'Whatever age, you'll recognise cartoons from your era'

4 hours ago

News image — Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men, which premiered in 1952, were remade by Cosgrove Hall when the popular characters returned for 21st Century viewers

BBC Plasticene figure of a flowerpot man with hat and terracotta pot top next to a painted version in a display case at the exhibit. — Bill and Ben the Flowerpot Men, which premiered in 1952, were remade by Cosgrove Hall when the popular characters returned for 21st Century viewers

Fans of animations from Danger Mouse to Rory the Racing Car will be able to indulge in nostalgia at a new permanent display of work from makers Cosgrove Hall.

The firm was founded by Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall in 1976, who spearheaded popular children's shows - including Count Duckula and Chorlton and the Wheelies - from their Manchester headquarters.

Their archive of props and scripts were saved from going into the scrapheap by the Waterside art venue in Sale in 2017. They have now gone on show in a free, permanent display at a refurbished Sale Library.

Rosy Whittemore, project curator at Cosgrove Hall Films Archive, added that "whatever age you are, you recognise something from your era".

Jean Flynn, who was an animator at Cosgrove Hall, told BBC North West: "Our audience was the first thing that was on our mind but what we really wanted to do was have fun.

"If we had fun, we knew that the audience would have fun and, if you get a lot of animators and cartoonists together, it can be quite anarchic and that came out in Danger Mouse very much so.

"So yes, we did have a lot of fun but everything was hand done - there were no computers then."

Rosy Whittemore smiles as seh stands in front of a wall dispaly showing the set of a quaint cottage from a Postman Pat sequel — Curator Rosy Whittemore says people of all generations will relate to the displays

Rosy Whittemore, project curator at Cosgrove Hall Films Archive, added that "whatever age you are, you recognise something from your era".

"So it's quite nice to see the older generation come in and recognise things like Chorton and the Wheelies and then you've got people who are a lot younger coming in and seeing Rory the Racing Car and lighting up."

Councillor Eve Parker, executive member for culture at Trafford Council, said: "Cosgrove Hall created some of the most loved characters in British television.

"So the fact that we can now say they have a permanent home here in Sale is massive."

She said they were hoping the displays of the "world-class animations" would "inspire the next generation of animators, creatives and script writers".

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