Blue Peter

[Stephen]

I never saw Magpie, though I'm connected with it in that Jenny Hanley is exactly the same age to the day as my mum!

As for Crackerjack, I'd watch it though it wasn't a huge favourite of mine. The thing with the cabbages and the shouting kids ("Crackerjack" - "CRACKERJACK!") were a bit too raucous for my liking. But I liked the 'Don and Pete' films with Don Maclean and Peter Glaze. I've got a distinct memory of one where a car drives out of a petrol filling station, but the pump nozzle is still attached in until it catapults out and hits someone on the head! And this might sound very random, but I do remember when Don Maclean was no longer in it and Bernie Clifton was. According to Wikipedia, Don left in 1976 when I was only three. But even at that tender age I thought they had replaced Don with Bernie because they looked very similar!

[Icecream342]

I saw a clip of crackerjack on another cbbc program- 12 again.Aparently, you went away with a pencil.

[Stephen]

I've just been watching an entire episode of Crackerjack on Youtube. I don't actually remember Stewpot compering the show, he was that unmemorable! Watching it now, it's so charmingly awful. But I have to admit laughing out loud at the "Call the Police!" joke!

I'm more of an 80s kid when we had the likes of Stu Francis, the Krankies and the Great Soprendo!

[Lucky Star]

I used to love Crackerjack especially in the mid to late 70s. I remember it being compered by Stu Francis and Kid Jensen. I think it was Francis who had the phrase "Ooh I could crush a grape". As Stephen said I also used to love the antics of Don MaClean and Peter Glaze, they were very funny.

And yes, lots of people won Crackerjack Pencils. Prizes were a lot simpler in those days.

[Anita Bensoussane]

I used to love Crackerjack especially in the mid to late 70s.

I don't think it was an absolute favourite of mine but I used to watch it quite regularly. Another similarly loud and lairy programme was Cheggers Plays Pop, hosted by Keith Chegwin.

The thing with the cabbages and the shouting kids ("Crackerjack" - "CRACKERJACK!") were a bit too raucous for my liking.

Ah yes - Double or Drop. I used to like that game!

What did you do to get your Blue Peter badge, Icecream?

[Icecream342]

I reviewed a program Anita.

[Fiona1986]

They still give away badges and I got one today- Yay. It was a purple one

I'm so jealous, Icy. I never got a badge from BP

[Moonraker]

Ah, Crackerjack! The host I remember was the wonderful Eamonn Andrews.

[Francis]

You're right, Eamonn was one of the greats of broadcasting (boxing, This is your Life and
of course Crackerbox).

[Moonraker]

There was also a 'sister' programme to Crackerjack! that Eamonn presented, called Playbox. I can't remember much about it, and I don't think it lasted anythink like as long as Crackerjack! It gets a mention HERE.

[Icecream342]

Since I watched BP, I have had a green, a blue, a silver and my purple. It means I get into certan places for free, like the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales etc.

[Stephen]

I've just read the autobiography of Joey Deacon - Tongue Tied - online, and found it incredibly moving. While there is a lot of tragedy, there's no sense of self pity and if anything it's very optimistic. I have vague memories of this poor old child-like, wheelchair-bound man on Blue Peter whose quality of life looked absolutely terrible, and yet reading some of the descriptions and sentences in this it's obvious here was a perfectly intelligent man trapped in a, as he put it "useless body", with a sharp memory, good sense of humour, surrounded by lovely people, and knew what genuine happiness was.

[joanne_chan]

The program on Joey Deacon's life did tie into the International Year of the Disabled in 1981 which if you were like me and spent part of your time as a wheelchair user (and did use footplates like shoes as a kid to plow into things!) you would remember well because to me at least by doing the program on his life, actually you were helping to breakdown barriers between those of us who are and the remainder of people.
That to me did rather more good than much of the grandiose announcements from all the bigwigs on what disability is and how their efforts might help.

[joanne_chan]

Blue Peter as a show always seemed to be one the best things aimed for boys and girls being less tied in with spin off merchandising and rather more on learning, exploring your curiosity, challenging yourself and being a good citizen.
I do have a good number of books - they were always 'books' never annuals - from 1968 through 1991 that were published for the Christmas market that I enjoy re-reading from time to time and still watch the show in 2019 on the CBBC channel (also on iPlayer if you have one) enjoying the features and keeping up with the world of the modern child.

[PaulB123]

I was always a Blue Peter not Magpie child, although liked both theme tunes.

The Christmas countdown with the making of the tinsel and coat hanger candle advent was always a favourite as they would light one of the four candles on the countdown to the last four programs before Christmas Day. On the last episode they would always have a marching band plus local school children arrive from outside via some very large doors signing carols.
Always a good feeling as you knew Christmas was nearly here