Once upon a time about 50 years ago and then again about 40 years ago in a land not so very far away from here called Wales, there lived a little green steam engine called Ivor. Ivor the Engine worked out of Llaniog railway station. Ivor could sometimes be a naughty little engine because he had a mind of his own. His favourite hobbies are singing with the local choir, making tea and visiting the seaside. Ivor has lots of friends where he lives, including Dai the Station master, Owen the signal man, Evan Evans the Choir master, Mrs Porty, a rather eccentric lady who loves buying new hats, Mr Dinwiddy, who describes himself as an amateur scientist, lives in the hills where he digs for gold and is always losing his boots but Ivor's bestest friend in the whole wide world is Edwin Jones, Ivor's driver. Ivor also loves animals and has lots of animal friends, including Idris a small red Dragon, Ivor kept Idris's egg in his fire until he hatched, now Idris lives in Smoke Mountain, a volcano, with his wife, Olwen and their two twin dragon children. Another of his friends is Bluebell the donkey, who loves nothing more than helping out Ivor and Jones and finally Alice the Elephant who lives at the local circus.

Ivor had lots of adventures

The Railway

This is where we fist learn all about Ivor but its not a very exciting episode, he picks up coal from the local coal mine before going to choir practice.

Mrs Porty's Foxes

Mrs Porty introduces Ivor to the fox family living in her garden and then tells him that she is expecting a hat delivery. Ivor sets off to station to collect the hat but on the way back to Mrs Porty's house he comes across a fox hunt in pursuit of one of Mrs Porty's foxes. Can Ivor save the fox from the hounds?

Bluebell

Bluebell the donkey is helping Jones give Ivor a bath until Jones gets an urgent call to deliver some new boots to Mr Dinwiddy. Ivor and Jones collect the boots and set off to Mr Dinwiddy's hills. Bluebell still carrying the bucket chases Ivor, but is so worn out when she catches up with him that she can't make her way back to the station. Mr Dinwiddy sets about making a donkey carriage that can be hooked up to Ivor so she can go on days out with him. However on the way back one of Ivor's wheels comes off the track. Can Bluebell save the say by getting help?

Unidentified Objects.

There is not much happening on the railway so Dai the station master and Jones decide to do a bit of sunbathing on the station platform. All of a sudden Dai spots some flying saucers in the sky so they all set off to find out where they have come from. Does the mad scientist Mr Dinwiddy have something to do with it?

The Dragon

Whilst driving passed Smoke Mountain, Jones spots some smoke coming out so he goes to investigate and finds a hot egg shape thing sitting in the middle of the volcano. Jones picks the egg up and puts it in Ivor's fire they then go off for a bit of choir practice. Half way through the practice a beautiful voice starts singing but nobody can find where the voice is coming from. Jones goes to check the egg but finds it has hatched and all of a sudden a dragon pops his head out of Ivor and continues singing. Idris spends the next day in Ivor's furnace and again attends choir practice the following evening. After Choir practice everybody fancies some fish and chips but the gas pressure is too low to heat the fat so Idris blows some fire into the chip fryer and everybody gets perfect fish and chips. Somebody then spots a newspaper article saying that a dragon has been spotted in the village and people are coming to look for him to study him Idris does not want to be found and goes into hiding. Where can he be?

Chickens

Autumn is approaching fast and Jones has been asked to visit the local gas works but Ivor is nowhere to be found. Jones sets off to find Ivor only to find him covered in chickens attempting to keep warm

Old Nell

Ivor goes up to the old quarry only to find Old Nell, the farmers sheep dog, blocking their way on the track. The dog points to one of his sheep that has fallen down the quarry edge. So Jones ties a rope onto a nearby tree and tries to climb down but the branch breaks leaving Jones and the sheep stranded. Can Ivor and Nell get help?

The Lost Engine

Ivor is the centre attraction at the Welsh Festival of Song, Poetry and Music, helping his choir win first prize. On their way home, the choir decide to visit the seaside but Ivor feels jealous of everybody playing in the sea. After dropping everybody off Ivor decides he wants to be on his own and takes himself off. Jones returns to where he left Ivor only to find him gone, then Mrs Porty and Bluebell turn up and tell Jones that Ivor has been stolen, so they all set off in hot pursuit of the thieves. Where will they find Ivor?

The Outing

This is a follow on from Ivor's last adventure. After finding Ivor, the Choir are discussing Ivors excursion on his own. The days continue as normal with everybody counting the days to the choirs annual outing. People are whispering in corners so Ivor can't hear what is being said but he works out that something is going on. The day of the outing arrives and Ivor finds out they are all going to beach again but it makes him sad that he can't go into the sea for a paddle. Will Ivor be happy with the surprise that everybody has planned for him?

Time Off

Everything has been done in the morning and there is nothing to do for the afternoon so Jones and Dai decide to go fishing down at the local lake. They fall asleep but a child comes running down the hill shouting and wakes them up, he tells them that Ivor has gone. Where can Ivor be?

The Cuckoo Clock

Ivor suddenly slams on his breaks because he spots a bird and her nest on the railway track. Jones picks up the nest and puts it in the engine. Mrs bird stands up to reveal 4 small chicks. Jones decides the birds nest needs to go somewhere safe so asks Mrs Porty for some help. Can Mrs Porty help?

