John Hugh Brignal Peel (4 November 1913 – 22 May 1983) was a British journalist, author and poet, writing, as J. H. B. Peel, about farming and the countryside. From the 1960s, he wrote a fortnightly essay, "Country Talk", for the '' Daily Telegraph''. He wrote and narrated radio and television programmes. He was also awarded "Book of the Year" on two occasions by ''

The Sunday Times ''The Sunday Times'' is a British newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News UK, w ...

''.

Education

His father was the comedian

Gillie Potter Hugh William Peel (14 September 1887 – 4 March 1975), better known as Gillie Potter, was an English comedian and broadcaster. Life He was born in Bedford to Brignal Peel (died 1933), a Wesleyan minister, and Elizabeth Stimson. He was educate ...

. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood, and at

Oriel College Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, w ...

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

Bibliography

Poetry

*''In the Country'' (1944) *''Mere England: A Poem'', Chaterson Ltd. (1946) *''Frost at Midnight'' (1947) *''Light and Shade'', Robert Hale (1976) *''Time To Go'', Watts & Co, 1942

Essays

*''Country Talk'' (illustrated by Balint Stephen Biro), Robert Hale (1970) *''More Country Talk'' (illustrated by Balint Stephen Biro), Robert Hale (1973) *''New Country Talk'' (illustrated by Balint Stephen Biro), Cassell (1975) *''Fresh Country Talk'', Cassell *''Country Talk Again'' (illustrated by Val Biro), Robert Hale (1977) *''Country Talk Continued'', Robert Hale (1979) 0-7091-7861-1 *''Latest Country Talk'', Robert Hale (1981) *''Another Country Talk'', Robert Hale (1983) *''Off The Beaten Track'',Robert Hale (1984) *''People And Places '', Robert Hale (1980) *''Small Calendars '', Arthur Barker (1948)

Travel related

*''Buckinghamshire Footpaths'' (1949) *''The Chilterns'' (drawings by James Arnold), Elek (1950) *''Portrait of the Severn'', Robert Hale *''Portrait of Exmoor'', Robert Hale *''Portrait of Thames'' published by Robert Hale *''Discovering the Chilterns'' (1967) *''North Wales and Anglesey'' (maps by Jack Parker and Alan Walton), Charles Letts & Co, (1969) *''England in Colour'', Batsford (1969) *''Along the

Pennine Way The Pennine Way is a National Trail in England, with a small section in Scotland. The trail stretches for from Edale, in the northern Derbyshire Peak District, north through the Yorkshire Dales and Northumberland National Park and ends at Kir ...

'', Cassell (1972)& by David & Charles (1979) *''Along the Green Roads of Britain'', Cassell *''Along the Roman Roads of Britain'', Cassell (1971) *''All over Britain'', Robert Hale (1978) *''Peel's England'' published by David and Charles

Other

*''A Man's Life'', Barker (1950) *''The Gallant Story'', Barker (1955) *''An Englishman's Home'' (illustrated by Ronald Maddox),

David & Charles David & Charles Ltd is an English publishing company. It is the owner of the David & Charles imprint, which specialises in craft and lifestyle publishing. David and Charles Ltd acts as distributor for all David and Charles Ltd books and cont ...

(1972)

Notes

1913 births 1983 deaths {{UK-journalist-stub