The news that the Blue Peter ship is to finally give up it’s berth and mooring in it’s home port of BBC1, comes as a great surprise and a source of sadness for many generations of former viewers. There was something very soothing, reassuring and comforting about Blue Peter. For my early 1970s generation, returning home from school after a hard day in the classroom, you knew you could relax as soon as the theme music kicked in, followed by the trio of presenters Peter Purvis, John Noakes and Valerie Singleton ( later joined by Leslie Judd ) greeting you with a collective and individual “hello”. That twice weekly greeting on a Tuesday and a Thursday, was a source of great comfort only matched by PC Dixon’s “Evening All” at the end of “Dixon of Dock Green” on a Saturday early evening!!

Blue Peter is clearly the flagship ( pun fully intended!! ), but infact the rest of the BBC Children’s Programmes fleet is also to be scrapped from the BBC1 and BBC2 schedules as soon as the digital switchover is completed. Old school Blue Peter viewers like myself have only just come to terms with the programme being moved out of Television Centre to its new dry dock in Salford Quays and and the associated desecration of Percy Thrower’s lovely sunken garden in order to move it to it’s new home up north. So it was with a heavy heart, I sat down to pay homage to Blue Peter and BBC Television Centre, by watching a fitting tribute to the two on BBC4 on Thursday night!! First of all I immersed myself in a Blue Peter episode from 4th November 1974, which just happened to be legendary Blue Peter pet alsatian , Petra’s 12 birthday. This struck a chord with me because I had celebrated my 12th birthday only a month earlier on the 4th October – the first time I was away from my family on my birthday. Thankfully although Petra might have long gone, I’m still here to tell the tale!! Speaking of which, “Tales of Television Centre” followed at 9pm and was a wonderful hour and a half of amusing and incredible anecdotes from an A to Z lexicon of BBC celebrities from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. What really came across was the enduring love every TV presenter and actor had for not just the physical incarnation of BBC Television Centre, but also the affection they all had for the personalities of the ancillary staff, customs and culture that existed within that iconic circular building!!

BBC4 provided me with  a thoroughly wonderful trip into my childhood and evoked all those cosy TV memories of Z Cars, Dixon of Dock Green, Dr Who, Top of the Pops, Noel Edmonds’ Multi Coloured Swap Shop, Jackanory, Playschool and John Craven’s News Round. However matching, if not topping all of those were the majestic sails and flag of the Good Ship HMS Blue Peter. I’m sure all of you between the age of thirty and sixty, get goosebumps and a lovely warm feeling that all is well in the world, when you hear that familiar Blue Peter theme music!!

Celebrate Blue Peter, by immortalising this iconic BBC TV Show in your own home or workplace / office. You can order Mike Oldfield’s “Blue Peter” theme music on vinyl record single, framed and mounted as a picture disc souvenir. You can also personalise it with an inscribed / engraved plaque. ( If you wish you can send us your cherished Blue Peter Badge to be added to the memento, at no extra cost. ) …… ORDER NOW…….. http://www.myfirstrecord.co.uk/

Framed vinyl records with a personalised plaque, make a unique present or original gift for a special celebration  ie a Wedding ( Wedding First Dance Song ), an Engagement Party ( Our Song ), a House Warming Party ( New Home ), a 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th or 70th Birthday, a Silver, Ruby or Golden Wedding Anniversary, Father’s or Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day!!  THE PERFECT PERSONALISED PRESENT!!