Blue Peter time capsule from 1981 is cracked open on This Morning

A Blue Peter time capsule from 1981 has been cracked open to reveal rather rusty-looking contents, during funny scenes on This Morning. 

The box, which was buried in March 1981, was placed underneath one of the then-new BBC car parks by school children class 8L at the Samuel Lucas school in Hitchen who had wanted to document life in the 1980s.

It was unearthed by builders during recent work at the building when the multi-storey car park was taken down and unveiled on today’s show by Blue Peter’s Sarah Greene, 64, who was presenting on the day it was buried 

All three burst into laughter as they looked inside the box, which on first glance appeared rusty and corroded, with no visible items. 

Sarah quipped: ‘I do not think you need to see that. Perhaps we needed to wrap things a little more thoroughly.’ 

Holly then joked: ‘Did one of the Blue Peter dogs put something inside?’  

Sarah Greene, 64, who was presenting Blue Peter on the day the box was buried in 1981,  appeared on This Morning to open the piece of history from 41 years ago

Holly, Sarah and Phil burst into laughter as they looked inside the box, which on first glance appeared rusty and corroded, with no visible items

The big reveal came after Sarah reminisced about the day with Holly and Phil and explained: ‘I do remember the day it was buried. It was a very cold day.

‘I cannot remember exactly what was in there so it is going to be almost as much of a surprise for me as it is for you.’

The show had reminded her of the events leading up to the day in 1981, after class 8L from Samuel Lucas school in Hitchen wrote to Blue Peter to say that they wanted to create a time capsule for future generations to find. 

Members of the class came to bury the items in the then-new multi-storey car park at the BBC and a huge concrete slab was placed on the box along with a plaque screwed on top.

Members of the class came to bury the items in the then-new multi-storey car park at the BBC in 1981 and a huge concrete slab was placed on the box along with a plaque screwed on top

Philip and Holly left Sarah to clean the box and came back to her later in today’s show. 

She revealed that some of the children were tasked with doing projects for the 1980s time capsule, with one asked to collect sweets and crisps wrappers of the day.

Remarkably, some of the items survived, despite the very rusty box and she showed the presenters some including:  crinkly bacon flavour crisps, salt and vinegar potato crisps, fried onion maize snacks and Trebor mints.

Remarkably, some of the wrappers survived, despite the very rusty box and she showed the presenters them including: crinkly bacon flavour crisps, salt and vinegar potato crisps, fried onion maize snacks and a Trebor wrapper 

Also salvaged from the box was a recording of the original Blue Peter theme tune by Mike Oldfield and footage of the building of the car park. 

Afterwards, speaking to Mwaksy Mudenda, one of Blue Peter’s current presenters, it was revealed that a new capsule would be buried for 2022 live on air. 

Year six children from Wormholt Park Primary School were enlisted to help with the 2022 box.

Items for the modern day version included a tube map, Premier League magazine, PS4 controller, beats headphones, a signed This Morning script and mugs and a Blue Peter badge.  

Afterwards, speaking to Mwaksy Mudenda, one of Blue Peter’s current presenters, it was revealed that a new capsule would be buried for 2022 live on air

Items for the modern day version included a tube map, Premier League magazine, PS4 controller, beats headphones, a signed This Morning script and mugs and a Blue Peter badge