ONE of the most innovative animators of his generation, John Hardwick, with his partner, Bob Bura, helped to bring to life a trilogy of tales that have entertained children and parents alike for more than 30 years. All three first appeared under the banner of the BBC’s Watch With Mother series.

Now regarded as classics of their genre, Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley were originally transmitted between 1966 and 1968. Gordon Murray, the creator and producer, provided puppets and scripts, save on Trumpton, for which Alison Prince, who had just written Joe, her own series for children’s television, penned the script. Brian Cant narrated, Freddie Phillips was in charge of music and Andrew and Margaret Brownfoot constructed the sets. It was the responsibility of Bura and Hardwick to film the series meticulously, using stop-frame animation.

Camberwick Green, originally titled Candlewick Green before a typing error in the BBC contract altered its name for ever, was set in a world free from the constraints and complexities of real life. Epitomising the natives of a traditional English village, a cluster of puppets made from ping-pong balls and foam lived among scenes of tranquillity and were perfect role models of politeness.

Social maladies such as vandalism, mugging and robbery were non-existent in Gordon Murray’s Utopia, where the characters were amicable and co-operative, an attempt to encourage children to be kind.

While Camberwick Green centred on village life, Trumpton, first aired in 1967, was set in a town before the days of morning rush hours and wheel clamping. The theme of sedateness characterised these little gems of children’s television, and Trumpton was no exception. The town’s fire brigade — staffed by Hugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub — suffered a dearth of fires, to the point where the elderly Barney McGrew appeared to drive with his eyes closed. The squad responded as their names were recited, a well-loved feature which Murray’s wife, a ballet dancer, helped to choreograph.

The lesser-known Chigley arrived in 1969. With an eye on the times, there was a stately home, Winkstead Hall, to which Lord Belborough was forced to admit visitors to pay for its upkeep. With that, Trumptonshire — upon which the sun shone incessantly — was complete.

John Hardwick, the son of a carpenter, was born in Edgware, Middlesex, in 1937. He met his future business partner and lifelong friend, Bob Bura, while still at school. His eldest sister assisted Bura. She was an expert vaudeville artiste, conjuror, juggler and puppeteer, and occasionally Hardwick would accompany her.

She gave up the job after marrying, by which time Hardwick had spent two years learning the trade from his sibling in preparation. He stepped in and helped Bura to present puppet shows, including Punch and Judy, on Southsea beach.

In the early 1950s Bura and Hardwick met Gordon Murray, with whom they would later work on the Trumptonshire Trilogy. They had replied to an advert Murray had posted in the newspaper The Stage for marionette operators. He was forming his own puppet company, Murray Marionettes, which subsequently performed at schools and small theatres around the country before completing a summer season at Broadstairs, Kent.

The three worked together again at the BBC when, in 1956, Hardwick and Bura joined the BBC Puppet Theatre and were engaged as marionette operators on, among other shows, The Rubovian Legends, created and produced by Murray. They also helped the Czech painter and sculptor Jan Dalibor and his actress wife, Viasta, with their puppet show Pinky and Perky.

By the time Bura and Hardwick worked with Murray on Camberwick Green, they were experienced animators, having cut their teeth on cinema advertisements before moving to the BBC’s Lime Grove studios and making animated inserts for various programmes such as Blue Peter, Pops & Lenny and Hey Presto, It’s Rolf, plus programming for schools such as Music Time and Watch.

Other children’s programmes the partnership filmed included John Ryan’s Captain Pugwash, Mary, Mungo and Midge and Sir Prancelot, all screened on the BBC; the highly respected puppet film of the Stravinsky and Benois ballet, Pétrouchka; and Larry the Lamb for Thames Television, first shown between 1972-74.

But it is for their exemplary work on Camberwick Green, Trumpton and Chigley that they are best remembered. Gordon Murray said: “John was charming and a fine animator. Working with Bob Bura, they always produced work of the highest standard.” Reaching that standard of excellence took effort and unfailing patience, with each of the episodes (13 were made for each series) taking four or five weeks to film.

John Hardwick is survived by his long-term girlfriend, Hazel Pearson, and their daughter.

John Hardwick, animator, was born on May 1, 1937. He died on September 24, 2004, aged 67.