How To Make A Blue Peter Bicycle Pennant

Back in time to 1968, this was a small leaflet issued by BP with instructions on how to make a Blue Peter bicycle pennant. The leaflet came with a canvas ship emblem to be glued onto a triangular piece of felt, fixed onto a sturdy wire which could then be attached to the handlebars of your bike. By way of introduction the team said "Here's a reminder of how to make a Blue Peter pennant like the ones we've got on our bikes", with signatures from John, Pete and Val and paw prints from the pets. I'd like to have seen Petra trying to get on a bike.

Unfortunately I haven't managed to purchase a ship emblem badge on ebay yet as people keep outbidding me. These days anything that can be perceived as being a Blue Peter 'badge' appears more valuable than the books, games, even presenter autographs. I'm not sure if people think that anything with the BP emblem on will get them into Alton Towers or Madame Tussauds, but badges seem to be very sought after. There is also a roaring trade in fake BP badges on ebay, with a complete range of fake badges including the gold one going for about £20. I have complained to ebay that the sellers should at least be told to list them as replicas, but ebay don't seem to give a damn. So buyer be warned, if the Queen and David Beckham are the only people in the country with gold badges (well ok and a few others perhaps), it's unlikely you'll get the genuine item for a tenner on ebay.

Anyway, back to the Blue Peter bicycle pennant, the leaflet does recommend other uses of the canvas emblem for those who don't have a bicycle (such as Petra et al), which suggestions include sewing it on your knapsack or onto your anorak or blazer (oh yeah, I bet your teacher would be pleased if you turned up to school with it on your blazer - Biddy Baxter was so irresponsible). The 4-fold design of the leaflet even provides panels in which they have advertised the next Blue Peter Book and the Radio Times. What a lovely innocent world we grew up in, when our only decisions in life were whether to glue your badge on a pennant or on your knapsack.

Now, where did I put my anorak?