Audrey Atterbury

During a train journey in 1950, Audrey met Freda Lingstrom, the newly appointed head of BBC Children's Television.

After striking up a conversation and establishing common interests, Lingstrom persuaded Atterbury to become a puppeteer on a new television series, to be called Andy Pandy (1950–52).

[4] In around 1956, after separating from her husband, Audrey Atterbury went to live in Highgate in London, near to her fellow BBC puppeteer, Molly Gibson, who was a close friend.

[2] In the 1960s, television puppets started to be replaced by animation, which led Atterbury to leave the BBC to take up a career in antiques, specialising in pottery and porcelain.

Later, Atterbury worked for a number of antique dealers and in 1987 she joined Christie's, becoming the longest serving and most respected member of the team of lady saleroom assistants.