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Gordon Murray Biography
Visionary English puppeteer, puppet
maker, sculptor, film and television producer,
author, wordsmith, bookmaker, and actor who spent almost thirty five years at the forefront of
children’s television puppetry. Gordon Murray has always been interested in puppets. As a child he loved making puppets and would give little shows to friends and family at home. He dreamt of one day owning his own puppet theatre, a dream that one day would see him as director of the Children's Puppet Theatre in the BBC's new (in 1960) Television Centre. Demobbed after WW2, Gordon set up his own puppet company, Murray's Marionettes, and then several years later joined the BBC as a puppeteer in the early days of children’s television. This turn of events occurred when Freda Lingstrom, head of BBC's Children's Television, met Gordon at one of his Murray's Marionettes performances and was impressed by his skill as a puppeteer and his knowledge of puppetry. Looking back over Gordon Murray's more than twenty years of work in children’s television, it is one of his earlier efforts, “Rubovian Legends”, that represents his most sophisticated and charming creative output. But such attributes aren’t necessarily big money makers, and overall, he remains most famous for his trilogy of Trumptonshire stop-motion puppet masterpieces: “Camberwick Green,” “Trumpton” and “Chigley”.
The Trumptonshire puppets, all of which today would have fetched high prices as collectors items, are long gone. Worn out and dilapidated, they were cremated on a bonfire in Gordon’s back yard after the shows were dropped from television in the late 1980s. Only one puppet, a soldier from “Camberwick Green”, miraculously escaped the fire. This same puppet was recently (April 2003) put up for auction at Christies, but failed to meet the reserve price (it was expect to sell for £2,000 - £3,000). By contrast, at the same auction the head of Thunderbirds puppet astronaut John Tracy (made of a very durable fiberglass material, in contrast to the periihable plastic foam of the Trumptonshire puppets) sold for £37,600 - despite a modest £6,000 valuation. Back in the middle of the 1970s, the “Rubovian Legends” marionette puppets also suffered a fiery fate after Gordon found that their foam latex had gone all gooey. The much later stop-motion “Rubovia” puppets, being made of similar materials to the Trumptonshire puppets (plastic foam, wire and a ping pong ball for a head), can be safely assumed to have gone up in flames too. Incidentally, Gordon has long said that puppets should be seen working, and not hanging up in a static display, looking the worse for wear. (Note: Having seen some seriously decayed foam latex puppets, the we tend to agree. Better to make some new ones!) Of his lifelong interest in puppets, Gordon said, “I have been interested in puppets ever since I was a child. My enthusiasm was greatly stimulated, I remember, by a visit to the Victoria Palace when I was about eight to see Delvain’s Marionettes on the variety bill. Later, of course, I avidly read the Whanslaw books.” Following “Chigley,” it was to be six years before Gordon had a new series on television. During this hiatus, Gordon and his wife Enid were bringing up a young family and surviving mainly on repeat fees and tie-in merchandise sales from the Trumptonshire trilogy. Gordon's first new television series after Trumptonshire was the 1976, six-episode, stop-motion remake of some of the “Rubovian Legends” puppet plays. Called simply “Rubovia”, this series presented some of the original "Legends" stories in a simplified form more suitable for a younger audience. The BBC, in a typical lapse, scheduled it into the Watch with Mother slot, which broadcast to an audience that found the far simpler worlds of Andy Pandy and Bill and Ben challenging. Thereby, through mere circumstance, “Rubovia” was not the expected huge success, and was cancelled after a run of only six episodes. “Rubovia” was followed in 1977 by “Skip and Fuffy” and in 1979 by “The Gublin Legends”, both aimed at the age group that watched the “The Multicoloured Swap Shop” on Saturday mornings, an indeed where Gordon got to personally introduce each episode before it was shown. Nevertheless, despite using a stop-motion technique similar to that used in Trumptonshire, and despite interesting fantasy and linguistic elements, none of these later productions experienced anywhere near the success that the plainly narrated, everyday dramas of Trumptonshire conjured up, albeit with help from a handful of memorable songs and music. With the magic fading, and feeling the winds of change, Gordon decided that the Gublins puppets were to be his last. For an encore, Gordon turned his attention to something completely different. And so it was, between the years 1982 and 1991 devoted himself to producing and self-marketing more than sixty limited-edition miniature books. Produced under the Silver Thimble Books imprint, initially the books were hand-bound, hand-embellished, and mechanically reproduced. Beginning to tire of the run sizes and the sheer amount of work involved, Gordon progressively reduced the print run sizes, while adding further embellishments such as hand-coloured pictorial and illuminated initials, fine watercolour illustrations and endpapers, finely embroidered bindings, glassine dust covers, and slip cases. After 1987 his entire output was limited-run, wholly hand-made editions, with original calligraphic text embellished with beautiful original watercolour illustrations. Such was Gordon's attention to detail and skill in execution, that these exquisitely presented diminutive examples of the book making art are today highly sought-after collectibles. Indeed the watercolour illustrations in Gordon's books are of such exquisite quality that he has been called one of the best, if not the best, miniature book watercolourist of the twentieth century. A list of Gorgon Murray's miniature book titles is given below. Drawing from a number of sources (including a very comprehensive list kindly provided to me by Joan and Jim Lorson of Lorson's Books and Prints, entitled Miniature Notes From Orange County, featuring the miniature books of Gordon Murray), this list attempts to be as complete as possible. A major library collection of Silver Thimble miniature books, and relevant Gordon Murray correspondence 1982 - 87, is held in the Special Collections Department of the University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City, USA.
