May 2013 – What Was Pebble Mill?

The Car’s The Star

Image copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without pemission.

The Car’s The Star was a series about classic cars, presented by Quentin Willson. It began in 1994. Quentin would tell the story of a particular car, which was interspersed with interviews from its various owners. Jon Bentley was the series producer, with Dennis Adams as executive producer. David Lowe wrote the theme music. Brian Watkiss and Peter Shannon were editors on the early episodes, Gary Vollans did the graphics, and the cameramen included Keith Schofield, John Couzens, Nigel Davey, and Keith Froggatt.

The following comment was added on the Pebble Mill Facebook group:

Andrew Chorlton: ‘I recorded at least two episodes, Citroen DS and Land Rover, messrs Couzens and Foster on camera respectively. Highlights? Taking a DS down the runway at RAF Wroughton with one wheel removed and checking into a hotel down south with John Wilcox who’s room had been booked in the name of Sir John Wilcox.’

Ron Lane with CM1

Photograph from Engineering Manager, John Abbott, no reproduction without permission.

Rigger driver, Ron Lane, standing proudly next to the scanner CMCR9, Pebble Mill’s CM1, which later became BBC Manchester’s North 3. The location is probably a Gardeners’ World outside broadcast, possibly at ‘The Magnolias’, Percy Thrower’s garden, where the weekly gardening show was recorded in much of the 1970s.

Children in Need exhibition stand

Photos by Marie Phillips, no reproduction without permission.

These photos are of an exhibition stand raising funds for Children in Need.

Fish eye lens photos of Pebble Mill

The photographer of these fish eye lens photos of the foyer and entrance of Pebble Mill is not known.

Thanks to Peter Poole for sharing the photos.

Abekas 8150

Photo by Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

VT editor, Ian Collins, took a number of photographs of technical kit as Pebble Mill was being cleared prior to kit being auctioned off, or taken to the BBC Birmingham, Mailbox.

This photo is of an Abekas 8150, which was a DVE machine, used in some of the video edit suites at Pebble Mill. The digital switcher could do colour correction, as well as a variety of wipes and other digital video effects.

Ian Collins adds the following information: the Abekas 8150 is a Digital Vision Mixer and currently resides in the Drama Production Village (BBC Birmingham) Finishing suite, though not used very much these days as it is not HD. It had a companion DVE called a Dveous which again is at the Drama Production Village but not used any more. They used to reside in Pebble Mill VT17.

Jonathan Dick, added the following comment on the Pebble Mill Facebook group: ‘never had one of these in the galleries, but we had dual-channel Abekas A-51s in all the galleries from about 1992. They succeeded the rather more limited EFlex DVEs. I used to enjoy concocting wacky DVE effects for all the daytime shows on the A-51s. They would look VERY dated these days!’