​Whirligig was a pioneering BBC children's television programme devised by producer Michael Westmore and first broadcast on 25 November 1950.
 
Made live at the BBC's Lime Grove studios, the programme used a lively magazine format combining stories, music, games, demonstrations and variety acts. Humphrey Lestocq, known to viewers as H.L., guided children through the programme and formed a memorable double act with its breakout puppet star, Mr Turnip.
 
Westmore conceived Mr Turnip as a regular companion for the presenter and asked Joy Laurey to create him. Joy designed, made and operated the puppet, while actor Peter Hawkins supplied his voice. Their combined performance gave Mr Turnip the warmth, timing and personality that made him so popular.
 
As the programme developed, Mr Turnip was joined by a larger cast of vegetable characters and became the centre of stories, songs and comic exchanges. His popularity led to books, annuals, toys, games and personal appearances across the country.
 
Whirligig ran from 1950 to 1956. No complete programme is presently known to survive, so its history must be reconstructed from scripts, production notes, photographs, artwork, press coverage and the memories of those who watched or took part.
 
The Joy Laurey Archive preserves and shares this material so that the programme, its characters and the people who created them are not lost from the history of British television.