Although in 1979 Gordon left the puppetry business, it did not leave him. The world of Trumpton was replayed time after time, staying on television screens for more than thirty years. In all, more than 100 tie-in books were published. Baby boomers, many of whom were raised on “Pugh! Pugh! Barney McGrew! Cuthbert! Dibble! Grubb!” have long wished to pass on their love of everything Trumptonshire to their children and their children's children, and not just with a few isolated episodes on videotape, but all three series, complete, and on DVD! Gordon responded as only an entrepreneur can, licensing all of the programmes for DVD release to Telstar/Firefly Entertainment in 2003 (red box), and then after Trumptonshire started to generate even more marketplace fervour, following this with a fancy new digitally restored 40th anniversary DVD release from Universal Pictures, in 2006 (available separately in white boxes, and together in a red/white boxed set). The restored versions of the DVDs have some extras (see Gordon's videography, below). In the Trumptonshire stories, Gordon Murray has created a family classic, that will endure long after the boomers have soothed their longing to re-experience the bygone, gentler era of their youth. Windy Miller, who as it happens was Gordon's favourite Trumpton character, was guaranteed a long life outside the actual television series after being adopted by Quaker Oats as their mascot in 2005. Quaker Oats more detail here. |
Gordon Murray Puppetry Timeline in Pictures:
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 Gordon Murray's The Dancing Princess, a marionette television play for children, BBC, 1962 |
 Gordon Murray's marionette production of Ruskin's King of the Golden River, BBC, 1959. |
 Gordon Murray's marionette production of Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes, BBC, 1959 |
 Gordon Murray's The Winkleburg Armourer, a marionette play for children, BBC, 1958. |
 Gordon Murray's “Rubovian Legends”, a marionette television series for children, BBC, 1958. In this scene the Lord Chamberlain (L) and King Rufus (R) play a game of draughts while Sir Albert Weatherspoon looks on. |
 Gordon Murray's production of S.G. Hulme Beaman's “Toytown” rod puppet series for children, BBC, 1956 |
 Gordon Murray's first three “Rubovian Legends” puppet plays used marionettes made by Kim Allen. Andrew Brownfoot designed some of the settings, and possibly also the dress worn by the Queen in this photograph. BBC, 1955. |
 Gordon Murray started at the BBC as the puppeteer for Spotty Dog ("the biggest spotty dog you ever did see") in “The Woodentops”, a marionette television series for children, BBC, 1955. |
 One of Gordon Murray's earliest puppet productions was La Boheme, 1949 |
Gordon Murray Puppetry Timeline:
1978: “The
Gublin Legends” [TV-Series] (13 x 6-minute colour stop-motion
episodes; the 13th episode was not transmitted. Writer, narrator, producer: Gordon Murray. Music: Freddie Philips. Animation puppet films made for BBC television, initially
transmitted as part
of “Noel Edmonds’ Multicoloured Swap Shop” which provided three
hours of mostly-live Saturday morning entertainment for British kids aged 8 to
17. Gordon
Murray appeared in person to introduce each Gublins episode.) Eleven of the
Gublin Legends episodes were released on Warner Home Video in the VHS (PAL) format in 1984 (See
videography, 1984, below. Unfortunately The Prudent Prince was not included, although listed on the tape box). The following details are printed on the tape box: “The Gublin Legends by
Gordon Murray are animated puppet films. Each of the legends involving some
magic ingredient is set in a different period and background. The charming and
endearing characters all have the distinctive Gublin features. The English
versions are narrated in rhyme against a specially composed musical background.”
Never repeated because the BBC thought the narration was too adult. Gordon's
answer to this is that children gain considerable benefit from hearing a few
words they are not yet familiar with. (editor's comment: Thereby helping to
raise IQ points, not lower them as television is often said to do!) All thirteen films are currently available for
license from Double:Take, 13 x 5 minutes. © Gordon Murray.
M&E track available. [click
here or telephone +44 (0) 208 788 5743]. Gordon also wrote
several Gublins children's books. These had stories that were specially created
for the books (see bibliography, below).
Episode listing:
Obadiah and Flo [later made into a non-Gublin miniature book, The Hole.
See
list of miniature books, below]
Bessie o' the Glen or
The
Inversneekie Doonie
The Barber of Cartina
Mr. Dilley's
Mermaid
The Prince
Frog
The Magic
Tree
The Kendal
Candle
The
Emperor's Willow-warbler
The Honey-Coloured
Hat
The Dancing
Princess
Charley's
Feather
The Prudent
Prince
--13th
episode title is unknown--
1977: “Skip
and Fuffy” [TV-Series] (Short stop-motion animation puppet films
made for BBC television, transmitted as part
of Noel Edmonds’ “Multicoloured Swap Shop” series)
1977: “Rubovia”
[LP record] (Two complete stories adapted from the
BBC television series.
BBC Record: REC 282,
33 r.p.m. 12" LP vinyl record, simulated stereo.
SIDE ONE:
Tunnel Trouble 21:38,
SIDE TWO:
The Unreliable Wand 20:16. Written by Gordon Murray. Music by Freddie Phillips.
Voices: Roy Skelton and Gordon Murray. Narrated by Gordon Murray)
1976 (20th February): “Rubovia”
[TV-Series] (6 x 15 minutes. Six of the old
B&W marionette Rubovian plays were remade in colour, with newly designed
stop-motion puppets and settings. Roy Skelton did all of the character
voices, while Gordon Murray handled the narration. The animation was done
by the Bura and Hardwick team. Gordon
Murray adapted the scripts and was also producer for the series. The six plays were
transmitted on BBC1 in the lunchtime (1:45 - 2:01
pm) 'Watch With Mother' slot, and then given a couple of repeat runs
over the next several years.
However, even though it followed
in the footsteps of Trumptonshire, and used similar production methods, “Rubovia” did
not prove to be as enduringly popular, and once the repeats finished it simply
“disappeared” from the public’s memory. Gordon said to us that this was
to be expected, since “Rubovia” was intended for
seven year olds, and that it was never his intention that it should be shown to
three and four
year olds, to whom it would have meant very little. Against Gordon's sage advice, the BBC children's programming department insisted on putting Rubovia
into the same slot as Gordon's similarly produced and very successful earlier
stop-motion series, “Camberwick Green,” “Trumpton” and
“Chigley.”
Episode listing:
The Unreliable Wand
Dragon Doctor
The Magic Scent Bottle
The Magic Duck
The Enchanted Clock
Tunnel Trouble
1970: Proposal for a fourth Trumptonshire
series with a seaside location. Not actually made!
1969 (6th October): “Chigley” [TV-Series]
(Stop-motion
puppet series made for BBC’s ‘Watch with Mother’ segment, 13 x 15 minutes,
colour). Gordon Murray was creator, writer, producer.
Episode listing:
Lord
Belborough’s Secret
Bessie to the Rescue
The Balloon
The
Fountain
The Garden Wall
Binnie & Bessie
Lord
Belborough’s Lucky Day
Trouble with the Crane
Clay for Mr. Farthing
A Present for Lord Belborough
Apples Galore
Willie
Munn
The Broken Bridge
1967 (3rd January): “Trumpton” [TV-Series]
(Stop-motion puppet series
made for BBC’s ‘Watch with Mother’ segment, 13 x 15 minutes, colour.
