a really sad day.

For those of you in the States John stared his radio career in Dallas in the early sixties. The fact he was from near Liverpool being an advantage in the days of Beatlemania

I remember in my teens listening to JP late at night on Radio 1. He was the only person to play real music back in the early seventies.

Being invoved in the business back in the early eighties I was lucky enoughto meet him on a couple of occasions. What a great guy.

His wife Sheila , lovingly referred to as "Pig" , lived three miles from my home.

There will never be another like him
There's a good biog here John Peel bio

Here's to you John [thumbsup]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-26-2004, 11:13 PM:

Was he any relation to Emma?

Posted by Emma Tomiak (Member # 1862) on 10-27-2004, 03:10 AM:

Me Emma?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-27-2004, 03:53 AM:

Emma Peel of the X-Men. She was played by Uma Thurman in some movie that also had the Hulk in it I think. All I know is that it sucked copious amounts of unshaven and unwiped ass.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 10-27-2004, 05:08 AM:

Don't you mean Emma Peel in The Avengers?

quote: Dick Vaughan
His wife Sheila , lovingly referred to as "Pig"...

That's certainly an unusual expression of affection, to put it mildly!

To be honest I was put off John Peel somewhat after turning on Home Truths one Saturday morning and being treated to a very detailed description of what a sex change operation involves. This was while I was trying to eat breakfast. [puke]

Posted by David Buckley (Member # 2600) on 10-27-2004, 05:16 AM:

Emma Peel of The Avengers, shirley.

There was a movie entitled The Avengers, which starred the Thurman, but although I've not seen it, my memory of the reviews of the day used the words "blow" and "goats" in the same sentence.

On the other hand, in the sixties or there abouts, Dame Dianna Rigg played the definitive Emma Peel opposite one Patrick McNee as John Steel. Mrs Peel in leather catsuit kicking the sh*t out of the bad guys was indeed a thrill to behold.

In later series Mrs Peel was played by Joanna Lumley, but I cant recall her wearing the catsuit.

None of which exciting fiction which has anything to do with the late Jon Peel.

Heres a couple of links with piccies, the second one appearing to be the CIA?????

http://www.jamesbondposterpage.com/riggavengers.htm
http://www.cia.gov/spy_fi/item12.html

Posted by Dick Vaughan (Member # 540) on 10-27-2004, 04:15 PM:

quote: David Buckley
In later series Mrs Peel was played by Joanna Lumley, but I cant recall her wearing the catsuit

David ,Joanna Lumley played Purdy in the series "The New Avengers"

Between Diana Rigg and Joanna (probably better known to some US members as Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous) was Linda Thorson playing Tara King

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-28-2004, 07:31 PM:

There is only one Emma Peel in my book......

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 10-28-2004, 07:39 PM:

Geez Mark, that looks like 30 lb (per yard) rail. That wouldn't even support Thomas!

Tying her near a turnout (or is that 1 ft gauge track?) eliminates the kinky spread-eagle effect you'd get across two standard gauged rails. TV in the 60's morals I guess.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-28-2004, 07:47 PM:

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen

That looks like cap'n Janeway from Star Trek: Voyager. Is she old and have a seriously nasty sounding voice like Janeway?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 10-28-2004, 08:08 PM:

quote: Leo Enticknap
To be honest I was put off John Peel somewhat after turning on Home Truths one Saturday morning and being treated to a very detailed description of what a sex change operation involves. This was while I was trying to eat breakfast.

Somewhere I actually have a videotape of a sex change operation. It's not a pretty sight. Be happy it was just described rather than shown. [Wink]

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-28-2004, 10:38 PM:

Joe,
You had to be there... I mean the mid 60's when this show started airing. It was the Brits answer to "The Man From Uncle" and it was a whole lot better... for obvious reasons!!!! No she wasn't like Janeway from Star Trek: Voyager at all. She has a neato sexy english voice like you wish your answering machine would have. Even in her later years she is still a classy lady [thumbsup]

And for Steve... Another hint as to the delema she is in.. or on, or about to be under....

