Massive respect to John (and the camera man) for doing that. I'm a caver and have a few friends who also do rope access for a living, so we're used to dangling on a bit of rope with a large drop beneath us, but this shows how far rope access techniques have come. The kit they're using is dodgy as fuck. I'm used to using 10mm SRT rope with a super strong core and having proper harnesses and clipping in with cows tails. I trust it and know I'm not going to fall. Their technique is a tad Heath-Robinson to say the least. A good example of how NOT to do it! I remember watching this at the time. I think it was partly John Noakes exploits that inspired me to take up stuff like caving. What an amazing man. RIP
So there is nothing holding the ladder in place to stop it sliding or the rope being tied around to John or other people, I know health and safety wasn't great, but surely you would have some apcet of it in 1977
Makes me queasy just watching that. The unknown cameraman had to make the climb too with his equipment. Those two workmen seemed incredibly casual considering their job was so dangerous.
What a guy and Terry the cameraman of course. Watched this when it was originally on TV and it raised the hairs on my neck, still does today. So good to see it again and what a feat to do for children's TV too. Sadly those days are gone, they won't let a star climb ten feet high now due to insurance. The world certainly has changed and in some aspects not for the better. RIP John, a true inspiration to young viewers and always remembered with fondness.
Err. They do let stars climb to heights but with safety equipment and rightly so. Are they supposed ot risk their lives for your entertainment? Sure, John had guts and I admire what he did but they were different times. Safety makes sense and accident figures will bear me out.
Takes massive balls & bravery in the upper reaches of extremes - to do what John Noakes is attempting to undertake here. The very thought of climbing Nelson's Column frightens me witless. Lol !! He was a major character on TV when I was a kid. Always liked the guy. V sad to hear he'd passed on but he left a great and lasting legacy. He helped hundreds of thousands of young people to push the edges of the envelope that would simply be unheard of - to the point of being completely alien on kids tv these days. That era will never again be upon us. I'm glad to have grown up during that period in the late 60's & the 70's. Had it's down side for sure (ie; fashion had a lot to answer for !!) but John Noakes was always great to see him do the most outrageously dangerous stunts - in the name of Blue Peter. God bless him. He was a special guy. RIP John Noakes Rx
Even though that was recorded in 1977 (when I would have been 14), and I know he is going to be safe, I still kept praying he didn't fall off !!! Life was for living back then - fearless :)
To climb the pillar requires super fitness & nerves of steel! To climb that overhang without a harness.....Ho Leee Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!😳 What I really mean to say is: HO LEEE SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!! 😋
I actually feel queezy looking at him (and the others) up there with what seemed to be no harness. I recall this episode. He was a gutsy guy and I remember him doing all sorts of stunt driving as well.
@@dennfett I think you intended to say "don't [know] what that's supposed to mean". I meant that it was sooo terrifying you/me/all of us pretty much sh*t ourselves.
I am petrified of heights and watching this made me feel a little shaky!, god JN had balls of steel!, and those guys were so casual about I hope they got paid well!, these days they won't even let kids play conkers as it's not health and safety!.
There are quite a few comments about the cameraman and the blokes who put the ladders in place, and I agree that what they had to do was ridiculous.... but that was their job and they are (were) professionals John was a TV presenter!
The Bulldog breed...good on you John Noakes........does the same exist in 2017 ? Or has the " you carnt do that, carnt say that "brigade .....Killed that British spirit. I hope not.
The weird thing is that there might NOT have been a lawsuit if had died. This was pre compensation culture, and health and safety. Tributes would have been paid and people would have been sad, but the attitude would have been that it was all in the line of duty.
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This has now been voted the greatest ever children's t. v. moment remember watching this as a teenager and even now I still get shivers watching this
My god, its all done so nonchalantly and with humour, nerves of steel!
more like balls of steel.
Massive respect to John (and the camera man) for doing that. I'm a caver and have a few friends who also do rope access for a living, so we're used to dangling on a bit of rope with a large drop beneath us, but this shows how far rope access techniques have come.
