These stills are from the visit of the Goodyear airship to ‘Pebble Mill at One’.

Please add a comment if you can add any information, or know the approximate year.

Copyright resides with the original holders, no reproduction without permission.

The first photo is of the Pebble Mill engine sign (in final black and silver colours –after Virgin repainted it in 1998). It was an electric engine, Class 86, number 86256.  The engine was originally a British Rail engine, before becoming a Virgin one after the privatisation of the railways. It was taken out of service in 2002 and was finally scrapped in 2006.

The other photo is a screen grab of the actual naming ceremony in Nov 1981, Phil Sidey, Head of Pebble Mill, is pulling the string.

I understand that this sign with ‘BBC Pebble Mill’ was meant to be used on the train, but the powers that be didn’t want BBC on it, so it was never used.  It is currently being listed for sale on ebay.

This link includes some photos of the Pebble Mill engine in service.

http://flickrhivemind.net/Tags/86256/Interesting


This YouTube video is Birmingham to London in 5 mins. At 1.21 in the train stops at Birmingham International and you can see it is “Pebble Mill”: it was made by Ewan Kiel from Midlands Region.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv640aRwFS8

The series was written by John Godber, who along with Martin Shardlow, directed it.  It was produced by Chris Parr. The comedy drama was set in a newly acquired nightclub in the North of England.  It was based on the play, ‘Bouncers’, by John Godber.

The series starrred Richard James Lewis, Paul Rider, Andre Dunn, Andrew Livingstone, and Richard Ridings.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page about ‘The Ritz’:

Mary Sanchez: ‘I was secretary to Chris Parr at the time and went along to Libertys nightclub to watch some of the filming. ( my first time on a film set) Mark Addy also starred in it who as you know is v well known now and also andrew dunn . A fun production to be involved in!’

Terry Powell: ‘I loved this show one of the best things I worked on we were such a happy team.’

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

These stills are of the original title cards for the 1976 Pebble Mill, Play for Today, ‘Nuts in Play’. The title cards are hand painted on individual sheets of acetate. They have been kept safe by Film Editor, Oliver White.

Mike Leigh was asked by Producer, David Rose, to set a television drama in his home county of Dorset. Mike then wrote and directed ‘Nuts in Play’, which starred Roger Sloman as Keith and Alison Steadman as Candice-Marie.  Keith and Candice-Marie are a politically correct home counties couple on a camping holiday in Dorset.  They have a frustrating encounter with a Brummie motorcycling couple whose loud music and uncivilised behaviour offend them.

Mike Williams was the cameraman, John Gilbert the sound recordist, and Dave Baumber the dubbing mixer.  The costume designer was Gini Hardy, make-up was by Gwen Arthy, the production designer was David Crozier.  The production unit manager was Dawn Robertson, with production assistants Cyril Gates and Gerard Patterson.

Thanks to Oliver White for making the title cards available.

Dawn Trotman (nee Mears) left the following comment about ‘Nuts in May’: ‘Just such a wonderful and very funny film. Pebble Mill at its height, and Oliver White a brilliant editor. He taught so many of us lowly assistants our craft. Who will teach the Tech ops, as they are called, now? There is no training.’

Copyright resides with the original holder no reproduction without permission.

‘Preston Front’ was written by Tim Firth, directed by Chris Bernard and Rick Stroud.  It was produced by Bernard Krichefski,  with associate producer Thea Harvey and executive producer Julian Murphy.  It starred Colin Buchanan as Hodge and featured  the adventures of a group of friends brought together by the Territorial Army.  Also featured were Carolyn Pickles, Oliver Cotton, Angela Lonsdale, Alistair McGowan, Paul Haigh, Adrian Hood, Tony Marshall, Kate Gartside, Caroline Catz, Keiran Flynn, and David MacCreedy, with guest appearances from Samantha Fox, Stirling Moss and Nicky Henson.

