Never mind the annuals ...here's the inside stories

Dedicated collectors of the Blue Peter annuals like myself will have felt gutted last autumn when it was announced that there are to be no more BP books published in time for Christmas, ever again.

Of course, it isn't the first time that the continuity of the annuals has been broken, there was no book published in 1986, in 1990 and a five year gap between 1993 and 1997. During these gaps however there were other books published instead, for instance in 1990 The Blue Peter Green Book was published in partnership with Sainsburys.

The period between 1993 and 1997 saw the publication of:

1993  The Blue Peter Action Book  and Hello, 21st Century

1995  The Blue Peter Book of Things to Make


Even so, five years was a very long time to wait for the return of that most essential Christmas stocking filler and it seemed like the end of a long and sacred tradition. Five years without a tray on Boxing Day on which to carry your other presents upstairs to your bedroom!

So this latest announcement will not be too much of a shock for Blue Peter stalwarts like me. Been there, got the badge and all the annuals, as it were.

When I looked through the annuals on sale at Tesco and Sainsburys this year, I was incredulous to see Peppa Pig and One Direction both on the shelves alongside the more deserving diehards like The Beano, Viz, Private Eye and Dr Who. But I draw the line at Cheryl Cole, JLS and Queens Park Rangers and feel quite aghast that these fly-be-nights all have annuals whilst a classic like Blue Peter has been assigned to the  great bookshelf in the sky.

But no one can say that Blue Peter hasn't passed the test of time and proven its dissenters wrong on more than one occasion, so I for one will be keeping the faith and holding out for the return of 'the annual book' in some format once publishers start to realise that even the anorak market made up of collectors like me must surely to God represent a higher readership than Cheryl Cole and Queens Park Rangers stuck together?

In the meantime, I am pleased to say there has been no shortage of other BP books published in the past few years which kind of make up a little bit for the lack of the annuals. The programmes 50th anniversay year in 2008 saw the publication of books by former editors Biddy Baxter (Dear Blue Peter - The best letters sent to Blue Peter) and Richard Marson (Blue Peter 50th Anniversay - a personal account). The first of these is a lovely anthology of readers' letters which collectively and individually capture the spirit of Blue Peter and the relationship between programme makers, presenters and viewers.

The second of these books, Marson's anniversary book, is a rich and colourful history of the programme from its inception by the eccentric model train loving John Hunter Blair through to the new millennium and beyond. A book which both builds on and develops the 1989 history written by messrs. Baxter and Barnes (Blue Peter The Inside Story).

2009 saw the publication of the autobiography of Peter Purves, Here’s one I wrote earlier... and with so many well known presenters over the years, there must surely be scope for many more of these. There were noises a few years ago that Valerie Singleton was about to release her autobiography, though I don't think we have seen it yet - perhaps she was waiting to hear what Purves had to reveal first. In 2000 we had Fools Rush In the autobiography of Anthea Turner and in 2005 Gloria Hunniford published Next To You a powerful and moving biography of her daughter Caron Keating who died of cancer in 2004.


As if these books aren't sufficient, Richard Marson in particular has been prolific in terms of providing plenty of archival material for the Blue Peter junkie. His revised work Blue Peter Inside the Archives, second edition published in 2008, is a veritable feast of material to keep all of us occupied for the odd five years whilst they decide how to bring back the annual. Marson's chronicle covers the fifty year life span of the programme and provides a comprehensive guide to every show ever made.

 

To top these publications, 2012 has provided us with yet another revealing look at Blue Peter, this time by Alex Leger, ex-producer, director and cameraman in his book Blue Peter Behind The Badge - a truly delicious feast of untold stories from the nation's favourite children's programme. A beautiful and engaging book of very high quality. My signed copy will keep me happy for a good couple of years.

 

And so, a second Christmas has been and gone without a precious Blue Peter annual to lovingly explore. But all is by no means lost thanks to this fantastic recent output of Blue Peter literature. Long may it continue.

Children's programming comes to an end on BBC One

Children's television programmes will be broadcast on BBC One for the last time on Friday.

Shows including Blue Peter and Horrible Histories will now only go out on the CBBC digital channel.

The Cbeebies strand on BBC Two in the mornings will finish on 4 January, with pre-school programming then only available on the Cbeebies channel.

The changes are part of BBC-wide cost cutting but investment in children's programming will remain the same.

The final strand of CBBC on BBC One will go out on Friday afternoon, featuring a Blue Peter Christmas special and the CBeebies panto.

'Absolutely fundamental'

The decision to end children's programming on terrestrial channels was agreed by the BBC Trust in March, as the BBC looked ahead to the digital switchover.

Read the full article here

New book reveals how Gethin Jones nearly missed out on Blue Peter

He is the telly hunk who won Britain’s hearts on Strictly Come Dancing before getting his own broken by singer Katherine Jenkins.

But before Gethin Jones became a household name he was the try-anything action man on BBC kids show Blue Peter.

Now director Alex Leger has lifted the lid on life with the star in his book Blue Peter: Behind The Badge.

