VELMA REED
(BUCKLE)
1938 - 2022
COSTUME DESIGNER
Costume Designer Velma (Buckle) Reed studied at Trinity Grammar School Wood Green and attended Saturday classes at Hornsey College of Art, followed by two years Teacher Training. She was persuaded to join BBC Costume Department as a Holiday Relief Dresser, the milieu appealing to her so much she stayed, and was rapidly promoted to Costume Supervisor then to Costume Designer.
In 1964 Velma’s very first Arts and Features production was The Life of Debussy, starring Oliver Reed, directed by Ken Russell (“a baptism of fire”). There followed a variety of popular productions including Z-Cars, Softly Softly, Terry and June, King of the River and Hugh and I. She received an in-house award for revitalising The Dick Emery Show, worked on several Play for Today and Wednesday Play productions including The Cellar and the Almond Tree (starring Celia Johnson) and received many gratifying reviews for outstanding costume detail.
9th April 1938 - 30th September 2022
Velma was one of the last Designers to be awarded “Grace Leave”. With husband Robert in tow she spent two months exploring the dazzling Golden Triangle in India. On her return she was promoted to Senior Designer, overseeing The Costume Design Unit which dealt with small budget productions. She worked with Jonathan Miller, Peter Ustinov, Esther Rantzen, and oversaw Science, Maths and Children’s Productions ( Play-away, Play School, Jackanory) She famously had a close collaboration with celebrated Producer Biddy Baxter on the Blue Peter series, receiving a further two in-house awards for her outstanding design contributions.
Velma took retirement in 1992 dividing time between her home in UK and a romantic turret in the French Pyrenees. She indulged her love of colour creating beautiful weaving projects and several glorious stained glass windows. Despite losing her husband to Dementia / Covid in 2021 undaunted, whilst herself suffering debilitating heart complications, she bought an ipad for research and in a wave of nostalgia even purchased a vintage MG sports car (housed in a friend’s garage) for occasional chauffeured jaunts in the countryside. She was a kind, cultured, generous, talented friend and will be sorely missed.
Maggie Partington Smith
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