Written by Alison Prince. Gordon Murray was creator, co-writer, and producer.
Episode listing:
Nick Fisher the Bill poster
Miss Lovelace &
the Mayor’s Hat
Mrs. Cobbit & the Ice Cream Man
Miss
Lovelace & the Statue
The Mayor’s Birthday
Telephones
The Rag & Bone
Man
Mr. Platt & the Painter
The Window
Cleaner
Cuthbert’s Morning Off
The Plumber
Pigeons
The Greenhouse
1966 (3rd January): “Camberwick Green”
[TV-Series] (Stop-motion puppet series made for BBC’s ‘Watch with Mother’
segment, 13 x 15 minutes, colour, B&W. The Trumptonshire programmes were
immediately successful, and with a wider age group than originally
intended) Gordon Murray was creator, writer, producer.
Episode listing:
Peter the
Postman
Windy
Miller
Mr.
Crockett
Dr.
Mopp
Mr.
Murphy
Mrs.
Honeyman
PC
McGarry
Mr.
Carraway
Farmer
Bell
Paddy
Murphy
Captain
Snort
Roger
Varley
Mr. Dagenham
1964/65: Due to pressure of
competition from ITV’s live action adventure series, the BBC moved away
from puppet productions. A major change was the disbanding of the
Children’s Department. Not liking the direction things were taking,
Gordon decided not to renew his contract, and in 1964 left BBC staff to become a
free-lance TV film producer, using a stop-motion system. Before long,
however, the BBC asked Gordon to submit some ideas for a new stop-motion series
for young children, set in a rural village. Sufficiently impressed, they asked
Gordon to produce a pilot episode. Due to a serendipitous typing mistake, the
original series title, “Candlewick Green”, became “Camberwick
Green”, and the rest, as they usually say, is history.
1962: The Dancing Princess
(BBC Productions. Marionette play)
1960:
The Magic Tree (BBC Productions. Marionette
play)
1960: BBC moved from Lime Grove
studios to the new Television Centre, where Gordon was
put in charge of the new purpose-built puppet studio.
1960: The Crumpot Candles (BBC
Productions. Marionette play)
1959: The King of the Golden River (John
Ruskin) (Marionette play. BBC Productions)
1959: The Emperor’s New
Clothes (Hans Christian Andersen) (Marionette play. BBC
Productions)
1959: The Petrified Princess
(Richard Arnell) (Marionette operetta. BBC Productions)
1958: The Winkleburg
Armourer (BBC Productions.
Marionette play)
1958-65: “A Rubovian
Legend” [TV-Series] (Twenty-six further
marionette plays using Gordon
Murray’s own marionettes, 26 x 20 minutes, B&W, presented by BBC Puppet Theatre.
Settings and costumes by Andrew Brownfoot, assisted by Margaret Brownfoot. Gordon Murray was writer, director, &
producer. Note that the title frame on the films
actually says “A Rubovian Legend by Gordon Murray”, which is how the series
is indexed by the BBC in their Infax database. Gordon, however, usually refers
to the entire B&W marionette series as the “Rubovian Legends” which is
the convention we've adopted here. See the FAQ section for more information on
this topic.)
Episode listing:
Clocks and Blocks
The Dragon's Hiccups
Mystery of Rubovia Castle
The Wonky Wand
Zaza Knows All
Spray Fever
Chickweed Wine
Knight for a Day
Crafty Art
Fit and Well
Something in the Air
The Clue
The Bell
Bees and Bellows
The Enchanted Duck
The Trap
Gala Performance
A Cranky Banquet
The Secret River
Stop Press
Fire, Fire, Fire
Calling All Trunks
The Troublesome Double
Bewitched Boots
A Sinister Visitor
The Giddy Ghost (not
Tx'd)
1957: “Captain Pugwash”
[TV-Series] (BBC Productions. 86 x 5 minute
episodes, B&W. Electronically recorded at 405 lines resolution onto 16 mm
film from a studio television camera. Gordon Murray was
the producer. Created, written, illustrated and directed by John
Ryan. Voices by Noel Coleman [1957], followed by Howard Marion-Crawford [mid
1958], and then Peter Hawkins.)
The following notes are courtesy of Andrew Martin:
Notes: Series 1-3 and filmed episodes in 1958 have no "official" titles.
I have checked the episodes from this era which have been allocated titles
elsewhere, against colour episodes with similar titles, and they are not the
same episodes remade. It may be that these b/w episodes were remade in colour,
but I will leave that to a future researcher to verify. Anyone looking for
episodes listed in the BFI's "A for Andromeda to Zoo Time" book (listing the
NFTVA's TV holdings) should not the that the Tx dates given there are actually
recording dates. Just to summarise the recording media of the series for the
record, series 1 was live (which must have been fun!), then there were two
filmed episodes not made by the BBC, thereafter all the b/w 1960s episodes were
made as film recordings/telerecordings; the 1970s episodes were shot on 16mm
reversal colour film i.e., the master material is positive rather than negative.
I have arranged the episodes into series more based on transmission than notes
on paperwork, etc., about series & episode numbers, which seems more related to
production order. The "transmission frequency", it will be noted, varies from
fortnightly to monthly to weekly at various points in the fifties and sixties
(originally on Tuesdays, later settling on a regular day of Sunday), while
seventies transmissions were daily, in the pre-news slot. For those who like
numbers, there were 78 black and white episodes, five of which were live, 2 of
which were filmed outside the BBC, and 30 colour episodes, making a total of 108
episodes.)
SERIES 1 (billed in RT as "The Thrilling Adventures of CAPTAIN PUGWASH
and Stowaway Tom")
Commentary : Noel Coleman; written, drawn and animated by John Ryan; assistant
Animator: Sue Koppenhagen; production: Gordon Murray
8/10/57 Live
22/10/57 Live (telerecorded off-air on 16/TU/3783) Held by the BBC
5/11/57 Live
19/11/57 Live
3/12/57 Live (telerecorded off-air on 16/TU/3783) Junked
(Eps. 1, 3 & 4 may also have been recorded but I have found no evidence so far
they were.)
