According to [www.televisionheaven.co.uk]

Petra was a mongrel puppy who was introduced on the show in a box wrapped in Christmas paper. Unfortunately, two days after making its debut the dog died of distemper and the producers had to look around for an exact replica as replacement, so as not to upset the shows younger viewers. The switch was made and as far as the public was concerned there was only ever one Petra. Petra mark ll died in 1977 and the corporation commissioned a bronze bust of the animal, which was placed at the entrance to the BBC.

Oooh, well they had me fooled -- I never knew about that (born 1966 so I probably missed it, come to think of it). Though obviously I must have heard about it somewhere and thought it was more recent . . .



Jesus saves; Buddha does incremental backup.

Never liked Blue Peter. Full of smug little middle-class cub scout types, it was. The kind of naice little lids you just longed to drag behind the bike shed and administer a short sharp introduction to Real Life to. That elephant had the right idea.



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I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

Ah. So you were a Magpie man then Jon.

I guess I probably qualified as a smug little middle-class cub-scout type.

Though I'm glad to say I got thrown out of the cubs for fighting and nicking the subscription money . . .



Jesus saves; Buddha does incremental backup.

Rob; only because of (slurp) Jenny Hanley

Guy: dat's my boy!



- - -
I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

Since I was a proto long-haired social outcast at the time I veered towards Magpie, but selectively - like the time they had Marc Bolan & T Rex on there performing 'Jeepster' (circa. 1972 atv a guess). You never would've seen THAT on Blue Peter!

Talking of which, didn't Bolan later go on to have his own prime-time Children's TV show for a short while as well? Around 1976 or so? I seem to remember him popping up on children's TV all the time back then, guest appearances on 'How', 'Tiswas', 'Saturday Scene' and 'Lynns Look-In' and and even the hysterically titled 'Shang-a-Lang', plus grown-up airtime on 'Pebble Mill at One' and 'Russell Harty'....

Yes, I recall Bolan having a kids TV show - he did a famous duet with Bowie on it. Can't recall the name of the show, though.

(OK, I won't do the Bolan on the radio gag).



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I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

Ummm - I think it was called "Marc". (They didn't want to confuse the kiddies so soon after Petra's death)



Post Edited (07-23-03 14:08)

Jon, is that the same Bolan on the radio gag as was later adapted for Lady D? Suspect it was somehow... and it fed a thousand others too, all along similar lines to "what was the last thing that went through his/her/their mind?"

Dat's der bunny. Very popular in our playground in the early 70s, that one was.



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I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

I got kicked out of two cub packs, although I forget why. 'Subverting the system' is one phrase that comes to mind.

Thinking back to Petra and standard Blue Peter practices, maybe the truth about Petra is that the box she came in had been wrapped in sticky-back plastic...

That would have made great TV: 'And now we can unwrap the present, and, ooh, it's , er, on to the next item: how to make a lovely fur hat...'



PSD

==========

This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

I long suspected that Marc Bolan has been over-rated and was in fact, up his own arse. His 'wonderful' lyrics are strings of pretty, meaningless phrases, hooked to some good riffs that got very repetitive. My indifference to Bolan was confirmed after seeing a clip from the 'Old Gray Whsitle Test'. It shows the Sensational Alex Harvey Band doing a stunning version of 'Delilah' and fades to applause from Bob Harris, who has been watching. Next to him is Marc Bolan, who hasn't been watching SAHB and doesn't acknowledge their performance in any way. He seems too self-involved even to do fellow musicians the courtesy of polite attention.

Altogether now:

"Wrap a purple mini round the old oak tree...."

The tree was framed!



- - -
I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

No, but it was a plant.



Post Edited (07-24-03 10:06)