In 1998, Joy Laurey had one final brush with television puppetry. Working with writer William Thatcher, she developed Septimus — a story about a young gargoyle boy who comes to life and can travel through time.

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Although the BBC declined the project and Anglia TV expressed interest but never commissioned it, two test puppets were created: Septimus himself and Mistress Quercus. While Septimus is now held in a private collection, the Joy Laurey Archive proudly preserves Mistress Quercus, along with a script for the second episode, original storyboards, photographs, and a hand-drawn sketch by Joy inscribed with the name Phoebe.