(Stand-alone episode – billed as ‘a cartoon film’)
Storyteller: Howard Marion-Crawford
Written and drawn by John Ryan
Production: (? – no credit in RT)
20/4/58 Filmed (no details on BBC PasB paperwork but likely to be same as
18/5/58)
(Stand-alone episode – billed as ‘a cartoon film’)
Storyteller: Howard Marion-Crawford
Written and drawn by John Ryan
Production: (? – no credit in RT or other documents)
18/5/58 Filmed (bought-in programme from Christopher Mann Management)
SERIES 2
Storyteller: Howard Marion-Crawford (eps 1 & 2), Peter Hawkins (eps 3, 4 & 5)
Cartoons, animation, drawings, script: John Ryan
Assistant animators: Mrs John Ryan (eps 1 & 2), Sue Koppenhagen (all)
Telerecording Editor: Neil Fowler
Presented by Gordon Murray
13/7/58 Telerecorded 3/7/58 on 16/T/4476 Held by the BBC
10/8/58 Telerecorded 3/7/58 on 16/T/4477 Held by the BBC
7/9/58 Telerecorded 29/8/58 on 16/TU/4638 Held by the BBC
5/10/58 Telerecorded 2/10/58 on 16/TU/4850 Junked (c.1967)
16/11/58 Telerecorded 29/10/58 on 16/TU/4913 Held by the BBC
(Stand-alone episode)
Storyteller: Peter Hawkins
Cartoons, animation: John Ryan
Assistant: Hazel Martingell
Presented by Gordon Murray
22/2/59 Telerecorded 11/2/59 on 16/T/TU/5523 Held by the BBC
SERIES 3
Storyteller: Peter Hawkins
Cartoons, animation, script, drawings: John Ryan
Assistant animators: Hazel Martingell (all), Sue Koppenhagen (6/9/59)
Presented by Gordon Murray
14/6/59 Telerecorded 11/3/59 on 16/T/5524 Held by the BBC
5/7/59 Telerecorded 15/4/59 on 16/T/TU/5749 Held at the NFA
26/7/59 Telerecorded 27/5/59 on 16/T/TU/6096 Held at the NFA
23/8/59 Telerecorded 1/7/59 on 16/T/TU/6262 Held at the NFA
6/9/59 Telerecorded 26/8/59 on 16/T/6412 Held by the BBC
SERIES 4 (Title in RT is now simply “CAPTAIN PUGWASHâ€)
Storyteller: Peter Hawkins
‘Package show’ – cartoons, animation, script, drawings: John Ryan
Assistant animators: Hazel Martingell and Colin Garland credited on ep.1,
details not available on ep.2, other episodes only credit ‘three assistants’.
Presented by Gordon Murray
21/2/60 The Firework Party. Telerecorded 14/10/59 on 16/T/TU/6663 Held by the
BBC
6/3/60 Surprise Attack. Telerecorded 18/11/59 on 16/T/TU/7058. Held at the NFA
20/3/60 The Highwayman. Telerecorded 13/1/60 on 16/T/7427. Held by the BBC
3/4/60 The Captain's Dream. Telerecorded 19/1/60 on 16/T/7428. Held at the NFA
1/5/60 Gold Dust. Telerecorded 24/2/60 on 16/T/TU/7752. Held by the BBC
15/5/60 Abandon Ship. Telerecorded 6/4/60 on 16/T/TU/7757. Held at the NFA
29/5/60 The Flying Buccaneer. Telerecorded 20/4/60 on 16/T/TU/8154. Held by the
BBC
SERIES 5
Storyteller: Peter Hawkins
Package show, cartoons, animation: John Ryan
Assistant animators: credit for four on 16/7/61…!
Presentation by Gordon Murray
7/5/61 A New Ship (‘4th series no.8’). Telerecorded 22/6/60 on 16/T/8548.
Held at the NFA
21/5/61 The Cuckoo Clock. Telerecorded 20/7/60 on 16/T/8557. Held by the BBC
4/6/61 The Powder Magazine (‘4th series no.10’). Telerecorded 3/11/60 on 16/TU/9650.
Held at the NFA
18/6/61 Ivory Cargo. Telerecorded 15/12/60 on 16/T/TU/9871. Held by the BBC
2/7/61 New Sails. Telerecorded 25/1/61 on 16/T/TU/10678. Held by the BBC
16/7/61 On Trial. Telerecorded 15/3/61 on 16/T/TU/11047. Held at the NFA
30/7/61 The Map (‘no.2’). Telerecorded 28/6/61 on 16/T/TU/11828. Held by the
BBC
SERIES 6
Storyteller: Peter Hawkins
‘Package’ – Script, cartoons, drawings, animation: John Ryan
Presented by Gordon Murray
4/2/62 Night Attack (‘no.3’). Telerecorded 19/5/61 on 16/T/TU/11610 (PasB)
or 16/T/11339 (film itself). Held by the BBC
18/2/62 Ghost Ship. Telerecorded 28/6/61 on 16/TU/T/11827. Held by the BBC
4/3/62 The Test (‘no.5’). Telerecorded 4/8/61 on 16/TU/T/12393. Held at the
NFA
18/3/62 The Secret Weapon. Telerecorded 13/9/61 on 16/T/TU/12567. Held by the
BBC
1/4/62 The Crown Jewels. Telerecorded 25/10/61 on 16/T/TU/12965. Held at the NFA
15/4/62 The Doctor. Telerecorded 26/11/61 on 16/T/TU/13290. Held at the NFA
29/4/62 Press Gang. Telerecorded 10/1/62 on 16/T/TU/13806. Held by the BBC
13/5/62 Man Overboard. Telerecorded 8/3/62 on 16/T/TU/14091. Held at the NFA
(Repeat series)
3/10/62 Surprise Attack (repeat of 6/3/60 in “Picture Timeâ€)
17/10/62 Abandon Ship (repeat of 15/5/60 in “Picture Timeâ€)
31/10/62 Firework Party (repeat of 21/2/60 in “Picture Timeâ€)
14/11/62 The Captain’s Dream (repeat of 3/4/60 in “Picture Timeâ€)
23/11/62 Gold Dust (repeat of 1/5/60)
30/11/62 The Highwayman (repeat of 20/3/60)
7/12/62 The Flying Buccaneer (repeat of 29/5/60)
14/12/62 A New Ship (repeat of 7/5/61)
21/12/62 Cuckoo Clock (repeat of 21/5/61)
15/1/63 New Sails (repeat of 2/7/61)
25/1/63 A Trial (repeat of 16/7/61)
1/2/63 The Map (repeat of 30/7/61)
8/2/63 Night Attack (repeat of 4/2/62)
15/2/63 Ghost Ship (repeat of 18/2/62)
22/2/63 The Test (repeat of 4/3/62)
1/3/63 Secret Weapon (repeat of 18/3/62)
8/3/63 Crown Jewels (repeat of 1/4/62)
15/3/63 The Doctor (repeat of 15/4/62)
22/3/63 Press Gang (repeat of 29/4/62)
29/3/63 Man Overboard (repeat of 13/5/62)
(Stand-alone episode) (different day from May-July run, which RT bills as a new
series)
Storyteller: Peter Hawkins
Script, animation, drawings: John Ryan
Presented by Gordon Murray
5/4/63 King of the Barbary Pirates. CH61/7610 Telerecorded 3/4/62 on 16/T/TU/14228.
