Peter Jefferson presented The Shipping Forecast for over 40 years, and his familiar voice continued to be heard reading quotations on BBC Radio 4's Quote... Unquote. This book is both an affectionate memoir and a history of the science and BBC programming behind the forecast.Peter explains how it came out, who collects all the information and what it's like to read this bulletin. Even though the information in the forecast is now readily available in many formats, The Shipping Forecast is something of a 'must listen' for fans gathered over the decades.For reasons not quite understood, it has become a much-loved part of the British cultural landscape with an avid following of listeners who find its poetry is the perfect cure for insomnia. This book is perfect for those fans.
In 2009, The Guardian said of Peter Jefferson's long career reading the Shipping Forecast: 'For this daily dose of the beautiful to work, nothing is more important than the god who administers it. None has been more perfect in the last few years than Peter Jefferson, the voice of perfect modulation, the near-equal of the incomparable Charlotte Green, neither thin nor fruity, effortlessly clear, understanding that the beauty of the moment depends on restraint and the absence of any hint of doubt.'
Author
About Peter Jefferson
Peter Jefferson began his career with the BBC in 1964, and spent most of his time as a radio announcer and newsreader. This is how he came upon the Shipping Forecast, which he was to present for over 40 years. He retired in 2009, but he went on to become a freelance voice, working for Radio 4 and also Eastenders, Panorama, My Family, The Bill, Quote/Unquote and more.
