Blue Peter from the start
Christopher Trace
Uncle Chris, often seen tinkering with trains. More >
Leila Williams
Blue Peter's first lady, often seen playing with dolls. More >
Anita West
The forgotten presenter. More >
Valerie Singleton
Cool, calm, collected and classy. More >
John Noakes
Action man, adventurer and a dog's best friend. More >
The brainchild of John Hunter Blair, Blue Peter began on 16th October 1958 as a seven week experiment, slotted in between Watch With Mother and the adult magazine show Studio E.
Presented by Christopher Trace and Leila Williams, Blue Peter was broadcast live from Lime Grove each Thursday in a fifteen minute slot. Introduced with the familiar Barnacle Bill theme tune, typical items included Chris playing with a train set, while Leila played with the dolls.
A frequent guest was Tony Hart, who would draw and tell tales about Packi the baby elephant, and a regular feature was the crudely animated sci-fi series Bleep and Booster.
Fast forward to 1962 and Biddy Baxter became the show's editor and Valerie joined Chris to present the show. - Together with Edward Barnes and Rosemary Gill (who later created Swap Shop), Biddy created the Blue Peter format that is still recognisable today, complete with ship logo (designed by Tony Hart), the coveted Blue Peter badge, the appeals and the summer expeditions.
