Blue Peter — 1984-1985

Sept 1984

Safari to Kenya Every year teams of ornithologists from all over the world compete to see how many birds can be spotted in 24 hours. Simon and Janet head north west out of Nairobi, at the start of their 2,000 mile safari, and track down the man whose team holds the record for 1984. Terry Stevenson notched up 290 species, but had 1,055 possibilities - Kenya's a bird spotter's paradise! Don't miss today's first report, and catch up with the latest news about the four-legged members of the Blue Peter team - Goldie, Jack and George the tortoise.

Sept 1984

Witches, Wizards and Robots - Behind the Scenes in the Land of Oz! Janet explores the Emerald City and discovers how a combination of electronics and special photographic effects can conjure up a fantasy land where hens, scarecrows and witches magically come to life!

Sept 1984

The Njemps of Lake Baringo: A tough test for the safari truck as Simon and Janet drive to the parched shores of Lake Baringo and meet one of the tribes struggling for survival in Africa's devastating drought.

Sept 1984

Safari to Kenya - Big Game! The Senior Ranger of the Masai Mara National Reserve, Major Henry Kipunde, has spent many years protecting Kenyan wildlife. Thanks to Henry, lions, zebra, giraffes, buffalo and rhino, as well as elephants, were all bagged by the Blue Peter film cameras and provided Simon and Janet with some memorable shots for their albums!

Sept 1984

Simon and Goldie join the spinners and weavers at the' Quarry Bank Mill, Styal - 1984 Museum of the Year - and discover how children as young as 8 or 9, working as apprentices, kept the looms turning for over 50 years, in the days when cotton was king!

Sept 1984

Technilogical Teddy! SuperTed returns next week and from his space station orbiting the Earth he's on the alert to answer any SOS that flickers on to his video monitor. If you'd like your own knitted Janet has news of a pattern that could bring him zooming on to your bed - in assorted colours!

Oct 1984

SOS Big Cats! with Simon Groom Janet Ellis and Michael Sundin Simon and Janet swap their safari truck for a light aircraft to track down George Adamson of Born Free fame. At his remote camp at Kora, George is waging a campaign to preserve Kenya's endangered lions and leopards. And if you are fond of cats watch out for details of the Blue Peter classes at the world's biggest cat show.

Oct 1984

Flood Alert! After the summer drought, the villagers of Topsham in Devon were faced with floods when the River Exe produced its highest tide since 1966. Michael helped to build the barricades to protect the centuries-old houses and joined the men of the Devon Fire Brigade keeping anxious watch on the rising waters.

Oct 1984

Terror on the Track! Eighty-five years ago killer lions ate 28 navvies attempting to build Kenya's Mombasa-to-Lake Victoria railway. Colonel J. H. Patterson 's master plan outwitted the man-eaters and saved the day! Simon reports from Tsavo, the very spot where the lions attacked.

Oct 1984

Straight Down the Line!: Simon tracks down the most famous line in the world, the zero line of longitude - otherwise known as the Greenwich Meridian - that celebrates its centenary next Saturday. Most visitors to Greenwich admire the famous Time Ball dropped one hour after noon each day-now is your chance to see how it works and why Greenwich Mean Time is of worldwide importance.

Oct 1984

Bothie The Polar Dog: Two years ago a seven-year-old Jack Russell terrier made history by becoming the first dog in the world to put four paws on both the North and South Poles - and the smallest to have been to either! On the day the canine hero of the Transglobe expedition has a book published in his honour, he joins the team for a reunion with Goldie.

Oct 1984

Over The Top! To restore a huge Edwardian office block in the heart of the City of London, a 100-tonne tower crane had to be swung in ten sections over a 108-foot wall! Simon joined the team masterminding this colossal leap-frog and picked up a few tips from Billy Dalton, whose precision and skill helped to make the whole manoeuvre possible.

Oct 1984

Antarctic Survival! For the past year a research team has been living in one of the most uncomfortable and dangerous places on earth-Antarctica's Brabant Island. Explorers have only landed there three times-and never before stayed long enough to establish a base. Michael joins the expert canoeists in training to take part in the final stage of this hazardous assignment.

Oct 1984

A Dip in Time....' Saves Lives! The dreaded sheep scab caused untold agony to thousands of ewes and rams last year. The campaign to kill the mites that eat into the animals' flesh involves dipping every sheep in Britain - Simon and Michael give the 300-strong Dethick flock their bath -under the watchful eye of the local bobby!

