Trumpton

1 9 6 7 (UK)
13 x 15 minute episodes

Here is the clock – The Trumpton clock
Telling the time, Steadily, Sensibly
Never too quickly, never too slowly
Telling the time . . .
For Trumpton

Not far from Camberwick Green is Trumpton, a bustling town deep in the county of Trumptonshire. A typical day in Trumpton will find Mr Munnings busily printing posters for the Fire Brigade’s Band Concerts – every Thursday at 2:30 pm at the bandstand in Trumpton Park.

Mrs Cobbit will be selling flowers in the market square and Miss Lovelace arranging the window display in her hat shop or taking her three ‘pekes’ (Mitzy, Lulu and Daphne) for a walk. As always, The Mayor will be keeping order from the Town Hall while Chippy Minton and his son Nibbs dash about mending things.

But Trumpton is probably best remembered for Captain Flack’s roll-call of firemen outside Trumpton Fire Station: “Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grubb”. The Trumpton fire brigade never put out any fires but searched for missing artists, rescued the Mayor’s hat from a tree, removed fallen branches, unblocked the movement of the town clock and rescued a rocking horse containing Chippy Minton’s savings from a bonfire (which was unlit).

This fictional town (A lovely little town with a statue of Queen Victoria in the middle of the square) was the creation of Gordon Murray and the capital of Trumptonshire, with nearby villages Camberwick Green and Chigley having their own separate series.

Debuting on 3 January 1967, Trumpton was a very quickly realised sequel coming in the wake of the success of Camberwick Green. Experienced children’s writer Alison Prince was brought in to help speed up production. Creator Gordon Murray acknowledged it was her input that enabled 13 episodes to be made within nine months.

Brian Cant narrated all the characters in Prince’s script and sang Freddie Phillips’ songs, while the puppets were brought to life by Bob Bura and John Hardwick.

Trumpton was first shown in black and white but later repeats revealed the bright colour in which it was made.

Sadly, all the original figures and scenery from Trumpton, Camberwick Green and Chigley were burnt by Murray once production had ceased.

The Mayor of Trumpton
Mr Troop the Town Clerk
Philby the Chauffeur
Mr Crockett the Park Keeper
Mr Munnings the Printer
Miss Lovelace the Hat Maker
Mitzy, Daphne & Lulu (her Pekinese dogs)
Mrs Cobbit the Flower Seller
Chippy Minton the Carpenter
Dora Minton, his wife
Nibbs Minton, his son
Nick Fisher the Bill Poster
Mr Antonio the ice cream man
Mr Clamp the Greengrocer
Mr Boult the borough engineer
Raggy Dan, the Rag and Bone Man
Captain Flack
Fireman Pugh #1
Fireman Pugh #2
Fireman Barney McGrew
Fireman Cuthbert
Fireman Dibble
Fireman Grubb
Mr Craddock
Mr Platt
Walter Harkin the Painter