Back from a break, continuing the series of lesser known/old animated shows I enjoyed as a kid which have largely been lost to the sands of time. This week, we have British & Irish animation!

 
Strange Hill High (2013; British)

BBC has a unique culture of stop-motion figurine puppetry shows—you may recognize names like Noddy, Postman Pat, Fireman Sam (Welsh!), and most notably, Thomas & Friends. Strange Hill High is by far the most "mature" on the list, depicting the comedic slice of life at a fantastical high school, the weirdness of which is seen as a nuisance—or as a way to cheat the school system, if you're creative ;o) 

Very funny, and very imaginative, not a single area of that building left unturned while discovering its anomalies.

Rubbadubbers (2003; British)

Another of the stop-motion series, this time from the tiny world of bathtub toys' imagination, as they wait out the day until bathtime. I've always enjoyed this show visually, full of foam bubbles and plastic scene sets.

 
Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks (2003; Irish & British & US)

We're moving to the rural farmlands where a grandfather recollects and sometimes just very slightly exaggerates his childhood adventures. This is a show for those who enjoy books of Astrid Lindgren and similar well-meaning troublemakers!

 
Fluffy Garden (2007; Irish & British)

By far the show with the youngest demographic in this series, but please, just look at it. I always adored this cartoon for its silly art style. Who needs fancy CGI and complex animation, all you need to tell a story is consistency, however wobbly your art is!

An honorable mention for personal favourite goes to Kipper (1997; British), with its serene energy and a touch of grounded fantasy, reminding of the whimsy that lives in the small things.

 
Have you watched/heard of any of these gems? Do you treasure any other British/ adjacent cartoons from your childhood?

Next volumes: Italian Animation || French Animation || Canadian Animation