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These gentle stories followed Greendale village's postman as he unhurriedly went about his round, accompanied by black and white cat Jess. Pat was at the heart of his rural community - there was always time for a cup of tea with those on his round, like Granny Dryden, Farmer Fogg and Reverend Timms. Only bad weather ever threatened to stop his van getting through.
John Cunliffe wrote his Pat stories after hearing yarns from the friendly man who ran his local Lake District post office, and used his own experience of running a mobile library in rural Northumberland. While working as a teacher, a pupil's mother suggested that Cunliffe send his books to the BBC, after a visiting producer suggested she was looking for new writers. His approach coincided with the BBC's Cynthia Felgate's search for a countryside-set series. Ivor Wood (whose earlier credits included The Wombles (BBC, 1973-75) collaborated to bring Pat to the screen.
The first eight episodes proved a hit with lunchtime viewers and associated merchandise soon followed. Realising the potential of Pat as a marketing tool, the Post Office gave Woodland Animations permission to use the Royal Mail logo on Pat's now famous red van (previously there had been a plain yellow crown) for five subsequent episodes.
The original thirteen episodes were endlessly repeated - new episodes finally appeared from 1991, with Pat now accompanied by son Julian.
Alistair McGown
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