Ivor Wood

Who was Ivor Wood?

Ivor Wood was a prolific Anglo-French stop motion director, producer, animator and writer known for his work on children's television series.

Born in Leeds to an English father and a French mother, his family moved to the mountains near Lyon, France after the Second World War, where he was educated. He studied fine art in Paris, and later worked in an advertising agency in Paris, where he met Serge Danot. Together they made the acclaimed French series Le Manège Enchanté, with Wood as the animator .

Following the success of The Magic Roundabout in the UK, Wood partnered with the British London-based animation company FilmFair. Wood became both animator and director for a number of FilmFair's animated children's programmes, starting with The Herbs in 1968. During the 1970s he animated and directed Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings, Hattytown Tales, The Adventures of Parsley, The Wombles and Paddington.

Wood died of cancer in London on 13 October 2004 at the age of 72. His ashes were scattered in France. Wood was survived by his wife Josiane and one son. His friends took out a full page in Broadcast magazine which read: “You will be missed. Your legacy will remain in children's hearts for all time”.