Blue Peter goes live from the Library

02 Mar 2012

The BBC’s long-running children’s TV show Blue Peter was broadcast live from the renowned John Ryland’s Library at The University of Manchester yesterday (Thursday) to celebrate World Book Day.

The programme was presented by CBBC stars Barney Harwood and Helen Skelton, who waxed lyrical about the Historic Reading Room’s amazing interior-  where it was broadcast.

It featured some of the treasures of the Rylands’ collection – including a first folio of Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies.

Helen leafed through a 500-year-old edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Barney showed off the miniscule 6mm by 6mm Lords Prayer edition.

They revealed the winner of the Blue Peter Book Award, which was The Considine Curse by Gareth P Jones.

The programme also revealed  the best children's book of the last ten years –Diary of  Wimpey Kid by American author Jeff Kinney.

The programme is available on iplayer - and will be repeated on BBC One this afternoon at 4.30pm.