John Noakes, presenter on a tv children's show, was a hero to several generations of kids. He would undertake tasks that would make most people cringe in fear!
@@jjc5407 yep, John Noakes a Children’s TV Presenter with Balls of Titanium! Rest In Peace Sir, you inspired so many generations of not just Children!🫡
@@mattsmith5267 if he'd fallen off Nelson's Column he might have just floated gently to down to the ground with those flares! In all seriousness, you'd think the risk of catching them whilst going up the ladder was yet another danger.
John Noakes was the closest thing to a God to millions of 70's school boys. Forget footballers or astronauts, we all wanted to be like John. RIP John, you inspired a generation
not just a legend - an absolute God to anyone of my generation. This man was paid a relative pittance compared to what tv presenters get paid today and he wasn't even insured by the BBC to undertake stuff like this. if there was something dangerous to do on 'Blue Peter' - the kids' tv show he co-presented, it was a case of 'get John to do it' and he always did. nerves and balls of steel. hats off to the cameraman too.
One of the most saddest moments I've ever seen on TV is when John Noakes was on a chat show & broke the news his beloved dog Shep had died - everyone in our front room watching it cried , part of our national makeup is our love for pets.
Guys, this was UK kids TV for my generation. This guy is an absolute legend, not only scaling Nelson's Column, but he once did a bobsleigh run ....and crashed. In 1973 he became the first civilian in Britain to do a 5 mile high free fall parachute jump and it also was the first time on UK TV a presenter talked to camera as he fell to Earth. Sadly no longer with us but a true British TV icon.
John Knoakes. An absolute childhood hero. Does anyone remember the bobsleigh crash on the cresta run in St Moritz? And Lulu the baby elephant live in the TV studio. I loved him and his dog Shep. I broke my heart when I heard Shep had died 💔
@@chrisjones2224 they were inseparable. Blue Peter was so good when you think back about it. I know its still on but you'd never get them doing a fraction of the things they did back then.
@@ladykaycey maybe because he did so many things, I think we just got used to it, other right what's he doing this week,,,we were spoilt as kids back then, what a time to grow up, if only I could turn the clock back!
@@ladykaycey Blue Peter John Noakes, Peter Purves and Valerie Singleton, Dr Who Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker, Swapshop! The B&W version of Robinson Crusoe, The Flashing Blade, and,,, the Banana Splits!!!!
The best thing of all this? This was children's television. John Noakes would do anything on 'Blue Peter' (It's why this era is widely regarded as the Golden years of the show), and he did receive a few injuries doing these stunts.
I was lucky enough to film 'aspects' of Florida for Blue Peter with John N. We filmed on the Apollo launch platform at Cape Kennedy/Canaveral....alligator wrestling.....dolphin shows ...etc etc. That was the first of 16 working trips to the U.S.....Blew my mind, and Noakes was one special guy
I remember when it was broadcast in the 70' s, I was terrified then and I am now and I know what happened! Apparently, they had to do it again because the sound failed! The cameraman did the same climb! John had balls of steel, he bob-sleighed, you need to watch that, and also did a mile high parachute jump He was a legend
John Noakes was one of three presenters on the children's BBC TV program Blue Peter for over 12 years. He got all the scary jobs to do. Blue Peter was famous for teaching kids how to make things out of Fairy Liquid bottles and cardboard toilet roll centres.
I forgot about John he was a working class hero, he was my generation as a kid growing up he appeared to try everything I was particularly curious how he got on playing pro rugby league with Castleford a tough man's game, it was a shame how he died living in Spain I think with dementia he'd gone for a walk went missing.
He was a tv presenter on a kids programme when I was a kid. Another episode had him riding in the back seat of a fighter jet. As they walked out to the plane the pilot said to him ' remember, if I say 'eject' and you say pardon, you'll be talking to yourself!
I met John Noakes when I was in the Royal Navy his small yacht came alongside the warship I was on and we hauled him and his dog Shep onboard using one of the chairs he’s in on this vid, he held onto Shep all the way up. Great guy
I remember John Noakes saying, when he left presenting Blue Peter, that despite him being a family man, the BBC had not insured him for any of these 'stunts'!
Not many people know, when he climbed the overhang, the director had to ask him to do it again, as there was a problem with recording the sound, and yes he climbed back below the overhang, then back up again
This was one stunt he was a little reluctant to do because he'd just finished his previous challenge for the show of learning and performing an entire synchronised gymnastics routine over the course of 1-2 weeks, training 12 hours a day. He hadn't even been home yet after that and he got the early morning call to do this, and his reluctance was down to all his muscles being tight and sore and the risk of him having a spasm or pulling something during the climb and falling. So he's in pain throughout, even just walking over to it, let along climbing it!
My goodness Britain's health and safety left a lot to be desired jn the 70's! I remember watching John doing this when I got in from school, my heart was in my mouth and I could hardly get breath.
I remember watching this at the time and I'm sure it's where my fear of heights came from. Ironically in my twenties and thirties I used to install TV aerials. Needless to say I never got anywhere near these sorts of heights!
