Petra from Blue Peter responds to fan mail

A photograph taken from the Daily Herald Archive showing Petra, the dog from the BBC children's television series 'Blue Peter' responding to fan mail. Photograph taken by Keystone Press Agency, 28 February 1964.

Original caption reads: 'Petra sits down and starts to reply to his mountain of fan mail. Dear friends...In response to your letter...Petra, the mongrel dog in the picture, has a large problem on his paws, for the day that he signed some stupid human contract to appear on BBC Television's "Blue Peter" children's programme, he naturally assumed that the BBC would provide him with a nice shapely poodle as a secretary. Anyhow, up to now, when he hasn't been rehearsing and learning his part, he has managed to cope with his fan mail and keep it down ok. But now, some human announcer has told the children that they can write in for a photograph of him - and what do you think? He has received no less than 60,000 applications - and still not secretary - so poor Petra is just having to sit down and write all the replies himself. Incidentally, with the usual incompetence, the BBC had only printed 10,000 photographs, so Petra supposes that he will have to print some more himself. Photo shows: petra sits down and starts to reply to his mountain of fan mail.