WHAT IS BLUE PETER?? | First time watching CLASSIC Blue Peter

[@susananderson7504]

You really can't get Blue Peter by watching disjointed clips. You need to watch a few full episodes to understand what it was. It was news it was fun bits it had pets because not all children were allowed pets at home. The viewers named them. They had things to watch. Things to do and bits of education. They didn't dumb down for kids like kids shows do nowadays

[@MiscellanyTop]

Yes.

[@brianwhittington5086]

Back in the day there was no diversity, inclusion, Health and Safety enforcement. They were all down to common sense, and you were told to get an adult to help with using sharp tools and lighting candles, etc. They would not show half the stuff today, that were normal, regular show subjects from the 60s - 90s.

[@Paulfroe]

and there was always a campaign to raise money for a good cause by sending in odd items, like milk tops or something

[@robertrhead570]

John Noakes was an absoulute hero. Evrything you thought Blue Peter could be it absolutely WAS. Art, crafting, education, fun, music, charity appeals, pets, it had it all.

[@stevenclarke5606]

He took on so many dangerous challenges!

[@mikecollins8936]

Was it John Noakes who took a shower on set in the 1976 drought?

[@avaggdu1]

Don't forget the Blue Peter garden (with Percy Thrower)! The outrage when it was vandalised!

[@commiebastard3633]

Quintessentially middle class, but unlike say Wimbledon, I liked it.

[@peterjackson4763]

A nightmare for anyone involved in health and safety

[@0utcastAussie]

If you think that Bosons chair is scary then DON'T watch the legend that is Fred Dibnah.

[@boriscj]

I'd love to see a Fred Dibnah reaction!

[@CaffeineKing]

@@boriscjAgreed. Or John Noakes (legend!!) going up Nelson’s column.

[@tazz1669]

Watching that back, you can tell health and safety wasn't a thing back then, the presenters have it really easy now. Agree Fred Dibnah was a whole different class, fearless

[@Forest_Fifer]

​@@boriscj"did you like that?"

[@avaggdu1]

Note no safety harness was used! One of the criteria of being a Blue Peter presenter was to do anything you were told to do, no questions asked, with a smile on your face!

[@andy2950]

3 iconic moments. Johnnie Noakes at the top of Nelson's Column. The baby elephant pissing on the floor and the keeper falling over. Leslie Judd zip-wire from tower bridge and her safety harness coming loose. Blue Peter pets are vital. The kids get to name them.

[@foreverhungry84]

wasn't the tortoise called george and every autumn they banged him in a cardboard box full of shredded newspaper?

[@gruunt4064]

the most iconic moment was the blue peter garden vandalism, it was on par with the Queen's death

[@foreverhungry84]

@@gruunt4064 ohh man i remember that episode. savages they are.

[@cerneuffington2656]

Lulu the elephant also took a dump on the studio floor 🙂

[@andy2950]

@@cerneuffington2656 I was trying to be delicate. 🤫

[@chromebluewing]

I grew up with BP. The reason they had animals and gardens is because kids in inner cities didn’t have pets or gardens. It was a way to get them involved as they could name the pets and see them grow up in real time. They also treated kids as young adults with informative content, and not as a someone who could be plonked in front of the TV to be kept quiet by banal nonsense.

[@t.a.k.palfrey3882]

My prep school dorm mates and I won a Blue Peter badge during the first year they were awarded in 1963. The four of us got one for a suggestion on programme content, for attending the show, and for raising money for charity by running a school concert. 52 yrs later, three of us wore our badges when we met at the funeral of the fourth of our group. My oldest grandson now has mine. 😅

[@TheEulerID]

It was more of a children's magazine show than a news show. During my childhood it was produced and edited by the formidable Biddy Baxter, with the classic trio of presenters, Peter Purves, Valerie Singleton and John Noakes. Besides those sort of mini-documentaries, there were such things as performances in the studio, charity fund raising, updates on the show's pet animals (mainly the various dogs) and some arts/crafts type projects ("here's one I made earlier"). It took itself seriously, and some might say far too much so. Slightly later in that era is was challenged by the rather more racy Magpie on ITV, which featured Jenny Hanley and Susan Stranks, who were rather more appealing to young teenage boys than the rather staid Valerie. If you want to see a few hair-raising stunts, then look for the clip of John Noakes in 1977 climbing Nelson's Column whilst it was undergoing maintenance. He did it without any safety gear, save his flared jeans, clambering up ladders lashed to the column, with an overhang to negotiate at the end. When Konnie Huq (married to Charlie Brooker - damn him) repeated it about 35 years later, it was full scaffolding, safety gear, the lot. There was, later, a true news programme for children, and that was John Craven's News Round. Blue Peter is not a shadow of the institution it once was, but it remains the longest running children's TV programme in the world.

[@RichDoes..]

Damn that Peter Purves for showing me a Sunseeker Preadtor 80 , at the Earls Court boat show in 1980.. ish! Still not bought one yet lol.

[@malcolmrowe9003]

Magazine show is the phrase I was thinking of too..

