Jeremy Beadle

[PaulB]

I think part of the reason why Paul and Stewart are such behemoths in the field is precisely because they can disgree, even fervently disagree, without dragging the debate into a quagmire.

They manage to inspire and educate even with their hands around each other's metaphorical throats....

"Behemoth in the field..."

Behemoths eat grass like cattle (Job 40:15)

How dare you! What are you trying to say...

[pauldonnelley]

Preposterous nonsense

I never met Jeremy Beadle but from what I've read he seems to have been a thoroughly good egg. Nick Warren has suggested that he (Beadle) may have written the Maybrick Journal. I hope he did and I hope he's having a good laugh from the grave about it.

Best wishes,
Steve.

Why would you hope that Jeremy was a forger? I knew him for almost 30 years and we often discussed the case and he believed that the Maybrick Diary was genuine but not because he wrote it. Robert Smith published the diary in 1992. Do you really believe that in between filming Beadle's About, writing quizzes, doing charity work and buying books Jeremy managed to find the time to dig out a Victorian journal, remove the first 60-odd pages, find some contemporary ink, write a diary making sure he made one or two errors (Jeremy had rather distinctive handwriting) and keep it totally secret from everyone who knew him and then manage to give it to Michael Barrett, an unemployed former Liverpool scrap metal dealer, without him going to the newspapers, which would have been a much bigger story and given him a lot less hassle than he eventually received.

The idea that Jeremy wrote is as preposterous as the notion that Michael Barrett wrote it. Nick Warren's suggestion does him no credit at all and it's interesting that he waited until after Jeremy's death to make his claim.

[PaulB]

Why would you hope that Jeremy was a forger? I knew him for almost 30 years and we often discussed the case and he believed that the Maybrick Diary was genuine but not because he wrote it. Robert Smith published the diary in 1992. Do you really believe that in between filming Beadle's About, writing quizzes, doing charity work and buying books Jeremy managed to find the time to dig out a Victorian journal, remove the first 60-odd pages, find some contemporary ink, write a diary making sure he made one or two errors (Jeremy had rather distinctive handwriting) and keep it totally secret from everyone who knew him and then manage to give it to Michael Barrett, an unemployed former Liverpool scrap metal dealer, without him going to the newspapers, which would have been a much bigger story and given him a lot less hassle than he eventually received.

The idea that Jeremy wrote is as preposterous as the notion that Michael Barrett wrote it. Nick Warren's suggestion does him no credit at all and it's interesting that he waited until after Jeremy's death to make his claim.

Actually, Jeremy packed so much into his time that I'm sure he could have managed all that! Probably in a wet afternoon. The idea is preposterous though, as you say. I suspect he would have relished the idea though.
Paul

[pauldonnelley]

Actually, Jeremy packed so much into his time that I'm sure he could have managed all that! Probably in a wet afternoon. The idea is preposterous though, as you say. I suspect he would have relished the idea though.
Paul

The last conversation we had about JtR he asked who I thought had done it and I told him. He then said would I really want to know and wouldn't it spoil the fun? I said that yes I wanted to know and you can watch a skilful magician knowing how he does it and yet still appreciate the trick - the same with the identity of JtR.

[Steven Russell]

Why would you hope that Jeremy was a forger? I knew him for almost 30 years and we often discussed the case and he believed that the Maybrick Diary was genuine but not because he wrote it. Robert Smith published the diary in 1992. Do you really believe that in between filming Beadle's About, writing quizzes, doing charity work and buying books Jeremy managed to find the time to dig out a Victorian journal, remove the first 60-odd pages, find some contemporary ink, write a diary making sure he made one or two errors (Jeremy had rather distinctive handwriting) and keep it totally secret from everyone who knew him and then manage to give it to Michael Barrett, an unemployed former Liverpool scrap metal dealer, without him going to the newspapers, which would have been a much bigger story and given him a lot less hassle than he eventually received.

The idea that Jeremy wrote is as preposterous as the notion that Michael Barrett wrote it. Nick Warren's suggestion does him no credit at all and it's interesting that he waited until after Jeremy's death to make his claim.

I was not seriously suggesting that Mr. Beadle actually wrote the diary. If the flippant tone of my post offended you, I apologize. As I have said, I never met JB but I like to think he would have seen the funny side of being accused of writing the diary whether he did it or not.

Best wishes,
Steve.

[Marko]

Jeremy Beadle was left-handed as I recall...

[Bob Hinton]

Oh no!

Jeremy Beadle was left-handed as I recall...

Jeremy was not a time travelling Ripper before anyone suggests it!

[pauldonnelley]

I was not seriously suggesting that Mr. Beadle actually wrote the diary. If the flippant tone of my post offended you, I apologize. As I have said, I never met JB but I like to think he would have seen the funny side of being accused of writing the diary whether he did it or not.

Best wishes,
Steve.

I wasn't in the least bit offended so please don't worry about that. I just wanted to knock on the head for once and all the suggestion that Jeremy wrote Maybrick's diary. I know you weren't serious but some people have been...

[caz]

I like to think that Nick Warren isn't actually that thick, but just doesn't know how to be funny and has a disastrous sense of timing.

Pretty much the opposite of Jeremy in fact.

Love,

Caz
X

[pauldonnelley]

I like to think that Nick Warren isn't actually that thick, but just doesn't know how to be funny and has a disastrous sense of timing.

Pretty much the opposite of Jeremy in fact.

Love,

Caz
X

Yes, I would guess that he believed it would generate lots of publicity for him and the magazine. Bit of a misjudgement there...