Blue Peter

[Fiona1986]

Following on from a bit of a Blue Peter discussion elsewhere on the forums I thought I'd start a thread for the longest running children's programme in the world.

Did you watch Blue Peter? Who were your favourite presenters? Did you ever make or bake anything you saw on the show? What's your favourite moment from the show?

I watched for about ten year, from the mid 90s to the mid 00s.

I started out with John Leslie, Diane-Louise Jordan, Anthea Turner and Tim Vincent, and then through Stuart Miles, Katy Hill, Richard Bacon, Konnie Huq, Simon Thomas, Matt Baker and Liz Barker.

I loved John, Diane, Anthea and Tim together, and then Tim with Stuart and Katy was a particularly good group - I have very fond memories of watching those presenters together. I wasn't a huge fan of Richard, Liz Konnie, but I did like Simon Thomas and Matt Baker.

I made a few things from the show, the one I remember best was a tent for my Sindy dolls make out of a bin bag on some sort of frame. My mum made a wonderful "Sindy Bed-Sit" from a 60s BP annual - right down to the cut up cocktail sticks painted as pencils - for my sister.

My favourite moments would have to be when the baby elephant did its, erm, whoopsies on the studio floor then dragged John Noakes (I think) through the mess, when Tim Vincent accidentally went massively overboard with his glitter and made a right mess, and finally when Yvette Fielding (again I think it was her) tried to make a pancake and it looked more like a little blob of scrambled egg

Here's the wikipedia page for BP:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_peter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And their list of presenters and their dates for those with bad memories:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bl ... presenters" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And finally an interesting looking timeline of Blue Peter:
http://www.dipity.com/NationalMediaMuseum/Blue_Peter/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Yak]

I watched it when I was a kid, not sure what year I started but probably early eighties. The funny thing is that as a child I always found it really boring. The older I have got, the more interesting I have found it to be

[Chrissie777]

Hi Fiona,

Thank you for the new thread. Although I never was able to watch it in Germany, I'm very interested in it and will follow all posts.
Thanks for the 3 links !!!

[Anita Bensoussane]

A good topic. I used to watch Blue Peter between about 1976 and 1980 and the presenters I remember best are John Noakes, Peter Purves, Lesley Judd and Simon Groom. John Noakes was my favourite.

I particularly remember the death of Petra, John Noakes climbing Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, the appeal to raise money for Kampuchea/Cambodia and the theme tune being updated by Mike Oldfield.

The only thing I ever made from the programme was a bath for my Sindy doll, using a rectangular foil pie dish slotted inside a cardboard tissue box. The tissue box was supposed to be covered with sticky-backed plastic but I had no idea where to get that so I just left the box as it was since it was quite pretty anyway, being black with a design of yellow and purple flowers and green leaves.

When my children were younger I sometimes watched Blue Peter with them in the days of Konnie Huq, Matt Baker and Liz Barker. My children loved it when one of the dogs had a litter of puppies.

[Moonraker]

Blue Peter passed me by. Although starting in 1958 when I was seven, it never appealed to me. For a start, I didn't know what sticky-backed plastic was! I'm still not sure, some people think it is Sellotape, which it might well be.

Although still running, it has been moved from mainstream BBC1 and is now broadcast on the children's channel, CBBC. If you search in YouTube, there are several interesting clips of the show through the years.

[Nick]

Simon Groom, Peter Duncan and Sarah Green were the presenters that I grew up with. I don't recall being an avid viewer of the show but I did have a few Blue Peter Annuals as Christmas presents over the years.

[Francis]

I am afraid I fell hopelessly in love with Valerie Singleton - although
if I had met her I would have been too shy to even talk to her (like
most girls at the time!).

[Zar Quon]

For a start, I didn't know what sticky-backed plastic was! I'm still not sure, some people think it is Sellotape, which it might well be.

Clicky-back Plastic

As to where you could get it back in the day? Decent stationers maybe or bigger Woolies..

[Katharine]

The presenters that immediately spring to mind for me are John Noakes, Peter Purvis, Lesley Judd, Simon Groom and Peter Duncan. Pets:- Petra and Shep the dogs, and a tortoise. I remember John skydiving.

I don't remember any cooking, but I do remember the models. I was aware of what sticky back plastic was, but didn't use it as I think it was expensive. It was sort of like DIY veneer in a roll. My parents used some to cover my sister's highchair when the original covering split.

I made a room for my Pippa dolls, basically it was a cardboard box with one side cut off. I then covered the 3 inside 'walls' with off cuts of wallpaper (orange I think) and made a window. This was a Christmas card with and white paper window frame shape stuck on top of it. I think I also made a curtain pole out of an old candy floss stick. I still have the 'room' in somewhere in my loft. I think my brother made a bed for his Action Man.

I remember they did a feature on Anne Frank once, and I think there was an annual holiday they sent reports from.

I also remember them collecting stamps for various good causes, with the 'totaliser' keeping track of donations. There was Rags the pony, a guide dog or two, and some kind of accommodation for adults with special needs. They featured a gentleman called Joey Deacon who lived there.

Sadly my children don't seem to have shown much interest in Blue Peter. I suspect that with so many channels to choose from, videos, DVDs and various computerised games they have too many other things to choose from.

[Daisy]

For a start, I didn't know what sticky-backed plastic was! I'm still not sure, some people think it is Sellotape, which it might well be.

Clicky-back Plastic

As to where you could get it back in the day? Decent stationers maybe or bigger Woolies..

I remember it with the trade name 'contact'. We used it to line shelves and it was popular at one time to freshen up the kitchen units by covering doors with it. It wasn't easy to apply without getting a crease in it!

[Moonraker]

Yes, I remember that, Daisy. Unfortunately Zar Quon's link to "Clicky-black Plastic (sic?) doesn't seem to work.

[poddys]

I remember the days of Valerie Singleton too, sticky back plastic, making things out of the inside of toilet rolls etc.

The classic episode was one where they had a baby elephant on the program, and it pooped all across the set.

Those were the days... Never was very fond of Crackerjack though...

[Francis]

I only saw Crackerjack once at a friends house and didn't like it
as it seemed rather loud and rough. I had a very sheltered
middle class upbringing!

[Moonraker]

The classic episode was one where they had a baby elephant on the program, and it pooped all across the set

Is THIS the one?

[Chrissie777]

I only saw Crackerjack once at a friends house and didn't like it
as it seemed rather loud and rough. I had a very sheltered
middle class upbringing!

Me, too!