New book focuses on famous Bridlington puppeteer Joy Laurey

A new book covering the life and times of a famous Bridlington puppeteer has been published.
The Girl Who Pulled The Strings covers the life and work of Joy Laurey.The Girl Who Pulled The Strings covers the life and work of Joy Laurey.
The Girl Who Pulled The Strings covers the life and work of Joy Laurey.

Joy Laurey lived in Bridlington as a child then performed in the town during the 1950s.

She featured in Disney’s Mickey Mouse Weekly, and worked alongside Gerry Anderson (Thunderbirds) on Twizzle, though her collaboration with Peter Ling (Doctor Who, Crossroads) and Peter Hawkins (Bill and Ben) for Mr Turnip is by far her most recognised achievement.

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She was also a prolific watercolour artist, a WWII troop entertainer, and a successful businesswoman – travelling internationally to represent Great Britain as a leading figure in her field, and of course “the girl who pulled the strings” on BBC’s Whirligig.

The Girl Who Pulled The Strings covers the life and work of Joy Laurey.The Girl Who Pulled The Strings covers the life and work of Joy Laurey.The Girl Who Pulled The Strings covers the life and work of Joy Laurey.The Girl Who Pulled The Strings covers the life and work of Joy Laurey.
The Girl Who Pulled The Strings covers the life and work of Joy Laurey.The Girl Who Pulled The Strings covers the life and work of Joy Laurey.

The book, entitled Joy Laurey, The Girl Who Pulled The Strings, is written by Stuart Woodhead.

Mr Woodhead said he is passionate about preserving Joy Laurey’s work and legacy, showcasing what a pivotal figure she was in the world of puppetry – ensuring that Mr Turnip will live forever in the hearts and minds of generations to come.

For the past 25, Stuart Woodhead has been a Mr Turnip superfan.

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A life-long collector of puppets and vintage toys, over the years he has amassed a wealth of original items, artwork, photographs, theatre programmes, professional stage puppets and other ephemera, and is now founder of ‘The Joy Laurey Archive’.

He said: “Many of the photographs within this book are exclusive and never before seen by the public, including behind-the-scenes images on the set of Whirligig, taken by Joy herself at BBC’s Lime Grove Studios, London.

“There are also archived personal photographs of her trip to Romania for the very first International Puppet Festival in 1958, as well as rare portrait work by Baron, an official Royal photographer.”

Mr Woodhead hopes to bring back the character Mr Turnip for a new generation and has already set about releasing books written by Joy Laurey that were never published.

His book (£10.99 paperback, £16.99 hardback and on Kindle) is now available at Amazon or via the www.mrturnip.co.uk website.

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