why is it called blue peter?

[Beohthram]

anyone know why its called blue peter? something about a sea shanty i think. can anyone shed more light on the subject?

[Hippy]

A Blue Peter is a signal flag displayed by a ship before it leaves port. It signifies a lot of activity for members of the crew; last minute loading, hurrying to get on board on time, final goodbyes, fond anticipation of the coming journey, and at last that magic moment of cast off. Of course, it warns other ships arriving in port not to block the departing ship by "double parking".

I think Verity Lambert, the inventor of the TV programme, was thinking of that hurrying to pile everything together to a tight dealine when she was naming her magazine show for children.

[Rabelais]

As excellently pointed out by Hippy It takes its name from the blue and white flag hoisted by a ship leaving port on a voyage. But I think John Hunter Blair said that the programme wanted this to suggest the voyage of discovery that it would provide for its young viewers.