The kit they're using is dodgy as fuck. I'm used to using 10mm SRT rope with a super strong core and having proper harnesses and clipping in with cows tails. I trust it and know I'm not going to fall. Their technique is a tad Heath-Robinson to say the least. A good example of how NOT to do it!
I remember watching this at the time. I think it was partly John Noakes exploits that inspired me to take up stuff like caving. What an amazing man. RIP
proper old school...no health and safety....remember watching this as a kid..brilliant
So there is nothing holding the ladder in place to stop it sliding or the rope being tied around to John or other people, I know health and safety wasn't great, but surely you would have some apcet of it in 1977
Amazing climb but I think if he had a fallen his flares would have inflated and broken his full
Makes me queasy just watching that. The unknown cameraman had to make the climb too with his equipment. Those two workmen seemed incredibly casual considering their job was so dangerous.
Those two lads were cooler than the coolest cucumber. The film itself makes me feel dizzy. Vertigo sufferers - leave the room now.
Those old cameras were heavy and rather cumbersome, you had to rest then on your shoulder. People were made of sterner stuff back then!
RIP a great presenter with an amazing head for heights
Our hero. Sorely missed
End of an era when he passed :-(
Great man , a true entertainer and extremley brave RIP
Incredible. Not even a harness or a safety rope. And that last bit where he climbs with a slight tilt backwards !!!
There’s only one John Noakes. Nice one John..
What a guy and Terry the cameraman of course. Watched this when it was originally on TV and it raised the hairs on my neck, still does today. So good to see it again and what a feat to do for children's TV too. Sadly those days are gone, they won't let a star climb ten feet high now due to insurance. The world certainly has changed and in some aspects not for the better. RIP John, a true inspiration to young viewers and always remembered with fondness.
Err. They do let stars climb to heights but with safety equipment and rightly so. Are they supposed ot risk their lives for your entertainment? Sure, John had guts and I admire what he did but they were different times. Safety makes sense and accident figures will bear me out.
John Noakes. What a legend. Those were the days.
I love the shot of him emerging from behind the statue, still it makes me a little nervous as he probes around the top. Brave Fella. R.I.P
I remember watching this. Noakes is a legend.
Amazing , today he would have had a safety harness , hard hat and goggles just to climb a 4 foot step ladder
Hi viz vest as well
I remember watching that as a kid and crapping myself.
What courage! An amazing man.
As well we might say of the fellows doing this job on a regular basis!
What's also amazing is that he wasn't young and daring and in his twenties when he did this he was 43
thank you for sharing this 🙂 x
John had some pair trusting those wooden ladders. I was half expecting Fred Dibnah to pop his head out and say, "u like that?" 👍🏻
Just imagine project leaders today turning up to see old tied ladders and people hanging from dock robs. They would have a heart attack.
That gave me vertigo watching this on my phone lol. I used to love blue Peter and john.
Good old John he really was the bravest bloke ever
Solid Yorkshire grit. First over the top in trench warfare. Sort of bloke poncy liberal types would look down on for voting Brexit.
Big up to you John, God rest ya!
Health and safety in the 70s was non existent
Total respect! It's frightening enough just watching it. And smiles all round, jssse one slip! I won't be watching this again lol 😂
Can hardly watch. What a trooper!
Takes massive balls & bravery in the upper reaches of extremes - to do what John Noakes is attempting to undertake here. The very thought of climbing Nelson's Column frightens me witless. Lol !! He was a major character on TV when I was a kid. Always liked the guy. V sad to hear he'd passed on but he left a great and lasting legacy. He helped hundreds of thousands of young people to push the edges of the envelope that would simply be unheard of - to the point of being completely alien on kids tv these days. That era will never again be upon us. I'm glad to have grown up during that period in the late 60's & the 70's. Had it's down side for sure (ie; fashion had a lot to answer for !!) but John Noakes was always great to see him do the most outrageously dangerous stunts - in the name of Blue Peter. God bless him. He was a special guy. RIP John Noakes Rx
My grammar took a bit of a nose dive towards the end of my previous comment (oops !) - but hey !! You get the picture.
