The son of Bagpuss creator Oliver Postgate, award-winning writer and producer Daniel Postgate, tragically took his own life at the age of 61, an inquest has heard.
Daniel Postgate, who had a successful career in children's television including relaunching The Clangers, had a long history of depression and anxiety. The hearing was told that a letter he received from the NHS the day before his death was 'the straw that broke the camel's back' for the much-loved creative.
A Talented Life Cut Short
Mr Postgate, a father-of-two, had amicably separated from his partner of 35 years in the year leading up to his death. He had also been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood cancer.
This diagnosis came after he had previously received successful treatment for aplastic anaemia in 2019, a condition where the body fails to produce enough blood cells, though he had been warned it could return.
In a report prepared for the coroner, acting detective sergeant Lucy Clark stated that on 26 June Mr Postgate received a letter from the NHS regarding his diagnosis. His family told officers he would have 'researched every word of what was in the letter' and that it contributed to his decision.
The Final Days
In a heartbreaking handwritten note, Mr Postgate expressed his fears, writing: 'I am afraid my illness can't be cured.' He added a message of love for his family: 'I hope you all have wonderful lives, and remember to love each other.'
His brother, Simon Postgate, spoke to him on the phone just two days before his death. He told the court: 'I think he had something in mind, but I don't know for certain. He was able to communicate and was quite chatty and fairly relaxed, but he had underlying depression for about 40 years. It was sometimes difficult to tell what frame of mind he was in.'
A Legacy in Children's Television
Daniel Postgate had followed in his father's footsteps, taking over Smallfilms - the production company behind Bagpuss - after Oliver's death in 2008. Working alongside Bagpuss co-creator Peter Firmin, he was instrumental in relaunching The Clangers for CBeebies, which ran from 2015 to 2020.
His work on the show earned him a British Academy Children's Award for Best Pre-School Animation in 2015, and he received a nomination for Best Writer the following year.
More recently, he had been collaborating with Threewise Entertainment on plans to bring Bagpuss to the big screen in 2027. Reflecting on the enduring appeal of the original 1974 show last year, he said: 'It may seem quite rudimentary but kids found it kind of bewitching because, in some respects, it took a certain amount of their imaginations to be engaged in it.'
Coroner Sarah Clarke recorded a conclusion of suicide at the inquest at Oakwood House in Maidstone. She stated: 'I always say to family, I don't think it's a question [why a person has died by suicide] that can ever be answered. He tells me he's undertaking a deliberate act. He doesn't want to endure the ongoing treatment.'
A tribute from Smallfilms remembered him as a 'lovely, kind man' who would be 'hugely missed by everyone who knew him.'
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