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 10-29-2004, 01:22 PM:

And in the original B&W Avengers it was Honor Blackman as Steeds sidekick

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-29-2004, 02:20 PM:

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen

She looks cute there, but....

quote: Marky Mark

She's gonna get hit by a toy train!
Also, did she borrow Madonna's pointy brazier?

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 10-29-2004, 05:57 PM:

That isn't a toy train but a minature actual Steam Locomotive

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 10-29-2004, 06:48 PM:

quote: Poet Gord
That isn't a toy train but a minature actual Steam Locomotive

Yea, you're right and one of that gauge probably weighs in excess of 4 to 6 tons.

quote: Pal Joey
Also, did she borrow Madonna's pointy brazier?

What you meant to say was did Madonna steal her pointed Brazier....? This was on TV way before Madonna was born.

Of course she was always saved by Steed just in the nick of time....

Mark

Where'd all the Brits disappear to...... [Confused]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 10-29-2004, 07:29 PM:

So where is the danger in that scene? Why is she being held captive in Tiny Town? Or is this the episode where she turned into a giant or something?

Does the actress smoke? If so then that automatically makes her ugly. All people who smoke are ugly. And it doesn't matter if it's cigarettes, pot, or crack. They all appear just as ugly.

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 10-30-2004, 04:50 AM:

quote:
Geez Mark, that looks like 30 lb (per yard) rail. That wouldn't even support Thomas!

25-30 Lb. is probably about right. Does anybody know where this was? The track looks like it might be 15 inch gauge; we have a number of 15 inch gauge lines, there is one which I can't remember the name of, but it was re-gauged to 15 inch after the time when this programme would have been made.

There's the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, in Kent, web page which is probably the best known, but this doesn't look like that.

In Cumbria there's the Ravenglass and Eskdale Railwayweb page which I haven't seen, but this doesn't look like one of their locomotives. The RH&DR uses vacuum Brakes, abd the R&ER uses single pipe air brakes, both with hoses and couplings (on the hoses, not the trains) which are smaller versions used on the same systems on full size trains, but I cannot see any brake pipe in any of the pictures.

Both of these are 'proper' railways, just very small ones. The track is slightly over one quarter of standard gauge, but the locomotives are rather larger, about one third scale. The rolling stock obviously has to be large enough for 12" to one foot scale passengers to sit in, so it is rather taller, relative to its width, than main line stock would be.

The RH&DR serves the three towns in its name, plus Dungeness, which is a weird place, possibly best known as the home of film maker Derek Jarman, where his garden is still preserved. web page The light there always seems to have a strange look to it, there are a number of small cottages dotted about, all different, and with the pebbles which form the beach for miles around coming right up to the walls. There are various broken concrete structures which are left-overs from wartime defences.

Most of the RH&DR locomotives are based on those of the London & North Eastern Railway, which operated between London and Scotland between 1923 and 1947, but they do have one, 'Dr. Syn', which is based on American practice. web page

quote: Steve Kraus
Tying her near a turnout (or is that 1 ft gauge track?) eliminates the kinky spread-eagle effect you'd get across two standard gauged rails. TV in the 60's morals I guess.

I don't think that was the reason. 'The Avengers', like another well-known series of the time, 'The Prisoner', tended to feature strange people and locations. I'm quite surprsed that this wasn't done at Dungeness, which would have had the perfect atmosphere for it. A woman about to be killed by a tiny train would have fitted in with the feel of the program much better than a woman about to be killed by a full size one. There was a chip from 'The Avengers' shown on television a few weeks ago which I had seen many years ago. It featured two people attacking somebody. The two attackers were both dressed as clowns, you could tell that there was something sinister going on, and the inappropriate clown costumes and faces added to this. I think the use of the miniture railway was something similar.

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
Yea, you're right and one of that gauge probably weighs in excess of 4 to 6 tons.

The RH&DR locomives are about 5-8 tons, Dr. Syn is 8.75 tons, but these are quite large locomotives for the gauge, so you are about right.

Despite this weight, one of the locomotives was derailed, and the driver killed, when it was involved in a collision with a car on a level crossing last year. web page

I had an afterthought that this might possibly be the 12 inch gauge Ruislip Lido Railway, on the outskirts of London. There are, or were, several studios not too far away, and the lido, actually a reservoir built as part of the canal system, has been used in several films, including the model scenes of the RMS Titanic in 'A Night to Remember'.

