Gold Badge Walkway

Yesterday we headed over to Salford to visit The Gold Badge Walkway at Media City Uk.
The walkway has been installed as part of Blue Peter's 60th Birthday celebrations and links the studios at Media City to the iconic Blue Peter Garden. It celebrates some of the many famous faces that have been awarded a Gold Blue Peter badge.
44 giant Gold badges have been set into the pathway and engraved with the names of the famous badge winners.

Amongst the well known names are those of former presenters Valerie Singleton, John Noakes and Peter Purves, along with Biddy Baxter who edited Blue Peter for 23 years and Percy Thrower the first Blue Peter Gardener.

Here is the full list of badge winners honoured on the walkway

Her Majestry The Queen
David Attenborough
Steve Backshall
Gary Barlow
Biddy Baxter
David Beckham
Mary Berry
Malorie Blackman
Quentin Blake
Usain Bolt
Michael Bond
Cressida Cowell
Roald Dahl
Tom Daley
Jessica Ennis-Hill
Tanni Grey-Thompson
Lewis Hamilton
Dani Harmer
Kelly Holmes
Antony Horowitz
Chris Hoy
Elton John
Jade Jones
John Lasseter
Chris Martin
Michael Morpurgo
John Noakes
Nick Park
Tim Peake
Peter Purves
Chris Riddle
Wayne Rooney
JK Rowling
Ellie Simmonds
Francesca Simon
Valerie Singleton
Steven Spielberg
Sarah Storey
Percy Thrower
Beth Tweddle
David Walliams
Bradley Wiggins
Jacqueline Wilson
Barbara Windsor

A belated Happy 59th Birthday Blue Peter

Monday 16th October marked Blue Peter's 59th Birthday.

The previous Thursday was chosen as the day Blue Peter would celebrate, and in fact it also marked the start of a year of celebrations of the programmes 60th year. I am so pleased the BBC are going to celebrate this wonderful television milestone.

The 59th Birthday show included the unveiling of the Gold Badge Walkway at Media City UK. A pathway celebrating some of the famous faces that have been awarded a Gold Blue Peter Badge over the years (more on this soon). The show also featured a birthday quiz including a round that recreated a make first made by John Noakes in the 1960's

A brilliant film featured current presenter Lindsey Russell taking part in a training exercise with The RNLI at Beaumaris the former home of The Blue Peter 2 lifeboat.

The show ended with a teaser of Radzi's Children in need challenge. Following in the footsteps of past presenters John Noakes, Janet Ellis, Simon Thomas and Andy Akinwolere. Radzi has been training with The RAF Falcons and is going to attempt a free fall parachute jump.

Lots more is planned for the 60th year, including in February when 5000 editions of Blue Peter will have been aired, a special Diamond anniversary badge will be launched.

The 59th birthday also marks a year to go until the end of my Project 161018 challenge. If you would like to visit my fundraising page and sponsor me, it would be greatly appreciated

A Tribute to John Noakes

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.

John Noakes

1934 - 2017