This pre-Health and Safety footage of John Noakes climbing Nelson’s Column is giving people flashbacks
Blue Peter presenter John Noakes was something of a daredevil. During his time on the show (1965 to 1978) – amongst other things – he crashed while tobogganing on the infamous Cresta Run, did a five-mile parachute freefall with the RAF …and this.
Possibly the scariest piece of TV ever created:
John Noakes climbing Nelson's column in Trafalgar Square, in flares, with no harness.
It just gets worse and worse. pic.twitter.com/SgDjiuM9M3
— dan barker (@danbarker) September 6, 2023
These days, the risk-assessment forms would reach halfway up the column, but 1977 was a very different time.
The classic stunt gave some people the fear.
1.
The inspiration for the first couple of minutes of every episode of casualty. https://t.co/BYlDFUy8WG
— Malcolm V Tucker ☠️ (@Tucker5law) September 7, 2023
2.
With hindsight it was pretty weird that John Noakes was always getting up to dangerous stunts like this which we watched along with public information films designed to scare us silly about all the ways we could die doing dangerous things! Mixed messages all the way. https://t.co/PK0NMxE01p
— Mhairi Hunter (@MhairiHunter) September 7, 2023
3.
This is insane. The 70s was insane. https://t.co/4tkFiZKrf1
— Charlotte Levin *IF I LET YOU GO out NOW* (@tinycharlotte72) September 7, 2023
4.
surprised John Noakes didn't turn the air blue (Peter) with panic swears https://t.co/J2L2jgwWo2 pic.twitter.com/mpviqGaVVH
— Jane (@localnotail) September 7, 2023
5.
I’m speaking at a Safety conference later today about ‘Zero Harm’ & came across this infamous Blue Peter sequence with the much missed John Noakes. Sometimes referred to as a Nike Risk Assessment #JustDoIt Thanks to @danbarker for posting. pic.twitter.com/glEFnLzpUL
— Mark Gallagher (@_markgallagher) September 7, 2023
6.
That's made me feel ill https://t.co/bgydLTf2vl
— Paul Williams (@thepaulwilliams) September 7, 2023
7.
I remember it. I was absolutely bricking it on his behalf.
— Nick O'Donnell (@gnickodonnell) September 6, 2023
8.
The overhang https://t.co/QESUKBkv70
— Vix (@lillai23) September 7, 2023
9.
And all for a Blue Peter badge – no thanks! No Health & Safety considerations back then https://t.co/aSm2quGVIQ
— Lisa (@aquitainexox) September 7, 2023
10.
Recollections are fuzzy, but I remember they were always sending Noakes to do something ludicrously dangerous. His entire career on Blue Peter was basically one big, long attempted murder on the part of the producers. https://t.co/2e5RI0mjyU
— Dialectograms (@Dialectographer) September 7, 2023
11.
Don't let anyone tell you that our parents' generation had any common sense when footage like this exists. https://t.co/EKlIjoyvyC
— @abductedcow.bsky.social (@Dreem_Channel) September 7, 2023
12.
Astonishing clip.
Noakes, sure, but the real hero here is Terry, who went up hoiking a huge BBC TV camera as well.Also when the guy starts scraping guano off the column, in the bosun's chair, you can see: he's holding a lit ciggie in his right hand. https://t.co/zIJNK54WcK
— Adam Roberts (@arrroberts) September 7, 2023
It may have brought back disturbing memories, but for the really traumatising stuff, you have to go to 1992.
Yes, definitely real life scary, but we (kids of the 80s) know that the scariest piece of TV ever created was Ghostwatch. I still struggle with an understairs cupboard or any sort of radiator noise That show bloody well traumatised me for life! https://t.co/3tSp4ybznq
— Dr Suze Kundu (@FunSizeSuze) September 7, 2023
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Source Dan Barker Image Screengrab
