Blue Peter at 50

[Lucky Star]

Tonight at 8.40 pm on the Uk's Channel 4 there will be a one hour programme called Blue Peter at 50. It promises a host of clips and interviews from the past five decades. Sounds like a must for all Blue Peter nostalgics.

[Petermax]

Blue Peter I am of the generation that enjoyed the show when John Noakes, Peter Purves and Lesley Judd were at the helm, along with Valerie Singleton on Blue Peter Special Assignment.

Thirty years on, I still consider the likes of Simon Groom and Peter Duncan to be mere interlopers!

[bilgewaters]

Oh dear,I can go further back than that.I remember when it was hosted by Chris Trace and the gorgeous Val.Mr Trace was a gent he used to wear great big woolie jumpers,we only had black and white telly then but you could tell they were really loud.Happy memories.

[Pippa-Stef]

Tonight at 8.40 pm on the Uk's Channel 4 there will be a one hour programme called Blue Peter at 50.

Channel 4? Don't you mean BBC 2 LS?

[Viv of Ginger Pop]

I saw it and thoroughly enjoyed it. John Noakes is 74 But Simon Groom looks older I can just about remember Christopher Trace, but the classic line up for me is Val, John and Peter. Their interview in Radio Times this week is good fun.

Does anyone know what happened to Petra's statue? I don't think it is in the BP garden any more.

Viv

[Moonraker]

Am I the only person who has always found the programme irritating? I even hated it as an eight year old!

Sticky backed plastic, my foot.

[Julie2owlsdene]

I'm afraid I too wasn't keen on Blue Peter. I never used to watch it. The times I did tune in I wasn't bothered about making all the things they did. I prefered to read an Enid Blyton book, rather then waste time on making something, I didn't particularly want. To me, it was far easier to put the things you wanted on a Father Christmas list, and hope he brought them for you

[Kitty]

Am I the only person who has always found the programme irritating? I even hated it as an eight year old!

Sticky backed plastic, my foot.

Me too! Thank you so much for writing that - at last, someone else who hated it The whole thing annoyed me - the jaunty insincerity of the presenters (ok, maybe I'm being unfair) pretending (?) to be enthused over some rotten coat hanger/ squeezy bottle confection, etc. I just wanted Jackanory or a drama series instead!

On the plus side, they did do a lot for charity, and I liked the tortoise.

[Rob Houghton]

I used to be a big Blue Peter fan, from the days of John Noakes, Leslie Judd and Peter Purves, through to Sarah Greene, Janet Ellis, Peter Duncan and Simon Groom. After Janet Ellis left (to give birth to her daughter Sophie Ellis Baxter (or was it Bexter?!), I believe) then I began to lose interest. The later presenters just didnt seem like the 'real ones' to me! interlopers, as someone said!

[Anita Bensoussane]

I made a few things featured on Blue Peter but had to improvise as we never seemed to have the right size washing-up-liquid bottles, plastic tubs, etc, let alone sticky-backed plastic! I recall being quite proud of a bath I made for my Sindy doll. It consisted of a flower-patterned cardboard tissue box (black with a pattern of yellow and purple flowers, as I recall!), with a deep oval or rectangular silver foil pie dish inserted in the middle. Can't remember how I made the taps but they were probably something like caps off toothpaste tubes, covered with silver foil. I enjoyed the programme but wasn't inspired to write in and didn't hanker after a Blue Peter badge or anything!

Anita

[Lucky Star]

I always liked the programme. Like others her its the classic Peter Purves, John Noakes and Val. I never made anything that they demonstrated though. I guess I was too lazy for all that effort, I just used to lie on the sofa and watch with interest.

[Petermax]

I never made anything that they demonstrated though. I guess I was too lazy for all that effort, I just used to lie on the sofa and watch with interest.

I only ever made one item from the programme, cardboard and Fablon were not my cup of tea. Fablon? The producers had no choice other than to describe it as sticky backed plastic in order to avoid accusations of blatant product placement! This was after all the B.B.C!

What did I make? Inspired by John Noakes, it was a four wheeled model vehicle similar to a land yacht. Constructed on a balsa wood chassis, it was powered by an electric motor, model aircraft propellor and bicycle lamp battery. Naturally, I had to try and improve matters and make a maritime version. I should have realised what the high centre of gravity would lead to, it capsized almost immediately, a full re-enactment of The Poseidon Adventure so to speak!

[Moonraker]

cardboard and Fablon were not my cup of tea. Fablon? The producers had no choice other than to describe it as sticky backed plastic

And I always thought sticky-backed plastic was Sellotape!

[Petermax]

And I always thought sticky-backed plastic was Sellotape!

It would appear that the term Sticky backed plastic applied to both Fablon and Sellotape. The lengths that TV companies go to in order to avoid product placement is ridiculous.

[Sue Webster]

I love Blue Peter and proud of my blue badge , green badge and silver badge plus the 50th anniversary badge . i have photos of most of the presenters and animals and have met simon groom and dog goldie in 1985 when they opened the new RSPB Sandwell valley reserve . I`ve met Katy Hill , Richard Bacon and seen a few others. Ido think BP was better in the past than today but I still watch it and help with the Appeals if I can . I waer my blue badge with pride too . sue