Rev W. Awdry interview 1984

an excerpt from a bbc interview of the rev W. Awdry about TTTE

[@matthewpastrikos7383]

After watching this video, i have to say it's very sad to see Awdry's creation go from an amazing masterpiece to a marketable abomination. Mattel really did him dirty. :(

[@926.repton]

I agree, the Mattel version is absolutely shit!! I bet Awdry is very mad up in heaven

[@matthewpastrikos7383]

@@926.repton I gotta wonder, how is Mattel not gone bankrupt already after all the backlash the corporation have got?

[@926.repton]

@@matthewpastrikos7383 I have no clue! I don’t know why they are still making episodes when they are getting all the hate for the new season

[@matthewpastrikos7383]

@@926.repton Like are all the people who work for Mattel brain dead or something? Humans turned into Mindless puppets used for the corporations personal gain? I though humans were suppose to be the most intelligent species on the planet, you know learning from our mistakes and making sure this type of scandal never happens again. but it looks like all the abominations Mattel have made and everything else that's happening in this world right now says otherwise.

[@926.repton]

@@matthewpastrikos7383 Mattel is definitely gone brain dead

[@LukeLintula]

Can we all agree that this guy had the best way of writing for kids. He thinks of everyone who is reading and being read to. That’s what made it successful

[@pauljordan4452]

I remember Ringo Starr's legendary narration of the first series.

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

No we can't agree that. The guy is an absolute fruitcake and steam locomotives should be scrapped.

[@cherrycreamsoda4253]

He knew kids weren’t stupid. He also knew that as much as he was writing for the kids, he knew that parents could read the stories and it wouldn’t seem like “the next kids thing”

[@nateobrien354]

Truly an inspiring man with an inspiring point of view.

[@ruwanithanuja3798]

The person who began the Thomas and Friends legacy. Respect to Rev W. Awdry. He shall be remembered forever.

[@thomashallam3566]

he sure will, he has touched the hearts of Millions of Children around the World with Thomas and his Friends and we shall remember him dearly for that.

[@Trainboy9681]

I love how the interviewer keeps trying to talk about Thomas for the first half and Wilbert's like "Nah, screw that noise, I'm talking about whatever the hell I want" xD

[@mikeuk4130]

Yes, it's all about what Wogan wants to say. Waste of a good opportunity to hear from the great AWA.

[@jivio]

But at the same time Wilbert was merely in a polite way in interrupting the late Terry Wogan where he'd got the inspiration for Gordon from.

[@jivio]

@@mikeuk4130 But don't forget, there's always someone in Wogan's ear asking him to ask his guest about Thomas. So in a way its not simply all that what Terry wanted to say, but what the producer/director wants him to say also.

[@countottovanshanoo822]

The great thing about his original Thomas books was that he had a deep understanding railway operations and practice - you could cite which rules the 'engines' broke in the Rule Book that triggered the stories. Had a chat with him once at The (London) Model Railway Show - lovely man.

[@hamiltonharris9876]

Rev. W. Awdry was amazing!

[@nateobrien354]

May he rest in piece.

[@alexanderip1003]

He read his First Thomas Story to his son when he was ill with Measles in 1943

[@jivio]

You could in a way compare the Rev. W. Awdry to Walt Disney, they both weren't simply thinking about the intended audience i.e. Children, but added a little something for the Adults to enjoy also - just as Awdry rightfully said at the end of the clip.

[@bluesbranchline]

I love and respect this man for bringing me my childhood, it’s a shame that mattel has destroyed it, or so i thought when i saw all the people, the fandom making high quality thomas videos and respecting it in such a way where i just watch those now and the classic series ofc well done to everyone keeping up the legacy of thomas

[@TrainReviewsAndMore]

Yeah

[@BigSmoke-bu6ib]

All we had to do was follow the damn books

[@tatetheblueengine]

@@BigSmoke-bu6ib like really it wouldn’t have been hard

[@Daysiecutter]

Thank god for this man, he made my childhood so memorable and the fact that people still remember Thomas today and the books are still knocking around. Is a testament to the gift he had for writing thanks for the memories Rev W Awdry

[@Slyarno2795]

I got to read the books of The railway series when I was a kid.

[@ShiningTimeStudios475]

Same, I read the Thomas the tank Engine book from 1946!

