March 2014 – Page 4 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Battle of Waterloo – Toby Horwood

Copyright resides with the original holder no reproduction without permission

Here’s a shot of Keith Schofield (Operating the camera) and myself on the Live Drama ‘Battle of Waterloo’.

The soldier on the floor is Warren Clarke. I worked with Keith on quite a few period dramas and learnt a lot from him. I’m pushing an Elemac dolly with an Egripment arm on it for the boffins amongst you. The Camera is an Ikegami HL 79D. The ear defenders were necessary because black powder charges were fired off from muskets during the course of the play. We had a very complex series of moves to execute and a vast number of shot cards. For the camera crew it was a fantastic challenge. We had rehearsed for at least a couple of days prior to going live.

(The Battle of Waterloo was a live drama, written by Keith Dewhurst and produced by Robin Midgley, in 1983)

History of the BBC in Birmingham

photo by Ben Peissel, 2003, no reproduction without permission

History of the BBC in Birmingham

(taken from notes held at the BBC Archives in Caversham)

1922 Nov 15 British Broadcasting Company begins transmitting from rooms at the GEC Works at Witton. Managed by Percy Edgar and Pat Casey, it consisted of three room: one contained the transmitter, one was the office and the other was the 12x20ft studio.

1923 Dec 6 The first ever Children’s Hour comes from Birmingham. Children’s circle established, proceeds of which were donated to West Midlands Children’s charities.

1924 Witton premises too small. Moved to top storey of 105 New Street. One studio and a suite of offices.

1926 New Street premises too small (and rat infested). Purpose built studios at 282 Broad Street acquired. Largest studio could accommodate a full orchestra and chorus.

1927 Jan 1 British Broadcasting Company dissolved and the British Broadcasting Corporation constituted under Royal Charter.

1927 Daventry ‘Experimental Transmitter’ replaces 5 IT at Witton.

1938 First episode of Paul Temple attracts 7,000 fan letters.

1949 Sutton Coldfield transmitter opens bringing television to the Midlands.

1951 Jan 1 The Archers first appears on the Light Programme. Brookfield Farm was located in Studio 2 at Broad Street for 20 years.

1951 BBC acquired the lease for Pebble Mill site.

1954 Carpenter Road, Edgbaston became the new Broadcasting House.

1955 Dec 29 First Midland Region television studio opened at Gosta Green, Birmingham.

1956 Gardening Club (now Gardeners’ World) began.

1957 Sept 30 First BBC Midlands TV News broadcast each weekday evening. 6.10-6.15.

1962 Nightly TV magazine programme – Midlands at Six

1962 A model of proposed BBC Pebble Mill Broadcasting Centre was show to the press.

1964 Sept First episode of Midlands Today presented by Barry Lankester and produced by Michael Hancock. News items were a football bribery trial, a new course on local government, Swedish sport and an item called ‘the body beautiful’.

1965 Immigrants Unit set up by Patrick Beech to provide Hindu/Urdu programmes. BBC’s first bi-media department, making programmes for both radio and television.

1967 First BBC Local Radio Station in Leicester.

1967 Pebble Mill – first sod was cut by then Director General Sir Hugh Greene.

1970 Nov 7 Pebble Mill began with Radio Birmingham, later became Radio WM.

1971 HRH Princess Anne officially opens the new Pebble Mill studios.

1972-86 Pebble Mill at One, presenters included Donny Macleod, Bob Langley, Ross King, Judi Spiers and Alan Titchmarsh.

1976 Saturday Night at the Mill – live. All staged in either one of the studios or outside the front of Pebble Mill. The courtyard around the back was constructed into a mini ice-rink with a canopy area for if it rained when live bands were on.

1977 The Horror of Fang Rock, only episode of Dr Who to be filmed here at The Mill. The set consisted of a lighthouse built in the studio, and it was the setting for a battle with an alien shape shifter. The story featured the one and only appearance in the series of a Rutan – seen in its natural state as an amorphous green blob with trailing tentacles. It was the fifteenth season of the series and the Doctor at the time was Tom Baker. It was transmitted between 03/09/1977 and 24/09/1977.