[@catherinerobilliard7662]

Peter Perves was a master of the double-entendre which thankfully went over children’s heads

[@joannecunliffe8067]

@@catherinerobilliard7662 Not mine! I remember laughing at something he said and Mum giving me a stormy look (aka "You shouldn't have understood that!"). Hey, kids listen and understand a lot more than adults think (mine certainly did!). I loved Magpie too.

[@MiscellanyTop]

@@catherinerobilliard7662 And (later) so was Simon Groom (Remember his "knockers" comment?)

[@daviddogsbody]

My favourite was Valerie Singleton visiting a newly discovered Roman sewer in York. While crawling through the tunnel she looked at her dirty hands and said. “ It very muddy down here.” Her guide replies “That’s not mud”. The look on her face was priceless

[@piers995]

Blue Peter's success was down to the producers and presenters treating children as inteligent youngsters and crediting them with sufficient intelligence to appreciate the information being presented in an adult way. It respected children and did not feel the need to dumb down or simplify the information. It was a wonderful program that nowadays might tax the intelect of some adults lol but was lapped by youngsters in the 70s and 80s. John Noakes was an absolute star and legend!

[@Dan_moon_sun]

……and I enjoyed ‘ Go with Noakes’

[@kiino001]

Agreed; back in the 70s it was ok to challenge and scare children rather than wrap them in cotton wool. Some of the drama in the between school and the news slot was pretty strong given that children of all ages would be watching unsupervised; Children Of The Stones, The Changes, Escape Into Night etc. were all pretty scary given the time they were on with the last being described as a 'pants filler'. Let's not even think about the public information films of that era written to terrify children so they wouldn't play near water (The Spirit Of Dark And Lonely Water anyone?), railway lines and so on.

[@timbounds7190]

I think you are totally correct there!

[@williambailey344]

Animals are part of this well known children's TV programme 😊

[@MarkARhodie]

Spot on, I saw a clip of Newsround recently and it's been totally dumb down, John Craven would be rolling in his grave (if he was dead)

[@jackthelad612]

The nautical theme of the logo matched the show's title. For “Blue Peter” is actually the name of a simple naval signal flag, flown by ships as they prepare to leave port. The programme showed children the real world.

[@ThisWontEndWell]

The dogs and cats were sort of kept for viewers who didn't have any and the viewership even went through losing them when they retired... The show prepared you for life it cut no punches about the world covering the 80s famines in Africa and raising money they covered just about everything adults would see in a child-appropriate way.

[@MiscellanyTop]

Well put.

[@ruthfoley2580]

The Blue Peter pets were part of the programme because some of the children watching weren't allowed family pets so they made up for it by having animals involved. They showed things like vets visits, bathing, dog training etc. They even had a few puppies from one of the dogs go on to train as guide dogs.

[@riculfriculfson7243]

I do, actually, have to remember my medication, and Blue Peter was like this all the time. It was always informative and concentrated on interacting with children as if they could understand the real world. This was the reason I always tried to hold onto egg boxes and was always asking for 'sticky-back plastic'.

[@kayfountain6261]

'Heres one i made earlier...' is a catchphrase that every British adult knows

[@gunamerstravels]

...and sticky back plastic

[@dave20thmay]

Do you want a Blue Peter badge?

[@lynnhamps7052]

Definitely a children's show...a magazine type show full of interesting facts, daring feats, crafts etc...they had their pets and a garden and regular features...I was 14 in 1974 and loved it...they didn't treat us like kids and we learnt so much, many things I still remember to this day..😊👍🇬🇧

[@stuartanderson3479]

I am old enough to remember Black and White Blue Peter with John Noakes and Shep. Halcyon Days.

[@marksmithwas12]

You need to do a part 2 😮 the biggest part of watching the show as a kid, was seeing kids on the show earn 'Blue Peter badges', and wishing you could one day get one yourself

[@redf7209]

It inspired kids to get involved in a bigger world

[@robertdewar1752]

The presenters of Blue Peter were spirited and didn't shy away from tackling challenging topics. The mainly young audience were encouraged to approach life with the same spirit of adventure. It was a great show.

[@golach420]

78-89 was written and performed by musician, Mike Oldfield, of Tubular Bells fame. It had crafts and adventures. They would have an annual overseas trip. A big thing i remember was supporting the relatively new country of Kampuchea, as it was then. They did cover a sanitised history of the atrocities in Cambodia.

[@andrewguthrie2]

This was a general magazine type show with very varied items, as you can see. The man doing the motorbike racing was John Noakes who was famous for doing most of what looked like very dangerous activities. They also did some crafts, usually making things out of old stuff from around the house, stuck together with "sticky-backed plastic". They always had pets around the studio, notably Petra, Patch and then Shep the dogs, at least one cat, and even a tortoise. There was also a Blue Peter baby, Daniel I think, who must be nearly 60 now, who they followed from birth. Then there were the Christmas appeals, you sent in old foil milk bottle tops, used stamps or other rubbish, and they converted to cash to donate to famine relief and similar charities.

[@charlestaylor9424]

The first man to show his arse on children's TV by showing the scar from when he fell off the bobsleigh.

[@andy2950]

"Get down, Shep!!"

