Sunday, 4 March 2018

Blue Peter owe me a badge

Outside the pub a couple of days ago.

I represented Great Britain in the annual snow-carving competition at Quebec City once. It was so extremely cold that it didn't feel that bad. All the moisture in the air would fall to the ground as solids, In fact, it was dangerously cold for that reason. I ventured out of the heated hotel one night to go to a restaurant a few hundred yards away. It was about -35C.

A local asked me where I was going, then told me I should really go with someone else. I thought that she was warning me about muggers, but she explained that if I were to slip over on the ice and break my leg in the deserted streets, I would be dead in about ten minutes undiscovered.

When I got home to England, I was sitting in the pub (no change there) when a little girl came up to me and said, "You were on Blue Peter, weren't you?"

I told her she was mistaken and that I have never been on that kid's TV show. She said, "Yes you were. Last week. You were carving snow in Canada."

A film crew must have filmed me hard at it and sent the footage back to Blue Peter ahead of me.

I have heard that if you are on the program for representing your country, they give you a gold badge. People have been selling their gold badges on eBay for quite a lot of money. Hmm...
at

38 comments:

  1. Tom Stephenson4 March 2018 at 05:31

    I should have called this 'Blue Peter STILL owe me a badge' as I know I have already told this story - at least once.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cro Magnon4 March 2018 at 06:08

    I was in a pub' once with Simon Fletcher just outside Farnham, when in came Noakes. He bought something from the bar (not beer), then left. For a very brief while we were on 'nodding terms'.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Joanne Noragon4 March 2018 at 06:08

    The best part of the story is the warm regard with which I read it again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom Stephenson4 March 2018 at 08:01

      I will have to have some other experiences, but not car-crashes.

      Delete
  4. Rachel Phillips4 March 2018 at 06:36

    When I used to watch Blue Peter the badges were only awarded to children for doing something outstanding, not adults.

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    Replies
    1. Tom Stephenson4 March 2018 at 08:02

      What is the age cut-off? Over 45?

      Delete
    2. Rachel Phillips4 March 2018 at 08:13

      It would be whatever Biddy Baxter decreed.

      Delete
    3. Tom Stephenson4 March 2018 at 10:53

      Valerie Singleton lives near here. I was a massive shock to discover she is a lesbian, but more of a surprise to hear that she shacked up with Joan Armartrading! She now does photo-shoots for my elderly car-club member's magazine.

      Delete
    4. Tom Stephenson4 March 2018 at 10:56

      Oh, and yes - I met her. Next one to tick off the list: Hayley Mills.

      Delete
    5. John Going Gently4 March 2018 at 17:13

      Shock? She always looked as though she could hold her own in a pub fight

      Delete
    6. Rachel Phillips4 March 2018 at 22:05

      Valerie was in shock too. She always denied it.

      Delete
    7. Tom Stephenson5 March 2018 at 01:18

      I must say they would have made a very odd couple, but that's why I liked the idea.

      Delete
  5. The Weaver of Grass4 March 2018 at 06:52

    I once met JB Priestley in Hubberholme Churchyard (his ashes are now scattered there!) I suppose that counts as meeting someone famous. Now I know your story Tom (which I did not read last time you put it on your blog) I suppose I could say I communicate with someone famous could I?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom Stephenson4 March 2018 at 08:04

      J.B. Priestly was a good one to meet. We ought to have a whole post on name-dropping. I will start it going by casually mentioning that I met Prince Charles once.

      Delete
    2. Lettice4 March 2018 at 11:51

      Pooooof! I could blow you all out of the water: mind you, JB Priestley is a good one.

      LX

      Delete
    3. Tom Stephenson4 March 2018 at 14:05

      I thought you were talking to John for a minute.

      Delete
    4. John Going Gently4 March 2018 at 17:13

      How VERY dare you

      Delete
    5. Tom Stephenson5 March 2018 at 01:19

      Tee hee!

      Delete
  6. Maria4 March 2018 at 07:35

    I'm sorry you did not get your badge Tom. That's not fair.
    Falling and not able to get up and freezing to death at -36°C must be terrifying!
    I saw a freezing bubble shown on TV last night. Enchanting! I went to look for it on YouTube. https://youtu.be/1dmYhovMkUo
    Greetings Maria x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jane Karwat4 March 2018 at 09:03

    I could send you a looney which is what we call our one dollar coin. It just looks like gold. What did you carve at Carnival?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom Stephenson4 March 2018 at 09:44

      It was too ambitious. Two 10 foot sculptures of Rodin's 'The Thinker' as book-ends with huge books in between. My assistants lied about their abilities and I injured my foot on arrival meaning I could not climb a ladder. I ended up shouting orders from the ground and finished - unplaced - with one crap figure.

      Delete
    2. Lettice4 March 2018 at 11:42

      What did the one crap figure look like it was sat on the lav?

      LX

      Delete
    3. Tom Stephenson4 March 2018 at 14:07

      I'll post a picture at some point. P.S. The recently deceased Sir Roger Bannister presented me with my 2 O Levels. He said, "Well done."

      Delete
    4. Rachel Phillips4 March 2018 at 22:08

      I thought you only got 1.

      Delete
    5. Lettice4 March 2018 at 23:07

      Name dropping and topical, I like it! My only intellectual is Malcom Muggeridge I spoke to him on the telephone, does that count? Hardly topical as he has been dead for nigh on three hundred years.

      LX

      Delete
    6. Tom Stephenson5 March 2018 at 01:21

      He looked as though he had been dead for nigh on three hundred years when you spoke to him on the phone.

      I have 2 O-Levels. Art (obviously) and English Language (obviously).

      Delete
  8. Jacqueline @ HOME4 March 2018 at 10:02

    Tony Hart made appearances on Blue Peter .... they were my favourite bits.
    I’ve met a fair few famous people but not as many as you ! XXXX

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom Stephenson4 March 2018 at 10:54

      Some of them I am not allowed to mention, for fear of dying in poverty.

      Delete
  9. elegancemaison4 March 2018 at 16:30

    I've decided to become a troll. It's much more fun. Btw Bddy Baxter was a neighbour in Ealing. Those were the days. And Hayley Mills goes into a pub we frequent in Barnes, she has an exotic looking lover. I would have been envious except that I have the handsome Mr EM beside me and avert his gaze.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom Stephenson5 March 2018 at 01:24

      I only really fancied Hayley Mills when she was about 14. Remember, I was about 13 at the time... Looking forward to your Troll exploits.

      Delete
  10. John Going Gently4 March 2018 at 17:12

    I heard eBay was shutting gold badge winners down !
    I liked Leslie Judd but Peter pervus got on my tits

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lettice4 March 2018 at 23:10

      What even when he morphed into a Crufts presenter?

      LX

      Delete
    2. Tom Stephenson5 March 2018 at 01:26

      I will sell my gold badge on the Dark Net. I haven't watched Blue Peter since Valerie Singleton was turning cardboard toilet rolls into single-use dildos.

      Delete
  11. Britta5 March 2018 at 00:25

    Children have a very good memory/keeping visual in mind - that she recognized you is amazing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom Stephenson5 March 2018 at 01:28

      Yes, but she probably recognised me from around town before she saw me on the program. Bath is a small place.

      Delete
    2. Lettice5 March 2018 at 13:12

      Not if your MO is trolling around Bath as a frigging merkin... she won’t...

      LX

      Delete

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