Pelham Puppets Big Ears

The Pelham Puppets Big Ears marionette is based on the bearded Toyland friend who first appeared in Enid Blyton's 1949 Noddy book, Noddy Goes to Toyland. He is famously known as a gnome who rides a bicycle and befriends the main character.

Original vintage Pelham Puppets marionettes typically feature wooden heads and hands with specific painted detailing, and often have a label from the Pelham factory in Marlborough, Wiltshire. The puppet is controlled using a wooden aircraft-type control bar with strings attached to its head, hands, and knees.

Pelham Puppets began producing Noddy characters, including Big Ears, in the mid-1950s following the massive success of Enid Blyton's books. These wooden string puppets remained a staple of their catalog for decades.

Pelham Puppets traditionally used high-quality woods like obeche for the heads and bodies of their standard marionettes like Big Ears. This lightweight wood made the Toyland character easy to maneuver on his strings.