Not-so-long-ago in the top-left corner of Wales three men made a railway. It wasn’t a very long railway, or a very important railway, but, it did pass a marvellous, mechanical, mouse organ and a very saggy, old cloth cat. After the signalbox junction, you could sometimes see smoke and dragons above the goldmine they had dug and then given to the eccentric Mr Dinwiddy. By then on your journey, the moon, where the Clangers lived, would be right in front of you. After you had translated your peaceful intentions to Major Clanger using a swanee whistle, Graculus the great green bird could take you back to earth. You could wave at Noggin the Nog and Nogbad the Bad in their lands of the north on the way. You’d get home safely and decide the theory of mutually assured destruction was just mad – and that perhaps the world could be a better place than it sometimes is.

In memory of Oliver Postgate who concerned himself with telling good stories – and to Peter Firmin, who drew them, and the late Vernon Elliott, who made the music.

(The image is borrowed from the Dragon’s Friendly Society)

Updated: 4pm 8th December 2008
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