Memories – Page 15 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Jill Archer’s Aga

Copyright Martin Fenton, no reproduction without permission

This is Jill Archer’s Aga, and presumably quite a bit of her kitchen equipment piled on top! It would have been regularly used during recordings of The Archers.

Martin Fenton took this photo in Radio Studio 3 in Pebble Mill in 2003, where The Archers used to be recorded.

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

Kathryn Shuttleworth: ‘We still have the Aga but it nearly didn’t make it as there were concerns about the weight of it! I’m pretty sure there was some concrete reinforcements installed, not just for the Aga but the entire BBC building structure. A team from Aga did the move to The Mailbox as it had to be dismantled into many pieces and reassembled. It really does weigh a tonne!’

Malcolm Hickman: ‘When I used to do the guided tours of Pebble Mill (sometimes helping Sheila Brown) the Archers Studio was always very popular.’

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Colin Pierpoint blog – Part 17

Pebble Mill canteen. Photo by Philip Morgan, no reproduction without permission

Pebble Mill restaurant. Photo by Philip Morgan, no reproduction without permission

I remember sitting in Pebble Mill the top floor restaurant while a motor bike was flying round the top of the building. Seeing Gangsters recorded and transmitted. The daily Pebble Mill at One. In fact for a long time I appeared daily on BBC1 because the opening titles had a shot of me walking along a corridor. I didn’t know until my mother asked if it was me! In the Comms Centre we had to set up the a circuit daily from Pres A studio at the Television Centre, for the weatherman to be used in Pebble Mill at One. This was normally fed on the BBC2 distribution vision line, with Sound-in-Syncs for the sound, because in those days BBC2 didn’t begin transmission until the late afternoon.

Birmingham Network Production Centre, as it was officially known, was just the right size by accident to make an environment where everyone works together to the same aim. I brought my sister and her family on a visit, and got here to see makeup, which I could not have done in London if my face was not known. There were no divisions between departments and different disciplines which I saw elsewhere, where television people do not understand radio, and studio sound staff were unaware of film sound techniques. These problem were absent at Pebble Mill because you had coffee and meals in the same restaurant and talked to each other. I once had my evening meal with the Midlands Presenter for television, I used to invite other presenters into the Comms Centre for a coffee. A production Assistant and I had an arrangement to see each others jobs. One TM (Technical Manager in television) suggested I follow him around and see his work on the set for Pebble Mill at One. I think the regions NPC working environment has been undervalue by the BBC.

Colin Pierpoint

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Pebble Mill at One titles from 1979

Titles sequence from the lunchtime magazine programme: Pebble Mill at One from 1979.

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

Jane Green: ‘The last PM@One!! Makes me sad 🙁 I was looking after Bob with the helicopters in the field. Couldn’t hear a darn thing – even with ear defenders on!’

Margaret Waine: ‘Oh what memories it brings back.’

Ann Gumbley-Williams: ‘What can I say!? ….,. My youth! My life! Nostalgia……! ? Counting out of titles…’

Jane Mclean: ‘God that music makes me cack myself!! Marian with the bike and think the sparks could be Keith Morton?’

Shoot First – no ordinary life – John Williams

copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

The news is out ! My memoirs “Shoot first No Ordinary Life” is at the printers. I’ve looked at publishing, all want lots of money with little return so I’m having copies printed for family, friends and those interested. Its tells of a 30year career making programs for the BBC and although not a definitive history it is a recollection of the “golden age” of Television production that was Pebble Mill Birmingham

Professor Paul Long Director, Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research. Writes

While we’re overloaded by celebrity tales, we need more of this kind of autobiography from those who created programmes and of course created the BBC’s reputation as the country’s foremost cultural institution. Williams insights into the nature of regional and national production, the personalities and roles, the (literal) nuts, bolts and decision making of making TV in the post-war era adds an invaluable resources for the understanding the social history of modern Britain which, if anything is bound up in the story of TV and the stories it has told.

David Waine (Head of the Network Production Centre 1983-86; Head of Broadcasting 1986-94).Writes

What has emerged is something more than that. It is a small piece of history written with the passion and involvement that only someone so committed can do.

Others have said “The book is a rollicking good read”, “boys adventure stories ( adult boys )”. “the book is illustrated on every page ; a coffee table book ,one to share with family at Christmas”.

For those of us from Pebble Mill this is an adventure story with a difference because many of you will know of these adventures and some of you will surely be familiar with the characters involved . There are, so many memories!

The Book is A4, 216 pages full colour , 96,500 words and I’m selling them first come first served at cost £14 plus postage or can be collected.

anybody who would like a copy please contact me on

john@willbriar.myzen.co

0152766897

Mob 07742671586

John Williams

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BBC Birmingham Mug

Photo by Vanessa Jackson

These BBC Birmingham mugs were given to all staff when BBC Birmingham was moved from Pebble Mill to the Mailbox in 2004, when Pebble Mill was closed, and production moved to the city centre site. This one has never been used!

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