Podcast appearances and mentions of Oliver Postgate

Mandarava has always been a maker. Her way into puppetry came initially through trying to make sense of deep family grief. Mandarava's work is brimful of magic - filtered through fairy tales, her own deep immersion in illustrative art and the realm of stories accompanying long-cherished images, both from childhood and her further adventures as a grown-up. We hear about her exploration of female figures from the Buddhist and other mythic traditions, including the resonances between old mythologies and certain kinds of visualisation meditations that feature imagery representing a rich seam of possibilities for transcendent Buddhist practice. Aryajit, animator extraordinaire, was inspired as a boy by Star Wars' retelling of classic mythology. It was a major influence on his deciding to live out the Buddhist path as “the adventure of my life”; and to help make the tradition new in his own work animating many aspects of that path. His work appears extensively on The Buddhist Centre Online, explaining and evoking in brilliant ways both the nuances of the Dharma and the life of the Buddha as a set of nested myths and stories that still resonate today when re-presented in this way. Watch any of his animations (see the show notes below!) and you can feel his own quietly passionate heart in the work.  Prasannavira from The Windhorse Trust was instrumental in helping fund Aryajit's new animated series, ‘The Legend of the Buddha'. We talk about helping shape a Buddhist context to fund creators and innovators. And how bringing up his own children within a broadly Buddhist culture informed by classic stories and images has helped him as a parent. We also hear about Prasannavira's own trove of mythic reference points, including Studio Ghibli's ‘The Tale of the Princess Kaguya'. And about his early days as a Buddhist in London, profoundly affected by modern evocations (inspired by Tibetan tradition) of the great guru Padmasambhava. There's so much to enjoy in these thoughtful exchanges: from the legacy of classic British children's television and theatre to the life of the imagination itself. We explore how stories can help us work with past trauma to figure out a realistic path through life in relation to our ideals. And the connections between new work in animation, illustration, puppetry, drawing and painting and established traditions of folk and classical Buddhist art (from India, China, Japan and elsewhere). Whether it's the value of dramatization, theatre and ritual for evoking the best of Buddhism, or how being “good” at art isn't the point - everything flows in this fun episode about how to never lose touch with the sense of wonder and creativity we have as kids, and need now more than ever. Show Notes Home Retreats by Mandarava and Nagasiddhi (with original puppetry and set design):

The creator of much-loved children's TV classics including The Clangers, Bagpuss and Pogles' Wood is discussed by Matthew Sweet and his guests: Daniel Postgate who took over Smallfilms from his father, singer Sandra Kerr who was the voice of Madeleine in Bagpuss, composer and author Neil Brand, and writer and broadcaster Samira Ahmed. Oliver Postgate's father was a communist and his mother was a political activist, daughter of prominent Labour figure George Lansbury - how much of this political background can we find in the fantastical worlds that he created? There's also discussion of the music that plays such a major role in the programmes - the deep folk roots of the songs performed by Sandra and John Faulkner in Bagpuss and Vernon Elliot's sparse and poignant compositions for The Clangers, Noggin the Nog and Ivor the Engine. CLANGERS: The Complete Scripts 1969-1974 has been published You can find more Free Thinking/Arts & Ideas discussions of influential TV, film, books and art in a collection on Radio 3's Free Thinking programme website called Landmarks Producer: Torquil MacLeod

The creator of much-loved children's TV classics including The Clangers, Bagpuss and Pogles' Wood is discussed by Matthew Sweet and his guests Daniel Postgate who took over Smallfilms from his father, singer Sandra Kerr who was the voice of Madeleine in Bagpuss, composer and author Neil Brand, and writer and broadcaster Samira Ahmed. Oliver Postgate's father was a communist and his mother was a political activist, daughter of prominent Labour figure George Lansbury - how much of this political background can we find in the fantastical worlds that he created? There's also discussion of the music that plays such a major role in the programmes - the deep folk roots of the songs performed by Sandra and John Faulkner in Bagpuss and Vernon Elliot's sparse and poignant compositions for The Clangers, Noggin the Nog and Ivor the Engine. CLANGERS: The Complete Scripts 1969-1974 is published on November 10th. You can find more programmes celebrating 100 years of the BBC on iPlayer and BBC Sounds. Producer: Torquil MacLeod