Oct 1984

Hocus Pocus! 'What do you call a wicked old woman who lives by the sea? - A sandwitch!' But that's not what Michael's brewing up. If you're giving a hallowe'en party on 31 October tune in for Sundin's Surprise!

Nov 1984

Gripped Up With Zoe. Hair-raising stunts, acrobatics and trampolining are all in a day's work for Michael, but one thing Blue Peter's new action man has never attempted is rock climbing. Zoe Brown of Old Man of Hoy fame starts Michael off on his climbing career with lots of useful tips for other beginners.

Nov 1984

Remember, Remember ... Cats and dogs hate explosions and Jack and Goldie are no exception! Keep your pet safely indoors tonight and if you're having a Guy Fawkes party, watch out for some culinary tips when Janet and Michael join the Royal Navy - in a rain-sodden field near Exmouth - to compete in the annual Corps Cookery Competition.

Nov 1984

Tired of being ticked-off for leaving your model cars lying around? Janet's multi-storey car park could solve your problems! All you need is old cereal packets and corrugated paper and it can be easily adapted to grow with your collection. So have a pencil and paper handy.

Nov 1984

SOS! Today Simon, Janet and Michael make their most important announcement of the year - so have a pencil and paper handy for details of what "Blue Peter"'s collecting for the 1984 appeal. This time your help is needed by two good causes, so it's a double challenge!

Nov 1984

Christmas is Coming! Be original - give people cards with a difference this year. Janet shows you how to make your own. And watch out for the Lifesaver Appeal's totaliser, which will record your donations to this year's double Appeal.

Nov 1984

Flying Stars!: Today's your chance to discover the secrets of the Box! Thirteen-year-old Devin Stanfield - Kay Harker in the new adventure series "The Box of Delights" (Wednesday 5.0) - is joined in the studio by Mouse, alias Simon Barry, and Patrick Troughton who, as magician Cole Hawlings, works his magic to defeat the evil Abner Brown.

Nov 1984

LifeSaver Appeal! It will take 800,000 envelopes of your buttons and post-cards to replace the four Blue Peter Inshore Life-boats and another 800,000 envelopes of used stamps to provide water pumps, pipes and seeds to help some of the survivors of Ethiopia's terrible famine rebuild their lives for the future. If you can help, here's a reminder of the depot address: [address removed

Nov 1984

Flying Feathers! Treat yourself to an eye-catching Christmas mobile - a dazzling creation of exotic multi-coloured birds that will add a touch of luxury to your decorations when they fly from the ceiling! And watch out for an invasion of 200 cats - each one a collector's item.

Nov 1984

Question: how can buttons, postcards and stamps save lives? Answer: by being turned into lifeboats and trucks, water-pumps and seeds for Ethiopia! Today's report from the LifeSaver Appeal Depot shows how your donations are sorted.

Dec 1984

Cable Cliffhanger! Simon's mid-air report, dangling 170 metres above the Derbyshire countryside! Volunteer Groom tries out the emergency drill on board Britain's first Alpine-style cable car system. If you have a head for the Heights of Abraham, your Blue Peter badge guarantees you a free ride-but check the opening times before you go into orbit!

Dec 1984

Gifts Galore for Grans and Grandads! Ssshhh! It's top secret - but if you want to surprise your gran or grandad with a very special present for Christmas, you'll need a soap-powder packet, wrapping paper and glue. Tune in today for more details.

Dec 1984

Riding High! Michael joins a class of Army PT instructors and faces the Becher's Brook of the gymnastic world - a seven-foot-high horse! A refusal means you haven't made the grade.

Dec 1984

Who's a Pretty Boy? Not Mr Punch -the incredibly ugly, baby great palm cockatoo! But if he survives his hand-rearing he could end up one of the most beautiful birds in the world.

Dec 1984

Winter Wonderland! Michael reports from Mora in Sweden and the official opening ceremony of the very latest theme park - Santaworld. The winner of Blue Peter's Winter Wonderland Competition is a VIP guest-join them on a whirlwind tour of Aurora Lake, Santa's House, the Snow Queen's Palace and Troll Land!

Dec 1984

Mousehole Lights! Cornwall's most famous Christmas illuminations are switched on by Simon this year, and a Blue Peter galleon joins the glittering giant sea serpent in the harbour.

Dec 1984

On the last programme before Christmas, catch up with the latest news of the double LifeSaver Appeal, in aid of Ethiopia and the four Blue Peter lifeboats. There's Christmas Eve magic in the air as the studio is transformed into the Kingdom of the Snow for the stars of the famous Nutcracker ballet, and a carol around the tree with the massed choirs of ALLFARTHING PRIMARY SCHOOL, WARLINGHAM COUNTY SECONDARY SCHOOL plus the BBC SYMPHONY CHORUS and the BAND OF THE CHALK FARM branch of the Salvation Army.

