Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission
Thanks to Sarah Aston for sharing this photo of the Midland Radio Orchestra. Sarah’s father, John Kingdon formed the Midland Light orchestra along with Norrie Paramor, which pre-dated the Midlands Radio Orchestra. The MLO was more classically orientated.
Harold Rich is at the keyboard in this photo, with Norrie Paramor conducting.
Photo from Rod Fawcett, no reproduction without permission
A busy Children in Need night in the corridor outside Studio A. This photo probably dates from the 1980s.
Thanks to Radio WM engineer Rod Fawcett, for sharing the photo.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Stuart Gandy: ‘Those were the days when CIN was a big event inside and outside the Mill.’
Andy Marriott: ‘It’s a shame, all the regions would get a decent chunk of airtime and places like Pebble Mill and Oxford Road used to make the most of it. It seems very London-centric now.’
Gyn Freeman: ‘Standing behind this red haired beauty is the timid, yet well dressed beauty Steve Woodhall. This is an audience I think off into the studio, but who is on the ladder at the back trying to maintain order? No doubt about it, the good old days!’
Rod Fawcett: ‘On the far left it’s Jenny Wilkes as Robin Hood.’
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission
Another Second City First has recently been recovered from director Pedr James – Thwum 1975, featuring Pete Postlewaite in his first screen appearance. It is being shown as part of Missing Believed Wiped at the BFI Southbank on 16th December 2017.
Thanks to Lez Cooke for letting me know about the find and the event.
Here is the Radio Times entry for Thwum:
‘A series of new plays from Birmingham
Thwum by MIKE STOTT
‘ In 14 minutes, 20 seconds we are going to be privileged to contact living creatures from another world, another galaxy even …’
Designer MYLES LANG Producer TARA PREM Director PEDR JAMES
Contributors
Unknown: Mike Stott
Designer: Myles Lang
Producer: Tara Prem
Director: Pedr James
Joy: Rosalind Elliot
Duffy: Peter Postlethwaite
Bernard: Paul Moriarty’
Room to the side of Pres, before the Pres Gallery was built. Photos from Stuart Gandy, no reproduction without permission.
Pres Gallery building 1991
Pres Gallery in use
These photos from Stuart Gandy show the building of the Pres Gallery in 1991. The first photo shows the ‘before’, the second the ‘during’ and the third, the ‘after’.
Stuart describes how the gallery was built: “the talkback panel in here with the mic sticking out of it was entirely home built, like we did back then – all analogue wiring in and out of the panel designed by me and Charlotte – built by Mech workshop and wired by Pete Holmes.”
These photos were originally shared on the Pebble Mill Engineers Facebook group.
The following comments were added on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Paul Hunt: ‘Is it Clare Clibbery-Davies on the Pres desk and Craig Wood on the Paintbox? Not sure who’s on the Aston?’
Craig Wood: ‘that’s going back a bit, yep that’s me lurking at the back. I can’t work out who it is on Aston either.’
Gary Williams: ‘Jacqui Cawston on the Aston?’
Here is the Radio Times entry for the 1981 Playhouse production, Days at the Beach, starring Julie Walters. It was produced by David Rose, and directed and written by Malcolm Mowbray. John Kenway was the cameraman, with Chris Rowlands being the film editor, and Margaret Peacock being the designer. Roger Gregory was the script editor. Thanks to Roger for keeping the copy safe since 1981.
The following comment was posted on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Steve Saunderson: ‘Days at the Beach was a very classy piece of writing and direction by Malcolm Mowbray on which I was the un-credited Camera Operator. We shot most of it on Harlech Beach and Llandudno Pier. The very talented Graham Hazard was my Focus Puller who was constantly battling the sand being blown into the camera kit. Micky Patten was the Grip?I think Mick Murphy was on this too, maybe he’ll correct me on this. I remember Julie Walters was very nervous on one scene with her husband who had returned “Shell-Shocked” from the battle fields of WW 1. It was one of her first film roles, and it was a very difficult scene. After the take she tugged frantically at my sleeve and whispered “was I ok? was I ok?” I whispered back that she was perfect and she smiled back at me. I felt very humble. I also remember Stephen Bill, known from “Nuts in May” played a great part. A lot of night shoots.’