Bradford museum puts TV's Bagpuss and Clangers on show

An exhibition featuring the childhood characters Bagpuss and the Clangers is set to provide a nostalgic reminder for visitors to a Bradford museum.

The Cartwright Hall Gallery is to feature the models that brought life to children's television in the late 1960s and early 1970s, starting on Saturday.

On loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, it also features films not seen for decades.

Peter Firmin, the characters' co-creator, died last month aged 89.

The stop motion animation Bagpuss, about a cat "a bit loose at the seams" was first seen on BBC TV in February 1974. The Clangers had debuted in 1969.

Sonja Kielty, of Bradford Museums, said: "People in their 40s and 50s are responding to it, we thought it would be children-friendly but no-one under 10 really knows who they are."

Oliver Postgate, who died in 2008, and Firmin filmed the stories in a barn and converted pigsty in rural Kent.

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The two collaborated on TV series Bagpuss, Clangers, Ivor the Engine, Noggin the Nog and Pogles Wood.

All are represented in the exhibition in a recreation of the pair's film studio.

Before the days of CGI, their production company, Smallfilms, used craftsmanship and ingenuity for the animations.

Alice Sage, V&A curator of the exhibition, said: "The stories have stood the test of time.

"As well as looking at how these programmes were made, we also hope to capture the spirit of these timeless gems."

Hannah Fleming of Bradford Museums, added: "People felt quite affectionate towards the creatures and the characters they remember. It's quite joyful."

The exhibition runs until 7 October.