Dec 1984

It was the year Blue Peter turned detective and collected a few bruises! Remember when Bill and Ben, the stolen Flower Pot Men, were rescued in the nick of time? And when Peter Hawkins revealed the mystery of the Flob-a-Dob Flower Pot language? How was Michael transformed into Tik Tok, the mini-robot from Oz? Was Janet really chopped in three? How can you trampoline with skis on - and what was the secret of the see-through bath? Other highlights include World Land Speed Record holder Richard Noble's fire-fighting car, the agony of the Royal Navy Field Gun race, the muddy battle of Ashbourne Football and how free-falling Janet broke her pelvis! If you missed any of these magic moments in 1984 today is your chance to catch up - and look ahead to 1985.

Jan 1985

LifeSaver Stop Press! The Double LifeSaver Appeal is producing fantastic results - if the Totaliser Targets are reached today, vital long-term aid will be provided for Ethiopia, and Blue Peter's four lifeboats will be replaced.

Jan 1985

Rising Star! At 15 America's Kathy Healy is already a star of stage, screen and the ice-rink! After figure-skating in John Curry 's famous Superskate Show, aged 6, Kathy acted with Dudley Moore and Mary Tyler Moore and danced in Germany, Italy, Paris, and New York. Today she makes a whirlwind visit to the Blue Peter studio between performances as Clara in the London Festival Ballet's Nutcracker.

Jan 1985

In 1877 the clipper ship Avalanche sank off the Dorset coast. Now divers have recovered part of her cargo, and Simon, Janet and Michael sample a bottle of 117-year-old champagne!

Jan 1985

Kestrel Survival Deep in the heart of the Cambridgeshire countryside the RSBP is encouraging kestrels to breed. Janet reports from the reserve at Fowlmere, and with the aid of the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, climbs 100ft up a poplar tree to install a giant nest box.

Jan 1985

The Barwell Monster! The biggest meteorite ever to fall on Britain landed in the middle of the Leicestershire village of Barwell on Christmas Eve, 1965. For a few days Barwell was the most popular spot in the universe as scientists and sightseers flocked there to find a fragment from outer space - and there'll be some of Barwell's spacerock in the studio today!

Jan 1985

Great Western Rules OK? Tomorrow the Post Office celebrates the 150th birthday of one of the world's most renowned railways, the Great Western, and pays tribute to trains from other famous railway companies. The five giants of steam that feature on the new stamps are the Flying Scotsman, the Golden Arrow, the Cheltenham Flyer, the Cornish Riviera and the Royal Scot and you can see them all in action on today's programme.

Jan 1985

Galactic Lunapede ! Three lolly-sticks, one old ping-pong ball, a cotton reel, four plastic buttons and a few beads are all you need to create a fast-moving space puppet. Have paper and pencil ready for assembly details!

Jan 1985

The Princess Daisy Doll The amazing adventures of Daisy -the doll who was the star of the 1895 International Exhibition - with her wardrobe of exquisite clothes. She was given to the 6-year-old Princess Royal in 1905 and today Daisy, who lives at the Bethnal Green Museum, visits the Blue Peter studio together with her entire wardrobe.

Jan 1985

Happy Birthday, Jack! Britain's favourite silver tabby was 9 years old on Tuesday, but he's still the fastest cat on four paws, and whether he'll do his famous disappearing act during today's birthday celebrations is anyone's guess!

Feb 1985

Just 12 weeks after the launch of the LifeSaver Appeal, the Ethiopia target has been more than doubled. Find out today if the Lifeboats target has been reached. Plus news of the important LifeSaver Appeal Auction.

Feb 1985

Doll's Delight! Pamper your doll with a luxury bedroom suite, including a bed, table, lamp, dressing-table and stool. They're in co-ordinating colours and you can make them all for nothing!

Feb 1985

Top Dogs! Meet two of the cleverest of the Crufts champions - the winners of the Obedience classes. Watch the precision of their paws, as the top dog and bitch respond to their handlers' commands, demonstrating the tests that won them their coveted title.

Feb 1985

Lucky Winners!: Today's the day the results of the competition to design the end papers for the new Blue Peter book will be announced. Don't miss the judges' choice.