Episode 79 marks a special edition of the podcast, recorded back in February 2021 as part of the virtual Fantasy/Animation @ Canterbury Anifest event where Chris and Alex curated a series of podcasts, themed blog posts, a roundtable on the topic of diversity and inclusion (returning to the Anti-Racist Syllabus) and a live Q&A, as well as premiering a brand new Fantasy/Animation podcast episode released exclusively for festival attendees. This Anifest special tackles Bagpuss (1974) the 13-episode stop-motion television series from the celebrated Kent-based Smallfilms studio. Joining Chris and Alex to talk through his ongoing research into both Smallfilms and its founders Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate is Festival Director of the Canterbury Anifest Dr. Chris Pallant, who is also a Reader in Film Studies at Canterbury Christ Church University and President of the Society for Animation Studies. Chris has published widely across film and media studies, including his monograph Demystifying Disney: A History of Disney Feature Animation (Bloomsbury, 2011), and collections Storyboarding: A Critical History (Palgrave, 2015), Animated Landscapes: History, Form and Function (Bloomsbury, 2015) and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: New Perspectives on Production, Reception, Legacy (2021). In this episode, Chris gives us a rundown of his favourite Top 5 Bagpuss episodes, with other topics including the modular structure of the series and its bricolage of storytelling and comic effects; the pleasures of ‘objectness' vs. anthropomorphic representation; Bagpuss' particular kind of character expressivity, pose and movement; fantasy rhetoric and the image of the ‘storyteller'; the vocal performances (and musical designs) of folk singing duo Sandra Kerr and John Faulkner; the seduction of the animation archive and locating lost production materials; how to tell animation history, and what gets include/omitted from industrial narratives; and the status of Bagpuss as a signature Smallfilms property, including the role of a saggy old cloth cat in shaping histories of this small but influential animation studio.

Episode 8. – Warriors Of The Deep Fried. A minor delay, but definitely worth the wait. The 8th Regeneration in these re-runs of Lambert’s Basement, kicking off with a little tribute to Oliver Postgate, and getting right in to some Glenn Miller, Stan Getz, The Billy May Orchestra and many more! Dave and Igor will be reposting the initial 9 episodes of Lambert’s Basement, for you to once more enjoy. Since there is no new Big Band sounds being created, and that Dave has limited availability these days, a regeneration of the Classic Era sprang to mind. Listen in and hear a plethora of Big Band Jazz from a veritable Golden Age of music, and the humble beginnings of Lambert’s Basement.

A true gem from Peter's personal archive.Peter is proud to present this unique and surreptitious recording of a rare Oliver Postgate story, performed by the great man himself at a party in 1995.See the story brought to life in this special VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/pw3oLWSybLYVideo artwork by Lise Richardson: https://www.liserichardson.com/Music and video editing by Sam Nicoresti: https://twitter.com/samnicorestiHelp Peter's search for his programmes by leaving a review of this podcast, or donate to help his archivist pay his bills: https://ko-fi.com/peterflemingtvTwitter: @PeterFlemingTVFacebook: /PeterFlemingTVPodcast artwork by Soggy Milk Design. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

An Oliver Postgate special. Thanks to Colin "Spikepit" Green for his suggestion.  Free Thrall Theme by Timothy J Drennon. Contact me at spencer.freethrall@gmail.com  --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/free-thrall/message

Early release special – recorded at 2-3pm on Wednesday and it was up to date when we pressed ‘send’! THE DEAL is finally here, but what does it mean? What’s in it, who’s going to hate it and can May get it past Parliament, the DUP, the ERG and an increasingly restive populace? Comedian, actor and fellow Brexit sufferer CHRIS ADDISON joins us at the hinge of history to ask where we go from here, the true meaning of vassalage, how we can change the agenda… and how Ollie from ‘The Thick Of It’ would have fitted into our new political reality.PLUS: We go to Tuesday’s #PeoplesVote rally and grab Justine Greening for a quote! What the so-called Taxpayer’s Alliance’s capitulation to whistleblower Shahmir Sanni’s wrongful dismissal suit really means. What would Oliver Postgate’s animated series ‘55 Tufton Street’ be like? And is it a good idea for Remainers to buy up all the toilet paper in Britain?“There are really good technocrats working on this who have to report to a person above them who is, frankly, a numpty.”This week’s REMAINIACS is presented by Dorian Lynskey with Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith. Audio production: Elsie Bath. Producer: Andrew Harrison. Remainiacs is a Podmasters production.Get every new episode of Remainiacs a whole day early when you back us on the Patreon crowdfunding platform – plus smart Remainiacs merchandise, an exclusive weekly column by our panel, and discounts on #RemainiacsLive tickets too. #OwnTheRemoanREMAINIACS.comTheme music ‘Demon Is A Monster’ used by kind permission of Cornershop. Buy it here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Get yourself a flask of bilberry wine, and join Ren and Adam as they talk about the 1965 stop-motion animation series The Pogles, by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin. In this episode we reminisce about what Postgate and Firmin's work has meant to us, chat about folk horror, and do more voices than might be strictly necessary. Cosy horror has never been more charming. A full transcript of this episode is available in the show notes at: https://stillscared.podigee.io/19-pogles

