1983-1984

E1. Episode 1

Sep 12, 1983

Gentle Giants! There's no doubt who stole the show during this year's Summer Expedition - the elephants. They're Sri Lanka's most useful piece of farm equipment, with great advantages over the tractor. For instance, you don't need import licences, or any spares. An elephant has no use for petrol or oil, he's very unlikely to break down, and he can get to places where no wheeled vehicle can penetrate. But his greatest advantage is his intelligence. Simon, Peter and Janet discovered bathing Goldie is a pushover, compared with scrubbing their four-ton tuskers. They used coconut husks for loofahs and a soaking wet time was had by all-there's no doubt elephants have a huge sense of humour! Don't miss today's first report, and catch up with the latest news about the four-legged members of. the Blue Peter team - Goldie, Jack, and George the tortoise.

E2. Episode 2

Sep 13, 1983

Hidden Treasure ' King Solomon in all his glory' was probably wearing a robe studded in jewels that came from Sri Lanka. The quarter-of-a-million pounds' worth of jewels Janet wears might have been mined within a stone's throw of the gems that were taken to the Court of King Solomon - and the methods of mining have hardly changed at all in the last 2,000 years. Peter delves deep down a black, smelly hole in Ratnapura and ends up with a treasure-trove of sapphires!

E3. Episode 3

Sep 19, 1983

Expedition Sri Lanka with Simon Groom , Peter Duncan and Janet Ellis Coconuts Galore! Simon braves a tightrope walk across the tree tops and tracks down a Toddy Tapper - the death-defying of the palm trees.

E4. Episode 4

Sep 22, 1983

Expedition Sri Lanka: Shipwrecked Sailor! More than 300 years before "Blue Peter"'s expedition Robert Knox, a young English sailor, was shipwrecked on the island and taken prisoner by King Raja Singha. Peter and Janet go back in time and discover more about this remarkable man held captive for 19 years before his skilfully plotted escape.

E5. Episode 5

Sep 26, 1983

Meet the bird with a six-foot wing span that can soar to an incredible 200 feet before swooping on its prey at 45 miles-an-hour: Heidithe white bellied sea eagle.

E6. Episode 6

Sep 29, 1983

Tea for Two Janet toils In the plantations at Nuwara Eliya and discovers there's far more to producing a good cuppa than meets the eye. it takes five kilos of leaves to fill one basket and skilled pluckers produce three baskets a day-or 2,000 cups of tea.

E7. Episode 7

Oct 3, 1983

Expedition Sri Lanka - Up the Pole! SIMON and PETER join the stilt fishers of Weligama who perch for hours under the burning sun without moving or speaking, to catch the timid Korrumba fish.

E8. Episode 8

Oct 6, 1983

Peter scales one of London's best known landmarks and helps to demolish Fulham Power Station.

E9. Episode 9

Oct 10, 1983

To celebrate Blue Peter's Silver Jubilee year, Janet begins her training with the RAF's Falcons in an attempt to win back Blare Peter 's entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest-delayed drop made by a civilian.

E10. Episode 10

Oct 13, 1983

More than half the population of Sri Lanka follow the teachings of the Lord Buddha, which began nearly 600 years before Christ was born. The monks start their training when they are very young, as Peter discovered when he met The Rev Wimela - aged 10. Like most children Wimela has lessons and homework - but not many 10-year-olds have their heads shaved every three months -Buddha teaches that long hair leads to vanity!

E11. Episode 11

Oct 17, 1983

Blue Peter Goes Silver! Simon, Peter and Janet launch Blue Peter 's 25th birthday week with a giant lift off! Find out how you can win one of the special Silver Jubilee badges - only 1,860 exist-one for every edition of the programme, and discover who has won this year's Award for Outstanding Endeavour - presented by the man who introduced the very first Blue Peter - Christopher Trace.

E12. Episode 12

Oct 20, 1983

Prickles Galore ! Baby hedgehogs reared by Blue Peter viewers make their first public appearance and inspire chef Duncan to create a cake in their honour.

E13. Episode 13

Oct 24, 1983

The remarkable story of Judy, the only dog ever to become an official prisoner of war. Captured by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore, Judy survived the gruelling conditions of a forced labour camp and on her return to Britain she was awarded the Dicken Medal. The citation read ' for magnificent courage and endurance in Japanese prison camps, thus helping to maintain morale among her fellow prisoners, and for saving many lives by her intelligence and watchfulness'.

