TIPTREE is set to see its first ever blue plaque unveiling to mark the former home of a famous puppeteer.

Widely known as “the girl who pulled the strings”, puppet-maker and puppeteer Joy Laurey was most famous for her BBC character Mr Turnip.

Joy raised her family in Tiptree before her death, aged 90, in 2014, and was a key figure in the community.

She worked in the occupational therapy department of Severalls psychiatric hospital and was manager of the Woodlands Centre for disabled people in Colchester.

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The parish council is set to host the village’s first ever blue plaque unveiling event at what used to be her home and old puppet workshop.

A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place as a historical mark to commemorate the link between a location and a famous person.

The plaque will be unveiled outside 42 Maldon Road at 11am on Saturday, April 30, thanks to the current owner.

In the afternoon there will also be a puppeteer performance at the community centre in Caxton Close from 2pm to 4.30pm to celebrate the historic event.

It will also feature an appearance by Joy’s famous Mr Turnip.