Reuploaded Welcome to another episode of The AFA Podcast This time Chris and Dan sat down to talk about the British animation legends Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin and their company Smallfilms following the recent passing of FirminThen we move on to some other animation news 039 including the release information of The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales Studio Ponoc Short Film Theatre The Dragon Prince and Invincible Then its time for a stop by The Watercooler 121 with a discussion of both Incredibles 2 and Coco

Matthew Sweet considers music for British animation as the BFI mark the 50th anniversary of Yellow Submarine. The programme looks back on scores for some of the classic children's animation titles from the likes of Oliver Postgate and Ivor Wood including 'Bagpuss'; 'Ivor the Engine'; and 'Camberwick Green'; music for Jerry and Sylvia Anderson's 'Thunderbirds'; the 1954 'Animal Farm'; and 'Watership Down' and 'Yellow Submarine'. The programme also features music from Aardmann Animation features 'Chicken Run' and the recent 'Early Man'; as well as Raymond Briggs's 'Ethel and Earnest' and The Snowman'. And on a similar theme, as Incredibles 2 reaches UK screens this week, there's a chance to hear some of Michael Giacchino's new score.

Photo: Dame Gillian Lynne Matthew Bannister on: The choreographer Dame Gillian Lynne, best known for her work on Cats and the Phantom of the Opera. Peter Firmin who, with his partner Oliver Postgate, created beloved children's TV characters like the Clangers, Noggin the Nog and Bagpuss. Reinhard Hardegen the last surviving U boat ace who took part in attacks on the East Coast of America in 1942 and Alan Longmuir, founder member of the Bay City Rollers. Archive clips from: Front Row, Radio 4, TX 2.7.2018.

Presenting the 82nd episode of the Skwigly podcast! In this episode we welcome special guests Gillian Lacey (Assistant Animator, subsequently of the Leeds Animation Workshop and the NFTS) and Lynn Mitchell (Cel Painter) who reflect on their experiences of working on George Dunning's animated fantasy adventure "Yellow Submarine", which this month celebrates the 50th anniversary of its original theatrical release. The film will be re-released in cinemas across the UK for a special one-day event this Sunday (July 8th), to be followed by several special screenings in the coming months as part of Anim18. Also discussed in this episode: The legacy of Smallfilms founder Peter Firmin whose own body of work (alongside co-founder Oliver Postgate) included such classic UK series as "Ivor The Engine", "Noggin The Nog", "The Clangers" and "Bagpuss". Presented by Ben Mitchell and Steve Henderson Interviews conducted by Ben Mitchell and Laura-Beth Cowley Produced and edited by Ben Mitchell Music by Ben Mitchell

This week we are joined by special guest and master of the Bézier curve, Ben the Illustrator. News includes an Oliver Postgate exhibition, in-game art in Codemasters' Onrush, Microsoft's adaptive controller for disabled gamers, Monde's bookend models, and the curious case of the European Museum of the year. We talk to Ben about his career in illustration, his creative process, his plans for the future, and why social media should be a two-way conversation. Pies are a Pieminister Kate and Sidney pie (Jon – 7), a Minced Beef pie from Turner's Pies in Chichester (Rob – 8.96), and a John Thorner's Steak and London Pride pie (Ben – 8). Special Guest: Ben the Illustrator.

This week we are joined by special guest and master of the Bézier curve, Ben the Illustrator. News includes an Oliver Postgate exhibition, in-game art in Codemasters' Onrush, Microsoft's adaptive controller for disabled gamers, Monde's bookend models, and the curious case of the European Museum of the year. We talk to Ben about his career in illustration, his creative process, his plans for the future, and why social media should be a two-way conversation. Pies are a Pieminister Kate and Sidney pie (Jon – 7), a Minced Beef pie from Turner's Pies in Chichester (Rob – 8.96), and a John Thorner's Steak and London Pride pie (Ben – 8). Special Guest: Ben the Illustrator.

