Blue Peter specials

Perhaps one aspect of my past boyhood tends to be that I can recall pretty much what I was doing and what I liked and unlike some people having never really moved beyond the same sorts of things I still have things connected to them.

I was an avid viewer of the BBC Tv series Blue Peter which at that time was broadcast most Monday's and Thursday afternoons knowing the presenters of my era (and a good many of  the later ones) watching every episode and having the year books of which I still have those I had during that time.
Growing out of the Blue Peter yearly Expedition idea was the Special Assignment series that was done mainly by Valerie Singleton as in time she moved into grown up television that started in 1972 and continued toward the 80's that looked at cities and islands that were shown outside of the main program. Travel was something she loved apart from being a keen amateur photographer.
There were tie in books of which I have the above Islands book from 1973, the cities book on Rome,Paris and Vienna from 1973 plus 1975's Hong Kong and Malta in the Island series which were published by the BBC and Piccolo

In 1975 which was an important year for me personally, Blue Peter run a special competition for viewers to write in their own Odd Odes helped by the late Cyril Fletcher who you might recall from That's Life who established this genre in the UK.
The best ones within the prizes award for each age group (first, second and third prizes) were published together with others in 1975 in this paperback book which I still have.

As we moved into the 1980's resulting from a completion for viewers to send in their recipes  for their favourite home made foods with the help of Delia Smith who made them after awarding prizes it was decided in 1980 to publish a paper book of them with half the proceeds going toward the International Year of the Child covering savouries, cakes with biscuits, main meals, puddings and sweets coupled with drinks.

Looking back upon it, it is interesting to recall the breadth of topics the show covered introducing you to new ideas to explore perhaps yourself and how it was that we, the boys and girls of the era helped make the show their our letters in a show of interactivity before the modern age of the show website with fan club and emails.