Feb 1985

Pancake Party! Don't miss Michael's pancake recipe for your Shrove Tuesday party plus some scrumptious fillings!

Feb 1985

The Bear Facts! Meet the 8-week-old cub from Loch Lomond who's making his very first TV appearance. Or is it 'she'? So far, no one knows!

Feb 1985

Cub Scout Challenge Twenty thousand Cub Scouts entered a vigorous test of strength and endurance last year to discover the fittest and quickest thinking Cubs. Today the four winners visit the studio and challenge Simon and Michael to try the toughest test of all, the dreaded 'leg-hover'!

Feb 1985

Tales from the Secret Annexe The diaries of a 13-year-old girl written during the Nazi occupation of Holland, inspired millions of people all over the world. Re-live Anne Frank's story -on the day more of her secret writings are published.

Mar 1985

Mar 1985

The Lamberts of Croydon One hundred and sixty years ago, two boys and a small girl riding on a donkey were painted by the famous artist John Constable. 'They are very well-behaved and amiable children, and the donkey is a fine, rough, good-natured animal' he wrote to his wife. Today may be your last chance to see this painting - when this great family treasure is auctioned at Sotheby's next week, it could well leave the country forever.

Mar 1985

Tile Detective! Monkeys, camels and elephants, nursey rhyme characters and royal princesses are just a few of the valuable tile pictures that used to cheer up patients in the children's wards of hospitals. Now as old buildings are demolished the tiles are in danger. The search is on to save them, and you can help. Find out how today, and see some of the treasures that have survived.

Mar 1985

Changing the Irish Guard! Meet Conchobar Mac Neffa, or Connor for short, the four-month-old wolfhound who's set to become the new regimental mascot of the Irish Guards.

Mar 1985

Cetiosaurus Lives! For 17 years, the skeleton of one of the largest of the dinosaurs lay packed in boxes in the basement of Leicester's museum. Today Cetiosaurus makes his first posthumous public appearance, in the Blue Peter studio -all 40 feet of him! There's news of Bobby Robson 's Soccer Funweeks with dazzling footwork from Chris Waddle and John Barnes. And don't miss the report on the LifeSaver Appeal Auction.

Mar 1985

Noses to the Grindstone! Imagine the agony of 10,000 press-ups, followed by 10,000 basketball shots and then lifting your own body weight 13,000 times! Three superfit people attempted these feats in 24 hours for a good cause. Today you can find out if they succeeded!

Mar 1985

Happy Birthday Goldie! Britain's favourite golden retriever is 7 years old today. Join in the celebrations with a grand reunion of her puppies - Prince and Henry who are fully qualified Guide Dogs for the Blind, Buster, Sandy and Lady.

Mar 1985

Only eight metres across, a single-engined aircraft attempts an epic Polar flight this year. Meet the plane and Tony Dutton the intrepid pilot.

Apr 1985

Biggles Flies Again! Janet goes behind the scenes as a new Biggles adventure is turned into a full length feature film - complete with bi-planes, helicopters and spies!

Apr 1985

Horses on Parade! A spectacular preview of the centenary celebrations of London's most famous Harness Horse Parade.

Apr 1985

Dig This! One hundred and fifty-eight model excavators and mechanical diggers fill the studio today. Peter Grimshaw of Atherton started collecting them in 1946 when he was 10. Now he reckons it's the biggest collection in the country. Watch out for the spectacular Walking Dragline, too!

Apr 1985

Up the Rams! 'Come on Derby!' is a familiar cry for Simon when he goes to support his home team. Third Division or not, the Baseball Ground is still a scene of celebration as thousands turn out every Saturday to support County's centenary season. But who's that in the number seven shirt? Have Derby signed a new midfield star? Find out the score when Simon plays the game of his life with his heroes, and fulfills his wildest dreams!

Apr 1985

See How They've Grown! The terrible triplets are back today - the lion cubs from Windsor Safari Park - and Terry Nutkins will be choosing their names from the thousands of suggestions sent in by viewers. If your idea is picked, you'll win a VIP all-expenses-paid visit to the park - there are lots of prizes for runners-up too!

Apr 1985

Old Crocs ! One hundred and fifty million years ago, ferocious 20-foot crocodiles slithered over the British Isles. Simon and Goldie report from their graveyard in the Cambridgeshire countryside and help dig up their ancient bones -under the expert eye of palaeontologist Dave Martill.

Apr 1985

Don Forget the Driver! A piece of tarred cowhide and a pair of boots is all that was worn by the world's first known underwater diver. You can see this incredible 200-year-old suit in today's preview of Sea Finland - the National Maritime Museum's important new exhibition.

