50-year mystery behind disappearance of Mother Clanger finally resolved

The 50-year mystery behind the disappearance of Mother Clanger has finally been solved.

And she has now been reunited with the rest of her family on display at the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in Canterbury.

The star of The Clangers, created by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate in their studio in Blean, near Canterbury, went missing in 1973.

The handcrafted figure was on display at an exhibition in London when she was spotted by two 15-year-old boys who, captivated by her charm, decided to spirit her away.

Consumed with guilt, one of the boys hid Mother Clanger in his attic in Ireland. That boy, Michael O’Connor, went on to have his own family and she lay forgotten.

That is until he confessed to his son Michael Burke, just before his death.

And when Michael senior died, Michael found the mysterious figure and contacted Canterbury City Council’s Museums and Galleries team.

A plan was hatched to bring her home to Kent.

Michael and his mother Ellen Burke, met with Peter Firmin’s artist daughters Emily, Charlotte and Kate Firmin, to return the long-lost creature.

Emily said: “It was such a surprise. Despite her years in an attic box, Mother Clanger was in remarkable condition and still radiating her unique charm.

“She has faded wool and the tip of her nose is damaged.

“We are just glad to get her back to be with her Clanger family.

“My mum and dad would’ve thought what naughty boys they were at 15 but now would be full of forgiveness especially as they told us as soon as they found her.”

Mother Clanger is on now on display in the Smallfilms Gallery at The Beaney alongside her family and other Firmin and Postgate favourites such as Bagpuss.

The council’s Cabinet member for culture and heritage, Cllr Charlotte Cornell, said: “For someone who has not been fed Green Soup by the Soup Dragon for five decades, Mother Clanger is not looking too shabby!

“We’re very happy to give her a warm welcome as she returns to Canterbury.

“This heartwarming reunion marks not only the return of a treasured artwork but also the closing chapter of a story filled with curiosity, guilt, discovery and, ultimately, a proper homecoming.”

Cllr Cornell (left) and Emily Firmin are pictured here welcoming Mother Clanger home and putting her on display in The Beaney.

Published: 2 April 2026