A new book featuring stories and illustrations from the BBC childrens show Muffin the Mule is now on sale at Budleigh's Fairlynch Musuem.

Muffin the Mule first appeared on TV in 1946 and remained popular with a generation of children until 1955 and beyond.  The BBC claimed him to be the first ever star to be made by television.

Ann Hogarth and her husband Jan Bussell were the puppeteers who also wrote the scripts and produced the shows.  Ann retired to live in Budleigh Salterton in 1985, where she lived until her death in 1993.  Ann and Muffin the Mule are now part of the town’s history.

Inspired to bring Muffin back to life for a new generation, Ann’s grandson commissioned author Benjamin James Huxley to recreate Muffin’s adventures for children.  From No Strings Attached to The Treasure Hunt the charming stories are beautifully illustrated and presented in this finely bound hardback book of over 300 pages.

Muffin and friends, including Peregrine the Penguin, Oswald the Ostrich and Grace the Giraffe, danced and sang with Muffin on top of Annette Mills’ piano.

Museum Chairman commented: "Budleigh resident Will McNally (Ann Hogarth's grandson), who commissioned the book, has agreed that Fairlynch will benefit from every copy sold, and we are very grateful for his support."

The book is £20 plus postage from the Fairlynch Museum's online shop: https://www.devonmuseums.net/Fairlynch-Museum-Budleigh-Salterton/E-Commerce/