The Joy Laurey Archive

Welcome to the Joy Laurey Archive, dedicated to the life and work of British puppeteer and artist Joy Laurey.

Joy is best remembered for bringing Mr Turnip to life on the BBC children's programme Whirligig. With his leafy green head, impeccable manners and mischievous sense of fun, Mr Turnip became one of the best-loved characters of early British children's television.

The archive began in 2020, when a remarkable collection of Joy's drawings, scripts, photographs and papers was rediscovered at auction. Since then, it has grown to include original puppets, artwork, correspondence, programmes, licensed merchandise and memories from people who knew Joy or encountered her work.

Locate Preserve Share

Our purpose is simple: to locate surviving material connected with Joy Laurey, preserve it with care and share it so that her work can be enjoyed and studied again.

The online catalogue is continually developing as new objects and information come to light. Where a detail remains uncertain, the archive says so clearly and updates the record when stronger evidence is found.