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BNPS.co.uk (01202 558833)<br />
Pic: TomWren/BNPS<br />
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Titan from Stingray with his throne.<br />
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A Thunderbirds fanatic who always dreamt of owning an original Parker puppet now earns a living making them for fellow fans.<br />
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Duncan Willis, 59, made his first puppet 15 years ago and his hobby has grown into a business where he creates puppets of the show's best-loved characters including Parker, Lady Penelope and Jeff Tracy. <br />
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Mr Willis makes and sells about 20 Thunderbirds puppets a year at his home in Whiteley, Hampshire, together with elaborate props for them because he doesn't want them to be stood 'with a rod up their backside'. <br />
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The puppets, which measure between 19 and 23in, take him four to six weeks to craft and cost in the region of £900.