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Bagpuss, Clangers, Ivor The Engine Creator Oliver Postgate Obituary
Written by Paul Rance
Tuesday, 9 December 2008
Oliver Postgate, creator and writer of so many popular children's TV shows in Britain, died on December 8th, 2008. Postgate created shows such as 'Bagpuss', 'The Clangers', 'Ivor The Engine', 'Noggin The Nog', 'Pogles' Wood', 'Pingwings', and 'The Seal Of Neptune'.
Born in Hendon, Middlesex, in 1925, Postgate came from a famous family. His grandfather was pioneering Labour politician George Lansbury, and actress Angela Lansbury was his cousin. Oliver Postgate refused to fight in World War Two, being a conscientious objector, but he was a Red Cross stretcher bearer.
Postgate attended drama school in the late 1940s, but it wasn't until 1957 that he gained a foothold in showbusiness as a television stage manager. From there he gained an interest in making programmes for children, and had an early success writing 'Alexander The Mouse', and it was on this project that his creative partnership with animator Peter Firmin began. The duo also had success with an animation aimed at deaf children - 'The Journey Of Master Ho'.
In 1958, Postgate and Firmin's 'Ivor The Engine' appeared on TV, and they formed their own production company called Smallfilms. For the next 20 years, Postagate and Firmin would keep the children of Britain entranced by their magical creations.
Oliver Postgate died peacefully in Broadstairs, Kent. He was 83.
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