Web Page 3073 2nd November 2023 First Picture: Tony Hart

Second Picture Vision On

Third Picture: Tony Harts daughter

Fourth Picture: With Morph

Norman Antony Hart was born on 15th October 1925 He initially served as an officer in a Gurkha regiment until the start of Indian independence. After this he became involved in children's television from the 1950s, working on the BBC's Blue Peter for a few years before fronting a series of children's art programmes, including Vision On, Take Hart and Hartbeat. His contributions to children's television include the of the ship logo used by Blue Peter and the show's badges, and the animated character of Morph, who appeared beside him on his programmes following his introduction in the 1970s. He was born in Hastings Road, Maidstone and was interested in drawing from an early age. He attended All Saints, Margaret Street Resident Choir School and then Clayesmore School in Iwerne Minster, Dorset, where art was his best subject. Tony Hart left school in 1943 and wanted to join the Royal Air Force, but as he would have been unable to fly owing to slightly deficient eyesight, he followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the British Indian Army instead where he gained an officers' commission in the 1st Gurkha Rifles. However, when he was told that lower-ranked British officers would be replaced by Indian officers following Indian independence, he decided to return to civilian life. The outbreak of the Korean War (25 June 1950) saw him being re-commissioned in the Territorial Army, attached to the Royal Artillery, from 23 November 1948 to 1 July 1950. After being demobilised, he decided to become a professional artist and studied at Maidstone College of Art, He graduated in 1950 and, after working as a display artist in a London store, became a freelance artist His break into broadcast television came in 1952, after his brother persuaded him to attend a party where he met a BBC children's television producer. After an interview in which he drew a fish on a napkin while the producer was looking for paper, He became resident artist on the Saturday Special programme. Subsequent television shows included Playbox (1954–59), Tich and Quackers (1963-), Vision On (1964–76), Take Hart (1977–83), Hartbeat (1984–93), Artbox Bunch (1995–96) and Smart Hart (1999–2000 From the 1970s, he often appeared alongside the animated Plasticine stop-motion character Morph, created by Peter Lord of Aardman Animations. Tony Hart was a regular face on the BBC children's programme Blue Peter in the 1950s and presented a number of programmes in 1959. As well as demonstrating small-scale projects (the type that viewers might be able to do) he also created large-scale artworks on the television studio floor, and even used beaches and other open spaces as 'canvases'. A regular feature of his programmes was The Gallery, which displayed artworks sent in by young viewers. Hart also created the original design for the Blue Peter badge, also used as the programme's logo. He originally asked for his fee to be paid as a royalty of 1d for each badge made, but was offered a flat fee of £100. The badges are famous throughout the United Kingdom and have been coveted by successive generations of Blue Peter viewers. The ink and watercolour galleon, believed to be the inspiration for the Blue Peter logo and badge, was originally drawn by Tony Hart for "Hooray for Humpty-Dumpty" on Saturday Special, in 1952. He received two BAFTA awards. His first, for Best Children's Educational Programme, came in 1984 for Take Hart, and he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. He retired from regular TV work in 2001.[3] He met his wife, Jean Skingle, while working in television; they married in 1953[ They were married for fifty years until she died in 2003. They had a daughter, Carolyn, and two grandchildren. On 28th December 2006, it was announced during the reunion programme It Started with Swap Shop that Tony Hart was in poor health, though this was not elaborated upon until an interview with The Times published on 30 September 2008, revealing that two strokes had robbed him of the use of his hands and left him unable to draw. He peacefully on 18 January 2009 at the age of 83. His funeral took place in the village of Shamley Green, where he had lived for more than forty years and he was buried in the churchyard of Christ Church. Stay in Touch Peter gsseditor@gmail.com