Even though that was recorded in 1977 (when I would have been 14), and I know he is going to be safe, I still kept praying he didn't fall off !!! Life was for living back then - fearless :)
Absolute Legend.
To climb the pillar requires super fitness & nerves of steel! To climb that overhang without a harness.....Ho Leee Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!😳 What I really mean to say is: HO LEEE SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!!!!!!!! 😋
I love the way the guy whith the trowel has a ciggy in his hand as he works!
Haha I should think you'd want one if you were stood at the top of Nelsons Column!
ciggy
His Lionel Blairs are legendary.
What a legend john noakes was.
Can’t believe he asks him to tighten his knot whilst he’s sitting in the cradle!
And when they did work on the column in 2006, they spent 3 weeks surrounding it with scaffolding before setting to work
he is wearing Hush Puppy shoes aswell , incredible.. no ropes and a cigarette at the top .
I actually feel queezy looking at him (and the others) up there with what seemed to be no harness. I recall this episode. He was a gutsy guy and I remember him doing all sorts of stunt driving as well.
RIP John Noakes
I found that almost too difficult to watch.
Not too difficult to have a crap afterwards, though, eh!
@@bodsnvimto don't what that's supposed to mean.
@@dennfett I think you intended to say "don't [know] what that's supposed to mean".
I meant that it was sooo terrifying you/me/all of us pretty much sh*t ourselves.
@@bodsnvimto k
@@bodsnvimto it actually makes me feel sick watching it & I remember it well.
John Noakes was bad ass
I have no idea how anybody could do that...
Balls of fuckin steel.
I am petrified of heights and watching this made me feel a little shaky!, god JN had balls of steel!, and those guys were so casual about I hope they got paid well!, these days they won't even let kids play conkers as it's not health and safety!.
RIP
John and Shep are now together.
@1.25 “Mind you don’t scrape your hands on there too much.”
The looking down part is the most difficult, I would think.
There are quite a few comments about the cameraman and the blokes who put the ladders in place, and I agree that what they had to do was ridiculous.... but that was their job and they are (were) professionals John was a TV presenter!
No gloves. No respirators. No harness. No helmet. No eye protection. But no deaths either.
No safety harness or owt! Haha imagine that now lol didn't realise how big it really was
Not even clipped on to anything, I remember watching it when was first shown unfortunately lol
How the hell did they get away with this ??? Just one slip and John is history
The Bulldog breed...good on you John Noakes........does the same exist in 2017 ? Or has the " you carnt do that, carnt say that "brigade .....Killed that British spirit. I hope not.
adrian morgan We're being replaced by third-world scum. London is now 40% white. It's undeniable.
Can't
It's actually embarrassing! We were a formidable force , got nowt to proud of any more 🏴
Days before health and safety. Hell they earned their corn back then!
The days before Elf and safety and the compo culture.
liked shep
health and safety, ha ha
I don't know if this situation was good for on the job training. Maybe he should have attempted this with a shorter drop.
Ah, spectacular.....great guy - but he forgot to take 'Shep' :)
Shep had more sense.
the lawsuits if would had fell. millions!!!
Apparently, it turns out he wasn't insured and he didn't even have a safety rope on the way up!
The weird thing is that there might NOT have been a lawsuit if had died. This was pre compensation culture, and health and safety.
Tributes would have been paid and people would have been sad, but the attitude would have been that it was all in the line of duty.
More than anything else I just like his attitude, its so matter of fact and nonchalant and added to that he sprinkles it with self-deprecating humour.
As far as I'm concerned the pigeon shit could stay there. Terrifying. RIP John a brave and resourceful guy.
Totally game. Wouldn't have done that for all the money in the world
"Experience of a lifetime" ???? Sod that!!!
yeah and he did it at least twice
N my girlfriend calls me crazy...sheesh
The real killer is the pigeon shit...😷
Guy filling the bucket, smoking on childrens tv.