Radio – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

Last episode of Pebble Mill at One

Photo by Simon Harris, no reproduction without permission

Photo by Simon Harris, no reproduction without permission

Photo by Simon Harris, no reproduction without permission

Photo by Simon Harris, no reproduction without permission

Photograph by Simon Harris, no reproduction without permission

Thanks to Simon Harris for sharing these photographs. They date from May 1986, and were taken on the last ever episode of Pebble Mill at One. The photos show the Royal Navy Sea King approaching Pebble Mill with the roof of the network radio studios in the foreground. Anne Barker, a Radio WM news producer is seen on the roof using a lip mic to give a live commentary. WM producer Conal O’Donnell, pint in hand, poses next to the Sea King. He and fellow producer Robin Brittan are pictured outside the club watching the Lynx take off.

David Waine 1944-2021- obituary from Jerry Johns

David Waine in 2017

David Waine, who has died at the age of 76, had a career with the BBC spanning 30 years ending as Head of Broadcasting at BBC Pebble Mill in Birmingham.

After leaving school in 1960 he joined the Newbury Weekly News as a trainee reporter where he remained for five years including a spell as Sports Editor at the age of 18. He left in 1964 to become a freelance reporter covering Reading and South Berkshire for BBC South in Southampton as well as regularly contributing to the Radio 4 Today programme and The World At One, where he was known as ‘Waine of Newbury’. Later he joined the BBC in Bristol as a trainee television journalist. Attachments to Plymouth and BBC Southampton followed. The latter post included a memorable encounter with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor aboard the Queen Mary when he persuaded the reluctant Duke to take part in a three minute interview.

Continue reading →

BBC Rules – Little Red Book

This gallery contains 12 photos.

Here are some photos of a brilliant little book (a real product of its time – 1938) that Harvey Brown was given by his first line manager (Alannah Hensler) when he joined the BBC in 1997. A very useful book when addressing important people.

BBC PA issue stopwatch

Former Radio and TV production assistant, Caroline Feldon (now Parsons) was going through some of her old BBC stuff and came across the stopwatch which she used during her Radio 3 and TV gallery days. It still works and as you can see has the official number on the back. Solid and reassuring!

Pete Simpkin 1942-2020

Radio Birmingham and Radio WM presenter and producer Pete Simpkin sadly died on 29th June 2020.

Pete Simpkin

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

Gyn Freeman: He really was Radio Birmingham then newbies arrived with “ideas” change of name for the station and other changes. He was loved by his listeners and years after I found him being kind and help elderly residents – so a real Brummy a decent chap.

Clive Payne: I knew Pete when I joined WM in 1989. In those days the BBC invested heavily in training people and Pete did a lot of that as well as being a highly acclaimed and established producer and presenter too. He taught me everything I knew and it is down to him that I have the radio career that I have today. Without him, I know it would not have happened. I grew up in Shirley; Pete lived there with his wife Pat, so I used to see them around anyway. Pete and I used to come home together on the 49 bus sometimes and used to put the world to rights. He taught us all on our course about the ‘red light rule’ i.e. not entering a studio with a red light glowing, an ethos I am a stickler with today. On the odd occasion where people have come into my studio through a read light – they have had a reality check from me not to do it again! Pete taught me to edit on quarter inch tape, like we all did in those days and how to research an item and importantly not to over -research it. He also taught me how to deliver speech on air and the importance of articulation and comprehension. Speech based radio is still by far my favourite form. I am glad that I and other like me knew him not only as a colleague but a friend too and received the value of his many years of experience and training. My career and I are far better off with it.