Oliver Postgate

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]

Choices

1.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major

Orchestra: The Bath Festival Orchestra Conductor: Yehudi Menuhin

Others who chose this artist

2.

Josh White

The Lass with the Delicate Air

Others who chose this artist

3.

Frederick Delius

Summer Evening

Orchestra: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Sir Thomas Beecham

Others who chose this artist

4.

Castaway's favourite

Pete Fountain

When the Saints Come Marching In

Others who chose this artist

5.

The Vernon Elliot Ensemble

Graculus’s Memory Music

Others who chose this artist

6.

Pyatnitsky State Russian Folk Choir

Steppe, Oh Steppe Around

7.

Thijs van Leer

Introspection Two

Others who chose this artist

8.

Édith Piaf

Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

Others who chose this artist

Book

Huge book of English Poetry by

Others who chose this author

Luxury item

A comfortable bed

Others who chose a similar luxury