October 2011 – Page 4 – What Was Pebble Mill?

‘United’, a soap from Gosta Green – Dave Kirkwood

This photo from the 1960s, shows a group of technical operators ‘relaxing’ on the set
of another soap produced at Gosta Green. This was called ‘United’ and was about life in a fictional football club. It was a total flop and hardly mentioned in BBC drama history at all.

Gosta Green (Gosta Green was the BBC studio in Birmingham before the building of Pebble Mill) did a lot of drama, but also general work – Percy Thrower’s gardening programmes and music items for the fledgling immigrants’ programmes among them.

Dave Kirkwood

‘The Golden Oldie Picture Show’ – Siobhan Maher Kennedy

‘The Golden Oldie Picture Show’ was my first and last directing experience. John King was great, he gave me my first chance at directing for this show. I was 20 yrs old and I presented a storyboard idea to one of the Beatles songs, ‘Help!’, and shot on location in my home town of Liverpool. The idea was to show Liverpool in a positive light. IRONY: on the last day of the shoot the camera car was broken into by Liverpool scallywags and the equipment and film reels were stolen. That kind of ended the directing thing for me! It was just too stressful! I had a great little movie somewhere in those film cans.

It was sad at the time. I was so young and ambitious. Everyone worked so hard and we had beautiful weather. We went on the radio and appealed to return the film but no luck. We did re- shoot but the weather was against us and it looked so miserable. It was broadcast I think. I can’t remember the storyline but went everywhere! All my favorite sights. I had a cameraman who went on to be really famous ,Chris …I can’t remember!

Siobhan Maher Kennedy

Dave Lee Travis recording Christmas edition

Refurbished Film Sound Transfer Suite – Peter Poole

Photos copyright Peter Poole, no reproduction without permission.

These photos from the early 1990s, show the Film Sound Transfer Suite which was a very busy area. Its main use was to transfer audio tapes to SEPMAG. The tapes were recorded on a Nagra tape recorder together with a pilot tone signal. This was needed to ensure that the audio was synchronous with the picture. At a latter time a DAT recorder with time code replaced the Nagra. The Transfer Suite also housed a collection of “Library Music”. These discs were produced for TV and radio programmes and not commercially available. They had interesting titles such as “Links Bridges and Stings”. A full collection of BBC sound effects were also available.

Peter Poole

Future of BBC Birmingham

Mark Thompson, Director General of the BBC announced today that factual network television production at BBC Birmingham is going to cease, with programming being moved to BBC Bristol, beginning in summer 2012. Factual network radio production will also move, and there will be cuts in local radio.

I have copied here some of the Twitter comments made by people today:

‘The systematic dismantling of BBC Birmingham is a disgrace. it’s what happens when a city has no leadership.’

‘Saddened to hear the news about #bbcbirmingham, but on the other hand, I am pleased to hear #bbcdoctors is staying’

‘All BBC Birmingham heritage of last 50yrs counts for nothing in #dqf world, all about geography and economics’

‘Thoughts going out to colleagues at #BBCBirmingham-hoping that the news of complete closure is not true :(‘

‘Sorry but the BBC are an absolute joke when it comes to Birmingham & The Midlands’

‘Seems Archers will stay in Brum but all factual and radio to move-what will that leave besides Midlands Today?’

‘BBC network production in Birmingham axed in one sentence by the DG.’

‘So BBC factual production stopping in Birmingham. Sad times for the region. Hopefully Drama won’t be affected.’

‘Gutted for all my friends in BBC Birmingham today – I’m in France but back to share in the misery soon. Awful.’

‘Master of the Marionettes’ – John Greening

These photos are from the 1989 ‘Play on One’ drama: ‘Master of the Marionettes’, produced by Michael Wearing at Pebble Mill. It was written by Guy Hibbert, directed by Pedr James, with Hilary Salmon the script editor.

The Radio Times billing read: “Teddy Rose’s passion is security – selling alarm systems to prosperous yet fearful suburban homes, one of which he and his family inhabit with conspicuous success. Then one Saturday morning a violent street encounter starts a chain of events which calls into question his every assumption and changes his life for good.”

The play starred Kenneth Cranham, as Teddy; Kenneth Colley as Tennyson; Carol Drinkwater as Maggy; John Duttine as Tim; and David Bradley as Harry.

The first photo includes, left to right: Pedr James (director), Terry Ford (props), John Greening (1^st AD), Paul Woolston (camera).

The second photo includes, left to right: (partially hidden) Peter Potter (props), (partially hidden) Terry Ford (Props) Gareth Williams (AFM), John Greening (1^st AD), Pedr James (director).

Thanks to John Greening for making the photos available.