November 2017 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Islamophobia

These screen grabs are from the documentary Islamophobia, it went out on BBC 2, 18th August 2001 at 19.25. Here is the entry from the Radio Times, courtesy of the BBC Genome project:

“Concluding the week-long season of programmes reflecting contemporary life for Muslims in the UK.
Jeremy Bowen investigates, by means of personal testimony, secret filming and a nationwide survey, the extent to which racism affects the lives of Muslims in Britain. Specific examples which may point to a deep-seated historical prejudice in the west towards Islam include an arson attack on an east London Islamic centre, a British National Party statement referring to a “Muslim problem” rather than an Asian one, and the detention and humiliation of an innocent Muslim man in the USA in the wake of the Oklahoma bombing. Producer John Das : Editor Ruth Pitt.”

http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/3bf7ebe93e8e47dd8eb3c9efe8f029bc

Thanks to Ian Collins for sharing these stills.

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

Fiona Stennett: ‘I was the dubbing assistant on this, with Ben Peissel mixing. I remember it being a very tense day!’

Adam Trotman: ‘I cut it… if I rememeber it was Tx’d just weeks before 9/11

What the documentary showed at that time was Britain wasn’t actually Islamaphobic…just ignorant about the religon really… Then Two Buildings fall in USA ….

John and I and the amazing researcher of the show often talked of doing a sequel to it alas never came to pass.’

Studio A Lighting Grid

Photo by Malcolm Hickman, no reproduction without permission

This photo shows the lighting grid for Studio A at Pebble Mill. It probably dates from the 1970s.

Thanks to Malcolm Hickman for sharing the photo.

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

Andy Frizzell: ‘The Lighting ‘barrels’ were on hoists that lowered to the studio floor, there were generally 2 ‘twisters’ per bar. Twisters were dual source lights ‘hard’ fresnel at one end soft ‘fill’ at the other. There were three 5Kw channels on each bar. 10Kw channels were available from the grid above.
On the barrels each lamp had additional ‘pantographs’ to fine tune the height above sets etc.
Towards the end we added DMX moving light connectivity. If memory serves, this was considered a ‘saturation’ rig studio as opposed to the monopole system preferred by the itv companies. No doubt Dave Bushell can elaborate/correct me on the details as he was my NVQ tutor/examiner.’

Dave Bushell: ‘You have given a very succinct description. I worked with monopole systems after leaving the Mill and I can’t say I liked the lack of flexibility they gave. I suppose it’s what you got used to.’

Radio WM Sports Team at Superprix 1986

Photo from Rod Fawcett, no reproduction without permission

Included in the photo are (left to right): Stuart Miller chief engineer at Radio WM sitting down laughing, ?, Mike Ronson(?), Rob Hawthorne with the Uher, Annie Barker in yellow jacket.

Thanks to Rod Fawcett for sharing this photo of the Radio WM sports team at the first Birmingham Superprix in 1986.

(The Superprix was a street based motorsport event in Birmingham. The highlight was the Formula 3000 race.)

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

Rod Fawcett: ‘I remember the gig quite well. We were set up in a Portakabin right next to the start / finish line on Bristol Street. The motor racing noise within the cabin was astonishing as it resonated the walls, ceiling, everything!! We kept going of course. The young reporter with the Uher tape recorder is Rob Hawthorne – now an established football commentator with Sky Sports.’

Gordon Astley: ‘ was taken out for a skidpan type ride with the Italian Job Mini team. I felt nauseous for the rest of the day.’

Tim Beech: ‘I remember the last Superprix was in 1990, a year after I joined the WM sports team. Rob had just left, but Ian was Sports Editor and Annie had started with Central. Great pic – great memories!’

Marilyn Ward: ‘Central had the broadcasting commission.’

Rod Fawcett: ‘Hi Marilyn and thanks go to Central TV as you were kind to give us a courtesy monitor race feed to use for commentary purposes.’

Keith Conlon: ‘I think the guy in the background was a sports reporter and I think his name was Mike Ronson i think but his surname may be wrong.’

Roger Casstles reminisces about BBC Pebble Mill

Specially shot video of Roger Casstles talking about why BBC Pebble Mill was a special place. The video is recorded on Pebble Mill Road, overlooking the site where Pebble Mill stood, and is now a dental hospital. Roger mentions some of the productions that came from Pebble Mill, like Pebble Mill at One, Midlands Today, The Archers, as well as the Midland Radio Orchestra, and being a centre for drama, but tells us that the really important thing was how people worked together, for instance post production working across all productions and the way that Graphics and Set Design departments collaborated with production. Roger Casstles was the creator and producer of The Clothes Show, the fashion magazine series which ran from the 1986-2000.

(The video was shot by BCU Media graduate, Ash Connaughton, with me, (Vanessa Jackson) asking the questions).

Roger Casstles at the site of Pebble Mill

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

Andy Frizzell: ‘Had some great shoots with Roger in many countries around the world. As always talking a lot of sense. We were all saddened by the closing of ‘The Mill’.‘

Claire Chambers: ‘As Roger would say “ why answer a question with one word when thousands will do” ! Very well said’

Linda Hearn-Clapham: ‘Very happy memories of recording Hartbeat and The Movie Game at Pebble Mill in the 90’s!’

Cameramen Barrie Foster and Dave Doogood

Photo by Robin Sunderland, no reproduction without permission

Barrie Foster, and Dave Doogood on camera.

Thanks to Robin Sunderland for sharing the photo.