Joyce Hawkins – Page 6 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Ray Holman – Costume Designer

Pickwick Papers, photo by Neil Wigley

‘All Creatures Great and Small’, photo by Maggie Thomas

I came to Pebble Mill and ‘trailed’ in costume at weekends on Occupation Democrat, I was still in college in 1984 (Joyce Hawkins took me on) and then I went filming on Pickwick Papers and saw the whole programme through the studio shoot too as a dresser.
I returned to Pebble Mill after working at BBC Wales as a Costume Design Assistant, I came to do All Creatures but then became staff and worked on Parnell, Broke and then designed Specials and The Real McCoy, I stayed for 5 years working on things like A Year in Provence and Skallagrigg. I left in the first round of redundancies in 1993 and went freelance as a costume designer.
My website has my credits

http://www.costume-designer.co.uk/

I did some studio work on and off while I was staff at Pebble Mill but a lot of the programmes I worked on filmed away from Birmingham for long periods of time. I loved my time there and made many lovely friends including Beverley Dartnall who we lost recently. I’m still in touch with some lovely people from costume, it was a great productive and artistic time and always a big learning curve.

I hope that makes some sense. Lots of people will not remember me as I spent a lot of time out of the building, but I just wanted you to know I mentioned PM in my article.

Best Wishes.
Ray.

[This is the link to the article in The Independent, which Ray mentions above, where he talks about his work as costume designer on Wolf Hall, Broadchurch and Dr Who: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/behindthescenes-with-the-costume-makers-for-wolf-hall-broadchurch-and-doctor-who-9981200.html]

Ray Holman, photo copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

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