A Blue Peter legend is sailing into Durham for an evening looking back at her life and career.
Fans of papier mâché and sticky backed plastic will come face to face with presenter, actress and voice-over star Valerie Singleton as she hosts “An Audience With…” on Thursday 26 January.
Originally a RADA trained actress, Valerie was a successful voice-over artist when, in 1962, the BBC came looking for the perfect presenter to join existing frontman Christopher Trace on their children’s show Blue Peter.
Glamourous, yet never afraid to muck-in, Valerie took viewers “behind the rope”, to places and events that they wouldn’t ordinarily see.
During a decade on the iconic show she also took a lion for a walk, accompanied Princess Anne to Kenya for the Save the Children Fund and met the misbehaving elephant Lulu, who caused chaos on the set of the show.
After leaving the show as a full-time member of the team, Valerie went on to present Nationwide from 1972 to 1976, and became Blue Peter’s roving reporter, popping up in the studio and on film reports and fronting Blue Peter Special Assignments.
Her last report for the show was in 1981 – nearly two decades after she made her debut.
Stints on the Money Programme for BBC2 and PM on Radio 4 followed, as well as presenting duties on programmes covering such diverse topics as travel, history, alcohol abuse, violence in present day society and a game show.
Tickets for An Audience With Valerie Singleton, on Tuesday 26 January at 7.30pm, cost £18 full price, £16 for concessions and £15 for Gala Friends.
And as part of the evening a question and answer session will be held with audience members having a chance to put their own questions to the star.
To buy tickets visit the website, www.galadurham.co.uk, or call the box office on 03000 266 600.