TRADITIONAL STRING PUPPETS

David Leech is a member of the British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild and Editor of the PuppeteersUK website and is regarded as the leading authority on the subject of Pelham Puppets.
For the latest information about David’s work and Pelham Puppets, please visit the new “Home of Pelham Puppets” website

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The Story of Pelham Puppets Introduction
The Story of Pelham Puppets Part 1
The Story of Pelham Puppets Part 2
The Story of Pelham Puppets Part 3
The Story of Pelham Puppets Part 4
The Story of Pelham Puppets Part 5
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Pelham Puppets:
The Story by David Leech: Introduction

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3   Part 4

  David Leech is the

leading authority on the subject

of Pelham Puppets

 

The Pelham Puppet Factory in 1979
The Pelham Puppet Factory in 1979


Long before anyone even thought of collecting Pelham Puppets, David Leech had spent several years researching the history & development of the company and the puppets that were produced. Bob Pelham, the Founder of the Company gave his backing and approval to David to produce a book on the subject of Pelham Puppets detailing the Company's history and the puppets that were produced.
Having worked in the Pelham Puppet Factory, David had many opportunities to talk to long-standing employees and investigate the work and production methods used over the years and obtain first-hand information from Bob Pelham himself. Indeed, one of the initial sources of information provided to David by Bob was his "big album" as he called it, a very large scrapbook filled with news-cuttings and photographs recording the highlights of Bob's life and work from 1946 to the late 1950s. Later, David was provided with access to Company Production Records, for the period from 1950 to 1975, which detailed information about weekly production at the factory, what puppets were made, when and how many. (Later, access to Company records was obtained for the period 1976 to 1986.) David has progressively made available the results of his careful and detailed research in the following publications.
 

'YOURS PUPPETUALLY'
Pelham Puppet ID and Collectors' Guide
by David Leech

"Yours Puppetually" was a quarterly  magazine written and published by David from 1996
to 1998. It featured many details about how Pelham Puppets were made, anecdotes and stories about Bob Pelham and other people involved with the Company and featured, "Pelpop" - The Story of Pelham Puppets .

Yours Puppetually magazine

David Leech is the author of the first accurate & definitive guide to collecting Pelham Puppets

Back in 1979, Bob Pelham, and later in 1981 Anne Pelham, gave their backing and approval to David Leech, to produce a book on the subject of Pelham Puppets.
 

Collecting Pelham Puppets by David Leech

Collecting Pelham Puppets was first published in 1998. It contains over 250 photographs of the puppets, the factory, together with illustrations by David Leech and Bob Pelham and detailed information about Pelham Puppets.

The following information comes from both these publications and features some previously unpublished information about Pelham Puppets, from 1946 to 1986.

Pelham Puppets - A Collector's Guide
by David Leech

Pelham Puppets - A Collector's Guide provides a comprehensive history of these fascinating puppets that have reflected society and social change through the latter part of the twentieth century. The Pelham Puppets company was formed to provide a vibrancy and colour that had long been lacking in the lives of children - and indeed adults.

Topics covered include:· The story of the Pelham company· Reminiscences by professional puppeteers· Boxes and packaging· Instructions for stringing and untangling· The manufacturing process


The book is obtainable from good book shops or direct from the publishers crowoodpress


ISBN: 978 1 84797 055 8
224 pages
Hardback
246x189 mm
480 colour photographs
October  2008