The day Sooty and his Leeds creator went to Buckingham Palace

For the day belonged to Guiseley's Harry Corbett who was there to receive the insignia of the OBE.

It was his first public appearance since suffering a heart attack on Christmas Day.

The magician and puppeteer died in 1989 aged 71. He invented Sooty in 1947 as a means of entertaining his children while on holiday.

Harry bought the very first Sooty on Blackpool Pier for just seven shillings and six pence (37.5p) in 1948.

The bright yellow bear with black ears and nose went on to dominate children’s TV in the 1950s and 1960s, despite never uttering a word and remains one of the longest running children’s TV shows of all time.

In 2008, a Sooty puppet given by Harry Corbett to Violet Marley, a senior BBC receptionist, in 1962, came on to the market with a guide price of £200 to £300 in the auction on October 29.

Harry’s mother’s brother was Harry Ramsden, owner of the famous fish and chip shop, where Harry sometimes played the piano. He was deaf in one ear, which prevented him pursuing a musical career.

His younger son Peter - stage name Matthew - eventually took over from him in 1976 and he retired in 1998.

DID YOU MEET SOOTY? Email your photos and memories to Andrew Hutchinson via email at: [email protected] or tweet him - @AndyHutchYPN

******************

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. These are challenging times but the team at the Yorkshire Evening Post need your support more than ever in the weeks ahead.

While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you - wherever possible and providing it is safe for you to do so - to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Inevitably falling advertising revenues will start to have an impact on local newspapers and the way we continue to work during this period of uncertainty. So the support of our readers has never been more important as we try to make sure that we keep you connected with the city you live in during this time. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. We need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Our team of trusted reporters are working incredibly hard behind the scenes - from kitchen tables and spare bedrooms - to look at how we can do this and your continued support to the YEP will help to protect its viability in the days and weeks ahead.

For more details on our subscription offers please visit: www.localsubsplus.co.uk/YEP, email: [email protected] or call us on 0330 4033004.

Thank you

Laura Collins

Editor