Held by the BBC
SERIES 7
Storyteller: Peter Hawkins
Script, animation, drawings: John Ryan
Presented by Gordon Murray
12/5/63 Arctic Circle. Telerecorded 25/4/62 on 16/T/14430. Held by the BBC
19/5/63 The Smugglers. CH62/7612 Telerecorded 18/5/62 on 16/T/TU/14860. Held by
the BBC
26/5/63 Tug-of-War. CH62/7613 Telerecorded 24/7/62 on 16/T/TU/15253. Held at the
NFA
2/6/63 Solid Gold. CH62/7614 Telerecorded 24/7/62 on 16/T/TU/15254. Held by the
BBC
9/6/63 Heads or Tails. Telerecorded 23/10/62 on 16/T/16036. Held by the BBC
23/6/63 Mobertory Bay. CH62/7617 Telerecorded 17/5/62 on 16/T/16515. Held by the
BBC
7/7/63 Pleasure Cruise. CH62/7619 Telerecorded 26/2/63 on 16/T/TU/17579. Held at
the NFA
SERIES 8
Storyteller: Peter Hawkins
Script, cartoons, drawings, animation: John Ryan
Presented by Gordon Murray (except 10/5/64, presented by Ann-Marie
Gardner-Stewart)
22/3/64 Secret Mission (‘no.7’). CH62/7618 Telerecorded 22/1/63 on 16/T/TU/17096.
Held by the BBC
29/3/64 Black Pepper. Telerecorded 20/11/62 on 16/T/TU/16325. Held by the BBC
5/4/64 Home Grown. 31/62/7620 Telerecorded 26/4/63 on 16/T/TU/17681. Held by the
BBC
12/4/64 Pirate Romance. 31/62/7621 Telerecorded 7/5/63 on 16/T/TU/18139. Held by
the BBC
19/4/64 The Fortune-Teller. 31/63/7464 Telerecorded 12/11/63 on 16/T/TU/20419.
Held by the BBC
26/4/64 The Wreckers. Telerecorded 24/7/63 on 16/T/TU/7623 (sic). Held at
the NFA
3/5/64 Twins. CH63/7622 Telerecorded 21/6/63 on 16/T/TU/18657. Held at the NFA
10/5/64 Under Two Flags. 31/63/7678 Telerecorded 23/4/64 on 16/T/TU/21810.
Junked (c.1973) (This episode replaced The Secret of the Stinkas, billed in RT.
Note different producer)
17/5/64 A Cure for Hiccups (‘series 7 ep.3’) 31/63/7676 Telerecorded 4/2/64
on 16/T/21250. Held by the BBC
24/5/64 High Society. 31/63/7677 Telerecorded 3/3/64 on 16/T/TU/21320. Held by
the BBC (recording number on some documents 16/T/20183)
SERIES 9
Storyteller: Peter Hawkins
Script, cartoons, animation etc: John Ryan
Presented by Gordon Murray (1), Diana Potter (remainder)
28/3/65 Secret of the Stinkas. 33/1/4/7675 Telerecorded 9/1/64 on 16/T/TU/20848.
Held by the BBC (Postponed from 10/5/64)
4/4/65 The Submarine. 33/63/7679 Telerecorded 21/5/64 on 16/T/TU/22259. Held by
the BBC
11/4/65 The Haunted Reef. 33/1/4/7680 Telerecorded 18/6/64 on 16/T/TU/22484.
Junked (presumed - no record of holdings or junk record)
18/4/65 The Moon of Muddipore. 33/1/4/7681 Telerecorded 21/10/64 on 16/4T/TU/25022.
Held by the BBC
25/4/65 The Escape. 33/1/4/7682 Telerecorded 5/6/64 on 16/6T/TU/23969. Junked
(presumed - no record of holdings or junk record)
2/5/65 A Hairy Affair. 31/1/4?/7683 Telerecorded 7/11/64 on 16/4T/4ENT/25238.
Held by the BBC
9/5/65 Hero Willy. 33/1/5/7684 Telerecorded 5/12/64 on 16/6T/25610. Held by the
BBC
16/5/65 Total Eclipse (‘no.12’). 33/1/5/7685 Telerecorded 13/1/65 on 16/6T/TU/26113.
Held by the BBC
23/5/65 The Dragon of Pop Sing Ho. 33/1/5/7697 Telerecorded 24/3/65 on
16/6T/27211. Held by the BBC
30/5/65 The Vanishing Island. 33/1/5/7698 Telerecorded 14/4/65 on 16/6T/27493.
