Sophia and Constance – What Was Pebble Mill?

Sophia and Constance snow scene

Photos by Albert Sheard, no reproduction without permission.

Before and after stills of a snowy street scene in the BBC2, 1988 drama serial, Sophia and Constance. I think this scene was recorded at the Black Country Museum.

Thanks to Albert Sheard from the Scenery Department for sharing the photographs.

Sophia and Constance photos by Albert Sheard

Photos by Albert Sheard, no reproduction without permission

These photos are from the 1988 six part drama series Sophia and Constance. The location is the Black Country Museum.

Thanks to Albert Sheard for sharing them.

Sophia and Constance at Black Country Museum

Photos from Dawn and Kevin Hudson, no reproduction without permission

These photos show the crew and crafts people setting up for the shooting of the 1988 six part drama series: Sophia and Constance at the Black Country Museum. The series was recorded on the outside broadcast truck CM3.

Thanks for Dawn and Kevin Hudson for sharing the photos.

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Albert Sheard: ‘Second photo, left to right Stan Morgan/ Kevin Lakin /Frank Crow in the cap / Dave Bushall aka Gonzo /Kevin Hudson / and Peter Potter kneeling. All great lads, 3 of them no longer with us.’

Sophia and Constance request

Photo by Neil Wigley, no reproduction without permission

I received the request below from Stephen Corcoran:

“In the April of 1988, a BBC TV drama serial was shown on BBC2 called Sophia and Constance. It was an adaption of Arnold Bennett’s The Old Wives’ Tale. It was filmed here in the Pebble Mill studios. I enjoyed the serial very much. It has never been shown again or released on DVD. Most people have forgotten about it. I strongly feel – that serial was very underrated and didn’t receive the attention it should done by the pubic. It was a brilliantly made classic serial by team at Pebble Mill. Well acted and filmed. Very good period details with lovely costumes too. A lot of work had go into at the time. I’m going to write to the BBC, to ask them if I could get hold of a copy of the serial on DVD. I would be willing to pay cost however much it costs. It would be like a dream come true, to see again this fine classical serial. Does anyone here have any suggestions of how to go about getting hold of a copy? Or perhaps someone has their own personal copy? Suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thank you.”

Stephen Corcoran

Here is the Radio Times entry for the first episode of the serial, courtesy of the BBC Genome project http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/67c54cef8e894232970de9ce3dec6641 . I love the fact that the elephant gets a credit:

“written by JOHN HARVEY based on The Old Wives’ Tale by ARNOLD BENNETT The first of six parts with Patricia Routledge and Alfred Burke
Headstrong and proud,
Sophia struggles against the wishes of her family while her sister Constance – quiet, but no less passionate – accepts a future in the family draper’s shop. Then, when the Wakes Week festivities are at their height, Sophia’s impetuous and romantic nature leads to tradegy.
Arnold Bennett ‘s greatest novel spans 50 years, from the middle of the 19th century to the first decade of the 20th. The story ranges from the Potteries town of Bursley to Paris, as the contrasting lives of the two sisters unfold.
Music GEOFFREY BURGON
Script editor SIMON PASSMORE
Executive producer COUN ROGERS Producer JOHN HARRIS Directed by ROMEY ALLISON , HUGH DAVID

Contributors

Written By: John Harvey
Unknown: Arnold Bennett
Unknown: Patricia Routledge
Unknown: Alfred Burke
Unknown: Arnold Bennett
Music: Geoffrey Burgon
Editor: Simon Passmore
Producer: John Harris
Directed By: Romey Allison
Directed By: Hugh David
Samuel Povey: Nigel Bradshaw
Constance: Catherine Cusack
Sophia: Melissa Greenwood
Mrs Barnes: Patricia Routledge
Maria Insull: Freda Dowie
Mr Critchlow: Alfred Burke
Mr Baines: John Scott Martin
Maggie: Penny Lea Therbarrow
Dr Harrop: Jon Croft
Gerald Scales: Leonard Preston
Elephant: Rani”

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Marie Phillips: ‘I remember the painting of this series which hung in the corridor at Pebble Mill. I always stopped to look at it and find something new. Actually, I would have loved to have had that painting. Anyone remember it and know what happened to it. I do hope it didn’t get binned. The series was truly one of the BBC’s best and another triumph for Pebble Mill.’

Carolyn Davies: ‘It was in production in Studio A the day I joined Pebble Mill. I have a very strong memory of walking past the studio tx lights, not quite believing I was actually going to be working there….’

Kevin Lakin: ‘I worked on this, a lot of the exteriors were shot at the Black Country Living Museum, we were there for about 3 weeks.’

Richard Stevenson: ‘One of my first dramas as a trainee. I believe Phil Wilson was camera supervisor with Alan Duxbury and Robin Sunderland on the crew and probably Mark Scott.’

Sophia and Constance, photo by Neil Wigley

Photo by Neil Wigley, no reproduction without permission

Sophia and Constance was a six part BBC drama series hosted at Pebble Mill. It was transmitted in 1988.

Here is the BFI Database summary of episode one:

‘The first of a 6 episode serial based on Arnold Bennett’s novel “The Old Wives’ Tale’. Set in 1864 in the potteries town of Bursley. Constance, the older and quieter of two sisters, is content with life in the family shop. Younger sister Sophia outrages the family by deciding to become a schoolteacher.’ http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/422055

The series featured, Catherine Cusack, Melissa Greenwood, Patricia Routledge, Alfred Burke, Nigel Bradshaw, Freda Dowie, and John Scott Martin.

The directors were Romey Allison and Hugh David, with John Harris the producer, and John Harris the Exec. John Harvey adapted the novel, with Simon Passmore the script editor.

Thanks to the BBC Drama Village for sharing the photo.