oliver postgate not here any more

Usually I don’t really feel these public death things, when a famous person dies, because even if I thought they were great, I didn’t know them or anything. But for some reason Oliver Postgate’s death has resounded a little more, adding to my melancholy as I lay crippled by some horrid cold/flu thing which made me feel like I’d been beaten up with a bar of soap inside a sock.

So to commemorate the sad passing of a man who produced dinky stuff for more than one generation, PIAIL has produced an Oliver Postgate goodie bag (with a big nod to Vernon Elliott and Peter Firmin as well of course). Watch, and listen…

Ivor the Engine featured what is perhaps my favourite sound – Postgate’s chuffing for Ivor, a simple but odd little chhhhticup sound to imitate the steam engine. Copy it, its such a lovely sound to hear yourself making. Ivor was a Welsh train who pootled about the top left hand corner of Wales most of the time.
Listen…

Oliver Postgate/Vernon Elliott - Ivor Chuffing

I used to live with a 19 year old girl who thought it appropriate to wear big stuffed Clangers slippers. It’s not. We don’t live together anymore. Clangers are a peaceful race who ought to be treated well, not shoved on sweaty feet and dragged around a filthy halls kitchen.
Listen…

Oliver Postgate/Vernon Elliott – Intro and dialogue from The Clangers

My favourite was the rather sinister Noggin the Nog, which I can perhaps credit somewhat with sparking my enthusiasm for all that is Nordic. Noggin had no end of difficulties with his wicked uncle, Nog Bad The Bad (my mum’s favourite character), who wanted to steal Noggin’s crown and be king of the Nogs. The sounds of the show are hollow, but clean, liney and creepy, but curious.

Watch…

Here are three things you didn’t know about Oliver Postgate and his creations:
He was a conscientious objector during WWII. The professor in Bagpuss was based on Bertrand Russell. When Jonny Trunk released the Clangers soundtrack, Mother & Baby magazine ran a competition.

Go to Trunk records to get mp3s for 75p, or buy the whole goddamn album. Both of them.