Peter Firmin, 26th November 2013

Kate Sullivan, a Clanger and Peter Firm

Our event of 26th November featured Peter Firmin, the creator with Oliver Postgate of Ping Wings, Pogles Wood, Noggin The Nog, Ivor The Engine, The Clangers and Bagpuss.

Some weeks ago LAC regular Trina Dalziel, who is a friend of Peter’s daughter Josie, asked me if I would like Peter Firmin to come and give a talk at London Animation Club. I have loved his and Oliver’s work since I was four and had been lucky enough to see both of them at the NFT back in 2002 so I said YES! straight away.

Peter demonstrates a Clanger armature

As Peter was unable to come to our 5th November event (he was sailing in the Tall Ships Race) and our venue is never available in December, I put together a special event for him on 26th November.

Peter talked energetically and passionately for seventy-five minutes without a break. Thanks to Kate Sullivan, can see it all here:

Peter’s talk filmed by Kate Sullivan

Peter started with his PowerPoint presentation about about Noggin The Nog and how Noggin and his friends were inspired by the Lewis Chessmen. Unusually for series made by Peter and Oliver, Noggin was his original idea and story.

He then moved on to describe other work from his career, including his first collaboration with Oliver, Alexander Mouse, which was transmitted live. Did you know he even designed Basil Brush?

My sister Adela and friend

He brought us up to date by describing how he was fresh off the train from Manchester, where he had been advising on a NEW series of The Clangers which is being made by Oliver’s son Dan Postgate.

I then called a break during which Peter talked to members of the audience for another half-hour. It was great to see just how much his and Oliver’s work means to so many people.

When we started the second half, we offered to show a selection of his films from DVD, each of which he kindly commented on in detail. The films we showed were:

Noggin And The Ice Dragon – part one

Bagpuss: The Mouse Mill

The Clangers: Top Hat

I also showed a Basil Brush public information film as an introduction, which Peter had never seen:

And we were over by 10.15 after the fullest and most energetic talk we have ever had.

I would really like to thank Josie and Trina for putting the event together, to Dennis Sisterson for supplying the video camera and the DVDs from which we screened the films, to Kate Sullivan for filming the evening, to Vicky Dale and Rob Munday for bringing along the projector and to Stuart Pound and Rosemary Norman for supplying the PC. You were all invaluable.

And a very big thank you to Peter Firmin.