A handcrafted figure has at long last been returned to its family at a Kent museum
Bagpuss and The Clangers were created right here in Kent.(Image: Canterbury City Council)
Throughout history, Kent has provided some rather remarkable contributions to the world, from the humble sandwich to rock ‘n’ roll royalty The Rolling Stones. Some may be unaware our little green county is also the birthplace of two beloved children’s TV programmes.
If you grew up in the 70s and 80s, then you are sure to be very familiar with Bagpuss and The Clangers. These two adorable stop-motion shows defined kids’ TV for multiple generations, and even if you have not seen a single episode, you’re sure to recognise the iconic pink and white cat, or the woollen-knitted, mouse-like aliens.
While the shows themselves are an unmistakable part of British culture, many may not know their creation began right here in our very own Canterbury. Richard Oliver Postgate, more commonly known as Oliver Postgate, was a celebrated animator, puppeteer and writer, and was one of the two minds behind Bagpuss’ creation.
Though born in Middlesex in 1925, Postgate’s legendary career was primarily anchored in Canterbury. In 1957, he was appointed a stage manager with Associated-Rediffusion, which held the ITV franchise for London at the time.
Attached to the children’s programming section, he wrote Alexander the Mouse, and began working with Peter Firmin after convincing him to create the background scenes for the animated show. This marked the beginning of a historic partnership and, after much success and working on numerous projects together, Postgate and Firmin created their own company with the sole purpose of creating children’s programmes.
Smallfilms
Co-creator of Bagpuss and The Clangers, Peter Firmin(Image: Hannah McKay/PA Wire)
This company was Smallfilms, and was established in a disused cowshed at Firmin’s home in Blean near Canterbury. Here, the pair worked to create various children’s animation programmes.
While Bagpuss is certainly among the most well-known of the pair’s creations, there were a number of other hits which came as a result of their collaboration. These include The Clangers, Pingwings and Ivor the Engine.
The programmes aired between 1950 and 1980, and soon the two were producing regular content for the BBC. Interestingly, the now distinct design of Bagpuss was not actually intentional.
Peter Firmin and Bagpuss attend the BAFTA Academy Children’s Awards in 2014(Image: Getty Images/David M. Benett)
“It should have been a ginger marmalade cat but the company in Folkestone dyeing the material made a mistake and it turned out pink and cream. It was the best thing that ever happened,” Firmin stated in an interview.
While the series has left quite the substantial legacy, there are in fact only 13 episodes of Bagpuss which were produced and broadcast which originally aired in 1974. These episodes were frequently repeated in the UK until 1986.
In 1987, both Postage and Firmin were awarded honorary degrees by the University of Kent in Canterbury. Then, in 1999, Bagpuss came out on top in the BBC’s poll for the UK’s most popular children’s programme.
The legacy of Bagpuss and The Clangers
Bagpuss’ distinct pink and white colouring was actually a happy accident.(Image: Getty Images/Gareth Cattermole)
In 2008, Oliver died at the age of 83 in a Broadstairs nursing home, near to his home on the Kent coast. The legacy of Bagpuss is still very much alive today, particularly within the city of Canterbury.
Peter Firmin passed away in 2018, aged 89, at his home in Blean after a short illness. All new episodes of Clangers aired after this date were dedicated to his memory.
Bagpuss and fellow iconic children’s character Rupert Bear were displayed at the Rupert Bear Museum in Canterbury, part of the Canterbury Heritage Museum, until its closure in 2017. The two were then moved to The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, also in Canterbury.
Here they remain today, alongside The Clangers family, and continue to attract fans of the show from all over the world to see the genuine articles for themselves.
A 50-year mystery solved
Many of the Smallfilms creations, including Bagpuss and The Clangers, are on display at The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in Canterbury.(Image: Canterbury City Council)
All these years later, The Clangers are still finding themselves on new adventures as a 50-year mystery has now been solved. That is the case of the missing Mother Clanger who disappeared in 1973.
The handcrafted figure made by Firmin and Postgate in their Blean studio had been on display at an exhibition in London when she was spotted by two 15-year-old boys who, no doubt captivated by her charm, decided to take her home.
Racked with guilt, one of the boys, Michael O’Connor, hid Mother Clanger in his attic in Ireland. O’Connor went on to have a family of his own and the mouse-like creature lay forgotten for many years.
That is until he confessed to his son, Michael Burke, just before his death. Following his father’s passing, Michael managed to find the long lost figure and contacted Canterbury City Council’s Museums and Galleries team.
Michael and his mother Ellen Burke, met with Peter Firmin’s artist daughters Emily, Charlotte and Kate Firmin, to return the long-lost Mother Clanger.(Image: Canterbury City Council)
A plan was soon devised to reunite the woollen family. Michael and his mother Ellen Burke, met with Peter Firmin’s artist daughters Emily, Charlotte and Kate Firmin, to return the long-lost creature at the start of April 2026.
Emily said: “It was such a surprise. Despite her years in an attic box, Mother Clanger was in remarkable condition and still radiating her unique charm.
“She has faded wool and the tip of her nose is damaged. We are just glad to get her back to be with her Clanger family.
“My mum and dad would’ve thought what naughty boys they were at 15 but now would be full of forgiveness especially as they told us as soon as they found her.” Mother Clanger is now on display in the Smallfilms Gallery at The Beaney alongside her family and the other Firmin and Postgate favourites.
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