I remember as a child going to Trafalgar Square to feed the pigeons. There were seed vendors in the square and you would buy a little plastic pot of corn and seed. About twenty years ago they tried to discourage the pigeons with a falconer. It's hilarious when the falconer takes the dead pigeon out of the talons of the falcon, snaps the pigeons neck and then just casually throws the corpse into a regular rubbish bin in front of a group of school kids just trying to eat their packed lunches on a school trip to London. Ahhh Memories.
@@B-A-L that was a myth in reality they had big traps on the buildings around the square and every night they replaced them and took and killed all they had trapped during the day most were wiped out during the first few weeks they even paid off the bird seed guy so the birds were hungry and used the baited traps
@@markbarker6739 The pigeons were 50% of the appeal of the place, when I heard they were killing the poor things I was horrified. The tourists loved them as well and looking at videos these days there seem to be a lot less visitors there.
This was children’s TV at 5pm in the afternoon when I got home from school. They were made of stronger stuff back then! 😂 He’s not even a professional climber, just a kids BBC TV Presenter!
In one very memorable episode of 'Blue Peter' they had a young elephant from London Zoo in the studio. At one point it stood on John Noakes foot; it was the closest to swearing we ever heard on the programme. Afterwards it pooed on the floor.
I saw this at the time, possibly 1977, Noakes was stuff of legend, hero to all young boys. He died not that long ago. Full episodes of the programme " blue peter" are on RUclips from this period and well worth watching.
Nelson's Column was built to celebrate Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar on Monday 21st October 1805 which resulted in the destruction of the larger French fleet and the death of Admiral Horatio, Lord Nelson. It was designed and built between 1840 and 1843. The Lions were added in 1867. The bronze panels on the base represent Nelson's famous battles and are made from captured French cannons.
Although impressive in its place in Trafalgar Square, its not until you see a video like this of the monument, that you realise its massive size. A mighty monument for such a great hero. 🏴🇬🇧
Nelson’s column was constructed between 1840 and 1843, and yes, it would be sacrilegious to drill into it. You should check out a video on Horatio Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar to get context of why this thing was erected.
Back in the day, as children, we trained for this sort of sh1t on the school playground. Monkey bars, banana bars and space bars. With nothing but concrete to break your fall when you slipped. Them were good days.
John Noakes was a Yorkshireman from Halifax, over the border not that far from Bolton, Lancashire where Fred Dibnah came from. Both northerners with nerves of steel that just got on with the job.
My dad took John Noakes for a pint in our local pub when he came up to our town for some event...They had an hour to kill and my dad was told to look after him until the event started...Dad really liked him, said he was a nice bloke to have a pint with...but I think we already knew that from his candid manner on Blue Peter
😮 I remember watching this as a kid and I was absolutely petrified! He also did a 25,000 ft sky dive with skydiving team. But at least he had parachute! Respect!
I met John Noakes and Shep when I was a kid when my mum interviewed him for the Yorkshire Post in Richmond, North Yorkshire while he was filming an episode of Go With Noakes. He was a really lovely, down to earth bloke and I got to pat Shep on the head! Another time I got to meet Christopher Timothy and Peter Davidson when my mum also interviewed them when they were filming in the area for an All Creatures Great And Small episode. Btw, John must have had the balls of an elephant to climb Nelson's Column like that! Lots of people my age will probably get the elephant reference there!
I swear my fear of heights came from watching this as a kid on Blue Peter. Granted I was 1 when it was broadcast but still. Reruns are a thing and Blue Peter loved to remind us of this even years later. Awesome bloke though John Noakes, never afraid to take on a challenge and tackle it head on, and I know people who only ever tuned in to watch Blue Peter to see him and his Border Collie Shep
Those who watched Mary Poppins remember the song "feed the birds (tuppence a bag)", and Michael Banks wanting to spend his tuppence to do such. Nowadays, though feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square is banned and is discouraged elsewhere in London.
OMG Daniel said is he going to step over the side and I cannot believe I was sitting here nodding madly and saying yes. OH yes. Those were the days John was a legend and an idol to many who avidly watched Blue Peter in the 70's. The best time for watching the show
The late great John Noakes the guv on TV ..... I remember this just about ... but I particularly remember him in tears announcing that his dog shep, who he took everywhere, had died..... The whole nation was crying with him cos Shep was a member of the Blue Peter team.
John Noakes was famous for stunts like this on Blue Peter. Among other things he did was bobsleigh down the Cresta Run (and crashed), climbed to the top of the rigging of a tall sailing ship as part of a display team, rode sidecar on a racing motorbike and, for a while, held the record for the highest civilian parachute jump with the British military's parachute display teams. Most of the videos are somewhere on RUclips. The man was a fucking legend.
Love Lesley Judds comment at the end, typical of British understatement and calm.....sadly a characteristic much diminished now thanks to US imports of TV shows like Springer and everything now has to be so 'dramatic'.
/ Climbing three steps on a ladder and I feint, John Noakes was one of my childhood hero`s through the 1960`s/70`s = totally fearless happy go lucky presenter and a legend to boot, I think he retired to Majorca where he passed away in 2017.
The monument is one of the best-known structures in London (imagine of a UK equivalent to the Washington Monument) To my generation of kids in the UK, John Noakes, Valerie Singleton and Pete Purves, the three hosts of kids show "Blue Peter" were the biggest stars on TV. Noakes often used to do crazy stunts like this on the show. One of the most famous bloopers in UK TV history was him trying to control a baby elephant in a TV studio. RIP John.... and sit down, Shep!
