Chigley (1969) is the third and final stop-motion children's television series in Gordon Murray's Trumptonshire trilogy. Production details are identical to Camberwick Green.
As in Camberwick Green and Trumpton, the action centres on a small community, the village of Chigley, near Camberwick Green in Trumptonshire. Chigley is more of an industrial area than Camberwick Green.
A digitally restored version of the series from the rediscovered original film masters emerged in 2012.
Overview
Winkstead Hall, a stately home, is central to life in Chigley. The aristocratic owner, Lord Belborough, and his butler Brackett, also operate a heritage railway. They are called on to transport or collect goods in every episode, much to Lord Belborough's delight, as he loves driving the engine, Bessie. Another character frequently delighted by these excursions is Winnie Farthing, whom Lord Belborough and Brackett nearly always invite to join them for a train ride. The notable song unique to Chigley, "Time flies by when I'm the driver of a train", was always sung during these sequences. Winkstead Hall and its grounds are regularly opened to the public, who have access to the picture gallery and tea gardens (both regularly seen). Other parts of the Hall and its estate which also feature in the programmes include the library, the hall, the kitchen garden (and greenhouses), the engine shed (home of Bessie), and the pump room (home of Binnie, Lord Belborough's stationary steam beam engine).
Chigley features many guest appearances by characters from the previous two series. This was at least partly for economic reasons, as it allowed the re-use of theme songs and puppets, thus saving money on recording and manufacture.
Lord Belborough invites everyone to the grounds of Winkstead Hall after the daily 6 o'clock whistle (which marks the end of the day's work at the local biscuit factory), when he plays his vintage Dutch organ, while the workers dance. This scene forms the conclusion of each episode.
Episodes
"Lord Belborough's Secret" (6 October 1969) Dr Mopp
"Bessie to the Rescue" (13 October 1969) Farmer Bell
"The Balloon" (20 October 1969) The Mayor
"The Fountain" (27 October 1969) PC McGarry
"The Garden Wall" (3 November 1969) Mr Crockett
"Binnie and Bessie" (10 November 1969) Roger Varley
"Lord Belborough's Lucky Day" (17 November 1969) Thomas Tripp
"The Broken Bridge" (24 November 1969) Mr Carraway
"Clay for Mr Farthing" (1 December 1969) Mr Wantage and Fred
"Trouble with the Crane" (8 December 1969) Mr Rumpling
"Apples Galore" (15 December 1969) Mickey Murphy
"Willie Munn" (22 December 1969) Mr Clamp
"A Present for Lord Belborough" (29 December 1969) Mr Antonio
Episode titles were given in Radio Times but were not shown on-screen.
Characters
Winkstead Hall
The Winkstead Hall estate is a large stately home whose activities, including a heritage railway, dominate life in Chigley village. Lord Belborough – the owner of the hall, a peer of the realm, and driver of the steam locomotive Bessie; he appears in every episode. Mr Brackett – Lord Belborough's butler, and fireman on the steam railway; he appears in every episode. Mr Bilton – Lord Belborough's gardener, who suffers with rheumatism; he appears in 3 episodes. Mr Roger Varley – the Camberwick Green chimney sweep is also employed part-time at Winkstead Hall as maintenance engineer for the steam engines Bessie and Binnie; he appears in 2 episodes.
The Villagers
Only a relatively small number of Chigley villagers are introduced in the series, as many storylines involve existing Trumpton or Camberwick Green characters visiting Chigley. Mr Swallow – the wharfinger at Treddle's Wharf, at the intersection of Trumpton Canal with both road and rail networks; he appears in 10 episodes. Mr Harry Farthing – the potter at Chigley Pottery, who is also a sculptor; he appears in 8 episodes. Winnie Farthing – the potter's daughter; a frequent train passenger, she appears in 10 episodes. Mr S. Rumpling – the bargee, whose canal boat (based at Chigley and registered at Trumpton) is a major source of supply to the village; he appears in 6 episodes. Mr Clutterbuck – the local builder; he appears in 2 episodes. Horace – a labourer employed by Mr Clutterbuck; he appears in 1 episode. Cyril – a labourer employed by Mr Clutterbuck; he appears in 1 episode. Corporation dustmen – the two corporation dustmen, one of whom is named as Harry, appear in 1 episode. Dancing women – two unnamed Chigley women dance with the factory workers at the six o'clock whistle; they appear in all 13 episodes.