May 2011 – Page 5 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Security Team 1987 – photo from Andy Bentley

This photo shows the BBC Pebble Mill Security team in 1987, seated in the courtyard behind the Foyer Studio.

Back row L to R – Ted Mckeown, Andy Bentley (Me), Graham Kidner, Tom Edwards, Mick Dodgson, Adrian Hicks, Ben Mackenzie, Mike Hayes, Dennis Smith, Jim Homer.

Front Row L to R – Cliff Roberts, Charlie Biggins, Dave Fisher, Jayne Hobbins, John Harris, Pat Power.

The photo was taken on a Sunday, and non Security staff had to man the BBC entrances so that the photo could be taken.

Editing Gardeners’ World – photos by Ian Collins

Photos from Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

These photos show Kerry Richardson editing ‘Gardeners’ World’, with some gusto, with editor, Ian Collins.

Gardeners’ World was produced at Pebble Mill until around 1990, when it became an independent production made by Catalyst television. Kerry worked on Gardeners’ World for a number of years, and in fact still works on gardening programmes to this day. BBC editors like Ian, were employed to edit Gardeners’ World, and the online editing was done at Pebble Mill, and then at the Mailbox.

Gardeners’ World came back to BBC Birmingham after re-pitching for the series when Alan Titchmarsh finished presenting it, and Monty Don took over in 2003.

The production offices for Gardeners’ World when Catalyst produced it were situated in King’s Heath Park, where some of the gardening was also done.

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Pebble Mill Nursery

This image is the front cover of a booklet presented to my daughter, Hattie, when she left Pebble Mill Nursery to start school in September 1994. She started at the Nursery in December 1990, when she was just 18 weeks old. She is now a 20 year old student! The photo shows Hattie enjoying a Nursery outing to Cannon Hill Park. The booklet itself includes drawings by Hattie and her friends at Pebble Mill.

Pebble Mill Nursery was a great asset for staff. It began in the late 198os, when David Waine was the Head of Building, although it was the brainchild of senior personnel manager Bridget Allen. I think there were around twenty places for babies and toddlers, and it was often over subscribed, with staff having to wait for a place. The Nursery was housed in a wooden building, which had previously been a sports pavilion, round the corner from Pebble Mill, on the Bristol Road.

The Nursery was managed by Pauline, who was there for almost the entire life of the Nursery, ably supported by Sarah. The staff running the Nursery were excellent and tended to work there for several years – always a good sign. Towards the end of Pebble Mill the Nursery was moved to portacabins in the car park, as the original wooden building and tennis courts were demolished.

Vanessa Jackson

(Nicola Silk commented with the following additional information:

The nursery actually began life in the mid 70s… I was there! Originally set up in 1974 (in the same wooden hut), the Pebble Mill nursery was the first creche facility in the entire BBC. I was one of the first intake of 5 children and I can remember the year I spent there. Enforced afternoon naps on green camp beds with fluffy purple blankets, riding in a go-kart round the tennis courts and the time I went in without any knickers on (my mum was away filming and my dad was looking after me). These things shape a person’s life. The highlight though, and possibly the highlight of my life, was when we went over to ‘the big building’ the day the Wombles were on Pebble Mill at One. Not only did I meet my heroes but I was filmed dancing with them on the front lawn. Uncle Bulgaria was quite a mover. Despite the campaigning of the Nursery Action Group (NAG) set up by my mum, it was closed the following year. It made the local paper when it opened and somewhere there’s a cutting with photo of me posing on a slide, with 2 other kids and the wife of the Chair of the Board of Governors to mark the opening.)

Dub 4 – Photos by Ben Peissel

Photos by dubbing mixer Ben Peissel, no reproduction without permission.

These photos show the building of Dub 4, between Dec 2002, and May 2003 at BBC Pebble Mill. Dub 4 was built in what had been Studio A’s Sound Gallery after Studio A was mothballed. The initiative to transform the disused Gallery was a ‘Making it Happen’ project, inspired by Greg Dyke’s vision of staff empowerment. Ben Peissel was instrumental in the plans to create a fourth dubbing suite, as the other three were fully utilised and it seemed foolish to have the space available and not use it. It was a drama dubbing suite which catered for ‘Doctors’ amongst others.

Beautywise – photos from Gail Herbert

Photos from Gail Herbert, no reproduction without permission.

‘Beautywise’ was the BBC’s first television series devoted to beauty. It had a magazine format and was produced at Pebble Mill for BBC 1 Daytime, under Daytime Editor, Stephanie Silk. The series was presented by beauty journalist, Liz Earle, with reporter Karen Krizanovich. Celia Marks was S.P, Pam Relton the researcher, with Annette Martin producer/director, and Julia Gray directing. The production team also included Claire Campbell, production assistant, Gail Herbert and production secretary, Kulvinder Chudge. The series included studio items and recorded inserts. The location shoots involved some foreign filming in L.A, as shown in the photos.

Beautywise team