This is what passed as children's TV in the seventies! Health and Safety would have a field day today. I remember watching this when it first aired on Blue Peter in 1977. It scared me then as it still does today.
Noakes found out some years later that the BBC didn't insure him for this and after not insuring him for this thought the lesser stunts he was expected to perform didn't need to be insured for those either, he gave his notice and left the BBC after that unsurprisingly, if you want to see an amusing Blue Peter clip in the studio then take a look at the baby elephant from London zoo, you will enjoy I guarantee it.
For many years, John Noakes held the world record for the highest civilian parachute jump when he joined the Red Devils (British army display parachutists) on a 5 mile drop. That, of course, was also for us kids watching Blue Peter. Then there was his bobsleigh crash on the Cresta Run. Shown POV on the programme. "And then, coming out of the bend, it all went a bit wrong..."
The traditional bosun's chair was used on sailing ships and also still used by our Royal Navy today. Just a plank of wood with ropes looped through 4 holes in the plank. Basic useful tool is also a steeplejack's favourite. Some nerve may be required for use.
I used to work off them, not as a steeplejack, but lowered down shafts/holes,, pretty obvious, but no one tells you, when you are in the chair and drilling into the wall in front of you,,you are pushing yourself away all the time
And yes kids, that was for a children's program in the 70s. "And do remember not to try this at home ..." There was a Nelson's Column in Dublin, destroyed 1966, with an internal staircase which anyone could climb. Thought the London one would also have one specifically for this purpose. It would be easier to climb the inside and then errect scaffold on the top and lower cleaners down. Anyone know?
Blue Peter, the world's longest running children's magazine programme. John Noakes, RIP, was to many us who were kids in the 1970s was a legend with the dare devil assignments he was sent on. Years later, before the London Olympic Games and Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the monument needed cleaning again, so Blue Peter sent female presenter Konnie Huq to the top of Nelsons Column available on RUclips and you will see the difference in health and safety regulations. I remember watching this as a child having sweaty palms, and watching it again, I got sweaty palms. 👍
What a legend John Noakes was. Hard to believe that he was actually a presenter on the BBC's Blue Peter twice weekly childrens' TV show. He was not a trained steeplejack or anything like that, but he really had balls of steel. He was the BBC's go to guy whenever they wanted to send someone into a dangerous situation. This was just one of his many death defying escapades. I was a kid back then and actually saw this being shown on Blue Peter for the first time. I don't know what the BBC was paying him, but whatever it was it wasn't enough! Sadly he no longer with us.
Awesome. 1970s children's TV was a different time. Not only doing the climb with no safety rope and the boatswain's chair, but a man filling a bucket with pigeon shit whilst smoking! Did you also notice that the person in blue who helped the expert back up wasn't wearing a rope? John Noakes was my hero when I was small. If you get a chance to see it, he once joined a bobsleigh team on (I think) the Cresta Run. 💚🐇🐴💚
@@bernardtaylor7043 Oh, right. Yeah, he did a solo run as well. I totally forgot about it. Thinking back, the bobsled might have been a year or two before. Sometimes I forget it was almost 50 years ago!!! Now, if we can only find a way to stop these spam replies that are trying to convince us they are from the content creators. 💚🐇🐴💚
John Noakes was Fred Dibnah for kids. He was a kids presenter but he ended up doing all kinds of mad shit including parachute jumps, climbing the rigging of a tall ship and doing a bobsleigh run which ended with the bobsleigh overturning and him finishing the course on his backside and with quite bad abrasions/friction burns.
John Noakes was a Blue Peter presenter, which is a distinct cultural thing in the UK. Blue Peter was a TV show aimed at secondary school kids getting home after school, showing all different things going on around the country that they thought schoolkids might learn from, including exploration trips abroad to visit the Great Wall of China or whatever. There would always be an animal section, and some local festival or weird sport, and the Blue Peter presenters would always have to participate. Obviously when they brought Zoo animals and giant spiders and stuff into the studio, chaos sometimes ensued. During the late 1980s they started to put up these sharp steel barbs on window ledges and everywhere birds would perch in cities to prevent them from being able to land so they can't poop on things like Nelson's Column. I think it's a shame on balance, not having the urban birds as much as we used to. I especially miss Sparrows which have all but disappeared from London. Now they've started putting spikes on places where homeless people might sleep, so what we do to birds we end up doing to humans too, because cities are places for inanimate objects to be clean, not for living things apparently.
God, I like many kids in the 60s and 70s watched John, Peter Purves and Val Singleton on Blue Peter every week. Looking back, we were truly spoilt, claas acts.
I remember watching this when it was first aired and thought nothing of it, apart from being mildly impressed, but now when I see it, WTF, he wasn't tethered as he climbed and flares would just be a no-no, H&S would never let him do that these days. What a dude. he really did some crazy stuff during his presentation days. You should check out his attempt to go down a winter sports toboggan run, and probably many more here on YT.
John Noakes was INCREDIBLE. Blue Peter presenter of the 70's and Go With Noakes. His dog Shep was really famous too. He was devastated when he died. Such a LEGEND.
