Earl Pullem, Puppeteer
The Rexton Echo recently ran a series of pieces about the older folk in town. Called "So, what did you used to be good at then?", the idea was to interview the inhabitants of St Dudgeons, the local care home, and write their wonderful life stories, distilled into easy-to-read brief sentences.
One such is replicated here.
The life of a puppeteer seemed a glamorous one to Earl Pullem. As a young man, the heady sights of the film Pinocchio, the feel of hemp between his fingers, and the susurration of a well-tugged leg string played well to his receptive mind.
At first, he travelled to weekly markets with his little homemade puppet show, "Madge and Badge". He was happy playing to tiny audiences, though of course as they became less tiny they moved on to other amusements, such as breathing.
Then Earl got a job as chief puppeteer on the hit TV show "Major Wilkins and Rumblepuss" and spent many years pulling the strings there.
But now, sadly, Earl has retired. Here he is in St Dudgeons Care Home, where he spends the days dreaming of times past, and the evenings endlessly untangling.
Earl Pullem, Puppeteer
The Rexton Echo recently ran a series of pieces about the older folk in town. Called "So, what did you used to be good at then?", the idea was to interview the inhabitants of St Dudgeons, the local care home, and write their wonderful life stories, distilled into easy-to-read brief sentences.
One such is replicated here.
The life of a puppeteer seemed a glamorous one to Earl Pullem. As a young man, the heady sights of the film Pinocchio, the feel of hemp between his fingers, and the susurration of a well-tugged leg string played well to his receptive mind.
At first, he travelled to weekly markets with his little homemade puppet show, "Madge and Badge". He was happy playing to tiny audiences, though of course as they became less tiny they moved on to other amusements, such as breathing.
Then Earl got a job as chief puppeteer on the hit TV show "Major Wilkins and Rumblepuss" and spent many years pulling the strings there.
But now, sadly, Earl has retired. Here he is in St Dudgeons Care Home, where he spends the days dreaming of times past, and the evenings endlessly untangling.