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Cult | News | I Love | 24 May 2004

Janet Ellis, anarchist!

Blue Peter presenter makes powder bomb.

On Sunday morning Janet Ellis set up a bomb-making factory. For Radio Four's Broadcasting House programme she constructed a powder bomb, live on air.

Using flour, some dye, a wooden spoon and a condom, she happily explained to listeners the process involved. She was delighted to be asked in to do it, as she said the request was in the finest traditions of Blue Peter: "It's exactly that sort of education by proxy that the programme set out to inspire."

Having asked grown-ups to leave the room (otherwise it would spoil the surprise), she then led her fellow Radio Four activists step-by-step through the bomb-making protest. Starting with a condom.

"We're going to be using a very thin, sensitive one. It does say on the box that if irritation occurs you should stop using it, but in this case I'd say it's irritation that we precisely want to inspire. So, just for today, ignore the instructions on the box.

"What you will need is a mixing bowl, a wooden spoon to stir and flour. Now with the flour, you could use either plain or self raising. If you are using plain, add just a little bit of bicarbonate of soda. And some dye to colour it. For a more festive protest you could add hundreds of thousands, or perhaps some glitter.

"Now, I'm going to use purple dye for this bomb, as purple is the colour of equality. You could use any colour. Pink for a girl, blue for a boy - or vice versa if you're protesting sexual equality. Green if it's an environmental protest. The choice is yours.

"You need to slightly inflate the condom. Put that over a funnel. Hold it tight. If you've got an airborn protest, you may want to use a funnel bung to stop the air escaping. We've improvised with a sticky material, which I'm not going to name.

"You need about a three to one flour to dye mix - otherwise you end up with a very pastel bomb, which wouldn't show up on the cameras.

"I'm not worried about giving out this information. This is a peaceful protest. An exclamation mark if you like. Happy to help."

The programme was followed by The Archers Omnibus.



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