Buying Things

Mr Williams from the Head Office comes for a visit to Llaniog station and tells Jones and Dai that the railway is going to be sold and Ivor will be sent away and replaced with diesel engines. Everybody is so sad but work needs to continue, so Jones takes some new boots to Mr Dinwiddy. He suggests everybody club together to buy the railway but it is too expensive. Who in the village has enough money and is eccentric enough to buy the railway?

The Water Tower

Spring has made it to Llaniog station so everything is getting a spring clean. Jones receives a telephone call asking him and Ivor to collect and deliver and new loom for the local weaver. Ivor needs his water filling up but refuses to go under the water tank. What could the new owner of the railway be keeping in her water tank?

Central Heating

Ivor slams on his breaks because he spots Idris the Dragon cold at the side of track. It seems Smoke Mountain volcano has gone out and become extinct, so Idris was out looking for a new home for his wife and children but the cold got the better of him. Jones finds out the nearest volcano still living is in Italy but that seems a long move for the poor dragons. Can the local gas works come up with an idea to give Smoke Mountain its own form of central heating?

The Visitor

Ivor is carrying a load of homing pigeons and Mr Evans the Choir Master accidentally lets them out. Mr Evans and Jones visit the owner to tell him they have lost them but he tells them that they are homing pigeons and he uses them to send messages of love to his betroved. Jones, Mr Evans and Ivor go off to retrieve the pigeons. On the way back they find the line blocked with something that looks like a rock but turns out to be an elephant with an injured foot. They take the elephant to the gas works where they make a makeshift home for it. Can the owner of the elephant be found?

The Trumpet

The postman visits Ivor's engine shed with a parcel for I Engine Esq. Jones opens it to find a trumpet inside engraved with the words 'For Ivor Just In Case I, O, G and B (The dragons). Jones places the trumpet in the cab of Ivor and goes off to collect some sheep for a local farmer. The Farmer, however does not have a sheep dog so Jones and the farmer try to round

Pictures

Ivor te Engine

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

the sheep up but fail. Can the trumpet call for reinforcements to help with the sheep?

The Sheepdog

Ivor has gone to the local sheep fair to watch the sheepdog trails. As any animal can take part, Alice the Elephant decides she would like a go at herding the sheep. Can Alice win the competition?

Juggernaut

The local circus master has invited Ivor to join them as "Ivor the Singing Engine" so Jones needs a replacement engine while Ivor is on his holidays. His replacement, Juggernaut, is made out of parts from an old lorry and other spare bits and bobs. However Juggernaut keeps breaking down. Will Juggernaut last and will Ivor enjoy his holiday?

Half-Crowns

Its the middle of the night and Jones is banging on the door of the local bank manager. The dragons need some half-crowns to feed their gas meter however because of decimalisation, half-crowns are no longer legal tender. Can any half-crowns be found anywhere in the village?

Snowdrifts

Its been snowing in the village for days (We know how they feel!). The baker has run out of flour and the other shop keepers are running very low on stock, the village will starve if they are not careful. The only way they will be able to collect stocks is if Ivor puts a snow plough on the front of his engine. So Jones goes to see the local blacksmith who manages to knock something up. Ivor gets through to the main town where all the goods are waiting for them but on the way back there seems to have been an avalanche and some sheep have been caught up in it. Can Ivor and Jones save the sheep?

The Fire Engine

Its stopped snowing but the snow is hanging about. Ivor is standing with Jones outside the local fire station and the Fire Station Master is bragging about his new all singing, all dancing, fire engine. A lady comes by to say that a local farm is on fire. Of course the fire engine gets stuck in a drift, can Ivor put the fire out?

Sledging

Ivor has a wheel attached to his front and is using it as a winch for the children who are sledging. Too many children grab the winch though and manage to pull Ivor down the bank and he gets buried in a snowdrift. Dai calls the engineers but they can't get a crane out till the following day. Old Nell the sheepdog and Bluebell the donkey come along to keep Ivor company. Old Nell comes up with an idea and rushes off to get the fire brigade but they end up getting stuck as well. The Crane turns up but even that tips over. Bluebell goes off for a walk, can she find another animal that will be able to get everybody out of the snow?

The Hat

Ivor has an emergency to go on. Mrs Porty has ordered a new hat but it has not arrived. Ivor goes into town to collect a box but it is not for Mrs Porty its for the local Professor who has ordered a new telescope cover. By the morning however the box has disappeared. Who could have stolen it?

Retirement

The dragons have run out of half crowns again and there is no way any more can be found, but it has been decided that the gas heating is too expensive and should be removed from Smoke Mountain and the dragons will be placed in a cage heated by waste fuel. Mr Dinwiddy steps in to help and tells them that he has found a part of his gold mine that is too hot to work in. Will the dragons find the heat they need?

Ivor the Engine was originally made in 1958 for black and white television and then remade in 1975 in colour. The series was written and narrated by the great Oliver Postgate, (creator of some of the most famous children's television including Bagpuss and The Clangers) and was filmed using stop motion (frame by frame) techniques and was animated using cardboard cut outs painted with watercolours. 40 episodes were made of 5 minutes but some of the episodes have been linked together to make a episodes of between 15 to 20 minutes long.

Ivor the Engine is another of my favourite children's programmes, it is not educational but is just good clean fun. It took me a couple of episodes to understand the Welsh accent but is something the Holly and I enjoy watching together.

The DVD features 24 episodes all made in colour, there are no extras, it is universal and is suitable for all and is approximately 3 hours long. You can buy it from Amazon for £3.98, a bargain for 3 hours entertainment.

Thanks for reading. Anna