Held by the BBC
6/6/65 Captain Moonshine. 33/1/5/7700 Telerecorded 26/5/65 on 16/6T/28079. Held
by the BBC
13/6/65 Carnival. 33/1/5/7699 Telerecorded 4/5/65 on 16/6T/27735. Held by BBC
(uncut neg)
1957: Beauty
and the Beast (BBC Productions. Marionette play)
1957: The Emperor’s
Nightingale (BBC Productions. Marionette play. Tx’d
live in B&W, but simultaneously filmed in colour as an experiment to
demonstrate the advantages of colour. Scenery and costumes by
Andrew Brownfoot)
1956: “Toytown”
[TV-Series] (S.G. Hulme Beaman) (Rod puppet series. BBC Productions. Gordon
Murray designed & made
puppets, and was producer)
(Note: Toytown's Larry the Lamb and co
were revived by Bob Bura and John Hardwick for 27 stop-motion colour episodes
for ITV in 1972, but Gordon Murray was not involved in that project, which was
produced by Hendrick Baker)
1956:
The Bird of Truth. (BBC Productions. Puppet play by Joy
Martin. Gordon Murray producer. Puppets &
settings by
Andrew Brownfoot)
1956: The Dragon's Hiccups
(A further
marionette play
in the Rubovian Legends series. Marionettes by Kim Allen. BBC Productions.
Some of the settings and a new costume for the Queen by Andrew Brownfoot.
Gordon Murray was writer, director, & producer)
1956: Clocks and Blocks
(A further
marionette play in the Rubovian Legends series. Marionettes by Kim Allen. BBC Productions.
Some of the settings by Andrew Brownfoot. Gordon
Murray was writer, director & producer)
1955: The Queen’s Dragon
(The
very first play in what was to become known as the Rubovian Legends series. Marionettes by Kim Allen. BBC Productions.
Some of the settings by Andrew Brownfoot. Gordon
Murray was writer & producer)
1955: The Wonderful Horse
(BBC TV puppet play with music. Gordon Murray was one of
the puppeteers for this production, alongside Audrey Atterbury, Molly Gibson,
Joan Garrick, Elizabeth Donaldson, Elizabeth Thorndike)
1955: Will
O’ the Gris (BBC TV puppet play. Gordon Murray was one of
the puppeteers for this production, alongside Audrey Atterbury, Molly Gibson,
Wolf Goldberg and Joan Garrick)
1955-57: Most of the productions made during this period, including
“Rubovian Legends” The Queen’s
Dragon, and the non-Rubovian The Emperor’s Nightingale, and Beauty and the Beast, were rehearsed, sometimes for weeks, and then
performed once, live in front of the TV camera.
1955: Gordon Murray joined BBC Children’s
Television department, first as a marionette operator in “The Woodentops”
series (mainly working Spotty Dog), and then as a marionette operator in a play called Will
O’ the Gris, and another called The Wonderful Horse. After these projects, Gordon quickly stepped into the role of producer of
children’s television puppet programmes, and director of the BBC's Television
Puppet Theatre.
1955: Rod puppets, with Alan Judd, at the Soho Fair,
London: Up the River (Herve) and Spoiling
the Broth (Offenbach)
1953: Summer season marionette show at
Broadstairs. Gordon advertised for marionette operators and took on a
16-year-old named John Hardwick!
1952: Marionette productions,
with Alan Judd: The High Toby (Priestly) and The Rose of
Auvergne (Offenbach), at Broadstairs and Boltons Theatre, London.
1949: La
Boheme (The Puppet Theatre of Gordon Murray).
Main source of timeline information:
Dictionary of Puppetry by A.R. Philpott. McDonald, London, 1969.
Gordon Murray Bibliography
1982-90: Silver
Thimble Books. At least 35 miniature book titles.
See list below.
1981: Mr. Dilley's Mermaid: A Gublin
Legend by Gordon Murray, (p. 92-5),
in BBC Swap Shop Book 4. The
television programme of the same name presented in 'widescreen' picture strip
form. A total of twelve pictures are used. The script was modified somewhat from
the film, principally to remove topical and geographic references. The story
features Harry Dilley; the Vicar; the Vicar's daughter, Agnes, a crook called
Titus Leach, four members of the Women's Institute, and a mermaid called Lucy
Lock.
1980: The
Magic Tree: A Gublin Legend Picture Strip by Gordon Murray, (2 pp.), in BBC Swap Shop Book 3.
A version of the television programme of
the same name. The 7200 frames and complex choreography of the film have been
reduced to just seventeen still pictures by skillfully rearranging the layouts
and using a wider-angle view, thereby also increasing the visual appeal of the
picture strip. The story features Abdul, the Caliph, an ornamental tree and a
whole lot of 'Bunzibub'.
1979: The Prince Frog: A Gublin Legend
by Gordon Murray, (2 pp.), in BBC
Swap Shop Book 2. A version of the
television programme of the same name. The 7200 frames of the film have been
reduced to just six still pictures by skillfully rearranging the layouts and
using a wider-angle view. The story features Mr. Wiffin, a coachman, King
Alfonso, Princess Tina, and a Frog Prince.
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1979:
The Surprise Present.
A young Gublins picture story book written and illustrated by Gordon Murray.
Dean (see picture above).
1979: Grandpa's Mistake.
A young Gublins picture story book written and illustrated by Gordon Murray. Dean
(see picture above).
1979: The Wishing Well.
A young Gublins picture story book written and illustrated by Gordon Murray.
Dean (see picture above).
1979:
The Lost Drum.
A young Gublins picture story book written and illustrated by Gordon Murray.
Dean (see picture above).
1969:
Camberwick
Green and Trumpton postcards. Scenes from the BBC-tv television series, “Camberwick
Green” and “Trumpton”. © Gordon Murray Puppets Ltd.,
1969. Printed by Dixon-Lotus in Great Britain. A set of 26
cards, as follows:
L6/8402, Series No. BBC9, TRUMPTON. Captain Flack, Pugh 1, Pugh 2, Barney McGrew,
Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb, with Mr. Craddock.
L6/8403, Series No. BBC10, TRUMPTON. Townhall.
L6/8404, Series No. BBC11, TRUMPTON. The Mayor sits for his Portrait.
L6/8405, Series No. BBC12, TRUMPTON. The Mayor's Parlour.
L6/8406, Series No. BBC13, TRUMPTON. The Mayor presents the Prizes at the Flower
and Vegetable Show.
L6/8407, Series No. BBC14, TRUMPTON. Fire Brigade to the Rescue.
L6/8408, Series No. BBC15, CAMBERWICK GREEN. Mr. Dagenham drops in on Windy
Miller.
L6/8409, Series No. BBC16, CAMBERWICK GREEN. Disaster at the Post Office.
L6/8410, Series No. BBC17, CAMBERWICK GREEN. Captain Snort, Sgt. Major Grout and the Soldierboys
at Pippin Fort.(v)
L6/8411, Series No. BBC18, CAMBERWICK GREEN. Dr. Mopp at a Medical Inspection.