Hi Guys! John Noakes was THE MAN! When anything risky for kids show Blue Peter was needed, he always did it. He did a bobsleigh run, he also did a skeleton-bob sleigh run as well and he also was a passenger on a motorcycle sidecar race! He had something of a double act with Shep, a collie.
John Noakes, a hero of mine and many other 70s kids! No hardhat,flares,a pair of Chelsea Boots, and a mil surplus jkt...sorted.Imagine using a Bosuns Chair on 100ft up a Mainmast in a good wind and swell.I think he did one of the earliest High Altitude parachute jumps with the Britsh Army red Devils as well.
Blue Peter was a kids show on BBC1. I used to watch it as a child and John was the action man of Blue Peter, he died in 2017 which was really sad as he came across a a really nice bloke. and also made me ralise how old I am . The show also had a resident dog(s) & a cat - John's dog at the time was Shep & John's well known phrase was 'down Shep' - those were the days.
I am so glad you did this as i was one of i'm sure many people who said you should. I've seen this a few times but this made me wince all over again. John was a true hero to may of us growing up in the 70's I was 13-14 when this frst aired and everyone was talking about it. The woman at the end was Lesley Judd one of the 3 presenters including John. I had such a teen crush on her it was stupid.
Despite being the tallest building in London at the time it was built, and originally having a revolving restaurant at the top, as a key part of national communications infrastructure its location was an Official Secret. I hope it still is.
The dude that was helping him wasn’t even tied on when he was stood at the edge helping John get down on the seat! And all that kept him safe was a bit of rope around his waist. Tied with a knot. Balls of steel. The people that did this were incredible. Watching Daniel’s face as realisation swept over him when he saw the ladder leaning the wrong way on the overhang was hilarious!! As we’re all the “No way”’s!! People were made of different stuff back in the day. Not just balls of steel but the steel was filled with diamond. They had no fear! Xx
John Noakes, presenter on a tv children's show, was a hero to several generations of kids. He would undertake tasks that would make most people cringe in fear!
No safety lines, no helmet, rickety ladders and he was wearing flares!
@@jjc5407 yep, John Noakes a Children’s TV Presenter with Balls of Titanium! Rest In Peace Sir, you inspired so many generations of not just Children!🫡
@@mattsmith5267 if he'd fallen off Nelson's Column he might have just floated gently to down to the ground with those flares!
In all seriousness, you'd think the risk of catching them whilst going up the ladder was yet another danger.
Was it John Noakes who did the rope slide over the Thames?
@@tazzatamania Wasn't that Boris Johnson.
John Noakes was the closest thing to a God to millions of 70's school boys. Forget footballers or astronauts, we all wanted to be like John.
RIP John, you inspired a generation
not just a legend - an absolute God to anyone of my generation. This man was paid a relative pittance compared to what tv presenters get paid today and he wasn't even insured by the BBC to undertake stuff like this. if there was something dangerous to do on 'Blue Peter' - the kids' tv show he co-presented, it was a case of 'get John to do it' and he always did. nerves and balls of steel. hats off to the cameraman too.
One of the most saddest moments I've ever seen on TV is when John Noakes was on a chat show & broke the news his beloved dog Shep had died - everyone in our front room watching it cried , part of our national makeup is our love for pets.
Guys, this was UK kids TV for my generation. This guy is an absolute legend, not only scaling Nelson's Column, but he once did a bobsleigh run ....and crashed. In 1973 he became the first civilian in Britain to do a 5 mile high free fall parachute jump and it also was the first time on UK TV a presenter talked to camera as he fell to Earth. Sadly no longer with us but a true British TV icon.
John Knoakes. An absolute childhood hero. Does anyone remember the bobsleigh crash on the cresta run in St Moritz? And Lulu the baby elephant live in the TV studio. I loved him and his dog Shep. I broke my heart when I heard Shep had died 💔
Funny I was thinking of that, he really loved Shep
@@chrisjones2224 they were inseparable. Blue Peter was so good when you think back about it. I know its still on but you'd never get them doing a fraction of the things they did back then.
@@ladykaycey maybe because he did so many things, I think we just got used to it, other right what's he doing this week,,,we were spoilt as kids back then, what a time to grow up, if only I could turn the clock back!
@@chrisjones2224 we didn't know how lucky we were 😊
@@ladykaycey Blue Peter John Noakes, Peter Purves and Valerie Singleton, Dr Who Jon Pertwee/Tom Baker, Swapshop! The B&W version of Robinson Crusoe, The Flashing Blade, and,,, the Banana Splits!!!!
For those from the UK of a certain age, all that was missing was a 'get down Shep moment' 🙂. Brings back memories👍
The Barron Knights recorded a single called "Get Down Shep".
I'm 63 now and remember watching John Noakes scaling Nelsons Column on blue peter in 1977, I was 17.
The best thing of all this? This was children's television. John Noakes would do anything on 'Blue Peter' (It's why this era is widely regarded as the Golden years of the show), and he did receive a few injuries doing these stunts.
The Bobsleigh run springs to mind.. :O John was fearless ..
He also held the world record for the highest civilian free-fall parachute jump at one time (25,000ft), another of his stunts for the show.
