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Post by stuart7 on Apr 9, 2007 12:51:49 GMT
Shame about Ivor not running. Still, they've got a very convincing replica, haven't they?
Stuart
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Post by Dockside Salty on Apr 9, 2007 13:26:53 GMT
Wow, that looks pretty good; upon first look, its hard to notice the saddle tank. Shame it didn't run though; it could be because it's overhaul hadn't been completed in time; it was due to come out of Swindon, after overhaul, only a few days earlier. Maybe, to get it to the event in time, they had to leave out a few jobs until afterwards?
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Post by FlyingScotsman on Apr 11, 2007 21:59:24 GMT
I couldn't help noticing Idris perched on the boiler there. It does sound like a pretty big disappointment that he wasn't running, though - you'd never get that on a Thomas weekend.
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Post by Chris on Apr 11, 2007 22:37:19 GMT
Wasn't sure whether you were being sarcastic or not there, FlyingScotsman, as I hadn't spotted it before. But on second glance there does seem to be something red sitting up there, unless it's part of Ivor's dome.
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Post by FlyingScotsman on Apr 16, 2007 20:48:35 GMT
No sarcasm intended, I'm pretty sure that red thing is supposed to be Idris, or the nearest they could get. Unless it's just supposed to be the Red Dragon of Wales in deference to Ivor's place of residence.
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Post by Culdee Fell on May 30, 2007 17:19:28 GMT
Did anyone see the "Ivor the Engine, and the story of Smallfilms" documentary on BBC4 on Tuesday night? I couldn't see all of it, but the bits I did see were quite interesting- things like the 2W adverts that were made featuring Ivor.
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Churchy
Main Line Engine
Posts: 2,063
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Post by Churchy on May 30, 2007 21:28:28 GMT
I remember there used to be an 0-6-0 outside the Dapol factory painted to look like Ivor. Maybe that's it. Or maybe it's a completely new engine, perhaps diesel powered, or a conversion. Either way, ME ME ME I WANT A GO! I remember that too! I always thought it was a Llangollen engine on display there. I remember going to the counter in the shop and asking if they had any 'OO' Ivors!
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Post by stuart7 on Jan 8, 2008 21:14:19 GMT
I've told one or two members already, but the soundtracks of both 'Ivor The Engine' and 'Pogles' is now out on CD, bought it myself today in Zavvy, where I stumbled on it by pure coincidence.
Stuart
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Post by Chris on Jan 13, 2008 21:00:56 GMT
I'm hoping to get hold of a copy of that at some point. They must be selling fairly well - a HMV I checked the other day was out of stock, awaiting more.
BTW, there are a couple of nice vids on YouTube from last year's Ivor events. In this one, you even get to hear his whistle:
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Post by MRHloco on Oct 20, 2008 21:17:33 GMT
*Welsh Accent* "'Ello, 'ello, 'ello!" *Accent End*
Something I haven't checked yet.
Well, might as well do so now, I suppose.
Whatever can I say? I used to absolutely adore this, especially the 6 original black-and-white episodes. These were definately a calmer pace than the later ones and the Welsh accents still needed a bit of work.
It set the precedent for what followed later though!
It also gave a very special, if somewhat romanticised and idealistic, portrayal of Welsh life, from the terminology ("black stone coal") down to the wonderful things that took place.
Further remarks upcoming.
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Rhodri
Goods Engine
You spin me right round
Posts: 407
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Post by Rhodri on Oct 29, 2008 0:29:48 GMT
Something that I found out the other week. One of my university lecturers, Peter, started off a lecture by showing an episode of Ivor to break the ice. Once it was over he said he had a connection to it. At the end, I went up to him and asked about it. He told that when he worked for the BBC, as well as being a producer and director (on a side note, he's worked with Eve Myles from Torchwood and Irvine Welsh, who wrote the novel that the film Trainspotting is based on), he would do voiceovers in animated sections in his productions. And with his talent to do a large range of voices, that he ended up voicing Ivor himself an advert!
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bulker
Passenger Engine
Posts: 532
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Post by bulker on Oct 30, 2008 22:51:54 GMT
Ah Ivor the Engine, what a classic. I first discovered it only about 8 years ago when I was 15, when I saw a Complete video of all 26 episodes. I took an interest and had to buy it. Now it's about as different from Thomas the Tank Engine as you can imagine, and railway realism goes straight out the window (a story about rails being laid in the sea so that Ivor can go for a splash!), but frankly, who cares. The makers certainly weren't looking for that aspect to their series, and what you have is an estremely charming set of adverntures about an engine who sings in a church choir, is home to some dragons, and some other quite ludacrous, yet highly original ideas, not to mention the other eccentrics based on the railway. Oliver Postgate, along with Peter Firmin are true legends in the world of childrens television, sadly todays TV does not match their standard.
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Post by Chris on Dec 9, 2008 15:16:26 GMT
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Post by stuart7 on Dec 9, 2008 19:17:15 GMT
Strange, Chris, I was just about to P-Mail you to tell you that I'd heard about it on Yahoo. It's quite sad, really. But he did well in everything he did - Ivor the Engine, Clangers, Bagpuss, Pogles Wood, any many more. Terribly ironic, considering they released the music CD of Ivor earlier this year.