[@XavierAndFriendsOfficalChannel]

I read the thomas books while I am a kid

[@tisstufffilms7006]

Imao

[@XavierAndFriendsOfficalChannel]

Shut

[@tisstufffilms7006]

no

[@flyinggordonproductions4875]

Sometimes we forget how famous this guy actually is He made this huge company even if it’s bad now it’s still kids favorite thing

[@emmanuel7600]

Rev. W. Awdry is such a amazing guy and his railway series Thomas The Tank Engine and his Friends is such a good Show. I had All DVDS from the TV Serie from season 1 to season 12 and its so beautiful to see it.

[@herseem]

My dad did his engineering apprenticeship in the engineering workshop at Swindon. He said there were many genuine railway stories that made it into the Rev W Awdry's stories, but also they were important moral stories too. I have the whole original series, but I hadn't read them for decades when I was clearing some stuff in my parent's house, and I came across them. I was reading about, if I remember correctly, Stepney, and his escape from being cut up, having to hide in sidings and hidden by friendly signalbox men while diesels prowled about outside. What choked me up was suddenly realising that it was an allegory of people escaping from the Nazis in World War 2, that I'd been previously unaware of. Quite an emotional impact to realise the new meaning of the story and it's relevance to the harsh realities of real life.

[@eslm-studios2996]

You mean Oliver. He was the one who was trying to escape from being cut up. But I can see how you'd get confused, given that Stepney had escaped scrap by being bought by the Bluebell Railway.

[@TheAlmightyBassist]

This was the most fun I’ve ever seen wilbert awdry have in an interview.

[@hamishcameron1082]

God bless him reverend awdrey🇬🇧

[@SomeRandomGuy161]

The interviewer: they have never seen a steam train Me taking it too litterally: my hundreds of thomas toys are upset

[@KareemEmotion]

As a beginner writer myself, I try to study hard on what made Mr. Awdry’s books so wonderful. For granted, I’m going to be writing books for teens/adults, but I’m sure Mr. Awdry’s words can imply to any audience. Not just for children’s books.

[@markfryer9880]

Well he gave you more than a few gems in this interview.

[@BrendanP]

The owners of Thomas & Friends are duty bound to respect the origins of the characters and the Island. Just like how Rev W. Awdry took care in sharing the basic railway procedures and how he wrote his books. S1-S7 is considered the CLASSIC show for a reasons. Anything that came after failed to live up to the founding principles of the entire series. Each new owner degraded the show, and Mattel has ripped the rich legacy of Thomas apart. You know what I think of Mattel? As the big engines often said, "Disgraceful, Disgusting, Despicable!"

[@gacd2104]

With Mattel owning Thomas, it feels like those 80s cartoons based on toys that are just camouflaged advertisments

[@matthewstar1277]

The man who started Thomas and Friends Thank you, Wilbert You made my childhood

[@altoonaworks3720]

The funny thing was when the Rev W Awdry was talking about when he was small it would be about 1918 or 1921 about 100 years ago...

[@BellHillMayor]

Rew W. Awdry was an amazing guy himself who made Thomas a very useful engine, shame Mattel ruined him these days.

[@officialmediamike]

A true hero.

[@brandonoconnor1079]

I grew up watching Thomas. I have happy memories of watching with my granddad.

[@stephenrossi1918]

In a way im glad that the good old Rev Awdry isint around to see what has become of his original creation. He was right in the end, with an American company ruining it and ruining is a MASSIVE UNDERSTATEMENT. The reboot is such a basterdization of Thomas.

[@danialhamilton7666]

they could have done a series in the reboots style without shitting on a classic I was beginning to like the cgi details that were being added i.e the rivets not thomas jumping off the track bwba was literally bending the knee to diversity crowds and was literally treated like a box ticked hire

[@vulgivagu]

They have done this to many children's favourites. Sadly the woke lot love destroying my childhood heritage . They truly are very sick people with a ghastly Orwellian agenda .

[@jadethornton7975]

Yes Audrey, We can miss Thomas. We all miss Thomas.

[@barkthespark6076]

0:06 “ *no* ” There it is

[@danialhamilton7666]

I understand what he means about machines being able to tell you how they have been treated as at this time no machine was the same with them being hand built and parts being individually built by hand it gave the machines a sort of soul

[@martinsto8190]

2:07 Thomas is the greatest fav- ( yeah no don't try to undermined or convince Wilbert Awdry how he should write the story)

[@MSwolfdog158]

There was an Eritl Postman Pat van was right next to the station.

[@amtrakpepsiproduct1605]

What a nice layout Awdry had! I love it!

[@Cyber_Horse_Studios87]

If it wasn’t for this man, I feel that trains as a whole wouldn’t have gotten nearly as much love and adoration as they do now. Heck I’ve learned so much about British steam trains and steam trains as a whole from the world of Thomas!