One of the pictures does have what could be water in the background. I've never seen the railway, they have no locomotive like the one shown listed now, but all of the ones they do have are quite recently built. The track also looks somewhat different, but what it was like 30 or so years ago, I don't know. web page

[ 10-30-2004, 06:27 AM: Message edited by: Stephen Furley ]

Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 10-30-2004, 08:09 AM:

Two John Peel tribute programmes in the UK.

DOCUMENTARY: John Peel Tribute
Channel: BBC 2 TV
Date: Saturday 6th November 2004
Time: 22:00 to 23:30
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes.
A tribute to John Peel, who died last month.
(Widescreen, Subtitles)

DOCUMENTARY: John Peel's Sounds of the Suburbs
Channel: Channel 4 TV
Date: Tuesday 9th November 2004
Time: 23:40 to 00:10
Duration: 30 minutes.
Lanarkshire.
Another chance to see the first episode of the series in which the late, great DJ and youth culture guru John Peel travelled around the country examining the social conditions that gave birth to Britain's music and youth culture. John heads for Lanarkshire in Scotland, where he is given a guided tour of the area by the local rock fraternity.

Information taken from a UK Broadcasting Forum.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 10-30-2004, 12:02 PM:

quote: Stephen Furley
The RH&DR serves the three towns in its name, plus Dungeness, which is a weird place, possibly best known as the home of film maker Derek Jarman, where his garden is still preserved.

Not to mention the nuclear power station.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 10-30-2004, 12:06 PM:

Probably episode The Gravediggers filmed at The Stapleford Miniature Railway (10 1/4" gauge).

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 10-30-2004, 01:12 PM:

That is what the website says that it was filmed there

quote that site http://www.fsmr.org.uk/avengers.html
"In October 1965, the Stapleford railway was used for part of an episode of "The Avengers", by ABC Television

The episode was called "The Gravediggers" and was one of the most memorable of the monochrome episodes

During the plot, Emma Peel played by Diana Rigg was tied to the track of the railway on the lakeside part of the bank up to the tunnel, by the deranged owner, who was to run her over!

John Steed, played by Patrick MacNee needless to say

rescues her just in time!

A cast plate was presented to the railway by ABC TV at the time, and is still placed at the spot during running days. We do get occasional requests to see the location, by Avengers fans.

(left to right)

The late Lord John Gretton watches on as Patrick MacNee observes Ronnie Frazer studying the controls of "Blanche of Lancaster", prior to filming.

This engine now runs at the Trago Mills railway in Newton Abbot, Devon, still in her blue livery and markings, although her green twin sister engine, John H Gretton is still at the SMR

All rights to the series are now owned by Canal Plus, France.

An excellent website covering this episode and all other Avengers resources is found at

The Avengers .tv"

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 10-30-2004, 01:42 PM:

quote: Gordon McLeod
This engine now runs at the Trago Mills railway in Newton Abbot, Devon..

What a coincidence! When I lived in Exeter (about 15 miles from Newton Abbot) we had someone working at the cinema who, I later found out (after he'd left) had another life, so to speak: driving the miniature train at Trago Mills (I guess you'll know who I'm talking about, Peter). Presumably that was the one.

I've actually got very fond memories of Trago Mills, but cannot say very much about them because of this site's 'no politics' rule. Trago Mills is a chain of shops in the south-west of England which sells mainly DIY stuff, hardware, furniture, and in some of their costal stores, chandlery. The Newton Abbot site also has a sort of theme park at the back, hence the miniature railway. The owner of the business has what could only be described as a pathological hatred of the European Union. To this end, Trago Mills publishes a full-page advert in the local paper where its stores are. Half of it advertises the latest stuff they're offering at a bargain price; the other half consists of a ranting Europhobic essay by the owner. Suffice as to say that I would be first in the queue to buy my Exeter Express & Echo every Thursday... [Smile]

Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 10-30-2004, 02:46 PM:

Thanks for the info Steve and Gordon. It looked bigger than 10 1/4 in the pictures.

There are quite a lot of mini railways here, though 10 1/4 is getting closer to model than mini.