Joy Whitby

[3] Nancy Quayle, an expert on "learning through play", became a permanent consultant and Wendy Duggan provided the many animals featured in Pet's Corner.

There were other familiar landmarks like the story telling chair, the dressing up pegs, the revolving clock and three "windows" which led to the outside world through a library of specially made films.

Following the success of Play School, Michael Peacock asked Whitby to create a new daily programme at teatime to fill a spare 15 minute slot.

She produced The Growing Summer, with Wendy Hiller, Knock Three Times with Hattie Jacques, and Catweazle starring Geoffrey Bayldon.

During this period, she also produced two independent productions, Emma and Grandpa, which she wrote and directed, as well as the television film A Pattern of Roses, which she adapted KM Peyton's ghost story.

These include five-minute episodes of the Mouse and Mole series for the BBC, voiced by Richard Briers and Alan Bennett, later to be joined by Imelda Staunton for a Christmas special.

Other titles include The Mousehole Cat, The Angel and the Soldier Boy, A Small Miracle, and East of the Moon (based on one of Terry Jones Fairy Tales).