Meet the woman whose magical music brought Bagpuss to life

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A condensed version of this article first appeared in TopMob magazine.

As a lifelong movie and TV buff, certain things just instantly transport you back to your childhood. A new audio drama called Patchwuff does that for me – it really captures the feeling of those classic children’s shows I grew up with. I recently chatted with Sandra Kerr, the amazing folk singer whose music was featured on Bagpuss, and she’s bringing that same wonderful magic to this new project. It’s been fantastic to hear how she’s doing it all again!

Kerr expressed her excitement about participating in Andrew T. Smith’s new short story for Mulgrave Audio. She was particularly impressed with the script, describing it as charming, magical, and also deeply moving and meaningful.

Patchwuff is the story of Peter and his beloved cloth dog, made by his grandmother. Patchwuff is a comforting, well-loved toy – a fluffy, patched-up dog full of warmth and stories. When an important guest visits Grandma, they’re so charmed by Patchwuff’s tales that they decide to turn them into a TV show.

Smith was inspired by classic stories featuring children and animal companions, like Emily and Bagpuss, Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh, and Alastair Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, as he told RT.

As children grow up, what happens to the special connection they have with their imaginary or nearly-imaginary friends? How do these early friendships influence who we become, and can remembering them offer support when we face challenges as adults?

The story is both happy and heartwarming, and it doesn’t shy away from realistic themes like getting older and dealing with dementia. The experience of dementia is particularly captured in a song called “Forget-Me-Knot.” Kerr, the writer, explains that the forget-me-knot flower is a symbol of the Alzheimer’s Society and that their background in folk music always inspires their songwriting.

Many traditional songs and ballads use flowers and plants as symbols, and that’s where I began. I was inspired by both the ‘forget-me-not’ flower and the folk ballad tradition. I loosely based my song on a Northumberland version of ‘Scarborough Fair,’ called ‘Whittingham Fair,’ which has a lovely melody. I used that as a starting point, but then I took the song in my own direction.

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Kerr, an 84-year-old musician from Essex who plays many instruments, was part of the folk group The Critics Group with Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. He also taught music at Newcastle University for many years.

The charming, nostalgic feel of Patchwuff is enhanced by narration from beloved former Blue Peter host Valerie Singleton, a perfect choice that creator Andrew T Smith calls a ‘dream come true’.

Val originally trained as an actress before becoming a presenter, so I was confident she could bring a lot to the role. Her voice is also instantly recognizable and comforting – many people who grew up watching her work feel a sense of warmth and safety when they hear it.

“What a pleasure it was to hear that unmistakeable voice again,” adds Kerr. “Perfect.”

This project started because of Kerr’s collaboration with Bob Fischer, a co-founder of Mulgrave. Together, they hosted a live show called Bagpuss and Beyond.

The music for Patchwuff has a warm, nostalgic quality, achieved by using instruments also featured in Bagpuss – like the concertina, autoharp, and Appalachian dulcimer. As Kerr explains, these instruments were perfect because they’re small, gentle, and create a comforting feeling, blending seamlessly with the story and lyrics without being overpowering.

Folk songs focus on both meaningful words and pleasant melodies. This was especially important for shows like Bagpuss and Patchwuff, which had strong storylines, so the songs needed to be quiet, personal, and tender.

Kerr and musician John Faulkner landed the job composing music for the 1974 series Bagpuss because Oliver Postgate – whom Kerr describes as “amazing and genius-like” – enjoyed the music they’d created for Sam on Boffs’ Island. Sam on Boffs’ Island was an educational program with animation and puppets created by Postgate and Peter Firmin, and produced by Michael Rosen.

Postgate and Firmin created Smallfilms, a company responsible for many classic and beloved children’s TV shows. These include favorites like Noggin the Nog, Ivor the Engine, Pogles’ Wood, the Clangers, and the famous Bagpuss.

Oliver was working on a new project and wanted a fresh, unique sound for the music. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was looking for, but he felt the music for previous Smallfilms productions had been very traditional – carefully composed, written out as sheet music, and performed by a small orchestra. For Bagpuss, he wanted something different.

The enchanting music by Kerr and Faulkner was the heart of Bagpuss. It not only brought the characters to life and underscored the cat’s imaginative tales, but also inspired the mice to fix the broken treasures Emily discovered, and gently soothed all the toys to sleep each time the show ended.