[@auldfouter8661]

Didn't poor John get dementia?

[@geoffpoole483]

@@auldfouter8661 Yes, he did.

[@duncansargent]

I remember rushing home in the evenings in the 70s and early 80s to watch this. It was almost mandatory viewing for kids. The animals were great and if they were ill or died it was not sugar coated but told how it was. They also showed segments of various topical things and also things that they just thought children would be interested in, like the bit on the how to maintain a football pitch and cleaning Big Ben etc. They did do things that were of the moment, I don't recall that sidecar racing episode but it is typical and they would have had things like motorcycle racing during the TT Races, or Motorsports during British Grand Prix etc. It was the best programme for children showing all sorts of things you would not see anywhere else.

[@stephwaite]

Hi, I was seven when the first episode of Blue Peter went on air in 1958(yes I really am that old) I loved it. As I got older I sort of drifted away from TV but I still watched BP ,this time with my brothers who were born 1957,1959 and 1961 . I didn't see as many shows once I left school and was working, but then I got married and had two children who also loved BP and now I watch it with my two eldest grandchildren and I'm hoping the younger two will love it when they are old enough to watch with me.

[@stinajones9847]

As an American, I was fully immersed in this journey of discovery to what exactly is Blue Peter. Fun video!! 😂

[@paulguise698]

Hiya Tina, I used to watch Blue Peter, but I got fed up with it

[@karenblackadder1183]

You must watch Blue Peter 60s-70s John Noakes was typical tough Yorkshire lad, willing to take on anything

[@willt1984]

As a kid the dream Blue Peter build was Tracy island from the Thunder birds (maybe showing my age), its a classic, you must do it!!

[@daylightdies7194]

Yep I was 8 then and remember that one 😊

[@daijay9084]

The BBC was created to inform, educate and entertain. Blue Peter achieved all three. It never talked down to children but it wasn't afraid to tackle some hard subjects such as disability or poverty. Many young guests on the show went on to achieve greatness in whatever they were demonstrating, such as junior gymnast's or athlete's. The iconic 'Blue Peter badge' was seen in a similar vein to being awarded an OBE or MBE to the young viewers. John Noakes was a legend in his own lifetime doing bobsleigh runs, climbing to ridiculous heights with very little safety gear and all the time, as he found out later, with no insurance. Others followed in his footsteps but no one matched him. To a southerner his northern accent was a marvel to hear on the BBC at that time. I agree about the Fred Dibnah comment too!

[@0utcastAussie]

Well I'm 62 and we emigrated to Western Australia in 74 so for me Blue Peter is John Noakes, Peter Purvis, Valerie Singleton another woman, I can't remember her name and Shep the dog. I think there was even a song called "𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙎𝙝𝙚𝙥" Eat Yer bone !!

[@nigelanscombe8658]

Possibly Lesley Judd

[@wenglishsal]

Well remembered, it was 'The Barron Knights', who sang 'Get down Shep' and it charted and they sang on 'Top of the Pops'... They also sang it on Blue Peter and Shep was hilarious, therefore Johnny Noakes was actually heard saying the immortal line.. "''Get down Shep.." more than once, during the performance.. What wonderful memories, and lovely meander down memory lane, my 'BluePeter' time was mid 60's to late 80's (with the arrival of my own children) :D

[@dryfesands1367]

That's a lovely dive into Blue Peter and a fun watch. Thank you. Two of the most touching things about the show are the pets and their policy on letters . . . The pets were introduced when the show was new in the late 50s and early 60s. The idea was to have a Blue Peter dog or cat for all the many children at the time who were living in an environment where they couldn't have a pet. Be it because of housing, or economic circumstances or even for health reasons. The result was that the animals on the show became deeply deeply loved by millions of kids. Dogs like Petra and Shep and Bonnie are linked with whole generations of kids. It was a very special idea. Early on it was decided that no kids who wrote to the show, back in the days of snail mail (and there were thousands who did) would ever receive a generic reply. The producers thought that would be upsetting for children. They made a real hoop to jump through because the personal nature of the replies meant kids would write back again and again and again. It became a massive operation running the BBC Blue Peter letters department. There's a lovely book called "Dear Blue Peter" which is a compendium of many of these letters. Some of them are just heart breaking, coming from kids who were having a rough time and needed help or just someone to talk to. It's a shattering read. It's a special show. I think most Brits have a very soft spot for it

[@StrongBalloonChris]

Just want to say thank you for helping lift my mental health by being a source of enjoyment :)

[@AdventuresAndNaps]

ahh thank you so much! ☺️

[@charlestaylor9424]

Could we get Alanna paid by the NHS?

[@bushchat28d]

This gave me the biggest smile Alanna, so thanks! Blue Peter was a show MILES ahead of its time since it presented wonderfully interesting topics to kids (I was one of them!) in adult speak. The phrase "here's one I made earlier" survives to this day and remains in everyday use - though probably not in the same context as originally. Brilliant!

