MUFFIN the Mule and Punch and Judy were seen in the High Street in Marlborough on Saturday as part of the March of the Marionettes parade to mark the 70th anniversary of Pelham Puppets.

The event was part of a wider puppet festival to celebrate the town's one-time biggest employer and included an exhibition and workshops in the town hall and Priory Gardens over two days.

Puppeteers and performers from all over the country converged on the town to celebrate the life and work of Bob Pelham, who built an internationally renowned business and produced nine million of the characters.

David Leech organised the festival in conjunction with the British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild and help from the town council. He said: "My idea was to celebrate 70 years of Bob Pelham's puppets and in doing so to promote puppet theatre as an art form."

More pictures and report in this week's Gazette & Herald.