[@JintySteam1]

It's awesome he got interviewed by the late great Terry Wogan.

[@leokimvideo]

Thank God the Rev never saw the contortions that Thomas has been through once the 'smart people' started to tinker with the stories & format.

[@ushagogate3354]

I like this guy My favorite people I didn't like it when he died on 21 March 1997

[@javielalvarez5459]

He’s been dead almost 25 years

[@Torentino_Ian_no_channel_2006]

Of course people died of aging

[@iguanayt2740]

Yall remember when Rev W. Awdry said he hated Henrys Forest so much? Imagine what his reaction is when he'll see the absolutely disgusting shit Mattel has cooked up. Awdry must be raging harder than Markiplier playing getting over it lmao.

[@SomeRandomGuy161]

3:10 the best part

[@Shippingsucks]

Wilbert Awdry was born at Ampfield vicarage near Romsey, Hampshire, on 15 June 1911. His father was Vere Awdry (1854-1928), the Anglican vicar of Ampfield (who was 56 years old at the time of his birth), and his mother was Lucy Awdry (née Bury; 1884-1965). Wilbert was derived from William and Herbert, names of his father's two brothers. His younger brother, George, was born on 10 August 1916 and died on 27 October 1994.[1][2] All three of Awdry's older half-siblings from his father's first two marriages died young, the youngest being killed in World War I. At Ampfield as a toddler he saw his father construct a handmade 40-yard, 2.5-inch gauge model railway.[3] In 1917, the family moved to Box, in Wiltshire, moving again within Box in 1919 and in 1920, the third house being "Journey's End" (renamed from "Lorne Villa"), which remained the family home until August 1928.[4][5] "Journey's End" was only 200 yards (180 m) from the western end of Box Tunnel, where the Great Western Railway main line climbs at a gradient of 1 in 100 for two miles.[6] A banking engine was kept there to assist freight trains up the hill.[6] These trains usually ran at night, and the young Awdry could hear them from his bed, listening to the coded whistle signals between the train engine and the banker as well as the sharp bark from the locomotive exhausts as they fought their way up the incline.[6] Awdry said, "There was no doubt in my mind that steam engines all had definite personalities. I would hear them snorting up the grade and little imagination was needed to hear in the puffings and pantings of the two engines the conversation they were having with one another."[7] Here was the inspiration for the story of Edward helping Gordon's train up the hill, a story that Wilbert first told his son Christopher some 25 years later, and which appeared in the first of the Railway Series books.[6] Awdry was educated at Marlborough House School, Hawkhurst, Kent (1919-1924), Dauntsey's School, West Lavington, Wiltshire (1924-1929), St Peter's Hall, Oxford (BA, 1932), and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, where he gained his diploma in theology in 1933. He taught for three years from 1933 to 1936 at St George's School, Jerusalem. He was ordained to the Church of England diaconate in 1936 and subsequently the priesthood. In 1938, he married Margaret Emily Wale (1912 - 21 March 1989). In 1940, he took a curacy at St Nicolas Church, Kings Norton, Birmingham, where he lived until 1946. He subsequently moved to Cambridgeshire, serving as rector of Elsworth with Knapwell (1946-1950), rural dean at Bourn (1950-1953) and then vicar of Emneth, Norfolk (1953-1965).[8] He retired from full-time ministry in 1965 and moved to Rodborough in Stroud in Gloucestershire.[9] Awdry in May 1988, with Edward Thomas, dressed as "Peter Sam", on the Talyllyn Railway, Wales The characters that would make Awdry known and the first stories featuring them were invented in 1943 to amuse his son Christopher during a bout of measles. After Awdry wrote The Three Railway Engines, he built Christopher a model of Edward, and some wagons and coaches, out of a wooden broomstick and scraps of wood.[10] Christopher also wanted a model of Gordon; however the wartime shortage of materials limited Awdry to making a little 0-6-0 tank engine. Awdry said, "The natural name was Thomas - Thomas the Tank Engine."[10] Then Christopher requested stories about Thomas and these duly followed and were published in the book Thomas the Tank Engine, published in 1946. The first book, The Three Railway Engines, was published in 1945, and by the time Awdry stopped writing in 1972, The Railway Series numbered 26 books. Christopher subsequently added further books to the series. In 1947, 0-6-0T engine № 1800 was built by Hudswell Clarke; it spent its working life at the Peterborough-based factory, a property of the British Sugar Corporation, pushing wagons of sugar beet until it was finally replaced by a diesel engine. Peterborough Railway Society purchased the engine in 1973, and this little blue 'Thomas' engine is the star of the Nene Valley Railway.[11] Awdry's study, now preserved in the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum on the Talyllyn Railway In 1952, Awdry volunteered as a guard on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales, then in its second year of preservation.[12] The railway inspired Awdry to create the Skarloey Railway, based on the Talyllyn, with some of his exploits being written into the stories.[13] Wilbert Awdry cuts a birthday cake for Thomas the Tank Engine at The National Railway Museum, York, 1980 Awdry's enthusiasm for railways did not stop at his publications. He was involved in railway preservation, and built model railways, which he took to exhibitions around the country. At Emneth he created an extensive model railway network in his loft based on Barrow-in-Furness.[14] Emneth was also close to three Wisbech railway stations. Emneth railway station was on the EAR line from Magdalen Road Station (now known as Watlington) to Wisbech East, Emneth station is now a private residence. The GER Wisbech and Upwell Tramway tram engines, coaches and rolling stock were similar to Toby the Tram Engine and Henrietta and the Ely to King's Lynn mainline with Wisbech East railway station on Victoria Road. The M&GN Peterborough to Sutton Bridge via Wisbech North railway station on Harecroft Road. There were also harbour lines either side of the Port of Wisbech on the River Nene - M&GN Harbour West branch and GER Harbour East branch. He was a passenger on Alan Pegler's 1968 non-stop Flying Scotsman London King's Cross to Edinburgh run. Awdry wrote other books besides those of The Railway Series, both fiction and non-fiction. The story Belinda the Beetle was about a red car (it became a Volkswagen Beetle only in the illustrations to the paperback editions). In 1988, his second Ffarquhar model railway layout was shown to the public for the final time and was featured on an ITN News news item. He was again featured on TV-am for Thomas's 40th anniversary in 1990. During all this, Awdry faced many battles - health problems, depression, and the death of his wife, brother and close friend Teddy Boston. Five years later, he was interviewed by Nicholas Jones for the Bookmark film The Thomas the Tank Engine Man, which first aired on 25 February 1995 and repeated again on 15 April 1997 shortly after his death. Awdry was awarded an OBE in the 1996 New Year's Honours List, but by that time his health had deteriorated and he was unable to travel to London. He died peacefully in his sleep in Stroud, Gloucestershire, on 21 March 1997, at the age of 85.[15] His ashes are interred at Gloucester Crematorium.

