Weston's The Three and Six releases Muffin and the Passage of Time

It is a children’s illustrated novel; hardback with a soft touch matt laminate jacket over an embossed case with 256 pages.

As spokesperson said: "Our goal was to produce a book entirely in Great Britain, which we have done. It was printed in Wales at Gomer Press on top quality paper with 13 watercolour illustrations and 36 pen and ink drawings. It has the distinctive look of a classic children’s book from the golden age of illustration."

On Saturday May 27, they will be walking around the town with the puppets and come and say hello.

Will McNally will be bringing along Muffin the Mule and his friends, including Peregrine the Penguin, Hubert the Hippopotamus, Grace the Giraffe and others. Will is the grandson of Jan Bussell and Ann Hogarth, and is the puppeteer and current custodian of the Hogarth Puppets.

Ben Huxley with Muffin. Ben wrote a book titled as ‘Muffin And The Passage Of Time’. (Image: The Three and Six Book Publishing Company)

Will is the grandson of Jan Bussell and Ann Hogarth, and is the puppeteer and current custodian of the Hogarth Puppets.

Hay Castle will be hosting Muffin the Mule puppet shows on Sunday, May 28 at 10:30, 11:30 and 12:30. The original Muffin the Mule from the BBC show will also be appearing.

Ben Huxley (a newly published storyteller) visited the town a few weeks ago and went from shop to shop asking everyone for their help to promote his book, ‘Muffin And The Passage Of Time’ during the Hay Festival this year (May 25 to June 4).

‘Muffin And The Passage Of Time’ jacket book written by Ben Huxley. (Image: Three and Six Book Publishing Company)

The response was unbelievable. They absolutely adored the book. They took up the challenge with incredible enthusiasm and to date 60 establishments have agreed to put it in their shops to sell and promote, including Hay Castle and the Hay Tourist Information Bureau.

The range of these outlets is diverse and includes cafés, a butcher, a greengrocer, clothing shops, galleries, a goldsmith, antiques, a pet shop and book shops.

Two charity shops and a stationery shop involved that will be keeping a book on display during the festival and will then sell it with all proceeds going to their respective charities.

Poster copy of the book ‘Muffin And The Passage Of Time’ written by Ben Huxley. (Image: Three and Six Book Publishing Company)

A spokesperson said: "With Ben’s input and his thinking in a different way, we have produced a stunningly beautiful children’s book that has now been out for a few months and is doing really well, selling in the hundreds; and with the blessing and support of the Hay on Wye community who knows how far it will end up travelling. Whoever heard of a whole town supporting a writer of a children’s book."

"Everyone Ben has spoken to is excited by this idea as they say it is bringing an already close town even closer, as it used to be in days gone by."

A box of books is going to be on sale in the Hay Festival Bookshop actually on the festival site.

Paul Atterbury from the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ in his review of ‘Muffin And The Passage Of Time’ says, “This delightful book is a classic children’s tale full of adventures and surprises with a magical cast of characters.”

"Currently we are selling through our website, on eBay and in 45 independent shops, which includes Topping & Co of Bath who have made it available through all 4 of their shops (Bath, Cambridge and two in Edinburgh). We are also waiting for the National Trust to get back to us.

And it’s just two of us doing everything ourselves, wearing all the different hats that go to make up a large publishing company."

We have posted the full list of these lovely, generous shopkeepers on Facebook: Muffin the Mule and Eleanor ; and also on our website: www.thethreeandsixbookpublishingcompany.co.uk