Er boys, this was for childrens' television. I've been waiting for you to react to this and your expressions have made it all worthwhile. 🤣🤣🤣
I was lucky enough to film 'aspects' of Florida for Blue Peter with John N. We filmed on the Apollo launch platform at Cape Kennedy/Canaveral....alligator wrestling.....dolphin shows ...etc etc. That was the first of 16 working trips to the U.S.....Blew my mind, and Noakes was one special guy
I remember watching this as a kid, unbelievable he was just a kids TV presenter!
I think he may have trained as an actor (as Peter Purves and Peter Duncan had done) but that does not prepare anyone for this.
I remember when it was broadcast in the 70' s, I was terrified then and I am now and I know what happened!
Apparently, they had to do it again because the sound failed!
The cameraman did the same climb!
John had balls of steel, he bob-sleighed, you need to watch that, and also did a mile high parachute jump
He was a legend
Same here & i agree, he was a legend & great man. Never forget him & Shep 👍
John Noakes was one of three presenters on the children's BBC TV program Blue Peter for over 12 years. He got all the scary jobs to do. Blue Peter was famous for teaching kids how to make things out of Fairy Liquid bottles and cardboard toilet roll centres.
And of course it's still going! Having started in 1958 it's the longest running children's TV show in the world.
STICKY
BACKED
PLASTIC !
🅦🅡🅘🅣🅔 🅜🅔 🅣🅞 🅒🅛🅐🅘🅜 🙋♂️👆🏻🎰🍀 ^
@@grindelston5968 all because the BBC can't promote brand names like sellotape.
I forgot about John he was a working class hero, he was my generation as a kid growing up he appeared to try everything I was particularly curious how he got on playing pro rugby league with Castleford a tough man's game, it was a shame how he died living in Spain I think with dementia he'd gone for a walk went missing.
He was a tv presenter on a kids programme when I was a kid. Another episode had him riding in the back seat of a fighter jet. As they walked out to the plane the pilot said to him ' remember, if I say 'eject' and you say pardon, you'll be talking to yourself!
I met John Noakes when I was in the Royal Navy his small yacht came alongside the warship I was on and we hauled him and his dog Shep onboard using one of the chairs he’s in on this vid, he held onto Shep all the way up. Great guy
Isn't the 'chair' called Nelson's or Bo'sun's seat or something similar??
@@wenglishsal yes it’s a bosun’s chair use by the seaman to go over the side of the ship and paint mostly
please tell me he told Shep to "get down" at some point😄
@@Lemmys_Mole lol it was said several times that day hahahaha
This was in the 70s, He was our version of a super hero, he had the world record for a civilian skydive and was nearly killed doing a bobsleigh run
I had totally forgot the skydive
All in a day's work for our John.
What a lovely man. Full of love. Special soul. Bless you John...
I was three years old when this aired, and I've never forgotten it.
Noakes looks like a mild mannered Englishman but was fearless! I recall watching this at the time.
I remember John Noakes saying, when he left presenting Blue Peter, that despite him being a family man, the BBC had not insured him for any of these 'stunts'!
They would not grant him employment, he was a contractor with no benefits (e.g. insurance or holiday pay).
Not many people know, when he climbed the overhang, the director had to ask him to do it again, as there was a problem with recording the sound, and yes he climbed back below the overhang, then back up again
This was one stunt he was a little reluctant to do because he'd just finished his previous challenge for the show of learning and performing an entire synchronised gymnastics routine over the course of 1-2 weeks, training 12 hours a day. He hadn't even been home yet after that and he got the early morning call to do this, and his reluctance was down to all his muscles being tight and sore and the risk of him having a spasm or pulling something during the climb and falling. So he's in pain throughout, even just walking over to it, let along climbing it!
My goodness Britain's health and safety left a lot to be desired jn the 70's! I remember watching John doing this when I got in from school, my heart was in my mouth and I could hardly get breath.
I remember watching this at the time and I'm sure it's where my fear of heights came from. Ironically in my twenties and thirties I used to install TV aerials. Needless to say I never got anywhere near these sorts of heights!
The show is Blue Peter it’s been running nonstop since 1958.
If climbing up Nelsons column wasn't bad enough...
Doing it wearing Flares and on a windy day takes it to another level of insanity
I remember as a child going to Trafalgar Square to feed the pigeons. There were seed vendors in the square and you would buy a little plastic pot of corn and seed. About twenty years ago they tried to discourage the pigeons with a falconer. It's hilarious when the falconer takes the dead pigeon out of the talons of the falcon, snaps the pigeons neck and then just casually throws the corpse into a regular rubbish bin in front of a group of school kids just trying to eat their packed lunches on a school trip to London. Ahhh Memories.
It was famous for pigeons once now you won't hardly see one they did a major cull some decades ago and cleaned the whole place out
They made it illegal to feed them
They started feeding them bird seed laced with contraceptive drugs so there wasn't a mass slaughter, they just died out naturally.
@@B-A-L that was a myth in reality they had big traps on the buildings around the square and every night they replaced them and took and killed all they had trapped during the day most were wiped out during the first few weeks they even paid off the bird seed guy so the birds were hungry and used the baited traps
@@markbarker6739 The pigeons were 50% of the appeal of the place, when I heard they were killing the poor things I was horrified. The tourists loved them as well and looking at videos these days there seem to be a lot less visitors there.
