How a deathbed confession led to the unique Mother Clanger puppet being returned to her household after greater than 50 years
A beloved puppet of one of Britain’s most well-known children’s television shows was stolen from an exhibition more than half a century ago.
The original puppet of Mother Clanger, from the hit show The Clangers, disappeared in 1973.
Now, 50 years later, the mystery has finally been solved after a man confessed to the theft on his deathbed.
The handcrafted figure was taken from its display at a from a London exhibition in 1973 by two 15-year-old boys.
One of the boys was Michael O’Connor, who admitted he stuffed it into his attic in Ireland.
Just before his death, Michael confessed to his son Michael Burke, who then dug out the figure and contacted Canterbury City Council’s Museums and Galleries team.
The star puppet has now returned to England and been reunited with the rest of her family on display at the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in Canterbury, Kent.
Michael and his mother Ellen Burke met with TV show creator Peter Firmin’s daughters Emily, Charlotte and Kate Firmin, to return the long-lost creature.
The original puppet of Mother Clanger, from the hit show The Clangers, was stolen from a museum in 1973
Cllr Cornell (left) and Emily Firmin welcomed Mother Clanger home and put her on display with her family
Mother Clanger finally reunited with her family after 50 years spent in an attic in Ireland
Emily said: ‘It was such a surprise. Despite her years in an attic box, Mother Clanger was in remarkable condition and still radiating her unique charm.
‘She has faded wool and the tip of her nose is damaged.
‘We are just glad to get her back to be with her Clanger family.
‘My mum and dad would’ve thought what naughty boys they were at 15 but now would be full of forgiveness especially as they told us as soon as they found her.’
Mother Clanger is now on display in the Smallfilms Gallery at The Beaney alongside her family and other Firmin and Postgate favourites such as Bagpuss.
The council’s Cabinet member for culture and heritage, Cllr Charlotte Cornell, added: ‘For someone who has not been fed Green Soup by the Soup Dragon for five decades, Mother Clanger is not looking too shabby.
‘We’re very happy to give her a warm welcome as she returns to Canterbury.
‘This heartwarming reunion marks not only the return of a treasured artwork but also the closing chapter of a story filled with curiosity, guilt, discovery and, ultimately, a proper homecoming.’
The Clangers was a stop-motion animation series about a family of mouse-like creatures who live on a small moon-like planet.
It first aired in 1969 until 1974 before it was revived in 2015 with a newly created Mother Clanger puppet.
The new series was narrated by Michael Palin and ran for 104 episodes before it ended again in 2020.
