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Muffin the Mule was originally created in 1933 by Fred Tickner, a puppet-maker best known for making traditional Punch and Judy characters. He was specially commissioned by husband and wife puppeteer team, Jan Bussell and Ann Hogarth, to make a "kicking mule" for their Hogarth Puppet Theatre company. Tickner was a famous puppet-maker of the era. Historic articles describe him as a "Punch and Judy professor". Born Philip Frederick Tickner in 1898, he had a style that influenced many later puppet-makers.   Creation of Muffin the Mule It was a step outside Fred's comfort zone when he was asked to design and make a mule! The result was a unique jointed mule puppet, who could indeed kick. Muffin made a few appearances with the Hogarth Puppets, under Bussell's expert control. Born in 1909, in Wiltshire, Bussell had trained with the prestigious London Marionette Theatre in his youth. After honing his craft, he and his wife founded their own puppet company in 1932. Bussell was also chairman of the British arm of the Union Internationale de Marionette. He campaigned to have children's puppet shows included in BBC Television's programme schedules. In fact, Tickner's Punch and Judy show was one of the earliest children's programmes after BBC1 was launched in 1936. Muffin the Mule was part of Hogarth Puppets' show for some time, but eventually, he was put away in his box. He may have been consigned there forever, had it not been for Bussell's determination to see more puppet shows on television.   History of puppet shows In modern times, we may associate puppet shows with holidays on the beach at British seaside resorts. This is indeed true, but in the early 20th century, before the launch of television, they were a very popular form of street entertainment. The familiar canvas booths could be seen on many a street corner, attracting crowds of children. However, their popularity began to decline with the birth of modern entertainment. The launch of BBC TV and the advent of "talking pictures" in the cinema both had a negative effect on old-fashioned street entertainment. As more motor vehicles used the roads and urban areas were developed, the puppet show booths that were once found on many a street corner were largely consigned to the beach. The Punch and Judy shows retained their popularity, but Bussell believed puppet shows had their place on television.   Muffin the Mule's TV debut His tireless campaigning eventually made Muffin the Mule into a TV star! In 1946, Wandsworth-born actress, songwriter and television presenter Annette Mills was looking to host a new children's TV show. She wanted to incorporate her skills as a pianist with a puppet show. She looked through Hogarth Puppet Theatre's selection of puppets and picked out the mule, who had remained unused since the 1930s. It was Mills who gave him the famous name, Muffin the Mule. In her youth, she had trained in classical piano at the Royal Academy of Music with a view to becoming a concert pianist. She had also danced professionally, but unfortunately, a broken leg, followed by further injuries in a car accident during the Second World War, ended her dancing career. As the popularity of television grew, she carved out a lucrative career as a children's presenter, joining the BBC in 1946. It was agreed that Mills would write the songs for the puppets in her show. They would appear on top of her grand piano. Bussell would direct the shows and Hogarth would write the scripts and work the puppets. Just a short time after the puppet show was devised, Muffin the Mule made his debut on Sunday 20th October 1946. He first appeared in a 12-minute live performance broadcast during an edition of "For the Children" at 5pm.    Why kids loved Muffin He was an instant hit with his entertaining antics on top of the piano. Muffin the Mule captured the public's imagination, whistling his now famous signature tune. The BBC later called him the "first star" who had been made solely by TV. Children seemed to like his quirky appearance. He was mainly white with some black markings and wore a red saddle and bridle. He had plenty of puppet friends who appeared from time to time, including Zebbie the Zebra, Kirri the Kiwi, Hubert the Hippo and Sally the Sea Lion. In the early episodes, a human character called Crumpet the Clown interacted with the animals. However, Mills and Hogarth believed the animal characters stimulated young imaginations more effectively, so Crumpet was soon dropped. The show was usually broadcast on a Sunday afternoon. Every episode began with Mills sitting at the piano as she sang the catchy theme song, with the opening line: "Here comes Muffin, Muffin the Mule, dear old Muffin, playing the fool." As she sang, Muffin danced around the piano top, his hooves clattering loudly, operated invisibly from behind the set wall by Hogarth. The show included a short story, revolving around Muffin and the many other puppets at Hogarth's disposal. Mills ended each show with a cheerful, "Goodbye 'til next time!"   Muffin's rebirth Fast forward to 2003, when the rights to Muffin the Mule were snapped up by Maverick Entertainment. A modern 26-part animated adaptation of the puppet show was screened on the CBeebies TV channel from September 2005 to August 2008. The series was also translated into Welsh and was broadcast on the S4C channel under the name, "Myffin y Mul". Today, pieces of original Muffin the Mule memorabilia, including replica puppets, sometimes pop up on auction sites and can fetch a tidy sum among enthusiasts. A 1950s Muffin the Mule marionette can sell for up to £100 on eBay. A 1950s Chad Valley Pin the Tail on Muffin game sells for at least £25, as does an unused bar of Muffin the Mule soap from the same era!   What is a mule? In reality, a mule is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse. Mules usually have the head of a donkey and the body of a horse. The size of a mule can vary greatly, depending on its parents, from around 91 cm to 172 cm high. Tough and hardy, they often have a good immune system. They are also very strong and are able to pull heavier loads than horses and donkeys of a similar size. Their strength and resilience led to mules being widely used in WW1 alongside horses. More than 200,000 mules were part of the one million-strong equine army, including horses and donkeys, sent to serve in battle. Intelligent and sensitive creatures, their most common vocal sound is a combination of a donkey's "bray" and a horse's "whinny". There are an estimated ten million mules worldwide. Most of them are working animals. The first mule to win a British dressage event was Wallace the Great in June 2018. Wallace was rescued from Ireland but due to regulations, he wasn't allowed to complete against horses at first. However, once the rules changed, not only did he compete, he won! Christie Mclean, from Stroud, Gloucestershire, competes with Wallace in entry-level British dressage events. Adverse publicity about banning mules from competing in events led to the rule change. Now, all animals born to a mare can compete side-by-side.