British Children's TV character
Stop tittering at the back...it's not as rude as you might think.
Muffin was a puppet character on BBC children's TV in the 1940s and 50s. "Born" in about 1934 in Fred Tickner puppet-maker's workshop, he worked with puppeteers Jan Bussell and Ann Hogarth. was later "adopted" (for a fee of 25 shillings - £1.25) by Annette Mills (John Mills' sister)
Propelled into stardom on his own show in 1946, he refused to be hobbled by the apparent limitations of being a puppet, and was an extraordinarily expressive mime. The show later appeared in the BBC series For The Children (later Watch With Mother). His theme song included the words below, still remembered by many who were children of that innocent era.
Here comes Muffin, Muffin the Mule
Dear old Muffin, playing the fool
Here comes Muffin, everybody sing
Here comes Muffin the Mule
His co-stars included Larry the Lamb,
Hubert the Hippopotamus, Sally the Sea-lion, Grace the Giraffe,
Peregrine the Penguin and Katy the Kangaroo, all of whom performed on the top of Annette's piano, whilst she played and sang.
Muffin’s final appearance was in 1955. Shortly afterward, Annette died, aged 61. Muffin retired from public life, although he still has a loyal band of fans, caught up in nostalgia for this charismatic and well-loved character.