Series one was entitled ‘All Quiet on the Preston Front’, with the two subsequent series being shortened to ‘Preston Front’.  The comedy was set in the fictional Lancastrian town on Roker Bridge.  Series one was transmitted in 1994, two in 1995, with series three going out in 1997.  Series one and two had 6 parts, with series three having 7.  It was recorded on location in Padiham.  The comedy won several awards including Best Comedy Drama (Comedy Awards), and Best Series (RTS), and it was nominated for a BAFTA.

Thanks to John Greening for making the brochure available.

Andy Redfern & Dave Baumber

Photo by Peter Poole, no reproduction without permission.

This invitation was given to Stephen Martin, who was then working creating sound effects on the Radio 4 drama series, ‘The Archers’.  It dates from December 1988.

Thanks to Stephen Martin for making the invitation available.

Copyright remains with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

This photo was taken just after the last ever ‘Pebble Mill at One’ on 23 May 1986.  In fact you can just see the last few members of the audience leaving on the left hand side of the photo.

Included in the photo are:

Back row: Michael Smith (celebrity chef), David Lancaster (glasses), Caroline Marshall, Steve Weddle.

Next to back: Julian Hitchcock (with pink balloon), Chris Wright, Roger Sutton (just behind the others), possibly Barrie Edgar peeking out behind, Tony Rayner, Peter Urie, Peter Hercombe, Claire Chambers, Norma Scott, Mary Clyne, Mark Kershaw, Trudy Stanton, Steph Silk, Richard ?.

Third row from back:  Girl in red dress below Tony Rayner is Jacqui Goodwin, Fran Groves, Ann Varley, Di Reid (red dress), Margaret Allen (with belt), John Westcott (FM), Annie Gumbley Williams (standing purple dress)

Back seated row: Sue Ashcroft, Debbie Hood, Caroline Matthews, Denny Hodge , Paul Coia

Middle seated row: Gareth Williams, Jo Buchan, Magnus Magnusson, Marian Foster, Bob Langley, Bev Wildman (Thompson), David Weir

Fron row: Tom Ross (standing), Eileen Bayliss just behind Tom, Maggy Whitehouse, Jane Clement, Viv Ellis, Peta Newbold, Colette Foster (central short brown dress), Nicky Barfoot, Claire Stride, Jane McLean, Jo Dewar

Please add a comment if you can fill in any of the people not identified.

Thanks to Mark Kershaw for making the photograph available.

Photo by Paul Scholes, no reproduction without permission.

This photo probably dates from the late 1970s.  It features a very young John Duckmanton (Pebble Mill VT engineer & editor).

Kath Shuttleworth with Johnny Ball

There are many tales of spooky goings on at Pebble Mill. I too had a slightly unexplainable experience in Studio 3. Whilst staying late one evening to prep some SFX I was working in the cubicle and the lights on the studio floor were off. I heard the sound of the studio door open as if being picked up via one of the mics and coming out of the speakers. I assumed it was security doing their checks but when I looked at the desk there were no mics faded up. Strange I thought and carried on working. I was at the back of the cubicle and several times turned round suddenly as I could have sworn someone came in through the door at the back. At this point I thought this was all getting a bit weird but put it down to being tired and went home.

The next day I mentioned this to a colleague who wasn’t surprised to hear my tale and told me more tales of mysterious moving props, rearranged furniture and similar bizarre goings on. A few months later another of my colleagues also had a weird experience of strange things happening with CD players and unexplained sounds coming from the speakers.

Before we left Pebble Mill we did a piece for Halloween for Late Night Currie. The programme was broadcast from the Mailbox but we still had the ISDN facilities in Studio 5 at the Mill so we did a little OB from there. We had various psychics and ghost hunters in studio 3 at Pebble Mill trying to fathom out all these ghostly tales and see if there was anything there!

After the TX the ghost hunting team said they’d love to do an all night ghost watch before the building was demolished. So we did! It was all very spooky and there were certainly some cold spots and unexplained feelings around Studio 3 and some of the basement areas.

I do have a copy of the report but it is not conclusive as to paranormal activity. All I know is that there are certainly some good tales of spooky goings on and having experienced something bizarre myself I have to admit I’m not quite as sceptical about ghosts as I once was!

Kath Shuttleworth