Albert Saveen (1915 - 1994) was a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 ventriloquist who was the first to have a national radio series ("Midday with Daisy May") on the BBC Light Programme

BBC Light Programme

The Light Programme was a BBC radio station which broadcast mainstream light entertainment and music from 1945 until 1967, when it was rebranded as BBC Radio 2...

 after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Among his many puppet characters were the tiny schoolgirl dummy Daisy May, a cockney

Cockney

The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...

 boy dummy Andy the Spiv

Spiv

In the United Kingdom, a spiv is a particular type of petty criminal, who deals in stolen or black market goods of questionable authenticity, especially a slickly-dressed man offering goods at bargain prices...

 and two dogs (one dummy and one real). He also made frequent appearances on television in the 1950s and 1960s.

His character Daisy May is identified as the origin of Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

slang "Daisy" for a sailor named May.

External links

• Whirligig TV: 1950's British Television Nostalgia - includes sound/video clips