[@wilmaknickersfit]

This absolutely brilliant walk down Memory Lane left me grinning my head off! 😂

[@susanashcroft2674]

As a child of the 70's who watched this back then, seeing your face and reaction is a picture as there were many more of these things the presenters did and as you can see Health and Safety would have had a field day. John Noakes (the guy on the sidecar) climbed Nelson's Column, did a free fall parachute jump from a plane, The Cresta Run in a bob sled. Meanwhile Lesley Judd dangled on a zip wire from Tower Bridge to name a few. Exciting and mad times hey.

[@kentthompson3836]

Blue Peter was an important part of my childhood, and I'm 61 now! The title of the book 'Here's one I made earlier' became a well known phrase, If you said that phrase to any British person they'd know you were talking about Blue Peter🙂

[@dprid]

Go and find John Noakes cleaning Nelson's Column, and how he had to climb to the top! John Noakes is the one many remember because he used to do all sorts of daredevil stuff - the cresta run and skydiving were probably the most famous (he held the civilian freefall record for many years). And don't forget 'Get Down Shep' and Lulu the elephant ;)

[@andrewpinks4925]

I used to watch Blue Peter religiously twice a week (Monday and Thursday) 5 to 5 until about half 5 (mid 60s until 1976). Remember, the quality documentary style presentation VTs from all around UK and abroad, together with live segments in the studio which might be craft ideas and cooking etc. There were also guest interviews. Although it was a programme for children (during the post school until early evening news slot) it was equal in quality and detail to any adult magazine show (and probably superior to a lot of magazine shows today). I started work in 1976 so wasn’t at home in time to continue watching but would still tune in whenever I was at home in the time slot.

[@arthurjamesforbes6883]

Blue Peter occupied the time-slot that is now covered by the ‘Pointless’ quiz show. It was eventually moved to the dedicated CBBC children’s channel.

[@rockape1954]

Blue Peter is like a magazine program aimed at kids! It's part adventure, part crafting and educational with general knowledge etc

[@Spiritof1955]

Yes, definitely a Children's Magazine Show. Staple viewing diet for kids over several generations.

[@user-xz6qk9wf9j]

Blue Peter was wild inn the 70's and into the 80's

[@iancomputerscomputerrepair8944]

John Noakes, who you saw on the sidecar racing segment, went up Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square to clean it. Years later he found out that the BBC had not bothered with Insurance!

[@Theinternalrewrite]

A magazine show. Topical stories, places to visit, a recipe, a crafting section, maybe a pop song, human interest segments, animals, the Blue Peter garden, a letters section, a competition, etc.

[@dprid]

The news shows for kids was called Newsround, originally presented by John Craven (who you see now on Country File).

[@hannahrigby2434]

Matt Baker also did Country File!

[@fintytin5771]

I seem to remember they did a poll of iconic Blue Peter moments and Lulu the elephant won by a mile 😆

[@Elwaves2925]

Fun fact: The second theme you listened to was a remix done by Mike Oldfield, he of Tubular Bells fame. Blue Peter was an iconic show for kids my age in the 70's and 80's. Pretty much every kid watched it and the presenters were household names, especially John Noakes with Shep The Dog. The golden retriever you saw was called Goldie and they even dealt with it's death in the show. They treated kids as proper people in this show. I recommend you check out Grange Hill from that time too. It was a kid's school drama that is most known outside the UK for it's Just Say No anti-drugs campaign. They covered some really dark and serious subjects.

[@africangraham]

I was 1 year old when Blue Peter started and it was the best education that I received as a child. 300% better than school and what I learnt from Blue Peter, stayed with me until now. It was education for kids made fun and exciting. I thank Blue Peter for what it gave me almost every day.

[@timglennon6814]

John Noakes was on the bike and climbing the tower. With Blue Peter you have to watch full episodes to get the full jest of it.

[@jameshumphreys9715]

It is a magazine programme; challenges, arts and craft, appeals, band singing, an act like gymnastics, gabby logan appear on it.

[@eze8970]

Thanks Alanna, that revived some memories! Everyone in the UK would have seen it at some time. H&Safety not so important back then, & we didn't all own pet lions! 🙏🙏

[@georgio101]

Yes, we were quite poor so had to make do with a leopard.

[@eze8970]

@@georgio101😂😂 I was saving up for a Tiger, but couldn't save up enough before WWF stepped in 😒😒

[@richardscales9560]

John Noakes falling out of the bobsleigh, another great memory

[@kiino001]

Blue Peter is one of those shows which people use to identify their era as in 'my presenters were .... when I was watching it as a child' similar to who was 'your Doctor' in Doctor Who but without the gap. In the early years it was very typically BBC being very proper, educational and middle class. ITV had its own version Magpie which was never as successful. If you want to see the difference between the 'strait laced' BBC compared to ITV from that era, as well as what children were watching, then check out Multi Coloured Swap Shop from the BBC and TISWAS from ITV, technically ATV as ITV was still regional back then, which illustrates the different attitudes from that time. These were head to head rivals for Saturday morning kids viewing, although a lot of dads watched TISWAS, can't think why /cough Sally James /cough

[@davidcollins9335]

A Blue Peter is a........Flag, it was used to indicate that a ship was about to leave port so the crew could get back to the ship, shine on our little Canadian friend 💎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✌️

[@awall1701]

Yep I felt nauseous too when Reg went over the edge to get onto that seat.