[@wwb16]

i would love a biopic on wilbert awdry and the railway series

[@TomboyCEO]

That would be really great, not too many people know his story.

[@ThomasTrain-lo2xh]

@@TomboyCEO Indeed. Who Needs A. A. Milne (Winnie The Pooh's Creator) When We could have THE Rev, W. Awdry...

[@NathanielPiscian]

R.i.p great man

[@leewilson2140]

I remember mum and dad,took us to the library every week.I would always get an engine book out(Along with a Tin Tin).😁

[@MrPomdownunder]

RIP the good Reverend and Terry...

[@jacobschulman1306]

I couldn't tell if that red lorry looks like post van

[@cutepinkpearlOficial]

😢😢💙💙

[@mathewwatkins8178]

If it weren't for him Thomas wouldn't have been born 😊

[@nateobrien354]

If he saw what his creation has become because of Mattel, he would sue the hell outta them!

[@nateobrien354]

@@Tx.M.64 That is true. But I know he’d still sue them.

[@acidmack1041]

Its a shame how they destroyed the Rev W Audry's creation more and more in the years after his death...then how its been completely ruined today once the Americans got their hands on it

[@allanegleston4931]

i on a train going from sacramento ca to chicago il usa. i can relate to what the rev sez @ 3:17 . i was in a state room with my mom and u could hear the kids beging for the parents to stop.

[@eggballo4490]

I wonder if that bossy kid is still alive and if he knows about his fictional counterpart.

[@robertmarsh3588]

Very perceptive comments about adding the different levels of comedy that adults or children will enjoy!

[@ndingo]

Awdry must be rolling in his grave on what HiT entertainment has done to his masterpiece

[@liamkrumnow8665]

He would love it compared to what Mattel did. But he definitely would not have liked HiT either

[@gmoney4042]

We should stop bullying hit entertainment cause they didn’t destroy Thomas at all Mattel’s the one who’s responsible for ruining the entire franchise Mattel defected hit entertainment so they would take over with the reason why I defend hit entertainment cause it’s like the Star Wars prequels where everyone hated it them and then a A decade later they thought hey maybe there was some care put into them there way better then the sequels

[@yeetboiwhatyesplease2095]

1:39 Its probably because its different. Its one of those shows that's meant to be realistic, yet still funny enough for kids. Apart from the engines being able to talk, everything is completely real and not some crazy trains flying around in the air shooting lasers stuff.