The 60th Skwigly podcast, brought to you by skwigly.com Presented by Ben Mitchell and Steve Henderson Guest interviewer: Neil Whitman Special guests: •Peter Firmin, co-founder (with Oliver Postgate) of Smallfilms whose legacy of British television animation classics include 'Bagpuss', 'The Clangers', 'Noggin the Nog' and 'Ivor the Engine'. •Daniel Postgate, son of Oliver Postgate and executive producer/writer on the recent 'Clangers' revival, presently in production on its second series. Produced & Edited by Ben Mitchell Music by Ben Mitchell

I'm joined by Dr Peter Jachimiak to welcome the new album by Paul Weller, 'Saturn's Patterns' by going off on a cosmic vibe. This, particularly eclectic edition of the Loose Goose Radio Show, is dedicated to the memory of my father, Peter Raymond Johnson. Dad passed away on 06/01/2015. This show includes contributions from Pink Floyd, The Rah Band, Droids, Jean Michel Jarre, Paul Weller, and the voice of Bagpuss, Oliver Postgate...

SPEKTRMODULE  12    Dispatch Render Ghosts    30 minutes and 25 seconds   @warrenellis / warrenellis@gmail.com  On a new computer, and trying to remember how I do this.  A short uninterrupted mix to begin season 2. 1.  logotone 2.  An excerpt from a NOGGIN THE NOG episode, “Noggin and the Pie” – narrated by Oliver Postgate, music by Vernon Elliott 3.  “Departure” -  Voice Of The Seven Woods    (album: The Journey) 4.  “Nerve” -  Laurel Halo   (album: Quarantine) 5.  “Economica” - Jim Guthrie   (album: Children Of The Clone)       6.  “Dipping” -  Shackleton    (album: Music For The Quiet Hour / The Drawbar Organ) 7.  “Looking in the Ether for Meaning” -  Erstlaub   (album: Broadcasting on Ghost Frequencies) 8.  A clip from Tom Phillips’ and Peter Greenaway's “A TV Dante”.  Voices are Bob Peck and Sir John Gielgud. 9.  “Wisteria of Albion” -  Time Attendant    (EP: Tournaments) 10.  “Cave Of Wild Horses” – Pine Smoke Lodge (album: Kambing Utan) 11.  “(Dub)” - Scott Tuma & Mike Weis    (album: Taradiddle) 12.  “Crash Deconstructed” -  Eluvium   (album: The Motion Makes Me Last) 13.  “Gedenkminute (fuer A+K)” -  NEU!    (album: NEU! 2)     14.  logotone

We start with an homage to Oliver Postgate - the UK children's TV show creator who passed away this week, then we're on the Stylophone both real and iStylophone versions, then we're on to Christmas themes and No1 singles both UK and US - or rather lack of, then we preview the brilliant Sonic TALK remix from The Circuit Symphony which shows off the excellent VariPhrase technology of the Roland V-Synth GT - great work mate! Then we satisfy the curiosity of Kayle Clements who wants to know how we got together and how we got into our musical gigs. We finish with the perennial topic of messy workspaces or not. Caution, those of you with an obsessive need to tidy up may find this topic distressing...

Hints and Tips for Media Appearances and Public Speaking. This Week; Woolworths; Rachel Stevens; Emanuel Eboue; Oliver Postgate; Santa Claus; Show Your Enthusiasm; Media Longevity; How to Drive away Web Traffic; An Interview with Negotiation Expert Derek Arden

We start with an homage to Oliver Postgate - the UK children's TV show creator who passed away this week, then we're on the Stylophone both real and iStylophone versions, then we're on to Christmas themes and No1 singles both UK and US - or rather lack of, then we preview the brilliant Sonic TALK remix from The Circuit Symphony which shows off the excellent VariPhrase technology of the Roland V-Synth GT - great work mate! Then we satisfy the curiosity of Kayle Clements who wants to know how we got together and how we got into our musical gigs. We finish with the perennial topic of messy workspaces or not. Caution, those of you with an obsessive need to tidy up may find this topic distressing...

