Remember these? The badge everyone wants (and I have)
Get jealous; I have three Blue Peter badges. Yes, I am the proud owner of a purple, a green and an original white and blue badge and I still have them attached to my rucksack at aged 20.
For me, the Blue Peter badge is so much more than a pin. It’s nostalgic — that little piece of childhood, the memory of earning something for the first time. It’s a symbol of youth, innocence and (sigh) a simpler time, but most of all… it’s COOL.
Now, I am currently writing a dissertation on children’s television… and my career goal is to be a children’s presenter, so I may be a little biased. But, if you’re a Brit born within the last sixty years, you probably have someone you call ‘your Blue Peter presenter’ and that kind of legacy is no mean feat for a kids’ show.
As written in the Blue Peter 50th Anniversary Book, the humble Blue Peter badge was first introduced in 1963 by producer Biddy Baxter, who had received a generic response when she’d written a letter to Enid Blyton. She introduced the badge as a promise to personally respond to every letter written into the show and a team of employees still do this today — responding to each and every child, badge winner or not.
I have a fond memory of suddenly being very popular in the playground when I pinned the badge onto my jumper. Everyone wanted a look! But now, lost in the tens of badges I have pinned to my rucksack, not many people notice the tokens of my childhood. But it’s always a fun conversation starter if someone does spot one; they’ll often share their own memories of the show and we’ll reminisce together!
Since my Blue Peter era (circa Andy Akinwolere, Helen Skelton through to Lindsey Russell), there have been a few more editions to the badge world. Notably, the Music Badge — a shiny, rainbow pin designed by Ed Sheeran, to get kids involved in music. As someone who has been a youth musical theatre teacher for the past three years, I was pretty thrilled to find this one out! What with funding for the arts facing massive government cuts in recent years, it’s truly remarkable that a show with such magnitude is shining the spotlight on music-making. Another great update is the ‘greenification’ of the Green Badge, which although always green on the outside, is now green on the inside as well! It’s being made out of recycled yoghurt pots in a UK-based factory. Now, if that isn’t the DIY attitude of the Blue Peter we all know and love, I don’t know what is.
At this point, they’re basically a fashion statement. Celebs seen sporting the pins include Eddie Redmayne, Anna Kendrick and Dermot O’ Leary. Even the royals have them, and HRH Kate Middleton has two! They come with all sorts of perks as well. Aside from the endless bragging rights, a badge can also get you free entry to hundreds of attractions, from Chessington to the Roman Baths! Unfortunately, the perks run out when you hit sixteen, so my days of flashing my badge to the ticket officer, smug grin and all, are over.
I think we need to introduce an adult version of Blue Peter, whereby we get a badge for doing mundane activities that we hate, and the perks are health insurance and discounts at M&S. It’d go something like this:
“Chloe has sent us a photo of her doing the washing up! Well done, Chloe, we’re sending a badge out to you. And we’ve got a letter from Katherine — it’s her SA 100! Well, Kat, we’re sending you your very own Did-Your-Taxes badge in the post.”
I’d tune in. Wouldn’t you?
Regardless of when you watched the show, I’m confident you could tune in now and find something you connect with. The great thing about Blue Peter is that, even though it’s a cult classic, it’s moved with the times — digitising its platforms to maximise engagement, screening stories about politics and the environment and updating its badges to reflect what’s important to kids.
So, what’s my point here? Well, reader, I’m glad you asked. A great many words have been used to describe our politically-engaged, tech-savvy tweenage counterparts, but nothing will take your old aunt Jean back to the good ol’ days like showing her your Blue Peter badge. (Prepare for your three-hour lecture on how it used to be broadcast in black-and-white.)
Still, as much as there is that divides us, perhaps we can find common ground in a little ship, on a little pin.
