Captain Peter Hewitt
What a night it was! On Saturday, 5th December, I was honoured to be a part of the 50th birthday celebrations for my friend Pete Hewitt: Battle of Britain Show, a PHEW Production. Simple words really can’t do justice to the fabulous evening that it was, one that had been two years in the planning.
Although it was Pete’s milestone birthday he wanted it to be a tribute to his mum, the inimitable, lovely, talented, kind, Christian woman I was proud to call my friend – Jean Hewitt. And so, based on the stories he grew up hearing from his grandparents and his mum, Pete wrote the play Dancing Years and Wartime Fears based on Jean’s early years, the start of her career.
The play was funny and poignant. I loved my role as Nanny Edie, alongside Paul Spires as Grandad Bob, Emma Phelps as Auntie Pat, Carol Hewitt as Jean and Taylor Higgins as Bobby. It was beyond rewarding to be told that I had captured Nanny Edie’s character because I only met her once or twice, but also because so many people knew her. Rehearsals were a hoot. One of my lines: “We’re all a family of gigglers”, could have applied to the actors. One evening our director just lost it and had to leave the room while the rest of us sat laughing hysterically for ten minutes and we didn’t really know what we were laughing at!
Carol Hewitt played the young Jean Scotton to perfection, completely capturing her sweetness and her passion for her dancing. Apart from the play there were a number of acts; singers and musicians who totally captured the mood of the evening. It was lovely that some of Jean’s pupils, especially Grace Cutbill and West End star Michelle Pentecost performed for us. And what performances they were!
It was just great seeing so many ‘old’ faces, too, from the past – Anne and Melv, Martyn Prince, Tina and Mark Junnix, Bill Shine, Carol and Jim Stiff and their beautiful daughters, Pete’s cousin Caroline and, of course, Connie. So many great memories of happy, happy times came flooding back.
So, the first chapter of Jean Hewitt’s life-story has now been written and performed. I truly hope that Pete will go on to finish writing the book. As a writer I fully encourage him to do that. I know how cathartic writing can be and Pete has a talent for it.
But perhaps the most magical moment was when Sophie Hewitt – who is the beautiful image of her grandmother Jean – joined Carol while Pete and his son Jonathan both played Duke Ellington’s Satin Doll for them to dance to. That gave me a shiver.
Carol and Sophie Hewitt dance while Jonathan and Peter play Satin Doll.
Pete
wanted his 50th birthday party to be a tribute to his mum and, indeed, it was, and a fitting one at that. But let’s not forget to raise a glass to the kind, witty, generous, decent human being that is Pete Hewitt himself. To echo a word that was used about him time and time again on Saturday night, Pete is a gentleman. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PETE!!
How wonderful, such a beautifully written blog Elaine. Congrats to you Pete and everyone involved. Sounds a brilliant tribute to Jean and all the lives she touched with care and happiness. Cetainly she was very special in coming into mine, Laurens and the Duncans family lives. And a very big plus was us becoming good friends with you and Mel too xx
Thank you, Sue. A big plus for us, too. I will be forever grateful that Melanie grew up with ‘dancing at Jean’s’. It was a special time. She made so many good, life-long friends and so did I. X