October 23, 2006 10:01

Fate of John Peel's record collection undecided

DJ's 25,000 albums to stay 'at home'

A decision on what to do with John Peel’s huge library of records, tapes and CDs is yet to be reached, according to the late DJs family.

Peel was estimated to have 25,000 vinyl albums, and the collection was recently valued at £1.5 million.

It was suggested that the British Library might take the collection, but for the moment the collection will remain at the Peel family home in Suffolk.

His daughter Alexandra Ravenscroft said: “We’ve not had any discussions about what is going to happen to the collection in the long-term. For now it will stay at home.”

A spokesman for the British Library declined to say if officials had been involved in negotiations over the future of the archive or not, the BBC reports.

Last year his widow Sheila explained her unwillingness to let the records go for now.

“The records here are John's, and I can’t imagine how we all would feel if, for whatever reason, they were suddenly removed from us. It would be just awful," she said.

“At the moment, it makes us feel rather good that they’re all here. And we play them.”