L6/8412, Series No. BBC19, CAMBERWICK GREEN. Peter Hazel collecting the Post.(v)
L6/8413, Series No. BBC20, CAMBERWICK GREEN. Mr. Crockett's Garage.
L6/8414, Series No. BBC21, CAMBERWICK GREEN. Mr. Murphy's Bakery.
L6/8415, Series No. BBC22, CAMBERWICK GREEN. Inside the Post Office.
L6/8416, Series No. BBC23, CAMBERWICK GREEN. Farmer Jonathan Bell delivers eggs
to the ......???????????????.
L6/8417, Series No. BBC24, CAMBERWICK GREEN. Road works outside Mr. Carraway's
Fish Shop.(v)
L6/8418, Series No. BBC25, TRUMPTON. Mrs. Cobbit Flower Seller. + Miss
Lovelace and dogs.????????????????
L6/8419, Series No. BBC26, TRUMPTON. Miss Lovelace, watched by Daphne, Mitzi and
Lulu.???????????????
1964:
Blue
Peter Instruction Leaflet: Gordon Murray's Bottle Puppets. 6 pp. Stapled
loose-leaf, illustrated step-by-step instructions for making bottle puppets and
a puppet stage. Available to viewers of the BBC “Blue Peter”
television series who wrote in and requested the leaflet.
1958: Puppets.
By Gordon Murray. Illustrated by Tony Hart. Puffin Picture Books. Press-out
pattern-cards and full instructions for making any number of marionettes, using
thin card and gummed paper strip as the main materials.
Gordon Murray Videography:
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2006: Trumptonshire: Trumpton / Camberwick Green / Chigley. The complete Collection. Special 40th anniversary edition, with all 39 episodes digitally restored. Boxed set of 3 DVDs, Universal Pictures Video. © Gordon Murray (Trumptonshire) Ltd., 2002. Region 2 DVD, PAL, colour. Released 25 September 2006. Runtime 588 minutes. Building on the success of the 2003, The Complete Collection DVDs, this new release, digitally restored with some new extras of this complete DVD boxed-set coincided with a strong renewal of interest in these classic children's television programmes, driven in part by the adoption of Windy Miller as Quaker Oats' new mascot. “Camberwick Green” (13 episodes: Peter the Postman, Windy Miller, Mr. Crockett, Dr. Mopp, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Honeyman, PC McGarry, Mr. Carraway, Farmer Bell, Paddy Murphy, Captain Snort, Roger Varley, and Mr. Dagenham); “Trumpton” (13 episodes: Nick Fisher the Bill poster, Miss Lovelace & the Mayor’s Hat, Mrs. Cobbit & the Ice Cream Man, Miss Lovelace & the Statue, The Mayor’s Birthday, Telephones, The Rag & Bone Man, Mr. Platt & the Painter, The Window Cleaner, Cuthbert’s Morning Off, The Plumber, Pigeons, and The Greenhouse); “Chigley” (13 episodes: Lord Belborough’s Secret, Bessie to the Rescue, The Balloon, The Fountain, The Garden Wall, Binnie & Bessie, Lord Belborough’s Lucky Day, Trouble with the Crane, Clay for Mr. Farthing, A Present for Lord Belborough, Apples Galore, Willie Munn, and The Broken Bridge).
2006: Chigley—The complete Collection. [Blue & white DVD cover] Special 40th anniversary edition, with all 13 episodes digitally restored. Universal Pictures Video. © Gordon Murray (Trumptonshire) Ltd., 2006. Region 2 DVD, PAL, colour. Released 19 June 2006. Runtime 180 minutes + bonus documentary about the restoration. Building on the success of the 2003, The Complete Collection DVDs, this release coincided with a strong renewal of interest in these classic children's television programmes. (13 episodes: Lord Belborough’s Secret, Bessie to the Rescue, The Balloon, The Fountain, The Garden Wall, Binnie & Bessie, Lord Belborough’s Lucky Day, Trouble with the Crane, Clay for Mr. Farthing, A Present for Lord Belborough, Apples Galore, Willie Munn, and The Broken Bridge).
2006: Camberwick Green—The complete Collection. [Green & white DVD cover] Special 40th anniversary edition, with all 13 episodes digitally restored. Universal Pictures Video. © Gordon Murray (Trumptonshire) Ltd., 2006. Region 2 DVD, PAL, colour. Released 8 May 2006. Runtime 180 minutes + Trumptonshire Art Gallery. Building on the success of the 2003, The Complete Collection DVDs, this release coincided with a strong renewal of interest in these classic children's television programmes. (13 episodes: Peter the Postman, Windy Miller, Mr. Crockett, Dr. Mopp, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Honeyman, PC McGarry, Mr. Carraway, Farmer Bell, Paddy Murphy, Captain Snort, Roger Varley, and Mr. Dagenham).
2006: Trumpton—The complete Collection. [Red & white DVD cover] Special 40th anniversary edition, with all 13 episodes digitally restored. Universal Pictures Video. © Gordon Murray (Trumptonshire) Ltd., 2006. Region 2 DVD, PAL, colour. Released 27 March 2006. Runtime 180 minutes + bonus interview with Gordon Murray. Building on the success of the 2003, The Complete Collection DVDs, this release coincided with a strong renewal of interest in these classic children's television programmes. (13 episodes: Nick Fisher the Bill poster, Miss Lovelace & the Mayor’s Hat, Mrs. Cobbit & the Ice Cream Man, Miss Lovelace & the Statue, The Mayor’s Birthday, Telephones, The Rag & Bone Man, Mr. Platt & the Painter, The Window Cleaner, Cuthbert’s Morning Off, The Plumber, Pigeons, and The Greenhouse).
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2003: The
Complete Collection—Camberwick Green / Trumpton / Chigley. All
39 episodes on 3 DVDs, Telstar/Firefly Entertainment TDVD9033. © Gordon Murray
(Trumptonshire) Ltd., 2002. Region 0 DVD, PAL, colour. Released 21 April
2003. Runtime 540 minutes. After a number of
incomplete releases on videotape and DVD, 1984–2002, the release of this
complete DVD boxed-set was welcomed by parents who'd seen the series as
children, wanting to share these classic children's television programmes
with their own children, a generation later. “Camberwick
Green” (13 episodes: Peter the Postman, Windy Miller, Mr.