The Cardiff-born presenter joined the programme in 2005 – and took part in some death-defying stunts before leaving in 2008.

And when he left the programme, he made a short farewell speech in a crowded studio at Television Centre.

“His parting shot was that ‘Director Alex Leger wrote on the risk assessment for a shoot: ‘Gethin may die’, Alex said. “The assembled collection of BBC staff, freelancers and friends didn’t seem that surprised. Quite a few laughed out loud.”

Gethin was talking about the time he was filmed in a Royal Navy submarine escape training tank in Gosport.

The tank was a 30-metre column of water in which divers had to float to the surface breathing out.

Forgetting to exhale would mean certain death.

Read more: Wales Online

Blue Peter: Behind The Badge, by Alex Leger, is published by Lauren Productions, priced £20

How to get a Blue Peter badge on the official Blue Peter website

Find out how you can get a Blue Peter Badge at this lnk

Blue Peter - the Best and the Worst

Never work with children ...or elephants

View this gallery of photos from the best and worst of Blue Peter on Virgin's What To Watch website:

Blue Peter - The Best and the Worst

Celebrating 50 years of the most famous children's TV show in the world...

Janet Ellis talks viewers through the story of the virgin birth

 

Blue Peter Appeals

Honey the Guide Dog with Chris and Val

The first Blue Peter Appeal was in 1962 when the presenters asked children to donate toys for children otherwise get Christmas presents. Viewers were encouraged to aim for a total of ten sacks of toys but far surpassed this by donating literally hundreds of sacks.

The toy appeal was repeated in 1963, though in 1964 the appeal was for reclycleable silver paper and foil. Once again the Blue Peter audience went way over the target of three tons by donating 7.5 tons, enought to train two guide dogs, Honey and Cindy, with money over to maintain a brood bitch named Hannah.

The appeals of the 1960s and 1970s:

1962  Toys for children

1963  Toys for children

1964  Silver paper and foil for two Guide dogs

1965  Wool for a tractor for Africa

1966  Paperback books for four inshore lifeboats

1967  Used stamps for four houses converted to flats for eight homeless families

1968  Wool and cotton for three hospital trucks, six emergency doctor's cars and various other equipment and drugs to aid children in the Nigerian / Biafran civil war

1969  Scrap metal from old toy cars for four buses and other equipment for old people in the UK

1970  Spoons and forks for three eight berth caravans for holidays for poor children and an accessible log cabin for disabled children

1971  Woollen socks and cotton pillow cases for two dormitories for the Starehe Boys' Centre in Kenya

1972  Old watch straps, key-rings, thimbles and metal buttons for two old people's centres at Deptford and Wolverhampton 8 hot dinner vans and 100 holidays

1973  Used postage stamps for 400 oxen, 200 ploughs, 12 tons of seed and various farming equipment in the Danakil Desert

1974  Buttons, buckles and badges for 11 guide dogs, a new kennel block and various extensions at Guide dog training centres around the UK

1975  Old wool and cotton for 21 ponies, equipment for 300 indoor riding centres and 1 new indoor riding centre at Tyne and Wear

1976  Old stamps and postcards for medical accomodation, food, drugs and equipment for babies and children injured and made homeless by the civil war in Lebanon

1977  Old keys and toy cars for four Key-Note vans - mobile classrooms for deaf children living in remote country areas. Plus specialist equipment for deaf children in other areas of the UK.

1978  Postage stamps and pre-decimal coins for 1,000 Medi-Bikes and other medical aid for
health workers in Tanzania

1979  The Great Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale for 57 eight-ton lorries, fuel, rice, fetiliser, vaccine and other equipment for starving babies, children and adult survivors of Pol Pot's regime in Cambodia

1980  The Great Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale Appeal for the Disabled for six bungalows and other residences and services for disabled babies, children and adults.

1981  Postage stamps and pre-decimal and foriegn coins for Operation Pipeline which provided 150 Javanese villages with pre water systems and health care services.

1982  Treasure Hunt for Children and Babies suffering from kidney failure. Eight million parcels of treasure helped to equip a ward at Great Ormond Street Hospital as well as providing equipment for 20 other hospitals.

1983  A Great Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale raised £1,610,000 to provide aid for 21 of the world's poorest countries.

1984  Double LifeSaver Appeal - stamps, buttons and postcards helped to replace all four of the Blue Peter lifeboatsas well as buying water tanks and pumps for Ethiopea.

1985  Lend An Ear Appeal - Radio hearing aid equipment for children and babies through the donation of keys, coins and scrap metal. 

1986  Sight Saver Appeal - mobile eye units for Mozambique, Nigeria , Malawi and Tanzania bought through the Great Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale.

1987  The Rags Appeal collected 2,300 tonnes of rages which purchase 11 ponies for the Riding for the Disabled Association.

1988  The Great Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale for Kampuchea paid for vital repairs to water systems and the building of new wells and pumps.  

