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Thank you Oliver Postgate

We pay tribute to Oliver Postgate who has sadly passed away. He wrote for newstatesman.com between November 2006 and February 2008. He'll be missed by generations

The genius of Oliver Postgate leaves children and adults with an unbeatable legacy

Oliver Postgate, who died on Monday 8 December, should be remembered as one of the great children's storytellers of the 20th century.

Generations were transported by his imagination - and thanks to creations like Bagpuss and Ivor the Engine - were inspired to use their own.

He wrote for newstatesman.com between November 2006 and February of this year. In the closing months of his life his primary preoccupation seemed to be with man's wilful destruction of the planet.

His musings on the subject were suitably whimsical. This year in his God Dialogues he wrote on the inherent worthlessness of money, the deeply damaging effects of religion ("The separation between law and religious injunction has got to be absolute and stay that way, otherwise fear will come back into the land") and nuclear weapons.

Oliver died in Kent aged 83. I last heard from him on 1 July. I'd asked him to write for us again.

He wrote: "Dear Ben, Been(am) very ill. The world will have to manage without me for a bit.
all the best Oliver".

You can read all Oliver's contributions to newstatesman.com by clicking here

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7 comments from readers

hippypenny
09 December 2008 at 10:40

this is so sad. he gave so much through his life.

i will always remember him and as an animator myself admire all that he has created.

rip. my full respect and inspiration is always with him.

Penny Alexander

Jonty Stang
09 December 2008 at 11:09

Such a wonderful and unusual man, so sad that he has gone.

Tom Fenn
09 December 2008 at 13:25

My 3 year old daughter and I (42- male) were only

watching The Clangers yesterday (Monday 9th Dec

2008)- teaching baby hoots how to sing using musical

notes! Wonderful stuff!. Postgate's work is timeless.

We may have lost a very dear fellow human being, but

fortunately Oliver Postgate will live for eternity in his

entire catalogue of work and animation and of course

will remain a vivid inspiration to all of us though our

own imagination.

Major Clanger

dinah greek
09 December 2008 at 14:49

What a sad sad day for those of us brought up with his wonderful animations, stories and that glorious story-telling voice. The Pingwings were my first introduction to his films as child but I love them all - Bagpuss, the Clangers etc but my best loved of his tales are probably those of Noggin the Nog - the memories of sitting in the television room at home, dark winters evenings after school before the news and homework, listening to that magical voice telling me of the men of the northland who sat before their great log fires and told the tale of Noggin the Nog. Bliss

Dinah Greek

john lambert
09 December 2008 at 15:16

the tales of oliver postgate where a favourite of my parents (49 and 41) mine (19) and my cousins (10). Throughout the generations his timeless appeal lives on.

Eian
09 December 2008 at 18:46

As a kid I loved his films. I've introduced them to my kids and they love them just as much.

Much fun today as Clanger mania hit the office.

We all knew how much they meant to us.

Thanks Oliver.

Eian

G
10 December 2008 at 21:29

Who now will tell us such important morals about looking after the place we live?

Did anybody act on his messages anyway?

The various shows should be played more often, truly timeless as said above.

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