Category: Blog

Communications Centre – Brian Johnson

Photos copyright of Brian Johnson, taken in 1973.  Most of the photos are of the Comms Centre, with two probably being of Studio B Vision and Studio B Sound.

The Communications Centre was situated immediately above the Foyer with large windows facing on to Pebble Mill Road.

In brief it was the technical hub of the building and the liaison point with British Telecom, responsible for routing all the internal vision and sound circuits between the Studios, VTR, Telecine and the various external TV and Radio Networks.  BBC 1 and BBC 2 passed through the Communications Centre from London and were routed to our own regional transmitters and one to Manchester for further distribution northwards.

It was also a reception point for Radio and Television Outside Broadcasts via our own Radio Links or B.T. and for incoming contribution circuits from the North and East that were either required in Birmingham or routed through to Bristol or London.

‘White Lady’ – 1987

Photograph copyright of Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.

The photograph features, left to right, William Hartley 1st A.D., David Rudkin, writer and director, and Al Barnett, costume.

‘White Lady’ was written and directed by David Rudkin, it told the story of a divorcee: Gil, who struggles to bring up his two daughters on his own. However hard he tries he cannot escape the all encompassing power of the White Lady, a symbol of the chemicals used in British food production.

The film was produced at Pebble Mill by Carol Parks and featured: Cornelius Garrett, Sophie Thompson, Jessica Martin and Meg Wynn Owen.

Angels

Photos by Lynda Kettle, no reproduction without permission. Lynda Kettle was a Production Designer at BBC Pebble Mill, working on factual, entertainment and drama shows in studio and on location.  The photos were taken as records of the Sets.

Angels, began life in 1975 as a seasonal drama, but switched to a soap format between 1979 to 1983. It was produced out of the BBC in London, with some series being filmed there as the ‘St Angela’s Hospital’, Battersea. Later series in the 1980s were recorded at Pebble Mill in the imaginary ‘Heath Green Hospital’, Birmingham. It followed the lives of student nurses and tackled issues such as contraception, alcoholism and sexuality. The series was sometimes criticised for its gritty portrayal of nursing. To make the performances more realistic the actresses had to work in real hospital wards to gain experience.

The series offered opportunities to many actresses who have become well known household names, like Fiona Fullerton, Lesley Dunlop and Pauline Quirke.

Production Designer, Lynda Kettle also worked as a theatre designer and an artist, and now runs courses from her art studio http://www.lynda-kettle.com.  She is a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Birmingham Water Colour Society. Midland Pastel Society and Birmingham Art Circle . She exhibits her paintings several times a year at selected galleries.

An Actor’s Life for Me

Photos by Lynda Kettle, no reproduction without permission.

Lynda Kettle was a Production Designer at BBC Pebble Mill, working on factual, entertainment and drama shows in studio and on location.  The photos were taken as records of the Sets, and in some you can just see the studio lights over the top of the flats.

Previously a Radio 4 comedy, ‘An Actor’s Life for Me’ was a  6 part television drama series recorded in Pebble Mill Studio A and outside broadcast, and transmitted in 1991.  The drama starred John Gordon Sinclair, who played Robert Neilson, a struggling actor with an incompetent agent, Desmond, played by Victor Spinetti.  Gina McKee played his teacher girlfriend, Sue.  Lynn Scott-Farrell played the fourth character, Brenda.  The comedy was directed and produced by Bryan Izzard.  ‘An Actor’s Life for Me’ was a series hosted at Pebble Mill, but produced out of London.

Production Designer, Lynda Kettle also worked as a theatre designer and an artist, and now runs courses from her art studio http://www.lynda-kettle.com.  She is a member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, Birmingham Water Colour Society. Midland Pastel Society and Birmingham Art Circle . She exhibits her paintings several times a year at selected galleries.


Radio Birmingham – DJ Malcolm Jay

Malcolm Jay

Photo copyright of Willoughby Gullachsen, no reproduction without permission.

This photograph features Radio Birmingham presenter Malcolm Jay, and dates from the mid 1970s.  It was taken in Radio Studio 2 Control Room, which could operate ‘self drive’ or control the actual Studio 2 which is on the left of the picture.  Malcolm used to present a Tuesday night rock music show called ‘Heavy Pressure’