1989  The Babylife Appeal - Collected over 40 million cans to buy vital equipment for 65 baby-care units around the UK.   

Watch this space for the full list of appeals covering every decade of Blue Peter.

See a history of the Blue Peter Appeals in photographs at The Guardian
 

Blue Peter Book Number 5

The Blue Peter book number 5 was published at the end of 1968 and was the first to feature the full 'dream team' Valerie Singleton, Peter Purves and John Noakes.

In book 5 the editorial team wrote "Since our last 'Blue Peter' Book, there have been 84 editions of 'Blue Peter' and Valerie, John and Peter have done 588 different things between them."

The book bore testimony to this, being packed once again with a rich variety of features and articles, from their winter ski-ing holiday in the Austrian Alps, to John Noakes undergoing waiter training, Valerie going showjumping and all three presenters receiving life saving lessons at the National Recreation Centre at Crystal Palace.

In fact this book appears to have more balance across the three presenters than was evident before, especially in terms of gender stereotyping. Valerie is no longer destined to spend her entire time between caring for the cat and making things out of sticky-backed plastic and there are more activites involving all three presenters. But then, perhaps this was a reflection of the time - being the late sixties when 'women's lib' was a major issue.

On the eve of 1969, Blue Peter go with the flow on Women's Lib...

Valerie does of course still tend to get more makes than the likely lads, with a minature  
garden made out of a cake board (featuring a handbag mirror for a pool - an act of genius) and some delicious looking chocolate apples, whilst Peter gets to make table top tanks out of large matchboxes and John an Alpine Rally route out of cardboard grocers boxes and sticky tape.

Stories from history always played a big part in Blue Peter books and in book 5 we learn about the Tower of London, Father David's deer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. There's also a science feature about the Gemini X spacecraft and the Apollo spacecraft for which Blue Peter were making the sensational claim:-

"Apollo - the spacecraft in which America will send explorers to the moon, and bring them safely back to earth."

...and prelude a historic year to come 

Sure enough, this happened within the next 7 or 8 months when Apollo 11 landed on the moon in July 1969 and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on its surface. Another first - Blue Peter recording the history of the time in one of its books?

Long standing favourites Bengo, Bleep & Booster and Paddington Bear were once again up to their respective adventures in book five and the Blue Peter pets also featured strongly, incudling a feauture about Joey the Brazilian Blue Fronted Parrot who was apparently given free range to fly about the Blue Peter Office.

The fifth Blue Peter book was another classic and costing just 10 shillings (which was two years away from becoming 50 pence with decimalisation) it was an absolute bargain!
 

Valerie Singleton remembers Petra and her Blue Peter puppies

The following interview with Valerie Singleton was by Richard Webber and appeared on The Telegraph website - August 2012

The animals were an important element of Blue Peter. Many children weren’t allowed pets, so having them on the programme was the next best thing, especially as we would ask viewers to suggest names and we showed them how to look after and train animals.

Petra, who is next to me in this picture, was the first Blue Peter dog. When she had puppies with Moss, the collie on the left, Christopher Trace and I showed them on the programme at 12 days old. They were called Patch, Rover, Rex, Peter, Candy, Kim, Prince and Bruce. We couldn’t keep all eight so got viewers to choose which one should become the programme’s second dog – they chose Patch. My favourite was Bruce, a chubby little fellow.

It seemed as if every child in Britain wrote to us, wanting one of the puppies. As well as having to check that they would be going to good homes, it seemed unfair to select seven children from the thousands who wrote in. Mainly, we gave them to organisations where they could give pleasure to many people. Three joined children’s homes, one became the mascot for the Junior Leaders’ Regiment, the quietest went to an old people’s home while two, Rex and Bruce, became farm dogs.

All the Blue Peter animals were well behaved on the programme. Jason, the cat, was amazing; he’d sit quietly on the seat, but as soon as the closing music stopped, he’d climb down – it’s as if he knew the show had ended.

I don’t mean to shatter an illusion but I wasn’t mad about any of the animals on Blue Peter. Fortunately, I didn’t have to look after any, either. Chris, who died in 1992, and was lovely to work with, looked after Petra. When he left Blue Peter, Peter Purves joined and took on Petra, while John Noakes had Patch. Mind you, I had grown up with all sorts of animals: dogs, mice, hedgehogs, cats and even a squirrel. My mother found two squirrels abandoned after their mother was killed on the road. She brought them home in a basket; it was winter and they were frozen. We put a hot-water bottle next to them, and although one died, the other recovered. We named him Percy and he became our pet. He would ride along on the cat’s back and dash up my father’s trouser leg.
 
Blue Peter was fun and is the programme people remember me for, although I preferred it when I moved on to Nationwide. I joined Blue Peter when I was 25 and working at the BBC as a continuity announcer. The programme was very minor back then, only 15 minutes once a week. When it went twice-weekly, I had to give up my announcing job. My parents questioned my decision to give up a good presenting job for what appeared to be an unimportant children’s programme – the rest is history.
 

 

Enter Peter Purves

Peter Purves joined Blue Peter on 16th November 1967.