1988 Oct Midlands Today became the first regional news programme to include a nightly sports section.

Birmingham Club Sports

photo by Charles White, no reproduction without permission

Photo by Roger Mulliner, no reproduction without permission

Photo of editor Charles White about to play tennis at the opening of the tennis courts at the BBC Birmingham Club. It is Nigel Chapman who is cutting the red and white safety tape ribbon.

Charles is wearing a BBC Birmingham Club T-shirt, as shown in a different colour way above.

Charles White adds the following information:

‘The Birmingham Club, after much heated debate with the committee and the football team, decided to spend 13 grand on the construction of the 2 hard-courts, which replaced the run-down courts over by the creche. Whether we ever got the money back is debatable, but about 20 regular players used the courts in the summer evenings and even at lunch breaks. Opened in 1993 I think.’

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

Alan Fortey: ‘I think you’ll find the first the football team knew about it was seeing bulldozers digging up the pitch. One of the biggest white elephants in the Club’s history!! Still gets to me.’

Conal O’Donnell: ‘It’s certainly Nigel Chapman -he opened a tennis court & closed a radio station (C&W).’

Witchcraft

Script front page and cast list for the BBC 2 drama Witchcraft. This was a two parter on BBC 2, transmitted in 1992, written by Nigel Williams and directed by Peter Sasdy.

It was a challenging production, with several members of the team left bruised by the experience.

Here is the BFI database entry for the drama:

Part 1:

A film school teacher chooses 17th-century witchcraft and adultery as the theme of his latest script. As shooting of the film begins, real-life events take on a menacing quality and events from the past seem to be being re-enacted in the present. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/463201

Part 2:

As reality and fiction blur, the parallels between the 17th-century past and the present drive Jamie to a breakdown. He becomes possessed by the image of Ezekiel, the Witchfinder. Meg makes a bizarre discovery putting everyone’s lives at risk. http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/481195

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

Christine Houston: ‘(Film Unit) Made rare location visit to take replacement equipment. The set was a totally constructed medieval village in the middle of a field, complete with olde worlde long-horned cattle. Managed to watch about 30secs of filming before director “cut” to query authenticity of costumes for the period!! I had a catering services lunch with the crew while the exasperated costume dept tried to convince him all was good. Also remember being completely disorientated when Tim Everett put his headphones on me – thought there were people talking behind me when they were actually on the other side of the field. WEIRD!!’

Victoria Trow: ‘Oh blimey, Peter Sasdy, divide and rule merchant. The editing team was at the rehearsal rooms. The best advice we had was from the PA who said we should always write down any instructions from Peter to cover ourselves. John [Rosser] wouldn’t talk about Peter until he’d not only left the building but had been seen to drive away in his car – John was convinced he had bat hearing. Nightmare yes, intense yes, fun in some kind of crazy way, yes; was it worth it, was it a good film? No!’

Terry Powell: ‘The directer was a nightmare bully, sexist and just a complete —-. I think that covers that. Terry, costume.’

Joyce Miller

The death of Joyce Miller was announced in the Worcester News today, 4th March 2014. Joyce was a press officer at Pebble Mill, and was married to Stuart Miller, an engineer at Radio WM, and later at BBC Hereford and Worcester. Stuart passed away a couple of years ago.

Joyce was a regular phone in guest to Hereford and Worcester’s mid-morning show until quite recently.

Thanks to Mark Hellings, Assistant Editor of BBC Hereford and Worcester, for sharing this information.

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

Marie Phillips: ‘When I took over CIN [Children in Need] from Tony Raimont it was based in the Press Office because nobody really knew where it belonged !! Joyce was very welcoming and helpful and a true friend when I was threatened with “eviction” !! We shared a lot of laughs, none more funny than the story of the trifles. She and Stuart were active in their village life and Stuart arrived home from a Committee Meeting to tell her that she had been nominated to make 14 trifles for the next event. She begged and borrowed enough bowls, put in monumental effort and made them on the due day, taking them proudly to the venue, to be told by Madam Chairman that actually, it was “trifle for 14” !!! Stuart almost ended up wearing them. Happy memories Joyce – rest easy.’

Richard Uridge: ‘Joyce and Stuart took me under their wing when I was a cub reporter at Radio WM at Pebble Mill. A charming couple and a sad loss to the local radio “family.” Joyce, like Stuart, always had a twinkle in her eye. Both warm and mischievous. A wonderful combination. Happy memories.’