Background, Overview, Story and structure
Winkstead Hall, a stately home, is central to life in Chigley. The aristocratic owner, Lord Belborough, and his butler Brackett, also operate a heritage railway. They are called on to transport or collect goods in every episode, much to Lord Belborough's delight, as he loves driving the engine, ''Bessie''. Another character frequently delighted by these excursions is Winnie Farthing, whom Lord Belborough and Brackett nearly always invite to join them for a train ride. The notable song unique to Chigley, "Time flies by when I'm the driver of a train", was always sung during these sequences. Winkstead Hall and its grounds are regularly opened to the public, who have access to the picture gallery and tea gardens (both regularly seen). Other parts of the Hall and its estate which also feature in the programmes include the library, the hall, the kitchen garden (and greenhouses), the engine shed (home of ''Bessie''), and the pump room (home of ''Binnie'', Lord Belborough's stationary steam beam engine). Chigley features many guest appearances by characters from the previous two series. This was at least partly for economic reasons, as it allowed the re-use of theme songs and puppets, thus saving money on recording and manufacture. Lord Belborough invites everyone to the grounds of Winkstead Hall after the daily 6 o'clock whistle (which marks the end of the day's work at the local biscuit factory), when he plays his vintage Dutch organ, while the workers dance. This scene forms the conclusion of each episode.Episodes
Episode titles were given in ''Characters
Winkstead Hall
The Winkstead Hall estate is a largeThe Villagers
Only a relatively small number of Chigley villagers are introduced in the series, as many storylines involve existing Trumpton or Camberwick Green characters visiting Chigley. * Mr Swallow – the wharfinger at Treddle's Wharf, at the intersection of Trumpton Canal with both road and rail networks; he appears in 10 episodes. * Mr Harry Farthing – the potter at ChigleyThe biscuit factory
The factory is the village's chief source of employment. Cresswell's Chigley Biscuits is the company which owns and operates the facility, and operates a fleet of delivery lorries transporting the finished biscuits from the factory to the railway station at Wintlebury. * Mr Cresswell – the owner and general manager of the factory; he appears in 4 episodes, and is referenced in a fifth. * Mr Fletcher – the loading bay supervisor; he appears in the closing dance scene of every episode, and in the storyline of 3 episodes. * Mr McGregor – one of the delivery drivers; he is chiefly known for being unavailable for work in episode 12. * Mr Patterson – one of the delivery drivers; he is commended for his skill in not knocking down Jimmy Rankin in episode 4. * Willie Munn – works on the biscuit cutting machine; he is the nephew of Mr Clamp, the Trumpton greengrocer, and he has a starring role in episode 12. * The workers – a large number of unnamed factory workers are seen throughout the series, in and around the factory, and at the evening dance after the six o'clock whistle; they appear in every episode; the number of workers is unknown, but at least 16, as that number are seen on screen together at the six o'clock whistle.Visitors
Chigley was frequently visited by tradesmen and other characters from neighbouring communities, allowing the re-use of Trumpton and Camberwick Green figures.Unseen characters
* Mrs Tripp – the milkman's wife * Mrs McGarry – the policeman's wife * Millicent Mopp – the doctor's sister * Mr Wilkins – the Trumpton plumber * Jimmy Rankin – a boy who narrowly avoided being knocked down by a Cresswell's delivery vanHome releases
In 1984, 15 years after its broadcast on the BBC in 1969. Longman Video released one video with the first four episodes as part of its 'Children's Treasury' collection. 5 years later, in 1989, the BBC released a video with the three more episodes (ep.13 ''A Present for Lord Belborough'', ep.11 ''Apples Galore'' and ep.10 ''Trouble with the Crane''). And in 1996–1997, Telstar Video Entertainment released two videos as part of its 'Star Kids' range. In 2011, ''Chigley'' and the two earlier series ''Camberwick Green'' and ''Trumpton'' were digitally-restored from the rediscovered original film masters.Credits
* Script & Puppets: Gordon Murray * Music: Freddie Phillips * Narrator: Brian Cant * Sets: Andrew & Margaret Brownfoot * Animation: Bob Bura & John Hardwick * Assistant Animators: Pasquale Ferrari, George Dubouch * Recording & Sound Effects: Music Features MF * A Gordon Murray Production MCMLXIX.Cultural references
* The indie groupReferences and notes
External links