Purves had already appeared on television prior to joining Blue Peter, playing Dr Who's companion Steven Taylor for 44 episodes alongside the original Dr Who, William Hartnell.

On his website Peter Purves recalls:

With William Hartnell in Dr Who

"Following a couple of leading roles in TV plays I heard that Doctor Who was looking for actors who could 'move' to play giant butterflies and other insects in one of the serials. I went along to meet the director, Richard Martin, who very kindly told me that with the work I had been doing previously it wasn't worth me playing one of the non-speaking roles. However, he told me that if ever he was casting proper acting parts, he would think of me.

A few months later Richard was true to his word when he cast me as Morton Dill in The Chase. I was thrilled to be playing the part, but even more thrilled when I was asked to go with the Producer, Verity Lambert, for a drink at Studio 3, the pub opposite the Riverside Studios. I was dumbfounded when she asked me if I would be interested in joining the cast on a regular basis. Naturally I said 'Yes' and Steven Taylor made his debut appearance three weeks later.

Of all the serials the historical ones were my favourites - particularly The Massacre and The Myth Makers - and I have quite an affection for The Celestial Toymaker.

I finally left the cast of the show in June 1966.

More recently it has been a delight to be involved again. The remastered CDs being launched required some new commentary to add continuity to the original sound tracks and it has been a privilege to have narrated all of the stories in which I took part."

Biddy Baxter chose Peter Purves to play the reliable straight man to action man John Noakes, a role which Purves came to resent as it created a perception that he was somehow less exciting than Noakes and in fairness Purves during ten years on the programme he did build up his own track-record of memorable stunts and challenges, such as driving a car through the side of a furniture van, joining the White Helmets motorbike display team and climbing Black Crag in the Lake District.

On his website Peter Purves gives a forthright though part humorous opinion about the longstanding belief that Noakes did all the stunts:

"This is an old chestnut. He didn't, though he did perform a lot of very high profile stunts that certainly impressed me. But I did my share. I made the Rock Climbing and Air Sea Rescue films. I also filmed Jousting, Stunt Cars, Speedway, Trials Riding and American Grid-Iron Football - there really is a long list of very exciting films. And if you weren't impressed with my walking the suspension cable of the Forth Road Bridge, then I give up!".

Like Valerie Singleton, Peter Purves was and remains the consummate professional though on occasion he joined the celebrated Blue Peter gallery of gaffs such as a piece about the little dog called Pickles who had discovered the stolen World Cup but later broke his own neck when he was chasing a cat and his lead got caught on a gate. "It serves him right for chasing cats" said Purves live on air, incurring the wrath of the formidable Biddy Baxter.

Valerie, Peter and John became known as the 'dream team' on the basis they are remembered as the archetypal team of Blue Peter presenters which generations of presenters afterwards have attempted to emulate. Noakes and Purves gained the additional title of 'the likely lads'.

Peter Purves is also the presenter who looked after Blue Peter's first dog Petra. As Biddy Baxter and Edward Barnes recalled:

"Peter's arrival was great news for Petra. Chris had never taken Petra on as his own dog. She was looked after by Angela Mulliner, who was the programme's dog advisor. But Peter took to Petra immediately and she went to live with him as a family pet, as Patch had done with John. This made all the difference to the happiness of the dogs and to the dogs' performances on the programme. Not only did they respond more readily to their masters in the doggy items, but they would follow them about the studio and trot alongside them on location, which made them truly members of the team."  

Peter Purves once said that announcing Petra's death to Blue Peter viewers was the hardest thing he ever had to do on television. 

Purves left Blue Peter on 23rd March 1978. He went on to make a name in sports commentating, becoming the voice of darts in the 1980s and also pursued his lifelong passion for dogs on television. Peter first started presenting at Crufts Dog Show for the BBC in 1976 and has been principal Presenter and Commentator since 1989. He has also presented and narrated many other animal programmes, including 65 editions of Pets Go Public for Channel 5, the Discovery Channel's Breed All About It, All About Dogs and Superdogs. He has been editor of the monthly magazine, Mad About Dogs, is Vice Patron of Dogs for the Disabled and President of The Canine Supporters Charity and the Rugby Animal Trust.  

References

Blue Peter 50th Anniversary - Richard Marson

Blue Peter The Inside Story - Biddy Baxter and Edward Barnes

Peter Purves Official Website

The 4th Blue Peter Book

Published in 1967, the legend that was Chris Trace had left Blue Peter in July of that year yet notably, even though he had featured in over half of the year's shows there is not a single reference to him throughout the whole book, not even a fond farewell in the introductory review of the year "Hello there!".

This seems at odds with the reputation that Blue Peter had taken pride in building, with Trace's input it might be added, as the trusted friend of ordinary boys and girls everywhere. Here was a department of the BBC who kept a database of every letter ever written to the programme so that each child (sometimes 7000 a week) always received an individualised response and who painstakingly and stressfully deliberated over how to present to viewers news of every small life event of their dogs, cats, parrots and assorted shelled reptiles. Yet when it came to waving farewell to a presenter who had been the backbone of the programme ever since the ship set sail in October 1958, there was not so much as a (in the words of the great man), "thank you and now for something completely different".

