- [Alex directed the famous report where John climbed Nelson's Column. Reg was a steeplejack who acted as safety consultant]
- Alex Leger - Director: I said "Have you got any safety harness?" And they brought out this huge web-like thing and it was quite heavy and it had a hundred and eighty feet of rope to go with it. John just took one look at it and said "I'm not wearing that, lad. I'll be safer without." I took Reg to one side and said "Are you *sure* about this?" He said "Don't worry. He'll be so scared he'll be making dents with his hands in the side of ladder as he goes up." Which of course is not something you could ever put in a health and safety report.
- [talking about the film of John climbing Nelson's Column]
- Alex Leger: He climbed over the lip onto the parapet and I heaved a sign of relief, just when the walkie-talkie burst into life. "Alex, he's got to do it again" - it was the sound recordist. I said "Why?" "Can't tell you, but he's *got* to do it again".
- Peter Purves: The fault on the sound was John saying "They didn't bloody tell me about this" as he went over.
- [talking about the film of John climbing Nelson's Column]
- Edward Barnes - Head of Children's Programmes: I got into terrible trouble with the Home Secretary. They were not pleased that he didn't have any safety harnesses. It wouldn't happen now. A great deal of what we did, we'd be in prison for now.
- Edward Barnes - Head of Children's Programmes: They had a tower crane which was very new then, so I suggested to Trace that he climbed up the tower crane and he said "You're joking. I've got no head for heights. I'm not going to go up one of those." So I asked John and he said "Yeah. I'll have a go."
- Lewis Bronze - Blue Peter Editor: John broke away from the rigidity of television. He did things that no-one had done before - he did things that no-one would do today. That takes spirit, courage and attitude. Obviously it was his job, but he was doing it for the viewers.
- [talking about the film of John doing a five-mile free-fall parachute jump]
- Doug Fletcher - RAF Falcons Cameraman: We had originally decided it would be really cool if John could do a commentary on the way down, but it could have interfered with his oxygen supply, and that was out of the question. So we couldn't mic him up in any way, shape or form - so, secret's out, it was dubbed. I think it worked quite well. A lifelong secret.
- Interviewer: What are your good memories of Go With Noakes, do you think?
- John Noakes: I think the old dog, really. He was a super fella.
- John Noakes: [struggling to hold back tears] I've got some very sad news. He died on Saturday. And I'm not over it.
- Interviewer: Well thank you very much for coming in, and I'm sorry we've had to end on this rather sad note.
- John Noakes: I actually wanted to say it myself. I didn't want anyone else to say it.
- John Noakes: We're all die. I'm going to die - well, not for a few hundred years! It's a super life.