[@georgeharold6197]

Does anybody else remember sticky back plastic?

[@alysonhopkins2037]

The only way to make things stick. Loved it 😀

[@vallejomach6721]

NO! I used to watch Blue Peter all the time and to this day, as long as my ass has had a hole in it...I have NEVER seen sticky back plastic, ever. I always assumed it was something rich people had or maybe could only get in London. Certainly none of it anywhere near me.

[@norabradley9108]

Fablon was a popular brand of sticky backed plastic then.

[@alysonhopkins2037]

@@vallejomach6721 It was called the "sbp" as the BBC could not advertise "Fablon" or "Sellotape". Heaven knows what you were watching and when. Perhaps you saw it in the later editions, not when the programme first started. Do your research first!

[@highpath4776]

@@alysonhopkins2037 Generally too shiny, so I think i used wallpaper to make mum a sewing "box" out of a cutlery tray

[@midnightwind8067]

We lived outside in the 70s. No video games. Made us stronger and more tactile. We knew more about the physical play world and knew about what we could get away with. Sure we got hurt sometimes. But we learned about things that way and the strong survived. And not all of us need meds. No ac in school and no lithium either. Lol.

[@alanmon2690]

And no allergies...

[@nigelanscombe8658]

We used to have lithium in our school back in the late 1970s. There was a small lump of it kept, under oil, in a glass jar of the chemistry lab. 😁 When the time came the chemistry teacher would remove the lump from the jar and cut of a small piece with a scalpel which would subsequently end up reacting in a large bowl of water behind a Perspex screen.

[@goggler2]

I just remembered they brought baby lions into our school when we were about 10. Just had them running around meeting us in assembly.

[@norabradley9108]

😂 🤣

[@xKynOx]

Newsround was the kids news show it was on at 5pm.

[@MiscellanyTop]

This is the best children's television programme I ever saw as a child. As some other commentators have said, it was a magazine programme, offering a multitude of different "experiences" and activities for children to be exposed to. The classic era, for me, was in the late 1960s/Early 70s with, yes, The classic team: John, Pete and Val - though I do remember when it was only Val and Chris Trace. I am sad to see its viewing figures diminishing today but I think that is due to the multitude of channels and alternative activities- which is, perhaps a good thing. Anyway, I learned much from Blue Peter over the years and am still grateful to it. RIP John Noakes, Biddy Baxter (Editor) and so many BP Pets, especially Petra and Shep and Goldie.

[@Alan_Mac]

Blue Peter was everything you described it as being: Arts, crafts, news, documentaries and more. What's confusing you is that in its heyday children's TV did not patronise children but spoke to them normally.

[@pj_naylor]

John Noakes is a legend. Thanks for the reminder to take my meds.

[@radfoo]

The Tracy Island build was mental. Nearer Christmas you should do the advent coat hanger thingy, I wonder if they still do that?!

[@tightropewalkergirl6485]

Not since they discovered tinsel was flammable!

[@royaleunicorn.]

They now do it with LED candles

[@richardhathaway2901]

I think the most significant feature of Blue Peter was the fact that it DIDN'T talk down to the kids! It dealt with lots of different subjects, often requiring the presenters to be particularly intrepid and daring. One occasion springs to mind when presenter Janet Ellis jumped out of a plane at 30,000 feet to perform a skydive for the first time, She later became pregnant (they didn't say how that happened) and consented for the viewers to tag along with her as she visited clinics and had ultrasound scans etc. She eventually gave birth and the whole country lived through the expectant father experience! Incidentally, the child was named Sophie - you may have heard of her - Sophie Ellis-Bexter? I think the most famous craft project was the building of Tracy Island (from Thunderbirds) out of egg boxes, washing up liquid bottles and "sticky backed plastic" (which was Selotape really but they were not allowed to advertise). To encourage kids to "get out there and do stuff" they issued a Blue Peter Badge to people who had made a significant achievement in life. Many people still wear them with pride and you can often see them on the lapel of celebrities including sportsmen and women, politicians, charity workers and even royalty. The ultimate accolade was to be awarded a golden one. I think King Charles has one of those. A spin off from Blue Peter was a programme called Newsround which was a short news bulletin aimed at children and presented by John Noakes (who still presents on Countryfile.

[@AnneDowson-vp8lg]

No, that's not John Noakes presenting Newsround and Country File, it's John Craven.

[@robintyson591]

Leaning dangerously out of a sidecar, dangling off Big Ben on a little piece of wood, taking a lion shopping ... Oh I miss Blue Peter! Getting children into trouble since the 1950's. Probably wouldn't be allowed today!

[@davidheaver2854]

Blue Peter has formed the sound track to so many children's lives. I relate most the classic Valerie Singleton, John Noakes, Peter Purves era. Blue Peter always had dogs and their lives were tracked by many children. There were the Blue Peter gardens and many of the deeply loved pets ended up. being buried there. The show often had appeals which children helped out. It supported many causes around the world. You could win the converted Blue Peter badges. It covered all sorts of topics and exposed children to all sorts of experiences, including overseas trips. This is the time when many children will not have travelled abroad. As such it was/ is the foundational part of so many children's lives.

