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| In the beginning...
Every television programme starts off as an idea in someone's head, which then grows and evolves into the final programme which we all remember. In this respect, the Trumptonshire series are no different. The Beginnings of Chigley
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| The Proposal | The Reality |
| Location
Chigley was to be a village situated two miles from Camberwick Green and three miles from Trumpton. It was to consist of:
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|
| A doughnut factory
An extremely modern factory producing "Duncan's delicious doughnuts". It was to be run by the general manager Mr Gumble, who would live with his family on a modern housing estate. Mr Duncan the managing director would turn up in his chaffuer driven limousine to inspect the factory. As it was such a modern factory, cartons of doughnuts would be automatically loaded into the fleet of yellow and green vans by Mr Plant. Apart from Mr Gumble and Mr Plant, all the other factory characters would dress and look alike. |
A biscuit factory
The doughnut factory, producing "Duncan's delicious doughnuts" became the biscuit factory, producing "Cresswell's Chigley Biscuits". The managing director Mr Duncan and General Manager Mr Gumble were combined into one character: Mr Cresswell the owner/manager. Mr Plant the van packer became Mr Fletcher, in charge of distribution |
| A candle factory
An extremely ancient candle factory, run as an old established family concern by the Hooper family. They would use traditional manufacturing methods to produce decorative candles - including those used on birthday cakes. |
The Chigley pottery
The candle factory run by the Hooper family, became the Chigley pottery, run by Harry Farthing and daughter Winnie. |
| Winkstead Manor
A stately home, complete with zoo and private "Bluebell Line" type railway. This was to be the home of Lord Belborough, assisted by her Ladyship and Brackett the butler. The manor would be open to the public at weekends. The Belborough zoo and railway are extremely popular with the visitors, and the railway would be used to transport the output of the Hooper candle factory to the wharf. |
Winkstead Hall
Winkstead Manor became Winkstead Hall. Lord Belborough and Brackett survived intact, but "her Ladyship" mysteriously disappeared - as did the entire concept of a zoo. |
| Potley's Wharf
Mr Digby the wharfinger would transfer the loads by crane into Mr Farthing's barge. |
Treddle's Wharf
Potley's Wharf, run by Mr Digby, became Treddle's Wharf, run by Mr Swallow, and Mr Farthing the bargee became Mr Rumpling the bargee (although the Farthing name was transferred to the family at the Chigley pottery). |
| A modern housing estate | And Chigley's modern housing estate was simply never built. |
| Familiar characters
In addition to the new Chigley characters, many familiar characters from nearby Camberwick Green and Trumpton would be involved in the new series: Farmer Bell would supply milk and eggs to the factory, Roger Varley would sweep the factory chimneys, Mr Platt would maintain the factory clocks, Mr Munnings would be handle the factory printing requirements, Nick Fisher would attend to the doughnut advertisements on the hoardings. |
Chigley did use many previously introduced characters from both Camberwick and Trumpton. In particular, in the episode "Apples Galore" we see Mickey Murphy, Windy Miller, Farmer Bell and the whole Trumpton Fire Brigade. All but one of the Chigley episodes begins with one of the familiar tradespeople from the previous series driving off to Winkstead Hall, the biscuit factory or the Chigley Pottery. However, of the 'familiar characters' suggested
in the original proposal, only Farmer Bell eventually turned up at the
factory as planned.
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| So what changed ?
The Chigley which eventually made it to our screens is largely the same as the programme proposal. It is just the detail that has changed. We still have two manufacturing establishments, a stately home and a railway, but they are not quite the same as originally planned, and for some reason, almost every character required a name change. Why the changes ?
Did they think the idea of a candle factory would encourage children to play with fire ? Maybe. But what was so wrong with doughnuts, that hey had to be changed to biscuits? Were doughnuts too American? And what became of Lady Belborough ? There were already very few females in Trumptonshire, so why was she surplus to requirements ? |