We now have a freeview box - a novelty for us - and I found by accident a programme about Oliver Postgate on BBC 4 Wednesday Evening. We sell numerous Postgate & Firmin books, mainly I think due to peoples memories of the wonderful tv programmes produced by Oliver Postgates small film productions. It was amazing to watch how these programmes were filmed in his shed/outbuilding/studio. Of course in the books Peter Firmin drew brilliant illustrations of these characters too.
In the programme we saw how Oliver made the incredible characters that so many of us remember from our childhood. Most time was spent looking at the Clangers, but we also watched Ivor the Engine, Pogles Wood and many others. What I hadn't realised as a child watching these programmes were the way Postgate's socialist values (handed down from his father Raymond Postgate) were incorporated into the stories.
A most interesting programme.
Apparently Oliver Postgate's wife used to knit the clangers (!!!) and wasn't too pleased when a crowd scene was required!
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