November 2012 – What Was Pebble Mill?

BBC Directors’ Course 1987

The photo is of a BBC Directors’ Course held at Pebble Mill in 1987. Included in the photo are Maggy Whitehouse (front left), Yasmin Archer (seated next to Maggy), Ron Bains, from BBC Glasgow’s comedy unit (seated next to Yasmin), Bish Mehay (2nd from left top row), Roz Gower (centre, check dress), Sue Ashcroft (blue blouse next to Roz), peeping out next to Sue is Andy Mosedale, producer Patricia Mifflin, Pete Biddell (far right).

Thanks to Maggy Whitehouse for making the photo available.

Videotape in the 70s (part 7) – Ray Lee

Photo by Paul Scholes. Included are Brian Watkiss (blue T-shirt), Leigh Sinclair (shirt and tie), and Mike Bloore (far right)

VT Staff Changes

As I recollect, Tony Rayner was the first to leave becoming a director, and Mike Bloore to join VT as a junior. Steve Critchlow then became a VT editor alongside John Lannin. There was a period of stability until John Lannin became Operations organiser, and Steve Critchlow went I think to Planning. John Burkill, and Mike Bloore then became VT editors, and subsequently with VTC expansion Ian Collins became a VT editor. With the expansion and promotions VT was quite short staffed, which is when I had a longer spell working in VT, and training others in the operation of Quad Machines. I don’t remember details but Tim Savage, Brian Watkiss and Ivor Williams all arrived around that time. Peter Wood-Fisher was in VT later but not at any time I was working in VT. I think Steve May and Martin Dowell came later, possibly when the VPR2’s first arrived. After that I lost touch with staff movements in VT, as I spent more time in the Studio end of operations, and from 1984 in Engineering Services.

Ray Lee

Sea King helicopter on Pebble Mill at One

The photos show a ‘Pebble Mill at One’ programme, which featured the landing of a Royal Navy, Sea King helicopter on the front lawn at Pebble Mill. It looks like Bob Langley was the presenter.

It was probably a show by producer John Smith, who had very good contacts in the military.

Mixing Desk

VT Editor, Ian Collins, took a lot of photos of defunct post production kit, when Pebble Mill was being decommissioned, and equipment sold off. This mixing desk is one such piece of equipment.

The desk is probably from one of the PSC (portable single camera) suites, used for cutting inserts and programmes recorded on beta, beta sp, and later digibeta tapes. It would have been used for mixing down the audio on the edit tape.

Pebble Mill Nursery – 1st Birthday

Press cutting from the internal BBC Midland Newsletter, about the first birthday of the Pebble Mill Nursery, circa 1990. The Nursery was based in the sports pavilion on the Bristol Road, just round the corner from the main Pebble Mill site. It catered for around 20 children of BBC staff. The Nursery had a really good reputation and some excellent staff. Consequently it had a long waiting list and was quite difficult to get a place. It was difficult to establish, and I think was the idea of Bridget Allen in Personnel.

Thanks to Marie Phillips for making the cutting available.

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

Chris Marshall: ‘That’s my little boy! Now 25 and running an artists’ cooperative and gallery in Newcastle. The nursery gave such a tremendous start to both my boys and I remember the staff with great affection: so kind and patient (even when I was late collecting!). Thanks so much for this – very happy memories!’

Ruth Barretto: ‘I think Kimberly Palmer was Jean Palmer’s daughter who worked in Finance and Jodie Mawson is Wendy Mawson’s daughter (she works in Drama).. I must find the picture of David Waine, Pauline (who ran the nursery) and me and Elena. She opened the nursery back in 1989.’

Marie Phillips: ‘I know I have said it before, b ut the Nursery would not have existed without the efforts of Bridget Allen, Senior Personnel Officer. You wouldn’t believe the work she put into the project and it was a stroke of genius when she chose Pauline to run it. Bridget left the BBC when she had completed the Nursery and unfortunately, others got the glory for its inception – something I always thought unjust. It was brilliant and such a boon for so many Mums (and Dads!).’