Crockett, Dr. Mopp, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Honeyman, PC
McGarry, Mr. Carraway, Farmer Bell, Paddy Murphy, Captain
Snort, Roger Varley, and Mr. Dagenham); “Trumpton”
(13 episodes: Nick Fisher the Bill poster, Miss Lovelace &
the Mayor’s Hat, Mrs. Cobbit & the Ice Cream Man, Miss
Lovelace & the Statue, The Mayor’s Birthday, Telephones,
The Rag & Bone Man, Mr. Platt & the Painter, The Window
Cleaner, Cuthbert’s Morning Off, The Plumber, Pigeons,
and The Greenhouse); “Chigley” (13 episodes: Lord
Belborough’s Secret, Bessie to the Rescue, The Balloon, The
Fountain, The Garden Wall, Binnie & Bessie, Lord
Belborough’s Lucky Day, Trouble with the Crane, Clay for Mr. Farthing, A Present for Lord Belborough, Apples Galore, Willie
Munn, and The Broken Bridge).
2002: Chigley–Stories
from Chigley. 111 minutes. (8 episodes: Lord Belborough's Secret, Bessie
to the Rescue, The Balloon, The Fountain, Trouble with the
Crane, A Present for Lord Belborough, Apples Galore, and The Broken Bridge).
1 DVD, Telstar/Firefly Entertainment TDVD9027. © Gordon Murray (Trumptonshire)
Ltd. 2001. Region 0 DVD, PAL, colour.
2002: Trumpton–Stories
from Trumpton. 115 minutes. (8 episodes: Nick Fisher the Bill poster,
Miss Lovelace & the Mayor’s Hat, Mrs. Cobbit & the Ice Cream
Man, Miss Lovelace & the Statue, The Mayor’s Birthday,
Telephones, The Rag & Bone Man, and Mr. Platt & the
Painter). Telstar/Firefly Entertainment TDVD9026. © Gordon Murray
(Trumptonshire) Ltd. 2001. Region 0 DVD, PAL, colour.
2002: Camberwick Green–Stories from
Camberwick Green. 174 minutes. (12 episodes: Peter the Postman, Windy
Miller, Mr. Crockett, Dr. Mopp, Mr. Murphy, Mrs
Honeyman, PC McGarry, Mr. Carraway, Farmer Bell, Paddy
Murphy, Captain Snort, and Roger Varley). Telstar/Firefly
Entertainment TDVD9025. © Gordon Murray (Trumptonshire) Ltd. 2001. Region
0 DVD, PAL, colour.
1996-7: Seven
videotapes under the Camberwick Green banner, comprising 28 episodes as follows:
Vol.1: A Busy Day in Camberwick Green (TVE3011) (Peter the
Postman, Windy Miller, Mr. Crockett, Dr. Mopp) ; Vol.2: A
Trip to Trumpton (TVE3012) (Nick Fisher the Bill poster, Miss
Lovelace & the Mayor’s Hat, Mrs. Cobbit & the Ice Cream Man,
Miss Lovelace & the Statue); Vol.3: Let’s Visit Chigley
(TVE3014) (Lord Belborough’s Secret, Bessie to the Rescue, The
Balloon, The Fountain); Vol.4: It's Fun to Work in Camberwick
Green (TVE3018) (Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Honeyman, PC McGarry,
Mr. Carraway); Vol.5: Tales from Trumpton Town (TVE3020) (The
Mayor’s Birthday, Telephones, The Rag & Bone Man, Mr.
Platt & the Painter); Vol.6: A Ride to Chigley (TVE3021) (Trouble
with the Crane, A Present for Lord Belborough, Apples Galore, The
Broken Bridge); Vol.7: Meet Your Friends in Camberwick Green
(TVE3022) (Farmer Bell, Paddy Murphy, Captain Snort, Roger
Varley). VHS PAL, colour.
1989: Three
videotapes, Trumpton 1: The Greenhouse (BBCV4230) (The
Greenhouse, The Plumber, and Pigeons); Camberwick Green 1:
Mickey Murphy ‘The Baker’ (BBCV4231) (Mickey Murphy ‘The Baker’, Mr.
Carraway ‘The Fishmonger’, Mrs. Honeyman & Her Baby); Chigley
1: A Present for Lord Belborough (BBCV4232) (A Present for Lord
Belborough, Apples Galore, Trouble with the Crane); VHS PAL, colour.
1984: A VHS
tape by Panache Video International., “The
Gublin Legends” (eleven 6-minute stop-motion
animation puppet films made for BBC television, originally transmitted as part
of Noel Edmonds’ “Multicoloured Swap Shop” series). Runtime approx. 66
minutes, colour. Catalog #88030 (VHS PAL/English language). Distributed by
Warner Home Video. Copyright © Gordon Murray. According to the sleeve, this tape
comprises twelve episodes, but only eleven are actually present. Presented as a series of delightfully animated puppet
films, the Gublin legends all involve some magical element, and each is set in a
different period and background. The charming and endearing characters all have
the distinctive Gublin features. The films are narrated in rhyme against a
specially composed musical background. Story titles: Obadiah and Flo
(this story was later made into a non-Gublin miniature book, The Hole.
See list of miniature books, below), Bessie o' the Glen or The Inversneekie
Doonie, The Barber of
Cartina, Mr. Dilley's Mermaid, The Prince Frog, The Magic Tree, The Kendal
Candle, The Emperor's Willow-Warbler, The Honey-Coloured Hat, The Dancing
Princess, Charley's Feather. (Not present on the tape, but listed on box: The Prudent
Prince).
1984: A set of
three VHS tapes by Longman. Titles: Trumpton: 4 Stories from the Ever Popular
TV Series (Nick Fisher the Bill Poster, The Mayor’s Hat, Mrs.
Cobbit and the Ice Cream Man, and Miss Lovelace and the Statue); Camberwick
Green (no further details known); Chigley (no further details known).
1978: Bessie
o’ the Glen or The Inversneekie Doonie. Runtime 5:00. A
Gublin Film by Gordon Murray. Narration: Gordon Murray. Music: Freddie Philips.
In Children’s Seventies TV Favourites video
compilation. CTD11047. © Contender Ltd. 1998. VHS PAL, colour.
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