Emily, a character on the show, was played by Emily Firmin – the youngest of the six daughters of Peter Firmin, who helped create Bagpuss and designed many of its characters, props, and artwork.

Kerr fondly remembers Peter as a wonderfully creative person. He also wants to acknowledge Peter’s wife, Joan, who skillfully made many of the costumes and set decorations. Despite her significant contributions, she wasn’t credited in any of the films.

In addition to composing the music, Kerr also provided the voice for Madeleine, the sensible rag doll who brought calm to the often-chaotic world of Bagpuss.

Yes, that was exactly the part she played, and I thought it worked brilliantly. I found this amazing website with a Marxist take on the characters – it was hilarious and insightful! It pointed out that Madeleine was like the ‘earth mother’ figure, always wearing a striped dress, and it was funny because no one had ever really considered what that might mean politically. [laughs]

Faulkner, meanwhile, voiced the banjo-playing Gabriel the toad.

It’s easy to see why traditional storytelling blended so perfectly with Postgate’s creations. He was a truly gifted storyteller, and his warm, comforting voice was captivating.

Making Bagpuss was a real joy! If you listen closely, especially during the mouse rounds, you can actually hear us laughing because we had so much fun recording it. Many people who grew up with the show, and now their own children, will happily remember the cheerful, high-pitched chant of “We will fix it!”

Regarding their collaboration, Kerr says they had a lot of creative freedom. However, sometimes the artist would send them lyrics and ask for music to accompany them. When that happened, they’d consider existing musical traditions and look for inspiration within them.

He’d often come up with unusual requests, like asking for a song to accompany fixing broken cabbages. We’d then find an Irish jig that seemed to fit the mood. Sometimes he’d give us a visual outline to play music to, and other times he’d provide partial lyrics that we’d expand on or change to create different versions of the songs.

Kerr suddenly remembered something important. He admitted that Oliver was entirely responsible for “The Porcupine Song” – he wrote both the lyrics and the music. It was the only song Oliver ever created, and Kerr described it as delightful. In fact, the opening notes of Bagpuss were directly inspired by that song.

It was a very happy period for Kerr, who was completely captivated by Oliver. She found him charming, fun, and especially appreciated how considerate he was – that kindness was a key part of what she liked about him.

I recall discovering feminism in the 1970s, and during that time, I was very assertive. Oliver came over for dinner, and I remember questioning something he’d said, which surprised him. He was a good sport, though – he carefully considered what he’d said and, while I wouldn’t call it an apology, he definitely re-evaluated his position. That was the only time Oliver and I ever really disagreed, a small, playful clash of opinions.

Kerr continues to perform, frequently alongside her daughter, Sandra, a folk singer, and Sandra’s husband, James Fagan. She still loves conducting choirs and leading singing workshops everywhere she goes. As she puts it, life remains exciting, and she feels she can’t possibly slow down!

You know, while I was on the road, I witnessed something really sweet. This musician sometimes plays the theme from Bagpuss, and it consistently gets a powerful reaction from the audience. People will genuinely get emotional, telling her how much that show meant to their childhoods, how hearing the music again is like stepping back in time, and how Bagpuss felt like a safe, comforting place for them. It’s amazing how a simple tune can unlock such strong memories!

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Kerr believes her emotional project, Patchwuff, continues to connect with people because humans are naturally drawn to stories. Throughout history, not everyone has had the opportunity to share their experiences, so relatable stories become especially valuable.

Everyone has a special toy they cherish and often confide in. I especially love how Patchwuff serves as a mentor and storyteller for Peter, much like the way Oliver did with Bagpuss – it’s a clever role reversal.

What I really enjoyed was his ability to take classic stories, like The Frog Prince, and completely reimagine them. In his version, the frog didn’t want to become a prince, so he kissed the princess and she turned into a frog princess instead!

We always felt good about the show—it was a playful mix of classic and new ideas. But we never imagined, over half a century later, that people would still connect with it so deeply and find it meaningful.

People often ask if I’m weary of it all, but the truth is I’m incredibly proud. It’s not every day a creative person gets an opportunity like this in their lifetime.

You can find audio dramas like Patchwuff at mulgraveaudio.co.uk. Their upcoming play, A Very Yorkshire Wormhole, will be released later this year and features Jonathan Linsley, who many will recognize as Crusher from the classic TV show, Last of the Summer Wine.

Authors

Mark Braxton
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2026-03-10 10:37