Ivor the Engine

Impossible to watch or even think about Ivor the Engine without a warm glow developing inside. And its not just nostalgia, my own children love the tales on video and in the books as well.

Simple animation, short stories, brilliantly told by Oliver Postgate - the master of this form of children's TV which has, regrettably, died out since Watch with Mother and the pre-evening news filler slot that these sort of things were designed for disappeared.

In retrospect very little actually happens over the 40 or so episodes, though we go get an elephant, a dragon and a sheepdog playing their parts. It plays on an English view of life in Wales, but exceedingly affectionately, with the choir being the beating heart of the small community. I guess it is sheer escapism and a hymn of praise for possibly a time (1950s?) that never really existed. You can over analyse such things. In the end I defy anyone, especially anyone who grew up in the 1960s-early 1980s, to watch these without a lump in the throat and a tear in the eye.

In the seventies the creative talents of Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin gave us a multitude of childrens classics , my favorites change from day to day but Ivor the Engine is one of the best.

These are the coloured versions (originally made in black and white Postgate and Firmin went back to their original prints and colourised them after the widespread introduction of colour t.v's in the 70's) and are just as valid as the original, if not more so as more people saw them the second time round.

Ivor the little welsh train, no speaking, but communicating through his funnel with various tones. His train driver and friend Mr Jones and the assorted charectors from the village including the tiny fire breathing dragon that lived in Ivors engine. These are timeless and should be watched again and again.

Warm, cozy, full of values and knowledge, plus cute drawings and lots of nice little stories - that's probably the description that best describes this great British cartoon series. A treasure that would certainly no longer be produced in this way today, because over-the-top, egoism and smartphone nonsense have no place here. A series that reminds us that the modern times are not necessarily the best.

A dark winter evening, Mum cooking the dinner and me curled up on the couch watching 'Ivor the Engine'. I am writing this and actually have a lump in my throat because childhood then was so sweet and uncomplicated.

Oliver Postgate's programmes are like a background to my childhood and there will never be anything in the future to compare with them.

My generation had the best kid's TV. You only have to look around at the revival of popularity for 'Rainbow', 'Bagpuss', 'Clangers' etc. to know that these shows were special.

I don't imagine that in 20 years there will be a resurgence in popularity for 'Pokemon'!!

One of the best children's animations of all time. As with so many of Postgate and Firmin's work an example of how these things ought to be done.

The plots are trivial and very little happens in any episode. But isn't that just what childhood is like - or should be?