BOOK TWENTY-EIGHT Published 1998 BP Team: Stuart Miles, Katy Hill, Konnie Huq and irresponsible idiot Richard Bacon... Cover: Thankfully Bacon is on the back (back bacon, ha-ha, do you see?! And smoked probably...). Features: Anniversary fun with a look back at the Presenters, Pets, Expeditions and Parachutists (!) Past and Present... Blue Peter in the snow Stuart goes tobogganing on the Cresta Run... Hugely double-line spaced Top of the Pops magazine-style fact files on the team. Konnie claims that among her favourite TV shows is "Friends (Series 1)". Oooh, elitist! Richard meanwhile tells us that the best way to spend Saturdays is 'in bed' but claims that his worst habits are being untidy and always being late... Katy tries out hot air ballooning over the Swiss Alps... Racing the Dragon An inexcusable title for an article on dragon boat racing... Behind the scenes for the BP which saw teen pop wazzers Cleopatra visit the studio. Bargain Bin cominatcha'... The team travel to Canada for the expedition... Stone Me! Stuart is painted up to become a scary living statue... Pot It! Richard (oh dear) shows you how to grow plants at home... Makes: Hilarious BBC-branded Animal Hospital complete with Rolf Harris doll Not-at-all-modern paper flowers Historical Figure's Life Story in Pictures: Konnie dresses up as the pioneer aviator the Duchess of Woburn Notes: World International hook up with the Beeb after five years to relaunch the Blue Peter book. The show's highly publicised 40th Anniversary seems to be the special occasion that makes this worthwhile, probably going hand in hand with the BBC's wish to strongly brand the CBBC properties. Unfortunately of course, just a few days before the 40th anniversary, allegations about a weekend drugs bender by Richard Bacon appeared in The News of the World. Bacon owned up after a BBC grilling (who writes this stuff?) and was sacked from the programme, with Head of Children's Television Lorraine Heggessey even going on air to apologise on his behalf. Amid the brouhaha there were tabloid stories that because of several unfortunate drugs innuendos in the article titles (given in bold above) all the copies of the Book had been pulped, effectively banning the book. Amid panic-buying by collectors the reports turned out to be inaccurate and the book stayed on sale for Christmas. While increasingly successful on screen it was a difficult time for the show - Romana D'Anuzzio had just left the programme after reported disinterest on her part. Note that this book uses the new standard larger format (the Rupert annual, for example, changed to this size in the early 80s). Technology marches on - this is the first book to use digital screen grabs to illustrate the features.