Original sets from the children’s TV series Postman Pat that were to be destroyed are to go on display for the first time. The BBC first commissioned Postman Pat, set in the heart of the Lake District, in 1979. The stop-motion series featuring a postman and his black and white cat was written by John Cunliffe and voiced by Ken Barrie. The sets were in a storage facility but faced destruction unless a new home could be found. Pat’s cottage, the school, the lighthouse and Pencaster Square, complete with original props, will go on show at Waterside in Sale, Trafford,as part of the Cosgrove Hall Films Archive from Saturday. The Altrincham-based animation studio Mackinnon and Saunders, supported by Dreamworks and NBCUniversal, which were involved in the creation and development of the characters Pat, Jess and Mrs Goggins, asked Waterside to display and archive all of the remaining original sets. Peter Saunders, the joint CEO of Mackinnon and Saunders, said: “It is 40 years since Postman Pat appeared on the BBC. “After production was completed, the beautiful miniature sets and props were carefully packed and moved to a storage facility in Stalybridge, but the iconic village of Greendale was served notice this year – no longer required for filming, all the models were to be destroyed unless a new home could be found for them. “When Mackinnon and Saunders became aware of the perilous situation, I contacted the Cosgrove Hall Films Archive at Waterside to ask whether their animation archive could come to Greendale’s rescue. The teams at Waterside and Trafford council immediately offered to help and, thanks to their hard work and dedication, many of the models featured in this uniquely British piece of popular culture have been saved for future generations to enjoy.” The first 13 episodes aired on the BBC in 1981, brought to life by the prolific director of animation Ivor Wood and produced initially by Woodland Animation. Richard Evans, the creative industries Trafford coordinator, said they “jumped at the chance” to be the new custodians of the sets and props. “Knowing how much loved this television series was and still is, and how beautifully preserved many of these sets have been, we have created this exhibition especially to share these rarely seen sets, puppets and props with the shows’ fans – both big and small,” he said.