E14. Episode 14

Oct 27, 1983

Jumping Janet! Janet sees how parachutes like the one she'll use for her free-fall drop with the Falcons are carefully packed. Then comes a jump of 1,000 feet - not from a plane but a balloon.

E15. Episode 15

Oct 31, 1983

They said it could not be done! For 72 miles through 12 tunnels and over 17 viaducts, the railway line from Settle to Carlisle climbs over some of the most spectacular countryside in Britain. This famous track was one of the last important lines to be laid - it was opened to traffic in 1876. Simon and Goldie follow the tracks of the pioneers who created one of the engineering master-pieces of the Victorian age.

E16. Episode 16

Nov 3, 1983

Blue Peter's silver tabby, Jack, will be in good company today, meeting champions who'll be competing in the chinchilla, silver tabby and Smoke Cat Society's 75th Anniversary Show. They include Premier Marisha Simpatico, or Tico for short, Grand Champion Andarphils, otherwise known as Cleo, and Saleila Prima Donna known to her owners as Prima. Discover what makes the champions purr - and what goes on behind the scenes to produce a real live Top Cat!

E17. Episode 17

Nov 7, 1983

See How They Run! Six of the fastest feet in Britain flash past today when Himalayan runners Richard and Adrian Crane join Steve Cram in the studio.

E18. Episode 18

Nov 10, 1983

Evil Edna 's dream comes true as her career as a pop star begins, with a little help from Kenneth Williams.

E19. Episode 19

Nov 14, 1983

Today SIMON, PETER and JANET make their most important announcement of the year - so have a pencil and paper handy for details of the 1983 Appeal and find out what it is Blue Peter is collecting and how you can help.

E20. Episode 20

Nov 17, 1983

E21. Episode 21

Nov 21, 1983

Happy Birthday "Doctor Who"! "Blue Peter" salutes television's most popular sci-fi series with a monstrous flashback to the days of the Cybermen, the Terileptils, the Sea Devils, and - most dreaded of all - the Daleks! Discover which of the five Doctors will be arriving in the "Blue Peter" studio, not transported by the Tardis, but in the special "Doctor Who" Sunshine minibus that will be presented to the children of the Gurney School.

E22. Episode 22

Nov 24, 1983

Weather Beaters SOS! The world's weather has gone bonkers! Tens of millions of people in 40 countries are suffering because of droughts or floods. If you join the Blue Peter Weather Beaters 25,000 families will have the chance to pick up the threads of normal life. All you need is an adult to agree to help and write off for a Great Blue Peter Bring and Buy Sale kit from [address removed].

E23. Episode 23

Nov 28, 1983

Christmas is Coming!: Don't be down-hearted if you cant afford the decorations in the shops. You can make Janet's Christmas stars - they'll transform your tree and you can use them for table decorations, too!

E24. Episode 24

Dec 1, 1983

Cry Just a Little Bit Hankies at the ready as Shaky joins the team! If you're a fan - and who isn't? - there's a whole lot of Shakin' goin' on and a big surprise in store for Britain's chart-topping rocker.

E25. Episode 25

Dec 5, 1983

Viewers who are short of pocket money to buy their grans and grandads a Christmas present should tune in. Janet will come the rescue with an idea that can be made at home for next to nothing

E26. Episode 26

Dec 8, 1983

Fun and games in the studio with Simon and Janet introducing more items of interest. Janet takes to the skies in her bid to break the British civilian freefall record. She makes her first jump from an aircraft - a Hercules, along with the crack freefall parachute team the R.A.F. Falcons

E27. Episode 27

Dec 12, 1983

E28. Episode 28

Dec 15, 1983

E29. Episode 29

Dec 19, 1983

Lift-off for Simon: Today's the great day for 14-year-old Simon Holtom, the winner of Blue Peter's Intelpost Greetings Card Competition. His glorious view of balloons over the London skyline has been turned into a greetings card and will be seen in public for the first time.

E30. Episode 30

Dec 22, 1983

On the last Blue Peter before Christmas catch up with the latest news of our Weather Beaters appeal, in aid of 25,000 families in five countries suffering from the effects of drought or floods. Join in with carols around the Christmas tree with children from All Farthings School and Warlingham County Secondary School and the band of the Chalk Farm Branch of the Salvation Army.