October 2012 – Page 3 – What Was Pebble Mill?

CMCR6 – Birmingham’s first colour scanner

Gosta Green Studios – cutting c/o Gail Herbert

The first colour scanner (CMCR) in Birmingham was CMCR 6 which was based at the OB base which was then at Carpenter Road, Edgbaston.

It was equipped with 5 EMI 2001 colour cameras which had the lens within the body of the camera. 4 of the cameras were used normally and the other was used as a spare and for parts to repair the others.

BBC Birmingham did not have a Colour TV studio before Pebble Mill opened in 1971. The BBC had a studio at the Cinema in Gosta Green in Aston. It was fitted out in the days of black & white and during the late 60s until Pebble Mill opened CMCR6 would be used part of the week to produce Dramas or Drama series in colour.

I think that CMCR6 was at Gosta Green on a Wednesday & Thursday each week and would then go and do a Match of the Day or other OBs returning on Tuesday for the rig for the drive in.

CMCR 6 was moved to Kendal Avenue in the 1970s and replaced in Birmingham with CMCR 9 which had Philips PC80 Cameras. This meant that the cameras in the Studios at Pebble Mill and the ones on the OB unit were different which caused problems with maintenance, spares etc.

John Duckmanton

Marvin’s Credits

Photo by Tim Savage. Marvin is on the far right!

Marvin’s credit on Track One. Grab from Keith Brook.

VT editors are a singular breed, and sometimes curiously attached to inanimate objects! The VPR2 machine in VTC was affectionately known as ‘Marvin’. Presumably after ‘Marvin the paranoid android’ in ‘Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’. Not only was ‘Marvin’ the machine, named, but he was also credited – on at least one, and possibly on more programmes, for his creative efforts. ‘Marvin’ is the machine on the extreme right of top photo – not a very good shot of him!

‘Marvin’s’ credit was on ‘Track One’ a regional programme for the discerning younger audience. The credits for VT read: ‘Marvin – Mike Bloore – Ivor the Engine’ in that order. So Marvin got top billing as well!! Keith was the director of that episode, produced by Keith Haley, with executive producer, Mike Fitzgerald. (Thanks to Keith Brook for this information, and the grab!).

‘Marvin’ may also have enjoyed other credits – possibly on ‘Look! Hear!’

The Clothes Show

‘The Clothes Show’ ran from 1986-2000. It was a spin off from fashion items on ‘Pebble Mill at One’. Roger Casstles was the executive producer. Jeff Banks and Selina Scott were the original presenters. The fashion magazine show mixed catwalk with high street items. The show became very popular for its stylish visuals, and use of digital video effects. It was transmitted on Sunday afternoons.

In 1989 The Clothes Show Live exhibition at the NEC was launched, which is still an annual event, and The Clothes Show magazine started a little later.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group:

Ruth Kiosses: “I was on the show dressed in an Edwardian evening gown at the Barbican centre January 1989. A year later I was working at pebble mill and bombing around in the clothes show ‘wagon’ the large box van with CS logo on. I remember a very funny journey thrapsing down to Oxford but that’s another story! ”

Hilary Anne Hughes: “I remember trying to get some mens ties to stay put while they shot underwater. We wired the ties in the end then they could be shaped but stayed in place.”

Ruth Kiosses: “There was a Vivienne Westwood corseted evening gown that arrived in huge box. The dress was so enormous with layers of net the model could hardly walk in it! It looked amazing but totally impractical for anyone who wanted to do anything other than stand still!”

Becky Land: “Finding a sofa covered in recucled fleece then hauling it up a hill in Snowdonia so models could drape themselves over it. Surreal.”

Janice Rider: “Took Selina Scott shopping for the rock ‘n roll edition . She had a wonderful flat overlooking Hyde Park . She and Jeff joined in with a rock ‘n roll dance club for the shoot – very amusing.”