Perhaps this was a statement of intent, subconscious or otherwise, from the Blue Peter book authors, messrs. Baxter, Barnes and Gill, "lest ye forget, no presenter will ever be greater than the Blue Peter alter ego" and as if to reinforce the point, the 4th book was the first of only 2 out of 40 books which didn't feature human beings on the cover (the other was book 12 which also featured Jason and the dogs - though Patch had been replaced by Shep and there was no parrot).     

Retrospectively, a little thank you and goodbye would have been a nice touch.

However, in Book 4 Noakes and Singleton resume the voyage for just a short time as a duo. Incidentally, Peter Purves joined the show in November 1967 though in fairness that probably was too late to go into this edition.

Valerie Singleton - with a monkey

Without Trace to cramp his style, action-boy Noakes now starts to come into his own. Robin has assumed the mantel of Batman. Even as the book progresses things just get better and better for John Noakes as he goes from looking after Joey the parrot on page 14 to training Patch (page 23) to making advent calendars out of coat hangers on page 44 and a polystyrene glider on page 54 (yes folks they trusted him with makes) to winding up Big Ben (page 48) and finally peaking with a climb to the top of a 110 foot tower crane on Gray's Inn Road (page 64). A prelude to far greater feats over the next decade. 

Valerie remains a steady influence on proceedings in Book 4 with a shoe box doll's house make and a recipe for fruit cream crunch (I'm sure people still use the exact same recipe all over the country to this very day). She also takes Jason on a visit to the National Cat Club Show and helps him research his family tree. The production team are clearly building up the suspense for when they send her out to walk the lion to the local paper shop - but that's for another book.

Patch mentors John on festive uses for a coat hanger which
don't involve stringing up Biddy Baxter from one 

Book 4 continues the delightful input of both William 'Tim' Tymym (Bleep & Booster and Bengo) and Michael Bond (Paddington Bear) and also features a rather detailed though fascinating Cutaway Engine diagram of the inside of the Blue Peter locomotive by one Geoffrey Wheeler. 

The print run is said to have been higher for Book 4 than the previous three editions though it apparently suffered from poor binding so existing copies of this edition tend to have dodgy spines.

William “Tim” Timym In The Blue Peter Books

Article by Steve - see link below to read the full article

William 'Tim' Timym's Bleep and Booster characters featured in the first fourteen Blue Peter books in 4 page illustrated text stories, one per book. While Bleep and Booster may be Timym's best remembered characters the annual Blue Peter Books, published to tie in with the BBC children's television series, featured more of his work than just the pair of space boys.

The other main Tim character published in the Blue Peter books was Bengo the boxer pup. Bengo dates from the 1950s and in the early Blue Peter books he featured in colour nursery comic style adventures finally ending with several years of single pages of silent newspaper style short comic. Bengo also appeared in the TV21 nursery comic Candy during the same period as he was appearing in the Blue Peter books.

Unusually Timym also created a single page colour by numbers style Mystery Picture for many of the books. These were page size grids with squares to be coloured in based on each number being assigned a colour. These were normally based around animal subjects but the Mystery Picture in the ninth book featured Bleep and Booster. The first of these Mystery Pictures appeared in the second book and was not credited however they are also in the Sixth to Fifteenth Books in which they are all credited to Tim and therefore the details of the first one are also included..

What follows is a listing of all the Tim features appearing in the Blue Peter Books. More details of the first 30 Blue Peter books can be found on The Triangular Shelf website.

Read the full article by Steve on his blog of Bear Alley

Blue Peter's 'Here's One We Made Earlier' was an accident

One of the first presenters of Blue Peter accidentally came up with the idea of making things on the children's television show from scraps around the house, she has said.

By Stephen Adams, Arts Correspondent

Former beauty queen Leila Williams casually told her boss how she had made a doll's patchwork quilt for a friend's daughter from dress off-cuts, when he pounced on the idea.

Now 71, she recalled: "My landlord's daughter had received a doll's pram for Christmas and she wanted all the stuff to go with it. I took her around London but could not find anything.

"So I made blankets, sheets and a patchwork quilt with off-cuts from the bottom of my dresses. I mentioned this to John Hunter-Blair, who came up with the idea for Blue Peter, and he said 'Get in a taxi and bring them here now!' "

The item became a staple on the show, which is the longest running children's programme in the world.

The phrase "here's one we made earlier" - announced when a presenter is making an object on air - has fallen into the language.

Williams first presented the show on 16 October 1958 with Christopher Trace, a year after being crowned Miss GB.

Read the full article in The Telegraph

Presenter Profile - John Noakes

With Patch

John Noakes joined Blue Peter on 30th December 1966 and left the programme after twelve and a half years on 26th June 1978. He remains the show's longest serving presenter and is considered by many to have been the most successful and memorable Blue Peter presenter in its entire history.