[@terencewilliammckenna6121]

Thomas is so popular

[@vanguardtrainer924]

I could hear him talk about trains all day.

[@sealionstudios8597]

Genius

[@cameronjacobs2719]

Wilbert Awdry seems like such a nice guy. I wish I could have met him. Rest in Peace. By the way, was that Terry Wogan who was interviewing him?

[@EngineerDaylight]

After listening to The Reverend Awdry, I Am even more pissed about what Mattel Has Done

[@WarmBreezeStudios]

Wilbert said that Gordon was named after a boy of the same name who Christopher considered bossy

[@PlaybyPlay225_2.0]

I can't seem to find the entirety of the original interview, I'd love to watch the whole thing. Does anyone know where I could find it?

[@YOSHIKI2006]

ウィルバートオードリーさんの声だ…！

[@ryanangelastro504]

There are two ways of adapting The Railway Series, the Great Western Way (Britt Allcroft, Andrew Brenner), or the wrong way (Mattel).

[@oy3855]

when i was a kid i had a book thomas and freinds cranky bugs

[@lnerengine2644]

I can't help but wonder what if the Awdry family still held the exclusive rights to Thomas today

[@theempress8886]

I wonder where the guy he named Gordon after is nowadays. I guess we’ll never know

[@420sakura1]

2:30.. People should thank Rasputin for this caution of warning.

[@Reimu__Hakurei]

I wonder if the kid who was named Gordon and inspired awdry to name the character Gordon from that kid is stil around

[@waluigithegod680]

This guy single handedly brought Jesus into this world...but if he were alive today I’d bet ya he would regret bringing Jesus into this world.

[@liamkrumnow8665]

For some reason, I'm not sure if I understand what you mean

[@waluigithegod680]

@@liamkrumnow8665 you see, Thomas is Jesus, and if he saw Thomas today he would regret it.

[@joahvanzijll7704]

Is that postman pat's royal mail van?!

[@ndingo]

Yes it is

[@joahvanzijll7704]

@@ndingo I actually did not know Awdry had anything to do with that show????

[@ThePsiclone]

Box Hill, in Wiltshire, not to be confused with Box Hill, in Surry. Part of the gradient of which he speaks is the famed Box Tunnel, which at time of opening was the longest tunnel in the world and has a gradient of 1 in 100. Before it was built many engineers considered it at best impossible or worst bloody dangerous. I.K. Brunel thought otherwise. As it has remained in use since 1841 I would say Brunel has been proven correct. Just a bit of useless information you didn't want to know but might find interesting.

[@markfryer9880]

There is also a Box Hill in Melbourne, Australia and it's on a train line.

[@ziemnior_2702]

Why i can see postman pat van xd

[@petejones879]

And here's me thinking Thomas the tank was a euphemism lol

[@thomasthetankengine4764]

Peep peep! Father?

[@kaitlynhanson1434]

Oak Grove cemetery. High school. Your like someone who you know. I blared Jeremiah Wright at him.

[@SudrianMufflepuff]

The weird thing is that Duck is seen in the thumbnail. So why is that intro from 1984 when duck was first seen in 1986

[@mr.locomotion4626]

I was told this clip is from 1984, sometimes things like these go unnoticed, that's probably why.

[@DavidBromage]

That's Awdry's personal model railway, not the set of the series. Duck first appeared on his railway in 1956.

[@SudrianMufflepuff]

@@DavidBromage oh ok. Didn't realize it 👍

[@kaitlynhanson1434]

Does Rev W. Awdry get you in trouble with a train?

[@OptimusPrime298]

I read the his books as a small child and it’s a shame that Awdry’s creations went from a masterpiece to a cash cow marking abomination. Mattel really screwed up BIG time

[@Gregory_ferrandis]

i bet 1000 dollars no cap awdrey is disappointed with the new thomas series cough cough big world big adventures cough all engines go cough

[@IAmSoMuchBetterThanYou]

Is this David Baddiel?

[@MidlandProductions]

find more and I will subscribe

[@404TVfr]

Aspect ratio is total ass tbh!

[@Melody_Ninjago_Lover]

I kinda dislike him...

[@SnoopyDogg101]

Why?🫤

[@arandomguy2097]

Why