Draft:Harriet Philpin

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Harriet Philpin
Born
Harriet Philpin Jones

(1951-11-01) 1 November 1951 (age 74)
Westminster, London, England
Alma materGuildford School of Acting
Occupation(s)Actress, seamstress, farmer
Years active1969–
Spouse(s)
William Roach
​
​
(m. 1975, divorced)​

David Andrews
Children2

Harriet Philpin (born 1 November 1951 at Westminster Hospital[1]) is a British actress, the daughter of Welsh cartoonist William John Philpin Jones.[2]

She remains best known in the UK for her appearances in the 1970s and 1980s as the wife of the 'Secret Lemonade Drinker' played by Julian Chagrin in commercials for R. White's Lemonade. In 2012, a nationwide search was held to track down the actress for a remake of the advert.[3][4] She was traced to her new home in Ireland and was subsequently reunited with her co-star for the updated 'Secret Lemonade Licker' commercial to promote the brand's ice lollies.[5]

Life

[edit]

She trained at the Guildford School of Acting[6] and first appeared in rep at Paignton's Palace Theatre in the summer of 1971.[7] Subsequently, she made her West End debut in the Francis Durbridge thriller Suddenly at Home in January 1973.[8] She also played Bettan in the 1975 Doctor Who serial Genesis of the Daleks, as well as appearing in such British television series as Blake's 7 and The Sweeney.

Giving up acting in the eighties to start a family, Philpin moved to Gloucestershire. There, with colleague Elspeth Williams, she set up Cottage Concern, looking after other people's weekend cottages in the Cotswolds, so as to stay busy and spend time with her family.[9]

Eventually, Philpin moved to Bere Island and began a textiles business specialising in reusing vintage materials.[10] A part of Bere Island Women Create, she holds workshops making patchwork quilts,[11] finding her creativity and telling it through colour and texture.[12]

More recently, Philpin became an organic farmer with her husband David Andrews, owning seven hectares of land, a small herd of Dexter cattle and a one-acre market garden. She was instrumental in setting up Bere Island's weekly farmers' market, selling organic vegetables, salads and herbs.[13][14]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ The front page of The Times on 2 November 1951
  2. ^ "IN MEMORIAM: Mr W J Philpin Jones". The Daily Telegraph. 12 November 1992. p. 23. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  3. ^ "Search for wife from 70s 'The Secret Lemonade Drinker' TV ad". ITV News. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  4. ^ "Will it be all Whites on the night?". The Guardian. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  5. ^ "R Whites reinvents 'secret lemonade drinker'". Campaign. 29 May 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  6. ^ "Song recital by stage students". Surrey Advertiser. 14 March 1969. p. 15. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  7. ^ "Round the Summer Reps". The Stage. 24 June 1971. p. 16.
  8. ^ "Return to West End for Simon Oates". Middlesex County Times. 12 January 1973. p. 9. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  9. ^ "A thriving cottage industry". Western Daily Press. 28 December 1987. p. 8. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  10. ^ "Where Are They Now?". Rhythm & Booze (2): 5. June–July 2010. Archived from the original on 25 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Bere Island Women Create" (PDF). Bere Island Newsletter (90): 7. Summer 2024.
  12. ^ Harriet Andrews "Crafting Stories in Fabric"
  13. ^ Harriet Roach & David Andrews
  14. ^ The vegetarian beef farmers
[edit]



Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:British television actresses Category:Alumni of the Guildford School of Acting Category:20th-century British actresses Category:English emigrants to Ireland


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