Noakes was born on 6th March 1934 at Shelf near Halifax in Yorkshire. After training as an aircraft engine fitter with the RAF and working for the aircraft company BOAC, Noakes went to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and began a career in theatre and television. In 1965 his photograph was spotted by Biddy Baxter in a theatre review in the Leicester Mercury, taken by his visual appearance she contacted him and invited him to attend an audition for Blue Peter.

When requesting an increase in the Blue Peter budget so that they could employ Noakes, the Head of Family Programmes, Doreen Stephens wrote that he was '...a promising man. Young, attractive and unaffected, and a complete contrast to Christopher Trace.'

Biddy Baxter once wrote of Noakes:

"If there was a magic formula for scenting out good presenters, producer's problems would vanish overnight. There isn't. There's never any shortage of solid, run-of-the-mill, competent professionals, guaranteed to look at the right camera and speak on cue. On the whole they're boring and quite unmemorable. But once in a while a jewel emerges - usually totally by chance.

...We knew as soon as John Noakes opened the office door that he was our third presenter."  

Noakes was introduced slowly and subtly to the Blue Peter audience, even so he later recalled being so terrified for the first few months that he went to both a hypnotist and a faith healer to help him to get over his nerves in front of the camera.   

John Noakes finally overcame his intense nervousness by developing a strategy of acting the clown, getting laughs from his fluffs and deliberately sabotaging his own cooking. He also developed the role of a daredevil, literally climbing great heights, bobsleighing, tobogganing, reporting from an erupting volcano and most memorably, setting a world record for the highest civilian free-fall parachute jump. 
 
Like most presenters, Noakes was encouraged to take special responsibility for one of the show's pets. His original dog was Patch, the son of Petra, the very first Blue Peter dog. After Patch's sudden death in 1971 (from a rare disease) he was given another pet dog, a Border Collie puppy, christened Shep by viewers. Noakes' attempts to control the excitable Shep led to his memorable catchphrase "Get down, Shep!".

With Shep

 References:

Blue Peter The Inside Story - Biddy Baxter and Edward Barnes / Ringpress Books 1989

Blue Peter 50th Anniversay by Richard Masron / Hamlyn 2008

Wikipedia entry for John Noakes

Lewis Hamilton: From Blue Peter to Silver Arrows

Following Lewis Hamilton's decision to leave McLaren, BBC Sport charts the 27-year-old's development from karting prodigy to big-money Mercedes recruit.

 

Early years

Hamilton's taste for speed was showcased as a seven-year-old, when he took part in and won a remote-controlled car race on BBC Children's programme Blue Peter.

Read the whole article on the BBC News website

BBC Scandals: The 9 Biggest Upsets, From Blue Peter Cat-Name-Fixing To The Hutton Inquiry

From the name of a Blue Peter cat to whether Jeremy Clarkson's voice can be used outside the corporation, the BBC has seen its fair share of scandals.

Now, just over a year after the death of Jimmy Savile, allegations of widespread abuse have emerged with the Met police saying the former BBC presenter could have abused 200 victims.

The BBC director general, George Entwistle was accused by MPs of failing to "get a grip" on the crisis after a Newsnight programme on the allegations was ditched.

In 2003 the broadcaster was plunged into crisis after the tragic events that led to the suicide of Dr David Kelly, who was named as a source for a report on the Today programme about the government's preparations for the Iraq war.

The corporation has also been hit with a number of bizarre scandals, including a storm over its Diamond Jubilee coverage which was branded "irreverant".

See The Huffington Post for a run-down of their 9 biggest scandals to hit the corporation.

 

• Spaghetti

  A hoax report about a spaghetti tree was broadcast in 1957 on the BBC for April Fool's Day. However many believed the hoax, which was later described as "the biggest hoax that any reputable news establishment ever pulled."

• The Queen

  The BBC had to apologise when security correspondent Frank Gardner revealed the Queen raised concerns about radical cleric Abu Hamza. "This is a conversation we had a little while ago and she did say that she had mentioned to - I don't know which Home Secretary it was at the time - that was there not some law he [Abu Hamza] had broken," he said.

• Clarkson breaches BBC guidelines

  Clarkson, who breached BBC guidelines by comparing a Japanese car to people with growths on their faces. The BBC apologised to the Mexican ambassador after Clarkson branded Mexicans "lazy", "feckless" and "flatulent" in 2011. Equally it had to pull out of a deal to produce sat navs with Clarkson's voice after it would find it breached guidelines.

• Frank Bough

  Frank Bough was sacked by the BBC after he was linked to a sex and drugs scandal. Former news of the world deputy editor Paul Connew, said the scandal caused a sensation at the time, given Bough's public image as the squeaky clean frontman of breakfast and sports television."

• Sachsgate

  Jonathan Ross million-pound BBC contract was not renewed after he and Russell Brand left a series of voice messages on actor Andrew Sachs' phone about how Brand had slept with the Fawlty Towers actor's grand daughter. In one call Ross called out "he f`***ked your granddaughter."

