The Miracle of Peckham

"**The Miracle of Peckham**" is an episode of the BBC sitcom, *Only Fools and Horses*. It was the second episode of series 5, and was first broadcast on 7 September 1986. In the episode, Del witnesses a miracle at his local church, which creates a media frenzy.

## Synopsis

While Rodney worries about what a muscular man named Biffo is going to do to him after a drunken Rodney stole his trumpet, which Uncle Albert has subsequently thrown down the rubbish chute, Del Boy goes to church to seek forgiveness for some stolen goods he has recently purchased, though he doesn't say what they were. The parish priest, Father O'Keith, explains to Del how the local hospice is facing closure. Whilst there, the two are witnesses to a miracle: a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the altar appears to be weeping. Del instantly senses an opportunity to make money and save the hospice, and tells Rodney to alert the media. Within days, reporters and cameramen from all over the world are in Peckham to cover the story. Del presents himself as a modern day prophet, predicting when the statue will weep again.

A few weeks later, after several more miracles, enough money is raised to save the local hospice. It then suddenly dawns on Father O' Keith that the miracles always occur when it is raining. Upon inspecting the church's roof, he finds that all of the lead tiles are missing. Only then does it emerge that those lead tiles were the stolen goods Del had come to confess over, but he points out that the money raised from the resulting "miracle" did save the local hospice. Father O' Keith, much to Del's surprise, merely blesses him for doing it.

As they exit the church, Del and Rodney shake hands with the many reporters and cameramen, until Rodney finds out that he's shaking the hand of Biffo, who demands to know where his trumpet is. Rodney tries talking his way out of it, but then runs away with Biffo giving chase. Del senses an opportunity to make some money from this, and offers the nearby reporters and cameramen a chance to film some "genuine inner city violence".

## Featured characters

* Del Boy
* Rodney
* Uncle Albert
* Father O'Keith
* Biffo

## Other notes

### Episode concept

* The idea for the script goes all the way back five years earlier to "The Second Time Around", where Grandad told Rodney about how Del used to donate to the church roof fund.

### Miscellaneous trivia

* The scene where Rodney sprinkles Del's aftershave over Albert's kipper was done without telling Buster Merryfield. Thus, his reaction to the kipper's aftershave taste was genuine. Reportedly, Merryfield was initially irritated by this.

"Go West Young Man" ·
"Cash and Curry" ·
"The Second Time Around" ·
"A Slow Bus To Chingford" ·
"Ashes to Ashes" ·
"A Losing Streak" ·
"No Greater Love" ·
"The Yellow Peril" ·
"It Never Rains..." ·
"Healthy Competition" ·
"Friday the 14th" ·
"Yesterday Never Comes" ·
"May the Force Be with You" ·
"Wanted" ·
"Strained Relations ·
"Hole in One" ·
"It's Only Rock and Roll" ·
"Sleeping Dogs Lie" ·
"Watching the Girls Go By" ·
"**The Miracle of Peckham**" ·
"The Longest Night" ·
"Tea for Three" ·
"Video Nasty" ·
"Danger UXD" ·
"Chain Gang" ·
"The Unlucky Winner Is..." ·
"Sickness and Wealth" ·
"The Chance of a Lunchtime" ·
"Stage Fright" ·
"The Class of '62" ·
"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Uncle" ·
"Diamonds Are For Heather" (1982) ·
"Thicker than Water" (1983) ·
"Licensed to Drill" (1984) ·
"To Hull and Back" (1985) ·
"A Royal Flush" (1986) ·
"The Frog's Legacy" (1987) ·
"Dates" (1988) ·
"The Jolly Boys' Outing" (1989) ·
"Rodney Come Home" (1990) ·
"Miami Twice" (1991) ·
"Mother Nature's Son" (1992) ·
"Fatal Extraction" (1993) ·
"Heroes and Villains" (1996) ·
"Modern Men" (1996) ·
"Time On Our Hands" (1996) ·
"If They Could See Us Now" (2001) ·
"Strangers on the Shore" (2002) ·
"Sleepless in Peckham" (2003)
"Beckham in Peckham" (2014)