Jane Green: “I was the runner on the first ever Clothes Show Bride of the Year – a Mrs Elizabeth Barnes. Mad, mad few days but fabulous programme. Years later was director. Usually worked with Jeff who wandered off a lot during filming to use phoneboxes to make business calls while crew were waiting and public held back by security to get the shot. I’d have to go find him. I worked with Viv Westwood, Naomi Campbell, Philip Treacey and more. Hardest job I ever had.”

CMCR9/ North 3 outings – Jerry Clegg

CMCR9/North 3 at Onslow Park, by Steve Harris

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

The restored former BBC-tv 1969 colour mobile unit, North 3 / CMCR9 was on display to the public at two steam and veteran vehicle rallies during August. The first one was at Astle Park near Chelford, Cheshire on August 11^th/12^thand it was a scramble for Steve Harris and his helpers to prepare for that one as North 3 was fresh out of the paint spray-shop and there were only a few days to get ready.

The truck had been at the body shop since January for a major exterior renovation. The cab windows had all been out for replacement of the windscreens and the interior had gathered a huge amount of dirt during the rubbing-down process. All the external fittings had been removed for renovation during this process and these had to be re-fitted. Bright window surrounds were covered with gunge from the masking tape used during the spraying, which could only be removed afterwards by careful use of cellulose thinners! Steve, the owner, was busy replacing the waist trims all the way round, right up to the last moment.

The weather was excellent for Astle Park and North 3 was gleaming in her new paint, which exactly conformed to the correct colours, the original codes for which were still visible, recorded on the cab facia. Visitors flocked to inspect North 3 and the static display outside. Two broadcast cameras were on display : an EMI 2001 and a recently aquired Philips PC80. A live picture and various other sources were available on the functioning vision mixer in the production gallery and wipes between sources could be demonstrated for the first time.

Two weeks later North 3 was on show at Onslow Park as a special guest at the 50^th Shrewsbury Steam Rally. By this time the truck was sporting its authentic 1969 graphics, which had been revealed during the rubbing down process and were restored by an expert graphic artist using genuine gold leaf. The weather was very variable with occasional heavy showers, but large numbers of appreciative visitors came to file through the scanner and see how OBs were put together 40 years ago. The ‘mains’ feed from the show organizer’s generator proved very troublesome and Steve brought his own 6.5 kva unit for the Bank Holiday Monday and stability was restored!

Shrewsbury was the farthest south that North 3 / CMCR 9 has been on display so far and we were pleased to welcome a number of former staff from Birmingham and Cardiff as well as Manchester. CMCR 9 was the Midland Unit for most of it’s operational life and former crew members came to renew their aquaintance with ‘their’ scanner. The visitor’s book is gradually filling up and makes interesting reading.

There is one more North 3 public appearance this year and it will be in Salford in October. The scanner will be on display on the piazza at the entrance to the University of Salford building (next to the BBC) on Salford Quays. The event is an interactive exhibition called ‘From Semaphore to Smart Phone’, charting the progress of technology in communications over the years and it’s on Saturday and Sunday 27^th/28^th October. Details can be found using this link :-

http://www.manchestersciencefestival.com/whatson/semaphore-smartphone

BBC staff glancing out of the window of the Media Centre on those days may be startled to spot the last BBC Tel OBs mobile control room still on the road.

They thought it was all over !

Jerry Clegg

Fair Game publicity brochure

Thanks to Janice Rider for making this publicity brochure of the drama: ‘Fair Game’, available.

The BFI database includes this synopsis of ‘Fair Game’: “It is 1970, there is World Cup and General Election fever. Marco, a wealthy Italian has come to England to discover his true identity. Carl, a student is torn between canvassing for the Labour party, watching the World Cup or going on a walking holiday with his girlfriend Ellie. Their paths cross in Preston library and the three take an epic journey across the Pennines.” http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/495778

The drama was transmitted in 1994, Michael Wearing was the executive producer; Carol Parks, the producer; Alan Dosser, the director; Beverley Dartnall was the production associate; William Hartley was the 1st AD; John Greening and Alastair Duncan were the production managers; Janice Rider was the costume designer, and Steve Saunderson the cameraman.

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