TIN DOG INTRO MUSIC   To celebrate the first birthday of the Doctor Who TIN DOG Podcast (and my own birthday on March 4th), I present a short episode of Torchwood for your enjoyment. And thanks for listening to me ramble on for a year.   TIN DOG: This story is meant with the greatest and fondest respect to the works of Oliver Postgate , Peter Firmin, Russel T Davies and everyone else who has kept the blue light flashing. No breach of copyright is meant in any way. Please enjoy this special anniversary story to celebrate the Tin Dog Podcasts first Birthday. I present a one of Audio story with those lovely people from the popular secret organisation “Torchwood?.   NARRATOR: In the bottom left hand comer of Wales, a meeting is taking place around an ikea table. Lets listen in…   IANTO: “I have been monitoring activity around the hell mouth... er anomaly.. erm... I mean.. Rift and its been surprisingly quiet which means we can re-investigate some of the unsolved Torchwood files.?   NARRATOR: The thin one with the dry whit gets out a file and blows dust off it in the sort of way Eric Morecambe would look at Ernie Wises wallet.   GRAMS FX- blow... cough   IANTO: This is one that dates back decades. The winged monsters of Tan-y-gwlch.     OWEN “you know the rules we do not investigate anything we can't have sex with... apples and pares – queen mother – gawd bless her.   IANTO: ah but.. Monkey boy... but this is season two and we seem to be moving away from pointless sex scenes so I thought we might look at this.   GWEN: BUT this isn't happening in Cardiff... and you know the only time we leave Cardiff's in unseen adventures and spin off novels... oh and Audio Books... as a rule we don't ever set foot outside Cardiff... Couldn't we just send UNIT?   NARRATOR said Gwen   IANTO: This IS an Audio adventure which gives us an unlimited travel budget.. I have rang UNIT and they are apparently busy denying any links with the United Nations then they are all booked up recording a spin off story for Big Finish... which only leaves only US... Jack do you want to do the voice over?   JACK: Torchwood. Outside the Government, Beyond the police, Of Junction 21 next door to Comet electrical.   IANTO: Quickly... to the Torchwood Mobile... and on to North Wales. GRAMS MUSIC: Ivor the engine Music.   NARRATOR: Oh hello ivor..   IVOR: Ba Baaaa!   NARRATOR: Having a busy day   IVOR: Ba Baaaa!   NARRATOR: What are you upto today? Taking coal to grumby town? New shoes for a new hat for Mrs Dinwiddy? Saving sheep from the snow?   IVOR: Ba Baaaa!   NARRATOR: Oh I see... You're off to see your friends Idris and Blodwin the dragons.   NARRATOR: Oh look Ivor... you have visitors...   IVOR: bo bo bbbooooo...   NARRATOR: No there not the English coming to stay in their cottage for one week of the year and drive up house prices... its those pesky Torchwood lot... yes Ivor the famous secret organisation.   IVOR: ba ba   JONES THE STEAM: Oh hello Mister Harkness. Can I ask you a question   NARATOR: asked the hither too silent Jones the Steam   JACK: Sure   JONES THE STEAM: How come you get to walk the streets with a Webly Mark Four on your hip and no one bats an eyelid. This is the Wales after all you know not down town LA or something.     JACK: It helps us sell the show to Americans. I mean who would watch a show where the heroes didn't have a gun and solved things using their intellect and cunning...   GRAMS: FX Few bars of Doctor Who music   JONES THE STEAM: Oh I guess you have a point. I just assumed you were over compensating for something. How can I help you today?   GWEN: Flying Lizards   JONES THE STEAM: Ah you mean the Dragons...   IVOR: Booo Baa Baaa..   JONES THE STEAM: Quite right Ivor... I mean you mean the non-excitant Dragons on the extinct volcano.   IVOR: Booo Baa Baaa..     JONES THE STEAM: Oh you and your fast talking city ways. I obviously mean the non-existent dragons that defiantly don't live anywhere round here…because they're not real...   JACK: How are we doing for time Gwen?   GWEN: Well were past over half way through the episode... so I think were just about to come up with a working hypothesis. So I recon that the Dragons are real and that they are in the extinct volcano... the one over there in fact – Boyo.   OWEN: Jack. I hate to be the one to say this but theres been no homosexualist kissing so far...Apples and pairs   JONES THE STEAM: Oh is that what you think? Me and Di station have been doing little Britain “only gay in the village? jokes all morning... mind you I'm sure you lot do those all the time down there in Cardiff... and not you lot are here its just going to become a joke too far if I bring that up again.   DI STATION: Good point Jones.     JACK: Lets go to the mountain.   IVOR: Booo Baa Baaa..   JONES THE STEAM: Ivor says he can give you a lift if you want... I must say thats very good of you Ivor.   IVOR: Booo Baa Baaa..   JONES THE STEAM: ah... so you think the plot is flagging and you want to move things along.   JACK Lets leave the Torchwood Mobile here and head out.   GRAMS: Ivor travel music.   JONES THE STEAM: Gwen. I have a question for you. “Why doesnt your hair EVER move? Is it a wig? Come on you can tell me... Oh. look ivor.. were here.   GRAMS : steam fx   JACK: Tosh. You've been quiet… Oh you have a sore thought and the narrator doest think he is up to doing your voice, well he is butchering any attempt at mine. Anything on the tricorder… I mean non copyright breaching scaning device?.. GRAMS FX – Bleeping   JONES THE STEAM: Do you think its noticed those dragons?   GWEN: What the red heraldic ones spinning meters above us?   JACK: Gwen? What's that flashing? is it one of those anomalies from primeval?   GWEN: No it's a tourists camera.   JONES THE STEAM: Ah so you have found out our little secret. Every so often the dragons come out for the tourists and get their photo taken. The pictures are blurred because they move so fast so there's not actual risk of anyone believing the pictures are real.  Those dragons saved out town.  You're not going to take them away from us are you Mister Harness?       JACK No but it is likely that Owen will try and snog one of them   OWEN I'd resent that remark if I hadn't seen the rest of the story ark.   JONES THE STEAM: Look Mister Harkness one of them wants to ask you a question.   IDRIS THE DRAGON: (as sample) “do you know land of my fathers?   JACK: No it's abide with me or nothing   GWEN: You know that still doesn't solve the real mystery.   JACK: You mean  how Ivor – a steam engine – speak?   IANTO: oh that's easy.  Ivor was made from a living  metal that came through the rift at the end of the tea time war. IANTO: sorry...   JONES THE STEAM: Did i say too much?  I mean he is magic.   GWEN: Ahhh.   JONES THE STEAM: Tell you what…lets all go home for a nice cup of tea.   OWEN: That's hardly a satisfying end to the narrative. Can't we blow something up? or lose a loved one through time.   JONES THE STEAM: if you like   IANTO: will that help with the fan base?   JONES THE STEAM: No not really….  Ill just go and  put the kettle on   IVOR: boo baaaa.   MUSIC. (Ivor the engine theme as base under the narrators final speech)   NARRATOR: And so we must leave this quiet corner of Wales and journey back to podcast land thanks for listening to my pointless ramblings over this last year.   Be seeing you   MUSIC TDP Closing music NOTE: Some of you have never seen Ivor the Engine and this wont have helped so here is a youtube First Episode for you to enjoy!

