June 2011 – Page 5 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Ed Doolan – Radio WM photo card

Ed Doolan

Thanks to Stuart Gandy for making this Radio WM photo card of Ed Doolan available.

Ed Doolan was born in Sydney, Australia, and spent ten years working as a school teacher, before taking up broadcasting, originally in German. He started with Radio WM at BBC Pebble Mill in 1982, and began his consumer show in 1988. He was awarded an MBE in 1998, and was the first person to be awarded Honorary Degrees by Birmingham City University, University of Birmingham and Aston University!

Andrew Langstone makes the following comment about working for Radio WM:

“I did some stints of work experience during university vacations with BBC Radio WM (as it was then) assisting on the mid-morning ‘206 Team’ with Gyn Freeman and Stuart Roper. Production team was Phil Horner, and Bill Morris who went on to big things at Broadcasting House in London – I think he’s now left the BBC and is involved in the opening of The Olympics next year. The 206 team shared an office with Ed and also Malc and Rosie of ‘The Barmaids Arms’! Happy memories indeed!”

Tim Manning makes the following comment:

“I was Ed’s first producer when he joined BBC Radio WM from BRMB. It was an important and slightly nervous moment for the then senior management (Manager John Pickles and Programme Organiser Jeremy Robinson) as it was important both for the future of the re-launched station and morale that Ed’s show worked. Some longer-term members of staff weren’t entirely comfortable about his high-profile arrival from commercial radio and the new emphasis on personalities. Ed was nervous too, as moving was a risk for him and he needed to convince an audience which wasn’t just Birmingham, but we spent a few weeks before he went live settling ourselves in and recording some shows, and when he did hit the airwaves, we had a great time. I moved on to very different things, but the years have since proved that Radio WM turned out to be the perfect home for Ed.”

Clothes Show: Dream Wedding, Egypt – photos by Andy Frizzell

Photos by Andy Frizzell, no reproduction without permission.

‘The Clothes Show’ did an annual ‘Dream Wedding’ show, which included working with the bride and groom, helping arrange the wedding itself, and dressing the wedding party. One of the most ambitious was this one filmed on location in Egypt.

The crew were, Andy Frizzell (lighting), Steve Saunderson (camera), Keith Froggatt (camera), Roger slater (sound), Carol Sparrow (PA), Clare Stride (Series Producer), Alexandra Fraser (AP), Jane Galpin. Presenters were Jeff Banks and Caryn Franklin with Trevor Sorbie. Make up was Jill Gray (+ a n other) plus we took our own vicar Paul Daniel James ( true) researcher was Kath Moore.

The wedding took place over two days. Civil wedding day one then the religious (C of E) by the stepped pyramid at Sakhara day two. We were all pretty knackered having done in the region of a 35hr day!!! With a short rest break at about midnight ahead of the sunrise shoot.

Witchcraft – photo from John Greening

Photo from John Greening, no reproduction without permission.

The photo is of the 1992 Pebble Mill drama series, ‘Witchcraft’, on location near Chipping Camden. Carol Parks was the producer, Peter Sasdy the director, screenplay by Nigel Williams. Barry Hanson was the exec producer.

The story involves a film school teacher choosing the subject of 17th Century witchcraft for his latest script. Real life begins to take on ominous similarities to the happenings in the script.

The series starred: Peter McEnery, Alan Howard, Lisa Harrow, Georgia Slowe, and Judy Campbell.

From the comments of people who worked on the series, it was a somewhat challenging production.

Engineering and Comms Quarterly Report 1982

This document from 1982 might not appear to be the most exciting, but includes some really interesting details about things like the installation of the third gallery. A fascinating snapshot of the Comms side of the Pebble Mill operation.

Thanks to Stuart Gandy for making the report available.

Gardeners’ World – photos from Gail Herbert

Photos from Gail Herbert, no reproduction without permission.

These photos are of a location shoot for ‘Gardeners’ World’ in 1991, shortly before the series stopped being a BBC Pebble Mill production and became an independent production with Catalyst Television.

The first photo shows (left to right) Tony Wass (sound), Eric Wise (camera), Herbie Donnelly (sparks), Denis Jarvis (director).

The second photo shows (left to right) Tony Wass (sound), Eric Wise (camera), Karen Lamb (director), Gail Herbert (PA), Caroline Officer (researcher), Denis Jarvis (director).

The location was Keighley in North Yorkshire, and was I think about railway station gardens. This station is on the Keighley and Worth Valley line, which is called ‘The Railway Children’ Line.