Seeing is believing!!

Rooms full of costumes collected over some thirty years as a result of Music Halls, Gilbert and Sullivan productions, musicals and umpteen dozen plays.

All these together in one mind boggling array of dazzling splendour. From medieval costumes through ball gowns to Shrek – we have them all.

Wigs, masks, hundreds of hats, tiaras, shoes, feathers, boas and an amazing collection of costume jewellery!!! There are also heaps of costumes for little ones. The TAS Junior School produces a wonderful play each year and a devoted group of mothers creates costumes. These in turn are given to the costume hire for their use.

The story of the costumes originates back in 1956 with Roma Crossle, the wife of one of the school masters. She would collect old ball gowns and unpick them to create new costumes. A wonderful old lady, she celebrated her one hundredth birthday last year.

Then a new generation of willing helpers came along with their sewing machines and met weekly in the basement of the school hall to make costumes. Under the tutelage of Mary Croft, Heather Mair, and later Helen McLean, they used new fabrics and made the wonderful costumes for the Gilbert and Sullivan plays. Ably assisted by the late Kath Vickers and Leslie Chouri (a ex professional seamstress) some fantastic garments saw the light of day.

Meanwhile in Tamworth contact was made with one Madge Wilson who ran the costume hire there. A very remarkable lady, Madge sewed and hired out a stunning array of costumes, including the ones for “My Fair Lady”. Unfortunately illness hit Madge and she was forced to give up her business and so TAS bought her costumes from her.

All this provided the backbone of what is today, a very remarkable collection of costumes available for hire.

The Costume Hire has recently relocated to new premises in the Basement of the Creative Arts Centre. It is hoped to re-open it in Term 3 2010

Costume Hire - Flyer (NOTE CHANGED OPENING TIMES)