Your Blue Peter memories

For 50 years Blue Peter has been teaching children how to make models out of sticky back plastic, shoe boxes and washing up liquid bottles.

To help celebrate the show's anniversary, BBC News website readers have been sending in their favourite memories of the show and their Blue Peter badge achievement stories.

ABIGAIL LUTON, DONCASTER

Abigail drew a picture of the presenters to get her badge

I drew a picture of the presenters and sent it on the internet to get my badge. I drew Zoe, Stefan and Andy.

I really like Blue Peter, my favourite presenter on now is Helen. My favourite presenter of all time is Gethin. He finished in July.

The Blue Peter project I liked the most was when they made a mini Mabel. That is the name of one of the Blue Peter dogs and they made a mini model of her.

I like the other dog Lucy best. She's a golden retriever.

JACKIE MACADAM, EDINBURGH

Jackie was sent a replacement badge after she lost her original

I got a Blue Peter badge in the late 60s and a letter signed by Biddy Baxter herself.

I suggested they did a feature about Flannan Isle - something we'd been studying at primary school and I wanted to find out more. Who better than the BP team to help?

My badge used to be pinned above my bed and stayed there for many years until, sadly, it was lost in a house move about 10 years ago.

As an adult, I wrote to them asking for a replacement badge and gave them the details of my original letter - much to my delight one was sent. It wasn't quite the same but I was chuffed anyway.

It now resides in my folder with my exam and achievement certificates - though I have to remember to hide it when I go for an interview.

TRISHA AITKEN, GLASGOW

Anthea Turner's Thunderbirds Tracy Island was the shows most popular

My sons were about six and eight when Anthea Turner made her famous Tracy Island.

As we were all Thunderbird fans, I sent off for the instructions and succeeded in making a rather impressive island myself.

It was enthusiastically played with by my boys for quite a while. Unfortunately, it ended up under my son's bed where it gathered dust for a year or so.

Then one summer we were plagued with tiny insects and had to call pest control. It turned out that the flour paste papier mache had turned into a weevil nursery.

Sadly, my wonderful model ended up in the bin, but the weevil problem was solved.

ANTHONY CHILD, MILTON KEYNES

Anthony and his brother got a badge for the go-kart they built

My brother John and I were the first identical twins to appear on Blue Peter back in 1978.

We'd spent over a year building a go-kart and our mother wrote to the show to tell them about it.

Within a week we were invited on the show and received a special silver Blue Peter badge too.

The presenters at the time were Leslie Judd, Simon Groom and Chris Wenner. I remember we also got to meet Biddy Baxter and Boney M.

My Blue Peter badge is tucked away safely in a box upstairs. I also still have a copy of the programme on VHS video.

SUSAN BRISCOE, WREXHAM

A love of arts and crafts stayed with Susan Briscoe

I won a special Blue Peter badge when I entered a portrait contest in 1975.

The theme was heroes and I painted a picture of the heroine Grace Darling.

I didn't spot my painting when they were on display so I was surprised to find a competition winners badge in the post.

The special competition badges weren't ships, they were round button badges. I remember mine didn't stay fastened very well.

I made quite a few things from Blue Peter, although there was never enough sticky backed plastic or washing up liquid containers. I think my dad still has the garden tidy I made for him.

I now teach patchwork and quilting so the artsy side of me must have remained. I always use the phrase "and here's one I made earlier" when I'm teaching.

JULIA BROAD, KENT

Julia is also celebrating her 50th birthday this year

Both Blue Peter and I are 50 this year and the show has been really special to me.

I appeared on it in 1968 with my entire class from St John's R C Primary School.

Our teacher, Mr Bill Rapley, took us to visit the cable laying ship The Monarch, which was moored at Greenwich. We then built a scale model of it and we were invited to bring it onto the show.

The production team were quite shocked when over 30 of us turned up. However, Mr Rapley had told all our parents we were going to be on TV so they managed to squeeze us all on set.

We met John Noakes, Valerie Singleton and Biddy Baxter. John took us all for tea and showed us round the studio. I remember the set looked a lot scruffier in real life than it did on TV.

I still have my Blue Peter badge and would never part with it. My two children, now 20 and 23, are still quite envious that I have one.

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What are you favourite Blue Peter memories? Send your comments to the Blue Peter debateYour Blue Peter memories

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