Whitstable’s own Daniel Postgate is delighted after winning a Bafta for his new series of Clangers.

The 52-year-old, of Regent Street, is executive producer of the new series, which aired on June 15 this year.

He picked up a Bafta for episode 6, I Am The Eggbot, winning the best pre-school animation award on November 22.

The original Clangers were created by Kent animators Peter Firmin and Daniel's dad Oliver Postgate in the 70s.

Daniel said about the new series: “I have been the scriptwriter for 29 of the 52 stories and voiced the Iron Chicken, Soup Dragon and Baby Soup Dragon.

“I had a certain amount of trepidation before making this series but glad it has been well-received.

“It makes me feel like I didn’t let my dad down, everyone did a good job and we’ve kept the timeless feel of Clangers.”

Daniel was five years old when the original series was made in 1969 by his father Oliver at Peter Firmin’s farm in Blean.

“My dad used to get up, go to his studio in an old barn, mop the starling droppings away and do the work in there.

“He made classic stuff and it is still very appealing to children today.

“Back then it went from one movement to another whereas now it’s more smoothly done.

“He used to be able to film one minute a day and now an animator does five seconds a day –and we work on different scenes at the same time.

“But he was more focused on telling the story and didn’t want to get bogged down with movement.”

Daniel has been working with 86-year-old Mr Firmin on the new series.

“I used to stay with the Firmins very often and play with the puppets after they had finished with them,” he said.

“I remember I had a Skymoo puppet and played with it until it fell apart.
“My dad used to work in the pig shed in Blean and he and Peter gradually expanded into other barns.

“I still see Peter now. He is the design consultant and executive producer. He’s a very lively man and extremely busy.”

Daniel expressed his satisfaction at his father’s work.

“The ongoing interest in my dad’s programme seems to build and build,” he said.

“Everyone seems to think he was a man who used to like to go to the barn and play with his toys, but he came from a literary family.”

The original plan was to digitally remaster the old Clangers, but the BBC eventually decided against it.

Daniel was originally a cartoonist for newspapers in London before moving into children’s books in 1993, but started writing the new series two years ago.

“We suggested making a new series and the first episode got one million viewers on CBeebies,” he said.

"When I was younger you could have cut me and I would have bled pink, so I found it easy writing the stories" - Daniel Postgate

“It was always my favourite programme. When I was younger you could have cut me and I would have bled pink, so I found it easy writing the stories.

“They just need to be educational and morally nourishing – showing a good example of people being good to each other.

“There will be a Christmas Day special on BBC1.”

Daniel is upbeat about the future after winning his award.

He said: “I’m fairly new to scriptwriting and to get an award after episode four is wonderful really.

“Personally, I would like to carry on scriptwriting. I’m not sure which direction it will take me but I really enjoy it.”