[@helenroberts1107]

The ‘elephant’ clip with John Noakes is funny. Blue Peter did a bit of alsorts. They did crafts, had adventures, interviewed people. Lots of stuff. It was a British Classic. Tracy Island from the Thunder Birds was famous

[@sarabazlinton9820]

I think it’s best described as a kids magazine show. All sorts of different things were covered, the presenters used to get sent off to experience different stuff (like the motorbike/sidecar segment) for our entertainment. They also had guests in the studio, arts and crafts, and every year a Christmas charity appeal. Child guests would come in too, doing all kinds of performances or shows or were invited along to celebrate acts of bravery for example. It’s easier to say what Blue Peter didn’t cover, rather than what it did. I was a child in the 70’s (born in 1965) and I absolutely loved Blue Peter!

[@philiplindley7384]

I was a sidecar passenger in my teens and early twenties. It was amazing. As others have said, kids were treated as adults in the making in those days, not mollycoddled or kept infantile, as they are nowadays. Which explains much, as far as modern society is concerned.

[@dandare6623]

The best episode about British culture for children. I grew up with Blue Peter and it was ahead of its time highlighting environmental concerns, encouraging kids to raise money for good causes and so much more. I really enjoyed your reactions Alanna 😄

[@mikebate8940]

Bleep and Booster anybody? Very early days of BP. The annual BP summer expedition to exotic parts was always a highlight.

[@johnp8131]

I was distraught if I msised an episode of Bleep and Booster , obviously no recordings or repeats back then.

[@paulharrison8379]

The modern show that most resembles Blue Peter is Adventures and Naps. It features low stress news items for Children and also features lots of craft work and cooking. Each Year the presenters went on a foreign holiday. I particularly remember 1972 when they visited the Island of Tonga. It was the way that British Children like myself learned everything we now know about the World. The dangerous activities were introduced by fearless John Noakes. He had a dog called Shep which you saw running around the cushions. John Noakes's catch phrase was "Get down Shep". There were other shows on the ITV that resembled Blue Peter, Magpie and How. Magpie and How differed from Blue Peter in that their presenters were clearly Hippies.

[@mickyfinn1948]

That brought back so many memories, Alana. Blue Peter is such a quintessentially British show enjoyed by generations of kids, and their parents. Incidently, you wou,d make a great presenter on the show yourself, Alana - I'd watch, anyway! Lol 1😄👍

[@anny1_232]

You’re right! Alanna would make a perfect Blue Peter presenter. She has just the right vibe!

[@MartinCook-kg1vn]

Yes she would. Though I can’t see her climbing out from Big Ben

[@dabe1971]

In terms of the original premise when devised it was as a magazine show for kids showing them things that they didn't know happened or we couldn't see. This was a period when kids who had no internet, in many cases little disposable cash as a family and perhaps not even a family car so didn't visit places often. The show had regular animals as they were seen as being the pets that the kids watching at home were unable to have through circumstances or affordability. In it's heyday there were "makes" where the show would attempt to make popular toys of the day from essentially household rubbish for those kids whose parents couldn't afford them - the most famous being Tracy Island from Thunderbirds. And yes, the presenters were often thrown in at the deep end on certain films such as Peter climbing Big Ben, Janet Ellis skydiving and most famously John Noakes climbing Nelsons Column without safety equipment - or life Insurance. They also raised millions for good causes with their annual Appeal where kids were encouraged to collect certain items like milk bottle tops or hold bring and buy sales. Plus there was the chance that your letter or competition entry might win you the precious Blue Peter badge which as well as street cred could get you free entry to many UK attractions if you wore it.

[@HootMaRoot]

Bluepeter was aimed at children aged 10 to 15. It had everything from arts and crafts, nature/culture, hobbies segments and also children's new programme after it finished

[@graememorrison333]

I'm sure i wasn't the only one to have experienced that bittersweet sense of loss around fourteen or fifteen years old, when i realised i was 'growing out' of BP and it no longer it had the pull that it previously did

[@EdwardThatch-ee7yx]

Hello Alanna, The lion might be the one that was bought in Harrods in 1969. Harrods use to sell exotic animals in store back then. John Rendall and Ace Bourke bought the lion cub and named him Christian. They raised him on London’s King’s Road, before returning him to the African wild. There is a documentary about this on KZbin. A fascinating watch. Enjoy. And Blue Peter is a children’s magazine show. 👍🏽

[@richt71]

Hey Alanna, Blue Peter was a magazine show for kids. They had cooking, animals, challenges, explaining stuff, making stuff and summer holidays to far off places. It was for 8-15 year olds. Btw..no tablets required you cheeky young lady!

[@simonturner138]

I watched Blue Peter in the 60's and 70's. You never EVER missed Blue Peter.

[@charlestaylor9424]

I always felt sorry for John Noakes. It was alvays Val your going to see the new stamps, Peter your going to see the dog's at Crufts, John you'll be free climbing Nelson's Column then hang-gliding off the top.

