Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Stamp honour for animator and his cartoon favourite
Royal Mail has issued a limitededition postage stamp featuring classic children’s TV character Bagpuss.
Legendary animator Peter Firmin – who produced the much-loved series in a barn near Canterbury – was in the city centre to unveil the stamp on Friday.
Just 50 limited-edition stamps have been issued nationwide, featuring famous Britons real and fictional, including Winston Churchill, Dylan Thomas and Sherlock Holmes.
Each stamp was unveiled on a specially elected pillar box in a town or city associated with those featured on it.
Mr Firmin, 86, officially unveiled the Bagpuss stamp at a postbox in Stour Street.
He said: “I never thought when I created Bagpuss many years ago that he would continue to be so well loved by people of all ages.
“It’s a great honour for this ‘saggy old cloth cat’ to appear on an iconic Royal Mail postbox in his home town of Canterbury.”
Last week saw The Clangers – another creation by Mr Firmin and long- time collaborator Oliver Postgate – return to our TV screens.
Firmin said the 21st century remake of the classic 1970s series was even better than the original.
Speaking at the unveiling of the Bagpuss stamp, Joanna Jones, director of museums and galleries at Canterbury City Council, said: “I am delighted that Royal Mail has chosen this unique way to celebrate this well known and lovable cat.
“He first delighted children when he appeared on television screens in 1974 and he can still be seen in the Heritage Museum, where he’s on permanent display with other characters from the show, and of course on the plaque on this Canterbury postbox.”