RIP, Oliver Postgate.
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Post by MRHloco on Dec 10, 2008 18:11:23 GMT
Perhaps, Stuart7, it's just as well they released the CD otherwise it would have been down to Peter Firmin to help the copyright owners put it all together. I'm not quite sure exactly how I felt when I found the news via the BBC yesterday but it is rather a shock and no doubt the expressions of a fair few faces will fresemble this - After all, this was a man who, inspired by memories from his own childhood, plus some tales of stoking locomotives from a Welsh Driver based in South Yorkshire, who brought a whole lot of children's entertainment to this world and made it much more of a worthwhile place. The most I remember Oliver Postgate for as a person is exactly the very subject that this thread was set up to discuss. There were, of course, many other topics referring to Smallfilms, such as Bagpuss, Pogles Wood and The Clangers. But, for me, Ivor The Engine has always outlasted them all. Maybe it's because I love railways and because I also love different cultures - there's a lot of Welsh features here that seem to be part of its culture, whether we like it or not. Black Stone Coal - Of Which Merthyr Tydfil Has The Full Blast! Red Heraldic Dragons - Which Closely Resemble The BR 1960s Emblem A Strong Accent That - In The Case Of Dai Station - Was Rather Easier To Pick Up Than It Seemed Trademark Surnames That Also Contained The Person's Occupation - "Jones The Steam," "Evans The Song," "Eli The Baker." Admittedly it's a very romanticised Dylan Thomas-esque portrayal of Welsh live, with some Indian entertainers and their fleet of elephants much more at home here than in the land of Richard Sharpe's early history. However, if it's romantic, perhaps that's just as well. Because, with Britain, you need to be romantic in order to prevent others from being cynical about it. Mining towns are not always a pleasant sight but at least they're not all ugly - just look at Big Pit in Blaenavon for example! Hotels are probably better on the whole than Nina Bawden's 1970s take in "Carrie's War" seems to suggest (I've never stayed overnight in a Welsh hotel myself but it's probably too much of a generalisation to suggest that they always smell of stale beer and greasy chips! ). The landscape of Wales is also fantastic. In general, you could apply that more to Snowdonia than the Brecon Beacons but the whole length of it has such a rugged character all of its own that any area of it deserves fair play. And finally Wales had some of the best railways the country could offer. The South Wales Main Line is probably one of the best examples as well as the Welsh Marches line and the Cambrian Coast. Even today's narrow gauge railways at Talyllyn and Ffestiniog are still given high praise for their trademark rolling stock, fantastic scenery and good entertainment value. And, although Ivor came many years before preservation fully kicked off (before the Bluebell, that is), Oliver Postgate would probably have been very pleased if he could see the surging interest in railways among youngsters, thanks to both his work and that of the Reverend Wilbert. All these romantic features of Wales are portrayed so beautifully and so surprisingly realistically considering the technology that it's difficult to imagine the world without a man like him. Oh, well, RIP, Oliver Postgate! Or should I say... POSTGATE THE NOVEL!! Warm Regards And Sympathy To All Who Feel His Loss, MRHloco
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Post by FlyingScotsman on Dec 11, 2008 0:02:22 GMT
Smallfilms was one of those companies that showcased British children's programming at its eccentric best. Not only am I a huge fan of Ivor, but I also love the Clangers (probably my favourite aliens in all fiction) and I used to watch the others when they were shown on TV. Postgate and Firmin's work was just brilliantly barmy - you'd never get away with their kind of offbeat creativity on modern TV. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7773124.stmThis article gives an insight into the very Heath-Robinson process of making a Smallfilm. But aside from Postgate's abilities as a writer, he was also a fantastic narrator - he had a great voice for storytelling, as if he was right there with you watching events unfold. It may be a cliche, but we genuinely will not see his like again.
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Rhodri
Goods Engine
You spin me right round
Posts: 407
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Post by Rhodri on Dec 11, 2008 1:25:30 GMT
The people of Britain loses a man important to their hearts and childhoods. Rest in peace Oliver.
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Post by Halstead on Dec 17, 2008 15:48:22 GMT
Indeed Rhodri but yesterday's edition of Charlie Brooker's Screen Wipe had a topic about children's television and he also fitted in a mini tribute to Oliver Postgate. He brought up some good points about Oliver's productions and the genuine aura that emits from them like the SFX and narration that today's children's programmes lack. He also made a controversal remark that his passing away would allow all to truly appreciate his impact on television history. The episode is below (24:01 if you're really desperate) Contains strong language and violence so beware
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Post by Christopher on Dec 18, 2009 10:17:03 GMT
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Post by Georgemiser on Dec 18, 2009 10:43:31 GMT
wonderful news, Christopher. absolutely wonderful! of course, the isn't the 1st time we've seen a son of a late author step into his fathers shoes. Adam Hargreaves and Christopher's Audry and Tolkien have all done the same thing. that being said, this coupled with the rumorers of a live action Ivor series have defiantly been the best news for Ivor since small films closer.
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