Joy Laurey obituary

Joy Laurey was the creator of the puppet character Mr Turnip, a rival to Muffin the Mule for the affections of children on Saturday afternoon TV in the 1950s. Laurey, who has died aged 90, also controlled the strings as the vegetable-based marionette and his human sidekick, Humphrey Lestocq, compered the hour-long Whirligig show broadcast from the BBC's studio in Lime Grove.

Always smartly dressed in a ruffled shirt and bow-tie, Mr Turnip (voiced by Peter Hawkins) had a smiling round face crowned with a twist of hair which did little to hide his strings. Such was the puppet's popularity that Uncle Spud, the Carrot twins, Sarah Swede, Mimi Melon and Colonel Beetroot were added over the next six years.