Apr 1985

There's more to driving a limousine than meets the eye, as Janet discovers when she trains as a chauffeuse. Keeping your cool in London's West End traffic with a VIP passenger is just as nerve-racking as controlling a spin on the skid pan -behind the wheel of a E60,000 Rolls-Royce!

May 1985

Next Sunday, 180 assorted vans, fire engines, vintage buses and lorries will be taking part in the 24th Historic Commercial Vehicle Society's London to Brighton run. In today's preview, Michael tries out a 1912 Rover delivery van-restored to its splendid Edwardian livery!

May 1985

Mary Rose Latest! The Mary Rose has had that sinking feeling once again! Not to the bottom of the Solent, but lowered down to a new position in the Ship Hall. Catch up with all the latest news as Simon reports from the deck of Henry VIII 's famous flagship with archaeological director MARGARET RULE.

May 1985

Powder a Porker! Meet Matilda and Winifred, stars of sty and screen as they prepare for their pig video. If their looks impress viewers, they could end up producing piglets in Japan, Australia, or even Albania. Simon helps them make-up for their screen debut.

May 1985

Beamish Magic! A report from the latest time capsule at the Open Air Museum recreating life in Michael's home town-Gateshead - in the 1920s. Sixty years ago the Co-op was advertising for assistants at 12/6 for a 48-hour week, draper's shops sold liberty bodices and the seaside was a ninepenny tram ride away!

May 1985

Gravel Pit Ski-ing Michael, the demon of the slopes, is back on his skis again! He's continuing his freestyle acrobatic ski training in deepest Berkshire. There's not much snow there in May so he and the British Freestyle Ski-ing team take to the water instead!

May 1985

Question: where wouldn't you expect to find wild birds? Answer: by a busy motorway junction alongside a polluted river. Wrong! Today news of Britain's newest and most unusual bird reserve.

May 1985

The 532 Blue Peter on the Move! The 532 Blue Peter joined ten other famous old locos at the Great Western Society's birthday party to celebrate 150 years of the GWR. Simon gave the signal for the start of the fortnight's steam extravaganza - don't miss his report.

Jun 1985

Glorious Mud! It's sticky going for Janet and Michael as they take part in the toughest race of their lives. Follow the gooey trail, in their desperate bid to beat the tide, as they wallow across the mud flats of the River Exe.

Jun 1985

Janet Jumps Again! It's nine months since Janet broke her pelvis in a chance-in-a-million landing, after a routine parachute jump with the RAF Falcons. The accident delayed her bid to create a new UK Civilian Free Fall record but she's not only been passed fit, she's determined to resume her training. If the weather holds, Janet will be making her first leap into the skies this year.

Jun 1985

Battle of the Giants Thirty giant puppets, the height of doubledecker buses are all set to invade Leicester's Abbey Park next Sunday. In today's preview, Ravana, the evil ten-headed monster, battles it out with Jatayu, the King of the Birds, and Rama and his monkey army attempt to rescue the beautiful princess Sita!

Jun 1985

Remember the Los Angeles Olympics and the first flight of the shuttle? Pictures of events like these from all over the world are beamed live to our TV screens, thanks to the huge satellite tracking station at Goonhilly. Michael climbs the giant receiving dish to give aerial one a fresh coat of paint, and reports from the new Blue Peter aerial which starts work today. With luck its first pictures will be seen on today's programme!

Jun 1985

Janet goes back in time to the 1890s and the days when grand houses were the setting for glittering parties. At Warwick Castle the guests for dinner one hot June evening in 1898 included two future kings, a prime minister-to-be and a dazzling array of High Society's most beautiful ladies. You can meet them all, as they prepare for the feast!

Jun 1985

LifeSaver Round-up! The 1984 double LifeSaver Appeal in aid of Ethiopia and the RNLI more than quadrupled its original target! Today, as the new Blue Peter II is launched at its station at North Berwick, you can catch up with all the developments and see how all your extra stamps have provided irrigation and well-digging schemes for north and south east Ethiopia.

Jun 1985

The Battle of Bosworth! Five hundred years ago this summer, two kings met in battle on a field in Leicestershire and the course of British history was changed forever. Henry Tudor 's defeat of King Richard III ended the War of the Roses, and established the line from which our present Royal Family is descended. Watch Simon's report on the spectactular re-enactment of the battle that will be the highlight of the Quincentenary Celebrations, and discover which country the team will be exploring for the 1985 Summer Expedition!