The Adventures of Portland Bill facts for kids

The Adventures of Portland Bill is a fun British stop-motion children's television series from 1983. It's all about a lighthouse keeper named Portland Bill and his friends. The show takes place in a make-believe lighthouse on a rock called Guillemot Rock. This rock is just off the coast of a fictional village called McGuillycuddy.

The famous actor Norman Rossington was the voice for all the characters in the show. Portland Bill, the main lighthouse keeper, also tells the story in each episode.

Meet the Characters of Portland Bill

Many characters in the show are named after real places or terms used in the Shipping Forecast. The Shipping Forecast is a special weather report for ships around the British Isles.

Characters Living in the Lighthouse

• Portland Bill: He is the main lighthouse keeper, always looking after the light.
• Ross and Cromarty (see also Ross and Cromarty): These are Portland Bill's helpful assistants.
• Dogger: This is Portland Bill's loyal dog.

Characters Living Elsewhere

• Fastnet: A friendly fisherman who lives on the island.
• Mrs. Lundy: She owns a cozy cottage on the mainland.
• Grandma Tiree: She bakes delicious oatcakes for the lighthousemen.
• Inspector Ronaldsway: He works for the lighthouse service and checks on things.
• Finisterre: He owns a small farm, called a croft.
• Eddy Stone: He runs the village shop. Eddy is also the milkman, mayor, postman, meter-reader, and policeman!
• Young Gail: She is a child who lives in the village of McGuillycuddy.

Places in the World of Portland Bill

• McGuillycuddy: This is the village on the mainland. It looks out over the lighthouse island. Its name comes from the real MacGillycuddy's Reeks in Ireland.

Boats and Animals

• The Puffin: This is Portland Bill's small rowboat.
• The Kipper: Eddy Stone and Inspector Ronaldsway use this boat.
• Flotsam, Jetsam: These are two friendly sheep.
• Boulmer: This is a bull.

Behind the Scenes

The show was created by John Grace. He also helped design the characters and even wrote some of the music! The animation director for the first series was Barry Leith. For the second series, Humphrey Leadbitter took over as animation director.

Episode Adventures

The Adventures of Portland Bill had two series with a total of 25 episodes. Each episode usually told two short stories. The show aired in the UK from October 1983 to June 1986.

The stories were often about the daily life and funny adventures of Portland Bill and his friends. They dealt with things like:

• Weather changes, like in "Changeable Weather" or "The Foggy Day."
• Visitors to the lighthouse, such as in "The Tourists" or "The Guided Tour."
• Everyday problems and how the characters solved them, like finding a lost key or dealing with a runaway bull.
• Fun activities, such as fishing matches, baking day, or even a treasure hunt!

Some popular episodes included:

• "The Sea Monster": Ross and Cromarty find a surprising "sea monster" in their living room.
• "The Birthday Surprise": Eddy Stone has a special delivery for the lighthouse.
• "The Jam Session": Cromarty and Finisterre make music, and Portland Bill joins in with his bagpipes!
• "Dogger's Best Trick": Dogger the dog helps save the day when a water pipe is about to burst.
• "The Whistling Kettle": A whistling kettle helps Eddy Stone calm a runaway bull.

The second series continued with more adventures:

• "Kite Flying": It's a windy day, perfect for flying kites in McGuillycuddy.
• "Football Pie": Ross and Cromarty mistake a pumpkin for a football, leading to a tasty surprise.
• "Bad Dogger": Dogger acts strangely, barking at everyone.
• "Penguins": Bill tells Ross not to feed the penguins, but a small biscuit seems harmless.

Fun Facts About the Show

• The series was narrated by Norman Rossington, who was also known for other TV shows.
• In the United States, the show was re-recorded in 1990 with a different voice actor, Garry Chalk. It was shown on the Disney Channel.
• The show also aired in Australia on ABC and in New Zealand on TV One.
• When the show was first broadcast in the UK, two episodes were shown one after the other. They were connected by a song! These songs are not on the VHS and DVD releases, but you can find one song, 'Eddy's Song', on YouTube.