John Noakes once had a baby elephant stand on his foot on a children’s TV show, lol
For all those UK kids of the 70’s, “Get down, Shep!” 😂
This was on a childrens show called Blue Peter! He would do all sort of stunts like this the kids loved it!
Lesley Judd at the end wasn’t permitted to say ‘balls of steel’ on children’s television 😁
This was children’s TV at 5pm in the afternoon when I got home from school. They were made of stronger stuff back then! 😂 He’s not even a professional climber, just a kids BBC TV Presenter!
In one very memorable episode of 'Blue Peter' they had a young elephant from London Zoo in the studio. At one point it stood on John Noakes foot; it was the closest to swearing we ever heard on the programme. Afterwards it pooed on the floor.
I saw this at the time, possibly 1977, Noakes was stuff of legend, hero to all young boys. He died not that long ago. Full episodes of the programme " blue peter" are on RUclips from this period and well worth watching.
Nelson's Column was built to celebrate Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar on Monday 21st October 1805 which resulted in the destruction of the larger French fleet and the death of Admiral Horatio, Lord Nelson.
It was designed and built between 1840 and 1843. The Lions were added in 1867.
The bronze panels on the base represent Nelson's famous battles and are made from captured French cannons.
Although impressive in its place in Trafalgar Square, its not until you see a video like this of the monument, that you realise its massive size. A mighty monument for such a great hero. 🏴🇬🇧
We would all be speaking French if it wasn't for Nelson . Sadly , people have short and selective memories.
@@ianbower827 And no British empire, a world divided between Spain & France.. 😱 lol. 🇬🇧
Nelson’s column was constructed between 1840 and 1843, and yes, it would be sacrilegious to drill into it. You should check out a video on Horatio Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar to get context of why this thing was erected.
Back in the day, as children, we trained for this sort of sh1t on the school playground.
Monkey bars, banana bars and space bars.
With nothing but concrete to break your fall when you slipped.
Them were good days.
In the 70s/80s we didn't go out to play we went out to die the amount of broken bones me and my friends have had
British Bulldog, my legs were just scrapes and bruises most of the time
Yes, I remember every summer holiday would have us in the local infirmary at some point. Stitches were standard.
Fell off the high bar climbing frame when I was 10 and knocked myself out on the tarmac!
Look for him doing the mast at Ganges as well, where you'll also see the button boy going to the very top!
John Noakes was a Yorkshireman from Halifax, over the border not that far from Bolton, Lancashire where Fred Dibnah came from. Both northerners with nerves of steel that just got on with the job.
My dad took John Noakes for a pint in our local pub when he came up to our town for some event...They had an hour to kill and my dad was told to look after him until the event started...Dad really liked him, said he was a nice bloke to have a pint with...but I think we already knew that from his candid manner on Blue Peter
He was a children's TV presenter. Did skydives too.
Can't stop laughing at Daniel. He looks constantly on the verge of a stroke.
I think he held the skydiving record for a civilian too.
He holds the record for the biggest balls.
John Noakes also went on a taboggan run with a racing team, it turned over at high speed , he was black and blue! Hero !
I remember him pulling his trousers down on Blue Peter to show off the bruises on his backside.
😮 I remember watching this as a kid and I was absolutely petrified! He also did a 25,000 ft sky dive with skydiving team. But at least he had parachute! Respect!
I met John Noakes and Shep when I was a kid when my mum interviewed him for the Yorkshire Post in Richmond, North Yorkshire while he was filming an episode of Go With Noakes. He was a really lovely, down to earth bloke and I got to pat Shep on the head! Another time I got to meet Christopher Timothy and Peter Davidson when my mum also interviewed them when they were filming in the area for an All Creatures Great And Small episode. Btw, John must have had the balls of an elephant to climb Nelson's Column like that! Lots of people my age will probably get the elephant reference there!
I swear my fear of heights came from watching this as a kid on Blue Peter. Granted I was 1 when it was broadcast but still. Reruns are a thing and Blue Peter loved to remind us of this even years later. Awesome bloke though John Noakes, never afraid to take on a challenge and tackle it head on, and I know people who only ever tuned in to watch Blue Peter to see him and his Border Collie Shep
John Noakes. Childhood hero (get down Shep!) Oh, the memories 🤗
It's surreal to watch two Americans watch this now; I cleaarly remember the actual BP episode, just got in from school.
Those who watched Mary Poppins remember the song "feed the birds (tuppence a bag)", and Michael Banks wanting to spend his tuppence to do such.
Nowadays, though feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square is banned and is discouraged elsewhere in London.
OMG Daniel said is he going to step over the side and I cannot believe I was sitting here nodding madly and saying yes. OH yes. Those were the days John was a legend and an idol to many who avidly watched Blue Peter in the 70's. The best time for watching the show
The late great John Noakes the guv on TV ..... I remember this just about ... but I particularly remember him in tears announcing that his dog shep, who he took everywhere, had died..... The whole nation was crying with him cos Shep was a member of the Blue Peter team.
John Noakes also broke the world civilian skydiving record on the children TV programme Blue Peter.
