I was extremely sad to learn of the passing yesterday of John Noakes. John was the longest serving member of the Blue Peter team joining the programme in 1965, he stayed for nearly 13 years.
John soon became known as Blue Peter's action man and over the years took on many challenges.
Some of John's most nail biting action moments included, climbing the mast of HMS Ganges,
hurtling down The Cresta run in Switzerland and climbing to the top of Nelson's Column to clean Nelson's hat. John also entered the record books when he became the first British citizen to make a five mile free fall parachute drop with the RAF.
John looked after two dogs during his time on Blue Peter, Patch was the son of Blue Peter's first dog
Petra. Patch sadly died at the young age of 5.
Patch's replacement was a black and white Border Collie called Shep. John and Shep were inseparable.
Shep could be as excitable as his master, and John's cries of Get Down Shep became a familiar catchphrase.
John was part of the famous Blue Peter team of John, Peter Purves and Valerie Singleton, but he also presented with Christopher Trace, Lesley Judd and Simon Groom.
John also fronted a spin off show called Go with Noakes during his last two years on Blue Peter and for 18 months after he left, before setting off on a round the world yacht trip with his wife Vicky. The voyage was cut short after a large wave badly damaged the boat off the coast of North Africa. They settled in Majorca where they made a home.
Blue Peter first started gardening items in 1974 and television gardener Percy Thrower was asked
to be Blue Peter's head gardener, who would show the presenters and in turn the programmes viewers various aspects of gardening. A small area of green space next to the BBC canteen was commandeered by the production team and this became the Blue Peter garden.
The Italian sunken garden Summer 1978.
In the spring of 1978, after four years of showing us how to grow flowers and vegetables. Percy decided it was time to be a bit more adventurous. His idea was to build an Italian sunken garden complete with fish pond. Over the next three months Percy along with presenters John Noakes, Lesley Judd and newcomer Simon Groom worked to complete the garden. Towards the end of the project Percy, the presenters and pets all placed their hands, feet and paws into concrete for posterity.
Presenters and pets imprints John Noakes, Lesley Judd, Simon Groom,
Shep, Goldie, Jack, Jill and Freda at The relocated garden Media City
March 2012.
Once the pond was filled, water plants and fish added and flowerbeds planted up. The garden looked beautiful. It was Blue Peter's gardening items that first got me interested in gardening and I pestered my parents to have a pond in our garden. Finally in 1982 we built a rockery at my parents home complete with pond and waterfall.
Sadly the Blue Peter garden was vandalised three times, once during the building of the Italian sunken garden in 1978, again in 1980 and worst of all in 1983. On this occasion pots and urns were smashed, plants uprooted and trampled and fuel oil was poured into the fish pond.
That days programme was a sombre affair, as Janet Ellis and the rest of the team reported the damage to viewers. Many people laugh about this now, and some say it was a little pompous, but to many the Blue Peter garden was important, and Janet defends the coverage. Many volunteers helped with the clean up operation including members of 33 Squadron from RAF Odiham. It was at this time that Petra's statue was moved from the front of TV Centre to the Blue Peter garden.
Goldie, Peter Duncan, Janet Ellis, Percy Thrower and Simon Groom
after the clean up operation Summer 1984.
Percy continued gardening on Blue Peter until he became poorly in 1987. Percy died the following year, but not before a tribute programme, when presenter Mark Curry visited Percy in hospital and presented him with a gold Blue Peter badge.
Since Percy there have been three other Blue Peter gardeners, Chris Crowder, Claire Bradley and Chris Collins.
In 2004 when it was announced that the BBC children's department would be moving to Manchester
and TV centre would be sold, everyone wondered what would happen to the Blue Peter Garden.
One suggestion was a roof garden. In September 2011 when the first programme from Media City
was aired, the garden was not mentioned.
In February 2012 it was reviled that the Italian Sunken garden had been carefully dug up and rebuilt
in the public space at Media City in Salford known as the piazza. Gardener Chris Collins oversaw the
the project, and said it was like fitting a giant jigsaw puzzle together.
HRH The Princess Royal officallt reopens The Blue Peter Garden
February 2012.
The Blue Peter Garden was officially reopened by HRH The Princes Royal on 23rd February 2012, and I have visited the garden many times since. The garden and the piazza are now often used on the programme especially in the Summer months.
The Italian sunken garden at Media City UK March 2012.
Imprints of Helen Skelton, Barney Harwood, Chris Collins
and Barney the dog 2012.
So I have recently met Barney and Lindsey from the current presenting team, and I hope to catch up Radzi the third member of the team soon.
Lela Williams, Anita West, Valerie Singleton, John Noakes,
Peter Purves, Lesley Judd, Simon Groom, Christopher Wenner,
Tina Heath, Sarah Greene, Peter Duncan, Janet Ellis
Mark Curry, Yvette Fielding, John Leslie, Diane Louise Jordan
There have been 34 other presenters of Blue Peter, and I will be profiling each one as the project continues. This week I have sent out the first batch of contact letters, and I hope to get some replies soon. I wonder who will be the first I meet.
Anthea Turner, Tim Vincent, Stuart Miles, Katy Hill,
Romana D'Annunzio, Richard Bacon, Konnie Huq, Simon Thomas,
Matt Baker, Liz Barker, Zoe Salmon, Gethin Jones,
Andy Akinwolere, Joel Defries, Helen Skelton
Sadly three past presenters are no longer with us. Christopher Trace, the first male presenter
from 1958. Michael Sundin who presented the programme during the 1984/85 season, and the
beautiful and much missed Caron Keating. Caron presented the programme during the late 1980's
I am also aware that John Noakes is not in the best of heath. So it is not my intention to contact
John at this time, but would like to wish him well.
