Maria Bird

Maria Bird was born Mary Edith Bird (pronounced Marie) on 24 August 1891 in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and died in the village where she lived for most of her life, Westerham, Kent, England in June 1968 aged 76. She is a descendent of Francis Bird the sculptor and Colonel Christopher Bird who was Colonial Secretary at Cape Town Castle (who has a famous landmark named after him in Kirstenbosch, South Africa - Colonel Bird's Bath). Her mother brought her children from South Africa to Great Britain to be educated and Maria attended a Scottish convent. Following school she studied the Dalcroze Eurhythmics music and dance method under Émile Jaques-Dalcroze in Dessau.

Maria Bird helped found BBC Children's Television with her collaborator and companion Freda Lingstrom with whom she set up Westerham Arts, the production company commissioned by the BBC to produce TV pieces including The Woodentops (1955), Bill and Ben the Flower Pot Men (1952) and Andy Pandy (1950). Westerham Arts was based in Chartwell Cottage (owned by Bird and Lingstom and subsequently bequeathed to the National Trust). It neighbours the Chartwell Estate. Maria and Freda built a shed in their garden where their puppet films were made. In addition to TV production she was a writer, narrator and musician.

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