• Richard Bacon

  Richard Bacon was sacked by children's TV show Blue Peter in 1998 after allegations of drug taking

• The Jubilee Coverage

  The BBC received more than 2,400 complaints from the public about some of the live broadcasts during the national celebrations. It drew stinging criticism during the river pageant broadcast, with viewers attacking its "inane" commentary, camera angles and sound quality. Some people also singled out a sequence in Tuesday's coverage which saw Fearne Cotton and Paloma Faith discussing a Jubilee-themed sickbag.

• Blue Peter cat

  The BBC apologised after a poll to name the Blue Peter cat was rigged - with the feline being named Socks despite Cookie winning the online poll. Presenter Zoe Salmon said: "We'd like to say that we're sorry." (Cookie not pictured here)

• David Kelly

  Dr David Kelly killed himself after being named as the source for a BBC story about "sexing up" a government dossier on weapons of mass destruction. His death led to the resignation of BBC director general in 2004.

 

The Third Book of Blue Peter

The third book of Blue Peter came out in 1966, just in time for the Christmas market and was once again published by the BBC themselves.

The first notable difference about the third book was the addition of a third presenter on the front and back covers, as a young looking John Noakes joined the team.

By Christmas 1966 Noakes had actually been a Blue Peter presenter for 12 months, having joined the programme on 30 December 1965, though the third book doesn't necessarily reflect the 'action man' reputation he subsequently developed during the late sixties and the seventies, with Chris Trace still appearing to dominate the boy-orientated stories such as making a packaway farm (page 14), operating a tractor of Africa (page 16), visiting the London fire brigade (page 31), being transformed into a Chinese Mandarin (page 50) and working with the transport police dog section (page 72) and generally comes across as 'the main man' of Blue Peter.

The prominent articles about John include a demonstration of magic tricks (page 38) and his visit to the Royal Mint (page 18), although the photographs in both of these articles do seem to indicate some of his hallmark 'have a go at anything and always with great gusto and humour' attitude applied even to the cleaning of thousands of pre-decimalisation one penny coins. 

In 1966 Valerie is clearly reinforcing her, by-then, well established role as foremost female icon and role model of British children's television. Whether it be caring for Jason's kittens (though remember that Jason was a male cat so his personal role in either producing or nurturing Matthew and Olwen would have been limited compared to his Blue Peter counterpart Petra with her litter of puppies), cleverly making things out of old cardboard boxes and plastic bottles, assisting John with his magic tricks (page 39), feeding Joey the parrot (page 48) or demonstrating a recipe for sugar snowmen (page 70), Valerie singularly maintains a strong girl-oriented perspective (in the context of its time) on what might have otherwise evolved into a slightly macho boys-own style action programme.

Consumate pro Singleton helps novice Noakes with his knot work

What is absent from the Blue Peter book of 1966 is any reference to the contemporary issues of the day. For instance, there is no way on earth that the Blue Peter annual of 2012 (if only there was one) would avoid featuring the London Olympic and Paralymic Games, yet the third Blue Peter book contains no reference to England winning the World Cup at Wembley or any other topical events of the year which, retrospectively, would have added an interesting historical angle. Did this reflect a prevailing attitude from the editorial team and BBC aspirations generally, that children's television wasn't a place for 'news' or that children and teenagers shouldn't do 'issues'?

The prevailing sub-themes of the third Blue Peter book therefore continued to concentrate on pets, makes & recipes, hobbies & puzzles, children's stories, charity & public services and heroes of history.

The strong focus on children's literature and cartoon based story telling continues in the 1966 Blue Peter book with features from regular contributors such as William Timyn, aka Tim, with his adventures of Bleep and Booster the space boys and Bengo the lovable though naughty boxer pup who remains as endearing for me today as he did when I was five years old in 1966. Indeed my personal memory of being transfixed to the adventures of Bengo on Boxing day 1966 far outweigh my actual recollection of Geoff Hurst scoring his winner in the dieing seconds at Wembley that same year - so perhaps Blue Peter were reflecting something of the interest factors of mid-60's childhood after all. 

Forget Geoff Hurst and The Beatles, Christopher Trace had his finger on the pulse of what 5 year old boys like me were really into back in 1966

The third Blue Peter book also introduces Paddington Bear as a new member of the Blue Peter family. Author Michael Bond was working in the Blue Peter studio as a BBC cameraman when he first started writing what subsequently became a long series of Paddington stories especially for the programme and the annuals.

The third book of Blue Peter remains somewhat of a rarity amongst collectors compared with books from the later decades, though having said this they are reasonably common on e:bay for people willing to fork out between £10 and £20 - not a huge amount if you are trying to complete a collection. Most second hand copies have seen better days, which in fairness reflects the fact they have been enjoyed by children over two or three generations, so if you are purchasing one its worth checking out the condition and making sure it has a spine before committing your pennies! Don't panic, a reasonable one will come along soon.

