Peter Firmin facts for kids

Peter Firmin (born December 11, 1928 – died July 1, 2018) was a talented English artist. He was famous for making puppets and helping create many beloved children's TV shows. Peter Firmin and his friend Oliver Postgate started a company called Smallfilms. Together, they brought to life shows like Noggin the Nog, Ivor the Engine, Clangers, Bagpuss, and Pogles' Wood.

Early Life and Art Training

Peter Firmin was born in Harwich, England, in 1928. He studied art at the Colchester School of Art. After serving in the Royal Navy, he went to the Central School of Art and Design in London. This was from 1949 to 1952.

After art school, Peter worked in different creative jobs. He made stained glass, drew pictures for books, and taught art.

Meeting Oliver Postgate

While Peter was teaching at the Central School of Art, Oliver Postgate came looking for an artist. Oliver needed someone to draw pictures for a TV story. Peter Firmin said Oliver was looking for "someone who was hard up and would do a lot of drawing for very little money". This meeting led to them forming their famous company, Smallfilms.

Creating TV Magic: Smallfilms

Peter Firmin was best known for his work with Smallfilms. This company made animated shows from 1958 until the late 1980s. Most of their animation was created in a barn on Peter's land. This barn was in Blean, near Canterbury in Kent.

Peter was the one who built the amazing sets, made the puppets, and painted the backdrops for their shows. He also helped with sounds and visual effects during filming.

Other Puppet Creations

Besides his work with Oliver Postgate, Peter Firmin also made other puppets and children's shows.

• In 1959, Peter and his wife, Joan, created a show called The Musical Box. It was for a TV company called Associated-Rediffusion. This show used live cardboard animation and puppets to tell nursery rhymes.
• In 1961, the TV channel ITV asked Peter to make another puppet. This puppet was Olly Beak, a little owl made from chicken feathers. Olly appeared on a show called Smalltime.
• Later, Olly was joined by Fred Barker in 1962. Fred was a shaggy dog puppet. In 1963, Whiffles the otter and Penelope the owl also joined the puppet family.

Basil Brush

In 1962, Peter Firmin helped create the famous TV puppet Basil Brush. He worked with Ivan Owen on this project. Peter made the very first Basil Brush puppet. He even used a real fox's tail, which is called a "brush," to give the character its name.

Illustrator and Printmaker

Peter Firmin was also a talented illustrator. He drew pictures for many books about the Smallfilms characters. He also wrote and illustrated his own children's books.

After he stopped making TV shows, Peter started creating engravings and linocuts. These are types of art where you carve designs into a surface to print images.

Special Recognition

Peter Firmin received many awards for his amazing work.

• In 1987, the University of Kent gave him an honorary Master of Arts degree.
• In 2011, he was given the Freedom of the City of Canterbury. This was to honor his "outstanding work."
• In 2014, Peter received the BAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award. This award celebrates a person's entire career in film and television.

Noggin the Nog Stamp

In 1994, Peter Firmin drew a picture for a British postage stamp. This stamp featured characters from his show Noggin the Nog. It was part of a special set of stamps that showed characters from British children's books.

Family Life

Peter Firmin was married to Joan Firmin. They met at the Central School of Art and Design in London. Joan studied bookbinding there. They got married in 1952.

Joan was also very creative. She knitted the famous pink Clangers puppets from wool!

Peter and Joan had six daughters. One of their daughters, Emily, even appeared in the opening part of the Bagpuss show. The Firmin family lived on a farm in Blean, Kent. This was the same farm where Smallfilms created all their wonderful shows.

Peter Firmin passed away on July 1, 2018, at his home in Kent. He was 89 years old. After his death, new episodes of Clangers were dedicated to him. At the end of the credits, you can see the words "In loving memory of Peter Firmin".