Joyce Hawkins – Page 6 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Vanity Fair

Photo by Neil Wigley, no reproduction without permission

This press photo is of Sian Phillips, playing Miss Matilda Crawley, in William Makepeace Thackery’s: Vanity Fair.
The sixteen part series was was transmitted in 1987.

The drama series was a London production, hosted at Pebble Mill. Terrance Dicks was the producer, Michael Owen-Morris the director, with Gavin Davies as the production designer, Joyce Hawkins the costume designer, and Lesley Perry as make-up designer.

Thanks to the BBC Drama Village for sharing the photo.

Pinto at Pebble Mill – Prospero Dec 2013

This article by costume designer, Joyce Hawkins, appeared in the BBC retirees magazine, Prospero, in December 2013.

Shakespeare or Bust

This grab is from the 1973 Play for Today, ‘Shakespeare or Bust’, by Peter Tersen. David Rose was the producer, Brian Parker the director, Barry Hanson the script editor, assisted by Tara Prem.

The film featured three characters who’d appeared in an earlier Play for Today, ‘The Fishing Party’ again by Peter Terson. The drama followed the miners, Art, Ern and Abe, on a canal narrowboat trip down to Stratford Upon Avon. Art was played by Brian Glover, Ern, Ray Mort and Abe by Douglas Livingstone.

Peter Terson wrote the script whilst doing the journey himself in a narrowboat, leaving chunks of the finished script at lock-keepers’ cottage along the route for Tara to pick up.

The following comments were added on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:

Caroline Hawkins: ‘Yep, I remember it. Mum was the costume designer and after the filming was over we hired the very same boat for a family holiday.’

Dawn Trotman: ‘I think Oliver White cut it and of course Barry Hanson went on to head up the department as well as produce the Long Good Friday.’

Costume Department Reunion 1999 – photo from Ruth Kiosses

Photo from Ruth Kiosses, no reproduction without permission.

This photo was taken at a reunion of the Costume Department in 1999. It was held at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

Included in the photo are: Muriel Hewitt (front, red hair) Anne Mills (behind Muriel), Anne-Marie Morrell (on left in red, back row), next to Russell Barnett (senior costume designer), Lesley Thomas (mustard scarf), Maria Hurley, Annie Doling, Hilary Anne Hughes, Eileen Hubble, Pat Hadley, Linda Hill, Dawn Booth Brent Fulwood, Karen Bevins, Clive Ashman, Rossie Russon, Janice Rider (senior costume designer, back row in black), Liz Fahy, Wendy Schofield, Mark Ridley (dresser), Patricia Hodge Robinson (in blue on back row), Colin Jones (dresser, back row, black top), next to Sally Pearson (designer, fuchsia cardigan), Rachel Selby (2nd row extreme right). From left next to Muriel: Joyce Hawkins (senior costume designer); Bobby Gale (former dresser, now deceased); Gill Hardie (designer). Behind Bobby Gale – Vee Layton (designer, now deceased); to the left of Rachel Selby, in turquoise – Christine Grainger (costume assistant); to the left of Mark Ridley – Alison Mitchell. To the right of Janice Rider is Terry Patterson (designer). To Ann Doling’s left is Paul Patterson (MFS); Ginnie Hardy (designer); next to Ginnie – Al Barnett (senior costume designer); next to Al – Stephanie Hazeldine (designer). Tessa Wyatt ? – behind Paul Patterson.

Please add a comment if you can identify others, or can add more information

Vanity Fair – photos by Ian Collins

Photos by video editor Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission. The photos show the filming of a carriage from a low loader.

‘Vanity Fair’ was a 16 part BBC serial hosted out of Pebble Mill. It was transmitted in 1987. Terrance Dicks was the producer, Phillippa Giles the Script Editor, and Dairmuid Lawrence the director. Alexander Baron adapted Thackeray’s novel. Dave Bushell was the director of lighting, Gavin Davies was the production designer, Joyce Hawkins the costume designer, and Lesley Perry the make-up designer.

The series starred Eve Matheson as Becky Sharp, Rebecca Saire as Amelia Sedley, James Saxon as Jos Sedley, Benedict Taylor as George Osborne and Simon Dormandy as Dobbin.