The truth about all those men in my life and those lesbian rumours by Valerie Singleton

For decades the much loved presenter has endured rumours about her private life. Now, with extraordinary candour, she has chosen to set the record straight – about her many men (including Peter Purves and Albert Finney), about Joan Armatrading...and about the lifelong secret which could have destroyed her Blue Peter career.

I have spent a lifetime in broadcasting, so you might think that by now I would have come to terms with my public reputation.

 

To most people I am the wholesome face of wholesome programming: Radio 4’s PM, Nationwide, The Money Programme and, I scarcely need to say it, the irreproachable Blue Peter.

 

Even today, I am stopped in the street by people who treat me with an exaggerated deference better suited to a living saint.

 

For decades the much loved presenter has endured rumours about her private life. Now, with extraordinary candour, she has chosen to set the record straight – about her many men (including Peter Purves and Albert Finney), about Joan Armatrading...and about the lifelong secret which could have destroyed her Blue Peter career.

 

Many cannot remember a time when I was not on television and perhaps, for them, I will for ever be the voice of benign authority, the queen of famine appeals and sticky-back plastic.

But this view of me, however deep-rooted, is completely false. I am no goody-two-shoes – far from it.

Despite my rather conformist reputation, I was often naughty in my youth – a bit wild, even. So it’s a wonder that I ever appeared on children’s television.

Read the entire interview from June 2008 with Peter Robertson from Mail Online at this link

 

Presenter Profile - Valerie Singleton

Consumate professional Val - with the boys

Valerie Singleton joined the Blue Peter team on 3rd September 1972. Her last regular appearance was on 3rd July 1972. She was the show's third female presenter after Leila Williams (1958-1962) and Anita West (May to September 1962).

Singleton co-presented Blue Peter with Christopher Trace until his departure in July 1967. They were joined by John Noakes in 1965. After the departure of Trace, Singleton and Noakes were joined by Peter Purves on 16th November 1967.

The team of Singleton, Noakes and Purves are perhaps the most remembered trio to have presented Blue Peter and certainly the most iconic, setting a bar which all subsequent presenters would have to aim for ...most failing.

Born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire s in 1937, Valerie was educated at Tring Park Arts Educational School and wanted to be a dancer. After a two year stint at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and a short acting career, she went to work for the BBC in 1961 and joined the Blue Peter team a year later.

Described by many as the consumate professional presenter, one former Blue Peter editor, Richard Marson, said of her:

"It was often said that if a bomb dropped on the Blue Peter studio, Valerie Singleton would simply have stepped out of the rubble and carried on presenting. If Noakes was the quintessential male presenter, Val was without doubt his female counterpart. Her serious approach, her superb skill with the makes and her beautifully modulated voice were the perfect contrast to his anarchy. Viewers trusted that Val was in complete control, which meant that they could relax."

Ref: Blue Peter 50th Anniversary - A personal account by Richard Marson / Hamlyn 2008      

One of the pinnacles of Singleton's time on Blue Peter was when she accompanied HRH During her time on Blue Peter, Singleton accompanied HRH Princess Anne on her first solo trip overseas in a Kenyan Royal Safari in 1971.

In 1972 she left Blue Peter but went on to present a spin-off series created by Edward Barnes, Blue Peter Special Assignments and Val Meets the VIPs. 

She became a news presenter on the BBC's Nationwide programme. She has also presented the BBC's late night news programme, Tonight and hosted many other shows including Radio 4's PM and BBC 2's The Money Programme.

Singleton was awarded the OBE for her services to children's television in 1994 and was also invited back to Blue Peter that same year to receive the coveted Blue Peter gold badge.

Find out more about Valerie Singleton at Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valerie_Singleton

 

Vintage Blue Peter - Valerie looking back at herself

The Blue Peter badge - some links

A Blue Peter badge is a much coveted award for Blue Peter viewers, given by the BBC children's television programme for those appearing on the show, or in recognition of achievement. They are awarded to children aged 6 to 15, or to adults who have been guests on the programme.^[1]

The badges were introduced to the programme by editor Biddy Baxter in 1963, from an idea by Blue Peter producer Edward Barnes. Except for the "Gold" badge and the pre-2005 "Competition Winners' Badge", the badges are in the shape of a shield containing the Blue Peter ship logo, designed by Tony Hart.

The badge provides the wearer with free entry to many British attractions, particularly museums and exhibitions that are featured on the show. The programme producers suspended the privileges amid concerns about the badges being sold in March 2006, but they were reintroduced with additional security a few months later (see below).

Read the full article on Wikipedia

Blue Peter Badges Row: Everyone Wants Free Museum Entry!

March 28 2006

Have you seen the fuss in the papers and on the TV about Blue Peter badges? It caught our eye because it's all about free entry to fun places like museums. Blue Peter wants to stop people selling their famous badges on the Internet. Blue Peter badges like this one are meant to show that you've done something special. They're a prize that money can't buy - or at least they're meant to be.

Read the full news item about the Blue Peter badge controversy from 2006 at the Show Me website