John Noakes was famous for stunts like this on Blue Peter. Among other things he did was bobsleigh down the Cresta Run (and crashed), climbed to the top of the rigging of a tall sailing ship as part of a display team, rode sidecar on a racing motorbike and, for a while, held the record for the highest civilian parachute jump with the British military's parachute display teams. Most of the videos are somewhere on RUclips.
The man was a fucking legend.
Love Lesley Judds comment at the end, typical of British understatement and calm.....sadly a characteristic much diminished now thanks to US imports of TV shows like Springer and everything now has to be so 'dramatic'.
/
Climbing three steps on a ladder and I feint, John Noakes was one of my childhood hero`s through the 1960`s/70`s = totally fearless happy go lucky presenter and a legend to boot, I think he retired to Majorca where he passed away in 2017.
The monument is one of the best-known structures in London (imagine of a UK equivalent to the Washington Monument) To my generation of kids in the UK, John Noakes, Valerie Singleton and Pete Purves, the three hosts of kids show "Blue Peter" were the biggest stars on TV. Noakes often used to do crazy stunts like this on the show. One of the most famous bloopers in UK TV history was him trying to control a baby elephant in a TV studio. RIP John.... and sit down, Shep!
This is what passed as children's TV in the seventies! Health and Safety would have a field day today. I remember watching this when it first aired on Blue Peter in 1977. It scared me then as it still does today.
The baby elephant visiting the Blue Peter studio is another John Noakes classice
Noakes found out some years later that the BBC didn't insure him for this and after not insuring him for this thought the lesser stunts he was expected to perform didn't need to be insured for those either, he gave his notice and left the BBC after that unsurprisingly, if you want to see an amusing Blue Peter clip in the studio then take a look at the baby elephant from London zoo, you will enjoy I guarantee it.
...but boy did they take care of you if things DID go wrong! Great employers...speaking from 1968 to 1991
I remember when this was first broadcast in the 70s. I haven't been able to watch TV since.
Loves how he chilling on the plank whilst one hand cleans and scraps and the other holds a smoke.
For many years, John Noakes held the world record for the highest civilian parachute jump when he joined the Red Devils (British army display parachutists) on a 5 mile drop. That, of course, was also for us kids watching Blue Peter.
Then there was his bobsleigh crash on the Cresta Run. Shown POV on the programme. "And then, coming out of the bend, it all went a bit wrong..."
I'm 54 . He was my hero
The traditional bosun's chair was used on sailing ships and also still used by our Royal Navy today.
Just a plank of wood with ropes looped through 4 holes in the plank. Basic useful tool is also a steeplejack's favourite.
Some nerve may be required for use.
Just “Some” nerve. Not too much, but not too little. Some. Xx
I used to work off them, not as a steeplejack, but lowered down shafts/holes,, pretty obvious, but no one tells you, when you are in the chair and drilling into the wall in front of you,,you are pushing yourself away all the time
Busier and busier with work, so some of you both and this is a welcome break.
Brilliant, thank you guys!
John Noakes was an awesome tv presenter in Blue Peter, 40 years ago!
And yes kids, that was for a children's program in the 70s.
"And do remember not to try this at home ..."
There was a Nelson's Column in Dublin, destroyed 1966, with an internal staircase which anyone could climb. Thought the London one would also have one specifically for this purpose. It would be easier to climb the inside and then errect scaffold on the top and lower cleaners down. Anyone know?
This was filmed for a show called “blue Peter “ which was a children’s program 😀😀
He was a legend for so many, one of the most loved of British children’s tv
One time John came down on a bobsleigh which overturned! He sported some outstanding bruises! Tough TV presenters back in the day!
Blue Peter, the world's longest running children's magazine programme. John Noakes, RIP, was to many us who were kids in the 1970s was a legend with the dare devil assignments he was sent on. Years later, before the London Olympic Games and Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the monument needed cleaning again, so Blue Peter sent female presenter Konnie Huq to the top of Nelsons Column available on RUclips and you will see the difference in health and safety regulations. I remember watching this as a child having sweaty palms, and watching it again, I got sweaty palms. 👍
What a legend John Noakes was. Hard to believe that he was actually a presenter on the BBC's Blue Peter twice weekly childrens' TV show. He was not a trained steeplejack or anything like that, but he really had balls of steel. He was the BBC's go to guy whenever they wanted to send someone into a dangerous situation. This was just one of his many death defying escapades. I was a kid back then and actually saw this being shown on Blue Peter for the first time. I don't know what the BBC was paying him, but whatever it was it wasn't enough! Sadly he no longer with us.
Awesome. 1970s children's TV was a different time. Not only doing the climb with no safety rope and the boatswain's chair, but a man filling a bucket with pigeon shit whilst smoking! Did you also notice that the person in blue who helped the expert back up wasn't wearing a rope?
John Noakes was my hero when I was small. If you get a chance to see it, he once joined a bobsleigh team on (I think) the Cresta Run.
💚🐇🐴💚
No team, it was a solo run! He showed off his bruises live in the studio after the footage of his crash was played.
@@bernardtaylor7043 Oh, right. Yeah, he did a solo run as well. I totally forgot about it. Thinking back, the bobsled might have been a year or two before. Sometimes I forget it was almost 50 years ago!!!
Now, if we can only find a way to stop these spam replies that are trying to convince us they are from the content creators.