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the animator Oliver Postgate. As the creator of Noggin the Nog, The Clangers and Bagpuss, Oliver holds a special place in many childhoods. So it may come as something of a surprise that he never thought about how his programmes would be received by children; instead he says he simply focussed on making the stories great - everything else was secondary. For 20 years he toiled in a converted pigsty in Kent, animating the characters Peter Firmin drew, churning out 120 seconds of film a day. He says a respectable average for an animation company now would be two seconds! Oliver's own childhood was a lonely one; ignored by his busy parents and sent to an experimental school he hated. He says that to this day, he has no meaning unless he is doing something, and this is a direct legacy of his desperation to be noticed as a child.[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]Favourite track: When the Saints Come Marching In by Pete Fountain Book: Huge book of English Poetry Luxury: A comfortable bed.

Kirsty Young's castaway this week is the animator Oliver Postgate. As the creator of Noggin the Nog, The Clangers and Bagpuss, Oliver holds a special place in many childhoods. So it may come as something of a surprise that he never thought about how his programmes would be received by children; instead he says he simply focussed on making the stories great - everything else was secondary. For 20 years he toiled in a converted pigsty in Kent, animating the characters Peter Firmin drew, churning out 120 seconds of film a day. He says a respectable average for an animation company now would be two seconds! Oliver's own childhood was a lonely one; ignored by his busy parents and sent to an experimental school he hated. He says that to this day, he has no meaning unless he is doing something, and this is a direct legacy of his desperation to be noticed as a child. [Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs] Favourite track: When the Saints Come Marching In by Pete Fountain Book: Huge book of English Poetry Luxury: A comfortable bed.