15th October 1958

Britain's most popular children's television programme 'Blue Peter' is first broadcast on BBC TV. The first presenters are Leila Williams and Christopher Trace.

My memories of Blue Peter are Valerie Singleton , hyperactive Yorkshireman John Noakes and Peter Purves were like family when I was a kid. These three regularly shared their giant stamp albums with us and taught us how to make a nuclear reactor out of milk bottle tops.

Without Blue Peter
• I would have never have known how to make Christmas decorations from coat hangers and candles;
• I would never have realized that you can make guide dogs for the blind simply by collecting big balls of silver foil;
• I would have never have realized we needed seven hundred thousand Lifeboats on the British coast . . . and . . .
• I wouldn't have had Valerie Singleton to fall in love with