[@anitaherbert1037]

We all got home from school and watched Blue Peter and it was a bit of everything. Arts and crafts, documentary, challenges. We all wanted a blue Peter badge. TV talks down to kids now.

[@binkbonusgbr]

Sticky backed plastic anyone. Also, I take your Art Attack and raise you Take Hart and his sidekick, Morph! #

[@direnova6284]

It was a magazine for kids. It did everything you can think of. Very educational. I was a John Noakes era viewer and that man and the others who followed him were heroes to us kids.

[@stephenc7184]

Google Blue Peter and baby elephant, you can thank me later 😁

[@AbzScotland]

John Noakes is a legend. The baby elephant in the studio and the keeper falling over is CLASSIC entertainment as it was "LIVE in the studio".

[@Clayton-S.]

'Here's one I prepared earlier...' with some sticky backed plastic, I expect...😂Nice one Alanna. Your videos always raise a few smiles.😆👍

[@mark-nm4tc]

Blue Peter is legendary. It began in 1958 when children's TV was in its infancy, and its still going today. The 'Golden Era' was probably the 1970's with Peter Purves, Valerie Singleton & the legend that is John Noakes, sadly deceased now. He was the show's 'action guy' and once was involved in a bobsleigh crash which was actually broadcast. By the way, the 1979-89 theme tune version is by the musician Mike Oldfield.

[@terrystewart1973]

Think of it as a magazine show, with lots of different stuff. It had news items, gardening, craft things for kids to do at home, charity appeals, reports on things in the media, Blue Peter presenters doing dare-devil stuff. Blue Peter also came with a number of pets throughout its run; cats, dogs, rabbits, a tortoise, many of whom became very famous in the UK; Shep the dog particularly. Oh, and you missed out the classic Blue Peter appearance of Lulu the Elephant from 1969 😃

[@EmmaJones925]

When she pooed in thevstudio

[@terrystewart1973]

@@EmmaJones925 Spoilers 🙂

[@AnnMcKinlay-zp2ef]

The thing I remember making was the hanging advent candle holder made out of two metal coat hangers and a load of tinsel! Turned out quite well😂

[@geoffpoole483]

That was an enjoyable trip down memory lane and it was fascinating to see the reactions of a foreigner who until very recently had never heard of Blue Peter. The late John Noakes did some incredibly risky activities for the programme. He rode a bobsleigh down the Cresta Run and crashed; freefall parachute jump (he once held the world record for a civilian); motorcycle racing and a couple of very dangerous climbs. The first was at the HMS Ganges Royal Navy training centre in which he attempted to climb a ship's mast. The second was when he climbed Nelson's Column to clean Nelson's statue. He climbed up a series of ladders tied to the column and had no safety equipment. If you don't like heights your stomach will start doing origami. One of the programme's pets was a dog called Shep. John Noakes and Shep were inseparable and the Barron Knights recorded a song as a tribute. John Noakes had a falling out with the production team, partly because he discovered that when he was risking his life for children's entertainment he wasn't insured. There's a "what the hell were they thinking?" moment when the female presenters were modelling corsets and Peter Duncan came on and started taking photographs of them.

[@julianryll755]

BLUE PETER was a show for kids about every thing very informative .

[@davidv.8655]

Blue Peter is probably one of the most beloved programmes in British TV history . A magazine programme has to be THE best description . For a modern adult equivalent think of the one show but for kids . A recent presenter of thr one shoe ,Matt Baker , was on one of the blue Peter clips as he started his career there. it has been a tradition whereby some of the presenters would do extraordinary feats . Pushing themselves to the edge of what is possible. The guy that started that off was John Noakes . I remember him breaking the civilian record for the highest ever free fall parachute jump at the time. John was the guy in the side car. The pets were very much part of the whole kids centric show many of them becoming as famous as the presenters. For people of my generation 'Shep ' being just that. In fact when john noakes left the show shep went with him. I remember him coming on years later to let us know he had died. He was in bits himself.. Parents would love the show as well because you would learn all sorts while watching. Crafting , christmas fund raising. Pop culture . These were all segments of the show.

[@Calilasseia]

"Must watch" parts of Blue Peter include John Noakes' 25,000 foot free fall parachute jump (he held the civilian free fall record for many years), his climbing the ship's mast at HMS Ganges, and his bobsleigh crash

[@waldorfstatler3129]

Blue Peter had everything: art, model making, DIY, education, adventure trips, pets, zoo trips, sports, museum trips etc. We also had purely arts and crafts shows for children and teens titled Vision On and the later Take Hart. Check out the clip with John Noakes climbing Nelson's column. Yup! There were always the resident cats and dogs. I remember the dogs Petra and Shepp.

[@geoffbeattie3160]

John noakes,Val singleton and Peter purvis were legendary presenters of this show that kids grew up with in UK for years!! Everyone knew who they were!!!!

