Just William: A BBC Radio Collection: Classic readings from the BBC archive

Richmal Crompton

Dec 2017 · BBC Digital Audio · Narrated by Martin Jarvis

About this audiobook

A stunning collection of Just William stories, selected and read by Martin Jarvis

'There's nothing to touch them' - Independent on Sunday

Richmal Crompton's stories featuring irrepressible schoolboy William Brown have been firm favourites with both young and old for decades. Perpetually scruffy, mud-stained and mischievous, he is a lovable scamp whose pranks usually end in disaster - for his harassed elders at least.

With friends Ginger, Douglas and Henry (the Outlaws) and the angelic thorn-in-his-side, the lisping Violet Elizabeth Bott, William has rightly joined the literary, and radio, immortals.

Martin Jarvis, who has been hailed as 'the wizard of the talking book' (The Daily Telegraph), has made the voice of William his own, and this collection of 54 laugh-out-loud stories will delight long-standing fans and first-time listeners alike.

Also included are two bonus interviews with Richmal Crompton, recorded in 1965 and 1968.

Musical Theme: Won't You Be My Ginger? composed and performed by Richard Dworsky (piano) (c) 1995 Inner Vista Music (BMI)

The stories included in this collection are:

The Christmas Truce
Only Just in Time
The Midnight Adventure of Miss Montague
William and the Musician
William Leads a Better Life
William and the Twins
William's Birthday
William and the Little Girl
The Outlaws and Cousin Percy
William and the Princess Goldilocks
The Sweet Little Girl in White
A Birthday Treat
The Outlaws and the Triplets
A Bit of Blackmail
William Makes a Night of It
William and the Lost Tourist
The Leopard Hunter
The New Neighbour
William the Philanthropist
William and the Prize Cat
William Holds the Stage
William and the School Report
All the News
Aunt Arabelle in Charge
William's Goodbye Present
William the Salvage Collector
William's Day Off
Entertainment Provided
William and the Brains Trust
William and the Bomb
William Goes Shopping
Violet Elizabeth Runs Away
William and the Real Laurence
The Outlaws and the Hidden Treasure
William and the Fairy Daffodil
The Best Laid Plans
Mrs Bott's Hat
William Starts the Holidays
William Plays Santa Claus
William and the Snowman
Revenge is Sweet
William and the Black Cat
William and the Russian Prince
William's Busy Day
William - The Great Actor
William and the White Elephants
Finding a School for William
William Clears the Slums
Parrots for Ethel
William's Truthful Christmas
Boys will be Boys
William and the Ebony Hair-Brush
William and the Old Man in the Fog

Ratings and reviews

Totally great, especially for listening to in the car or at bedtime.

Fab! I recommend this to EVERYONE!!!!😍😍👍👍👍👍👍

Love just willam

About the author

Richmal Crompton was born in Bury, Lancashire, in 1890. She was educated at St. Elphin's School and studied Classics at Royal Holloway College before becoming a schoolmistress. However, her teaching career was cut short by an attack of polio in 1923, which confined her to a wheelchair. She became a full-time author, and wrote over 40 books for adults, but she is best known for her hugely popular Just William books. William first appeared in 1919 in a short story for Home Magazine. The first collection featuring him was published in 1922, and he went on to star in 38 further books (the final one, William the Lawless, was published posthumously in 1970). They have sold over 12 million copies in the UK alone, been translated into nine languages and remain enduringly popular today.