💚🐇🐴💚
My first New Health and Safety lecture said if we had to go up one step, we'd need an appropriate ladder :)
😮😮😮 Big RESPECT from Italy and Belgium 🇮🇹💯🇧🇪
Apparently the bit where he goes up over the ledge had to be filmed twice!! Legend 💪🏻👍🏻
The difference in health and safety back then is astonishing. John Noakes was a hero to us kids of the Seventies, the man seemed to have no fear... 😱😱
This would make an excellent health and safety training as in here's what not to do.
John Noakes was Fred Dibnah for kids. He was a kids presenter but he ended up doing all kinds of mad shit including parachute jumps, climbing the rigging of a tall ship and doing a bobsleigh run which ended with the bobsleigh overturning and him finishing the course on his backside and with quite bad abrasions/friction burns.
just had to say John Noakes and Shep ...the ultimate boy scout stunt man with a great dog we alll adoted lol HERO
Noakes didn't know anything about the assignment before he turned up. That's genuine surprise!
John Noakes was a Blue Peter presenter, which is a distinct cultural thing in the UK. Blue Peter was a TV show aimed at secondary school kids getting home after school, showing all different things going on around the country that they thought schoolkids might learn from, including exploration trips abroad to visit the Great Wall of China or whatever. There would always be an animal section, and some local festival or weird sport, and the Blue Peter presenters would always have to participate. Obviously when they brought Zoo animals and giant spiders and stuff into the studio, chaos sometimes ensued.
During the late 1980s they started to put up these sharp steel barbs on window ledges and everywhere birds would perch in cities to prevent them from being able to land so they can't poop on things like Nelson's Column. I think it's a shame on balance, not having the urban birds as much as we used to. I especially miss Sparrows which have all but disappeared from London. Now they've started putting spikes on places where homeless people might sleep, so what we do to birds we end up doing to humans too, because cities are places for inanimate objects to be clean, not for living things apparently.
God, I like many kids in the 60s and 70s watched John, Peter Purves and Val Singleton on Blue Peter every week. Looking back, we were truly spoilt, claas acts.
I remember watching this when it was first aired and thought nothing of it, apart from being mildly impressed, but now when I see it, WTF, he wasn't tethered as he climbed and flares would just be a no-no, H&S would never let him do that these days. What a dude. he really did some crazy stuff during his presentation days. You should check out his attempt to go down a winter sports toboggan run, and probably many more here on YT.
Kids TV in the 70s, inspired me climb the highest things we could find. Nearly died a couple of times, but here I am.
John Noakes and Shep his dog were legends, a funny joke song was put together of John shouting Shep was classic.
John Noakes was INCREDIBLE. Blue Peter presenter of the 70's and Go With Noakes. His dog Shep was really famous too. He was devastated when he died. Such a LEGEND.
I adored John Noakes - I had such a crush on him😍 And Blue Peter was brilliant. Great reaction guys💖
Hi Guys! John Noakes was THE MAN! When anything risky for kids show Blue Peter was needed, he always did it. He did a bobsleigh run, he also did a skeleton-bob sleigh run as well and he also was a passenger on a motorcycle sidecar race! He had something of a double act with Shep, a collie.
Him and Peter Duncan, best kids tv presenters ever
I love how the english are these super reserved, understated, polite people. And then theyll just go ahead and do some crazy shit like this 😂
John Noakes, a hero of mine and many other 70s kids! No hardhat,flares,a pair of Chelsea Boots, and a mil surplus jkt...sorted.Imagine using a Bosuns Chair on 100ft up a Mainmast in a good wind and swell.I think he did one of the earliest High Altitude parachute jumps with the Britsh Army red Devils as well.
Not until seeing this on here did I realise the guy working was having a smoke as he cleaned the column 🤣🤣🤣
I remember watching this as a kid and thinking No No not for me 😬
Blue Peter was a kids show on BBC1. I used to watch it as a child and John was the action man of Blue Peter, he died in 2017 which was really sad as he came across a a really nice bloke. and also made me ralise how old I am . The show also had a resident dog(s) & a cat - John's dog at the time was Shep & John's well known phrase was 'down Shep' - those were the days.
I am so glad you did this as i was one of i'm sure many people who said you should. I've seen this a few times but this made me wince all over again. John was a true hero to may of us growing up in the 70's I was 13-14 when this frst aired and everyone was talking about it. The woman at the end was Lesley Judd one of the 3 presenters including John. I had such a teen crush on her it was stupid.
Despite being the tallest building in London at the time it was built, and originally having a revolving restaurant at the top, as a key part of national communications infrastructure its location was an Official Secret. I hope it still is.
The one when he crashed in a bobsleigh is a must 😊And this was children tv in my day
Get down Shep!
That was the first record I bought in 1978
The construction of Nelsons Column ended in 1843 can't imagine what scaling methods they had back then
The dude that was helping him wasn’t even tied on when he was stood at the edge helping John get down on the seat! And all that kept him safe was a bit of rope around his waist. Tied with a knot. Balls of steel. The people that did this were incredible.
Watching Daniel’s face as realisation swept over him when he saw the ladder leaning the wrong way on the overhang was hilarious!! As we’re all the “No way”’s!! People were made of different stuff back in the day. Not just balls of steel but the steel was filled with diamond. They had no fear! Xx