It’s a truly historic week for British TV. Blue Peter has broadcast its last ever episode from Television Centre. The show has now shipped off for its summer expedition, and when it returns it’ll be based in shiny Salford. To mark the occasion, here’s a quick pictorial tribute to… The TV Centre Years.
Petra's sixth birthday on 4 November 1968, and the studio is awash with bitches (Biddy Baxter not pictured)
More dogs! It's 27 March 1986, and the team reveal *your* choices of name for Goldie's offspring, including the none-more-mid-80s picks of 'Fergie' and 'Rambo'
A rehearsal on 11 February 1968 with some textbook 1960s electronic watchmacallit
An imperial-era sofa snap, dating from 15 May 1972
Ethopia's Agriculture Minister visits the studio on 19 February 1974 as a thank-you gesture to everyone who sent stamps to the show's 'Stampede' appeal
Sarah brews up on 24 September 1982 with the nation's Top Cub Tea-maker, nine-year-old Matthew Steedman
The grand opening of the sodden time capsules on 7 January 2000
Blue Peter
grew up with BP in the 60′s and 70′s. every kid knew where television centre was. Salford? where that?
Likewise, Keith, it’s a shame this famous old building is going but OTOH it is very expensive to maintain, it was built in an era when most television was done in a studio and the BBC want to sell it so they can invest in more programmes. Some people who grew up in the fifties might see Alexandra Palace as an icon, but as it was largely replaced by Lime Grove and TVC in the second half of the fifties, it fell out of the consciousness of most people. I’m sure if BP tries enough, it can make Salford iconic as the building is impressive.
Will the usual ceremony, wih an elePhant sh***ing all over the joint, be cnducted to consecrate the new studio, the crew leaving a wreath at the MAGPIE memorial en route.
Doggy pic above:
“including the none-more-mid-80s picks of ‘Fergie’, ‘Ronnie’ and ‘Rambo’”
Can’t see a ‘Ronnie’ there, but there is a ‘Bonnie’ with the very bottom of the ‘B’ hidden by the bag…sorry, rag.
Oops – well spotted. That’s now corrected.
“Ethiopia’s Agriculture Minster, 1974″. Did a bang-up job, didn’t he…?