The Complete Ivor the Engine: All Colour Episodes Ever Made [DVD]

Childhood has a funny habit of playing tricks on the adult mind. Mars Bars and Wagon Wheels were always bigger, it never rained in the summer holidays and the TV was so much better. As one gets older of course, the realisation dawns that summers were not constantly bathed in sun (except maybe 1976) and that the sweets weren't as big as you recalled (and even smaller now).Some things don't change, however, and this is one of them. The DVD contains the 24 colour episodes that Oliver Postgate's Smallfilms made in the 1970's and were shown on the BBC, usually around 5.30 just before the news in the spot The Magic Roundabout had on occasion. There aren't any extras, or the original black and white episodes. To be honest there is no need for them.The animation is simple (some might even say rather primitive and simplistic) and others yet may blanch at the rather stereotypical view of the Welsh, but they shouldn't because each character is imbued with warmth and real fondness (even the slightly pompous Dai Station is shown to have softer side from time to time) and each story is a beautifully drawn and affectionate little vignette looking back to a time that has long past and perhaps never really existed at all. The stories are accompanied mostly by the sound of Postgate's own melifluous narration, though other voices do creep in on occasion. The episodes range in length from the more usual 5 minutes to around 20 for some of the longer ones.Step back a little though, and beneath the cuddly exterior is a faint hint of gentle subversion. The subtext is always about the value of community and friends, and supporting the underdog against authority. Some examples of these ideas include the episode where the railway is to be sold, or when Idris the dragon arrives in Llaniog. Best of all is the brief pen portrait of Jones allowing a fox to escape some noticeably chinless hunters. Postgate introduces this idea of standing up for the underdog and of maintaining a type of kind decency all through his work and Ivor the Engine does it very well.The other little trick childhood plays is that you always think there are more than the 24 episodes collected here. Postgate made a habit of this too. But no matter, the episodes are delightful little pieces of art and it's nice to have them collected in one place. The fact that they are priced so low makes this an utter steal of a purchase.

I bought this CD for my grandson Luke. He was eighteen months old at the time. From the first he was captivated by Ivor and his friends (especially Idris the dragon); though a little alarmed, at first, by Mr Dinwiddy with his glasses and beard.He is now over two and sings along with the choir, clapping his hands with delight.He rushes to get out the DVD on every visit.The stories are in the old tradition: simple enough for the very young, but with real content to appeal to older children and adults. My son, Luke's father, often pops in to recall memories of his own childhood! The language though not yet within the grasp of a two year old is delightful, humerous and sophisticated, in the tradition of Beatrice Potter "Lettuces have a soporific tendency".Children learn to appreciate the rhythm and sound of words before their meaning in many cases.Hence the appeal of nonsense rhymes (Lear and Lewis Carrol et al).I can heartily recommend these delightful stories as an antidote to the commercialised rubbish which so often passes as children's TV today. They have not been 'modernised'or enhanced with modern cartoon technology, as is sadly the case with the Flower Pot men and the Rupert Bear adventures (not to mention the Disneyfied Winnie the Pooh!). Just pure, old fashioned, delight. Join the Ivor the Engine Fan club!

I never really watched Ivor as a child, it was on but I never paid much attention to it, so looked forward to re-watching it again, as I have previously watched Postgate and Firmin's Bagpuss, which got much of its success from its nostalgia. Ivor the Engine plays also on this nostalgia, this time for an old little used railway line in the top-left corner of Wales, where things are a little unusual, there are dragons, and a little steam engine who communicates with Jones the Steam, his driver, by puffing his whistle.This is definitely classic children's fare, the nostalgia works still very well, the quirkiness and directness of the stories, and the diverting Welsh accents of the characters, as well as the music, charm and delight in equal measure. Most of the episodes are either 5 mins or 9 minutes, though one is 22 minutes. Take them as they come to you, there is much to enjoy in these short journeys on a branch line...

Remember watching Ivor the Engine when I was a young child and loved it. Seeing it now brings back childhood memories of watching this show. I still enjoy watching it now and comes up very well. A great set of stories from the golden age of Children's Television.

I have watched it many times and enjoyed it very much.

I bought this as a Christmas gift for my partner. We are both familiar with the little railways of Wales, particularly the Ffestiniog and I'd tried to persuade him to buy it in the past without success. So gifting it was the only answer! These little stories are highly watchable - well, I found them so and I am decades removed from that golden bourne that is childhood. The characterizations are believable and the drawings/animations really quite beautiful despite being very much of their time. One other aspect that elevates Ivor is the stories' lack of sentimentality. They provoke emotion - yes - but are very far from being syrupy and are most inventive particularly the one involving Idris, the little Welsh dragon. I imagine they are just the right size for small children and the stories themselves are simple and self-contained. Lovely.

Classic, old school children’s programme that has stood the passing of time and is still a wonderful watch. Lovely stories unfold quietly, often Ivor to the rescue, across the episodes there are elephants, sheep, dragons that live in the boiler ..... Suitable from around 18 months upward, my three year old grandsons are definitely hooked, and for me a gentle trip down memory lane 😊