The eleventh Blue Peter annual was published at the end of 1974 and was the second book to feature John Noakes on his own on the front cover without fellow presenters or pets. This one showed Noakes probably at his peak as the show's original if unlikely 'action man' when he flew with the RAF Flying Falcons and did an incredible five-mile parachute drop to become Europe's Civilian Free Fall record holder.
Having officially left the show as a presenter in 1972, Valerie Singleton still featured in the annual in her roving associate role, with a feature dedicated to her Blue Peter Special Assignments to such European cities as Madrid, Venice, York, Dublin and Brussels whilst elsewhere in the book she visits the elegant Somerset city of Bath where she donned the costume of Jane Austen. Val also played the part of Cinders in the Blue Peter Panto, partnered by a swash-buckling Lesley Judd as Prince Charming. John and Pete got to play the Ugly Sisters in six inch heels and frilly pants with veteran comic Arthur Askey playing their step-father, the Baron.
Lesley Judd was by now well-established as a Blue Peter presenter and had very much taken on the role of 'makes-presenter' alongside John and Peter on occasion. In this edition there are necklaces and bracelets made from junk materials, as well as an amazing table-top native American camp, complete with a forest made from plastic foam, a lake made from a mirror and brown paper wigwams with a red cellophane camp fire. Other makes included a fishing game made from old Christmas cards and a Scone Pizza in celebration of Princess Anne's wedding.
The 1974 annual contained some of the features which had become mainstays during the previous decade, including a mystery story with clues to solve, a Bleep and Booster adventure and a Paddington Bear story by Michael Bond. This year's cut-away illustration featured the Waveney Life Boat, which was no doubt connected to the news that three members of the crew of Blue Peter III, the show's Inshore rescue boat stationed in North Berwick in Scotland had received top awards for bravery from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
Celebrations continued with Blue Peter winning the Sun newspaper's Top Children's Programme for the fifth year running and in April that year Blue Peter opened their second Old People's Centre, this one near me in Wolverhampton.
In spite of Noakes stealing the limelight with his record breaking free fall that year, Peter Purves was quietly keeping up appearances by climbing the Black Crag in North Yorkshire with Chris Bonnington and surfing the cold November waves of Newquay with European and British campions Graham Nile and Tigger Newling.
All in all another fabulous Christmas gift I well remember receiving and enjoying. Bring back the Blue Peter annuals!
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