Bagpuss Creator Dies

Oliver Postgate, the creator of Bagpuss, The Clangers and a series of other classic children's television programmes, has died at the age of 83. His passing will sadden generations who grew up on his shows.

Partner Naomi Linnell confirmed that he died at a nursing home near his home in Broadstairs, Kent. Oliver Postgate's other creations, including Noggin the Nog, Ivor the Engine and Pingwings, were screened on the BBC and ITV from the 1950s. His creations were made by Smallfilms, the company he set up with the artist and puppeteer Peter Firmin, and he also narrated all its productions. Although only 13 episodes of Bagpuss were made from 1974, the pink "saggy, old, cloth cat" remains fondly remembered and is frequently voted Britain's best-loved children's television character.

Born in Hendon, Middlesex, Mr Postgate set up Smallfilms in a disused cowshed near Canterbury after spending his early years in a number of different jobs. In October, the rights to many of his creations, including Bagpuss, The Clangers and Ivor the Engine, were acquired by media company Coolabi in a £400,000 deal.

In an interview with the BBC in 2005, he explained the process of how Bagpuss and some of his other characters came into being. He said: "We would go to the BBC once a year, show them the films we'd made, and they would say 'Yes, lovely, now what are you going to do next?' We would tell them and they would say 'That sounds fine, we'll mark it in for 18 months from now', and we would be given praise and encouragement and some money in advance. And we'd just go away and do it. They hadn't any ideas in their heads, and they were happy enough to leave that to us."
In our gallery below, we take a look at some Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin creations.

• What are your memories growing up on the likes of Bagpuss and The Clangers? Share your thoughts and leave any tributes to Oliver Postgate here