Memories – Page 58 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Dub 2 – photos by Ben Peissel

Photos by Ben Peissel no reproduction without permission.

These photos are of Dubbing Theatre 2 at Pebble Mill. Dub 2 was mainly used for dubbing factual programmes like Gardeners’ World and Countryfile. It was smaller than Dub 1, but still had the comfy sofas at the back for members of the production team to sit on, whilst Ben Peissel and his colleagues made the programmes sound as good as they could. There was a voice over booth at the back, where presenters or voice over artists could record voice over to pictures. You can also see the turntable and tape deck for playing in music and sound effects from different sources.

BBC Club Flood 1987

The BBC Club at Pebble Mill was badly flooded in 1987 when a massive water pipe ruptured somewhere nearby. Very quickly the terrace where staff had been drinking and eating was underwater, followed by the little car park at the front of the building, and then the building itself. The Club was out of action for several months whilst the building dried out and was repaired and redecorated.

Thanks to Gail Herbert, Chair of the BBC Club for many years, for making the photos available.

Gail comments: “The lady wading on the patio is Joyce Latham. I’m the one with only a shirt on in the lounge & Linda Parsonage is to the left of me. Can’t remember the names of the other two but they were bar staff.”

Please add a comment if you remember the flood at the Club.

Flooded Terrace at the BBC Club

Opening the new Pebble Mill Club

Phil Sidey & Keith Jones New Club Opening

When Pebble Mill was first built the bar was on the second floor of the building, at the back, overlooking the back field and the courtyard. It was a hub of activity and socialising where almost everyone would congregate at lunchtime and after work. It was probably the only place where all levels of production and crew would get together, and therefore it became a really productive place for bouncing off ideas and solving any production issues.

As the number of staff expanded, there was more pressure for office space. In the early 1980s the new Club was built in the Pebble Mill grounds on the far side of the brook. It was a single storey building with a kitchen, large and small bar-rooms, and administration offices. There was a terrace to sit out on in the summer, as well as tennis courts and football fields.

Going to the bar at lunchtime was called ‘going over the bridge’, because of the little bridge across the brook to get to the Club.

The photo shows Phil Sidey, who was Head of the Building and President of the Club, and Keith Jones, Club Chairman, ringing a bell to officially open the new Club, circa 1982.

Thanks to Gail Herbert (subsequent Chair of the Club) for making the photo available. Copyright resides with the original photographer.

BBC Staff Photo 2004

This photo was taken just before the closure of Pebble Mill in 2004. It was taken from the roof of the building with everyone assembled on the back lawn.

More staff than anticipated turned up, and so the ‘C’ had to have a double line of people.

You’ll also notice quite a few children in the photo, brought over from the Pebble Mill Staff Nursery, which was housed in a small wooden pavilion just a little way down the Bristol Road.

Studio C – Walkway Sign

Studio C Walkway Sign

This sign used to hang on the walkway at the back of Studio C at Pebble Mill. Studio C was originally the entrance foyer, which was then converted into the studio for Pebble Mill at One. It was later used for Good Morning with Anne and Nick. At the back of the foyer was a corridor which led to Studio A, Make Up and the dressing rooms. This corridor had to be closed when Studio C was being used, so that people weren’t walking through the back of shot. When the Studio was in use only the top sign was displayed, with the lower one being taken up and down, depending on whether you were allowed to walk through or not.

The sign was rescued by James Patterson from Pebble Mill before it was demolished and is now proudly displayed in the Post Production area of BBC Birmingham, in the Mailbox, next to the sink and the drinks machine!