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''Chigley'' (1969) is the third and final
stop-motion Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animation, animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appe ...
children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...
in Gordon Murray's ''Trumptonshire'' trilogy. Production details are identical to '' Camberwick Green'' and '' Trumpton''. As in '' Camberwick Green'' and '' Trumpton'', the action centres on a small community, the village of Chigley, near Camberwick Green in Trumptonshire. Chigley is more of an industrial area than Camberwick Green and Trumpton. A digitally restored version of the series from the rediscovered original film masters emerged in 2012.


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 ''
Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...
'' but were not shown on-screen.


Characters


Winkstead Hall

The Winkstead Hall estate is a large
stately home 300px, Oxfordshire.html" ;"title="Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire">Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a To ...
whose activities, including a heritage railway, dominate life in Chigley village. * Lord Belborough – the owner of the hall, a peer of the realm, and driver of the
steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...
Bessie; he appears in every episode. * Mr Brackett – Lord Belborough's butler, and fireman on the steam railway; he appears in every episode. * Mr Bilton – Lord Belborough's gardener, who suffers with rheumatism; he appears in 3 episodes. * Mr Roger Varley – the Camberwick Green chimney sweep is also employed part-time at Winkstead Hall as maintenance engineer for the steam engines ''Bessie'' and ''Binnie''; he appears in 2 episodes.


The 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 Chigley
Pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...
, who is also a sculptor; he appears in 8 episodes. * Winnie Farthing – the potter's daughter; a frequent train passenger, she appears in 10 episodes. * Mr S. Rumpling – the bargee, whose canal boat (based at Chigley and registered at Trumpton) is a major source of supply to the village; he appears in 6 episodes. * Mr Clutterbuck – the local builder; he appears in 2 episodes. * Horace – a labourer employed by Mr Clutterbuck; he appears in 1 episode. * Cyril – a labourer employed by Mr Clutterbuck; he appears in 1 episode. * Corporation dustmen – the two corporation dustmen, one of whom is named as Harry, appear in 1 episode. * Dancing women – two unnamed Chigley women dance with the factory workers at the six o'clock whistle; they appear in all 13 episodes.


The 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 van


Home 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."December 2011: BBC Studios and Post Production digitally restores all 39 episodes of the first children’s animated colour television series"
, BBC Studios and Post Production


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 group
Half Man Half Biscuit Half Man Half Biscuit are an English rock band, formed in 1984 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Known for their satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs, the band comprises lead singer and guitarist Nigel Blackwell, bassist and singer Neil Cr ...
parodied the Chigley Train Song in their song "Time Flies By (When You're the Driver of a Train)". They also released a single entitled "The Trumpton riots" containing many character references. * In the comic book ''
Preacher A preacher is a person who delivers sermons or homilies on religious topics to an assembly of people. Less common are preachers who Open-air preaching, preach on the street, or those whose message is not necessarily religious, but who preach com ...
'', the train song was sung by Jesus de Sade, a sexually depraved character, whilst riding a bicycle, naked. * The
Oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentChampagne Supernova" contains the line "Slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball". This was, according to lead guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher, inspired by Brackett the butler from Chigley. * In the first episode of the 2003 BBC sitcom '' Early Doors'', bar patrons Joe and Duffy et al. tease bartender Ken about his hobby train set by serenading him with the first line of the Chigley Train Song.


References and notes


External links


Camberwick Green, Trumpton and ChigleyBBC Radio 4 ''Sunday Best'' – Here is a Box, a Musical Box
* {{Watch with Mother BBC children's television shows British children's animated adventure television series Fictional populated places in England British stop-motion animated television series 1960s British animated television series 1960s British children's television series 1960s preschool education television series Animated preschool education television series British preschool education television series 1969 animated television series debuts 1969 British television series debuts 1969 British television series endings British English-language television shows BBC animated television series