A TALE TO MAKE YOU BLUE - "GET DOWN, SHEP!"

Copyright BBC TV

Border Collie dog SHEP was probably BLUE PETER's most famous pet in a long and varied line.  Not only was he and his 'master', JOHN NOAKES, regarded as one of the nation's finest double acts (of a sort), they also inspired a record single by the group The BARRON KNIGHTS based on Noakes' continual admonitions of "Get down, Shep!"

John Noakes departed Blue Peter in 1978 after almost 12 and a half years, and Shep was 'retired' from the show at the same time.  Their association continued for another two years in the programme GO WITH NOAKES (which had started in 1976) and, according to some histories, John and Shep lived together happily ever after until Shep passed away in 1987.

Except that's not what happened.  Shep belonged to the BBC, not John Noakes, though the Corporation was prepared to make a gift of the dog to John on the undertaking that he didn't use the pet for commercial purposes such as advertising.  (The Collie who appeared with John in adverts for dog food in 1978 was a 'ringer' called SKIP.)  Also, the allowance which the BBC paid to John for looking after the dog would be discontinued.

John Noakes apparently later claimed that Editor BIDDY BAXTER wouldn't allow him to keep the dog; Biddy Baxter, on the other hand, claimed that once John found he couldn't financially profit from exploiting his canine chum in the lucrative world of advertising (though some accounts say he accepted this condition) and would no longer receive his regular allowance for the dog's upkeep, he promptly relinquished Shep back to the BBC.

The dog was cared for by EDITH MENEZES, the official Blue Peter pet keeper, who also 'looked after' PETRA (one of Shep's predecessors) and a variety of other animals from the BP menagerie. I've been unable to determine with whom Shep resided between 1978 and '80, but he stayed with Edith for the rest of his life from 1980 to '87.  (John revealed the dog's death while appearing on TV two or three days later and shed a few tears.)

So, sadly, despite the legend, John and Shep didn't walk off into the sunset together like ANDREW GLENN & BLACK BOB.  Shep stayed in Britain with Edith, while John and his wife moved to Malta in 1984, where I believe they yet reside to this day.

So not quite the happy ending BP viewers would've wished for, or that some sources would have us believe.  Sad, eh?

EAGLEMOSS 1966 MOVIE BATBOAT...

Some weeks ago, I bought the EAGLEMOSS 1966 MOVIE BATBOAT, which, it has to be said, is quite a bit more accurate than the CORGI TOYS version from the '60s.  However, good as the current model is, I thought it could still stand just a little improvement - so I took the liberty of adding a couple of spare original Corgi figures of BATMAN & ROBIN to complete the look.  Thought you might like to see some photos of it, so here you are.  They may not be perfectly in scale, but they round it off nicely I think.