[@Cdr_Mansfield_Cumming]

Alanna, as someone who watch BP in the 70’s & part 80’s, I was glad to have taken my medication. The accent is RP English, and the programme was a magazine aimed at kids. The presenter in the Sidecar clip was John Noakes. He was the resident nutter who did every scary and dangerous event. When you saw John do something, you would be given details of where you too could do (some) of them. Look up Noakes on HMS Ganges, Royal Navy mast climbing. Cleaning Nelson’s Column, Climbing Old John and Sky Diving with the RAF. There are many examples where he did so many dangerous tasks, I'm surprised he never got killed. His dog was a Border Collie called Shep. They had a dog that was with a presenter as (their pet) and at least one cat. They also had a Tortoise and Cockatoo over the years too.

[@richardhunter7363]

Being born in 1963, BP was a major part of my childhood. It is a children's magazine programme. In the studio it would cover cookery and craft (my parents used to get pestered for washing up liquid bottles all the time), it would have sections on current affairs and sport (where the presenters tried out the subject - John Noakes crashing a bob-sleigh on the Cresta Run or holding the world record for the highest civilian freefall parachute jump); they had pets (dogs, cats and tortoises mainly) for kids to relate to who didn't have them at home, similarly they had gardening and farming sections for kids to learn about plants or where food comes from; in the run up to Christmas they would hold appeals to collect money for a charity (and it wasn't asking for money directly - they left that to Magpie on ITV - you were asked to send in old shoes, or stamps or some other thing that could raise money), and then each summer they would go on an expedition so kids could experience the world that they were unlikely to see in person. The studio sections are live TV and therefore had various incidents where things go wrong. But as a kid, you could live your life vicariously through these twice a week, 30 minute shows. And if you did something unusual or noteworthy, you could write to the show and be rewarded with a BP badge or even get invited to the studio. Keep on making the show BBC

[@maxmoore9955]

Im 62 so obviously i don't watch children's TV channels but I was Flicking one day. And Found BLUE PETER ON A BBC CHILDREN'S Channel the precentors seemed to have the same enthusiasm. I came away so happy.

[@KevinNapper1]

Thanks for the memories. As a kid Blue Peter was my favourite TV programme and I think it was the favourite of many others too.

[@mikepxg6406]

I was Born in 1961, Yes im taking my medication. Thank you for reminding me 👍 I grew up watching Blue Peter it was on TV after school on weekdays.

[@norman200]

I watched blue Peter in the golden age of it in the 60s and 70s it was a magazine Show with all sorts of educational parts. One of the best kids show ever

[@DavidJCane]

As someone who was around in the 1970s watching John Noakes, Valerie Singleton, Peter Purves and Leslie Judd, the programme covered everything that could be of interest to kids of all ages. Outside broadcasts of John doing mad and often risky stuff - climbing Nelson's column, parachuting with the Red Devils, going bobsleighing (and crashing), climbing the rigging on HMS Ganges, doing the Cresta run. Studio segments of them meeting Pipe Bands, elephants, groups of school kids, the craft segment where they would do art and make things out of household leftovers (toilet rolls, cereal boxes, washing-up liquid bottles and sticky backed plastic) there was always a "here's one I made earlier" in case time was short or it went wrong. There was the gardening segment with Percy Thrower in the Blue Peter garden showing the others how to plant flowers. There were always animals on the show - dogs (Petra, Shep, Goldie) and cats and the tortoise.

[@xneurianx]

Blue Peter was essentially a magazine show for kids - they didn't do news but the did 'reports' on things, interviews with interesting people (not always celebrities - often just members of the public with an interesting story) and they had a regular crafts section where they built things. They had assorted pets through the years, and the Blue Peter garden. A new pet was slways as much of a big deal as a new presenter. They also are famous for the Blue Peter badge. If you wrote in about something you'd done, you could get a badge. There were fancier badges for soecial things as well, if you had done charity work and raised a lot of mpney or whatnot! They really promoted charity and community work.

[@charlestaylor9424]

There was a news programme for kids - Newsround.

[@vallejomach6721]

Animal Magic with Johnny Morris...another classic.

[@danielferguson3784]

Blue Peter was a Magazine programme, covering all sorts of things. The presenters often tried different things, which was quite adventurous. It was aimed at older school aged children, not infants. The show had a series of pets over the years, including dogs, cats 7 tortoises. The presenters only went up Big Ben tower with professional cleaners etc. It was never open to the general public. John Noakes climbed Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square on one show. They did many hazardous things over the years, but also more gentle stuff, like making models, Christmas decorations & the like.

[@yezdnil]

Blue Peter was and is a right of passage for British children. My presenters were Valerie Singleton, John Noakes, Christopher Trace (that really dates me!! 😊) and Peter Purvis. Fondly remembered.

[@petershelley1406]

I was on blue Peter in around 1967 with the Boys' Brigade

[@johnrhodez6829]

Biddy Baxter was the producer of this programme and it was she who set the style and pace of the production.

[@julia2jules]

I got a green blue Peter badge for sending in a drawing of a plan for a nature reserve at my school in 1988 Loved blue Peter. Can’t imagine sitting to watch it every episode now, with so much choice for entertainment now. Initially only 3 tv channels and there was a middle class/ working class split between childrens Tv shows on bbc and itv. You can see why health and safety regulations needed introducing since the 70s and 80s!