Margrave of the Marshes

2006-09-08

Last night the book club met again after the summer recess. Rosemary Barnstormworth suggested an interesting tome titled ‘Margrave of the Marshes’.

This is John Peel’s partly completed autobiography which was completed by his family after his untimely death. I really think I am going to enjoy this one. For example, in the foreword, his children describe a list of potential titles

• How’s Your Flow ?
• Wet Echo
• Flying Cream Shoes
• Goatman Codds
• If He Ever Hits Puberty
• Buckskins and Buggery
• The Wotters Won The Race
• A History of the Iodine Trade 1847-1902
• An ABC of High-Jumping
• The Questing of Stempel Garamond: How He Overcame The Gelks and Punished The Dwellers with the Well
• Jesus Wasn’t Made of Fish

I have already laughed out loud more then once although I find some of the sentences long and rambling. Then it struck me. This was exactly how John Peel was. You can almost hear him saying the words.

Sadly, though, this is one talking book that will never be made.