"Postman Pat, Postman Pat,
Postman Pat and his black and white cat..."
Pat Clifton, his bright red post van, Jess the cat
and THAT song have been
with us for more than twenty years now. Pat is an
icon for an industry, always
jolly keen to help and assist the good folk of Greendale,
the Lake District
community at the heart of Pat's post round. There's
Mrs Goggins the elderly
post-mistress at the Greendale store, Mrs Pottage and the
twins young Tom
and Katie, Reverend Timms, Alf and Dorothy Thompson, Granny
Dryden, Miss
Hubbard, George Lancaster, Sam Waldron, Peter Fogg, Ted
Glen and others...
Greendale itself is an idyllic place. The Lakeland
scenery is crisscrossed with
drystone walls and hedgerows and farmland. The narrow roads
get blocked with
snow or sheep or farm machinery from time to time, but
it's no bother for Pat who
somehow always manages to stay cheery and get the post
and deliveries through
to his friends come wind or rain, hail or sleet...
As is so often the way, simplicity is best. Here is
a very simple premise, beautifully
designed and executed by Ivor Wood and his Woodland
Animations and based on
stories by author John Cunliffe. The package
is wrapped up neatly with the addition
of Brian Daly's title song and Ken Barrie's cockle-warming
vocals. Greendale
seems such a cosy place to live. Pat's endeavours
struck a chord with the Royal
Mail who have maintained a close association with
the character. Indeed, he has
proven to be something of an ambassador for the company,
gracing promotions
and making public appearances in his 'official' Royal
Mail van. But it's interesting
to note that in those original shows, although Pat's
post van - PAT 1 - was red it
didn't actually bear Post Office logos or idents like
it does now...
And what of Pat now? - Well he's returned to a bigger,
brighter Greendale.
Entertainment Rights, who acquired the Woodland Animations
catalogue a
couple of years ago, commissioned Cosgrove Hall to
produce new Postman Pat shows and
specials and a spin-off series for that most-faithful moggy Jess.
Old Pat or new Pat though, he's a star in both versions...
designed and directed by Ivor
Wood
produced by Woodland Animations
Ltd
writer: John
Cunliffe music: Brian
Daly vocals: Ken
Barrie editor: Martin
Bohan narration: Ken
Barrie
On
the web
Postman
Pat http://www.postmanpat.co.uk
The official site is back and bright
to tie in with Pat's relaunch.
Kids big and small can take
a trip around Greendale with Pat and Jess
in their jolly post van...
Rab
C's http://www.postmanpat.org.uk/
Robin Irwin's (or Rab C's) 'Postman Pat' homepage has lots of info
the Pat of old, with audio
and video files to view and play...