Chris Phipps

Chris Phipps trails Look! Hear!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chris Phipps died suddenly on Friday 23rd August, 2019. Chris was a reporter on BBC Birmingham/ Radio WM and co-presented on Look!Hear! with Toyah Willcox in the 1980s, before becoming a presenter on The Tube.

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

Conal O’Donnell: ‘Chris was a wonderful erudite popular culture man who could literally turn his hand to anything.I have very fond memories of him at Pebble Mill in the late 70s.The kind of colleague who made one proud to work for the Beeb.’

Kate Boston Williams: ‘Chris was my first colleague when I made the move to Newcastle in 1998. He remained a loyal friend. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge on all things musical and his anecdotes were legendary. I’ll miss our meetings at the Tyneside cinema, his wit and kindness.’

Michael Fisher: ‘Chris was a great colleague at Pebble Mill who gave me an interest in the Black Country and encouraged my occasional forays into the world of music.’

Photo from Janice Rider, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Janice Rider: ‘It was only a short while ago in Sept 2017 , that I met up with Chris again after many years , when he gave a talk at Birmingham City Uni about his career & books he had written.’

Mick Murphy: ‘Thank you for tickets to see The Heavy Metal Kids at the Odeon New Street, in the 70s. My ears are still ringing, but it was a musical turning point for me. So sorry you’ve left the stage.’

Janice Rider: ‘A wonderful memory Mick . I have one too when Chris took me for a surprise lunch and it turned out to be with David Essex ! I was so overwhelmed I just sat transfixed & hardly ate a thing !!’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Worked a lot with Chris at BBC Birmingham and Radio WM and eventually took over his post at Wolverhampton in the late 80s.’

Working in Television – Derek Price

copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is an excerpt from an interview with technical manager, Derek Price, from a book called Working in Television written in 1980 by Jan Leeming, who worked at Pebble Mill for a time. The aim was to encourage young people to think about careers in television.

Thanks to Jonathan Dick for sharing the photo, who has sadly died since sharing the excerpts.

Stan Smith’s retirement party

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo from Malcolm Hickman of Stan Smith’s retirement party (circa 1983/4), which was well attended by Comms Centre staff.

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

Brian Johnson: ‘Will give it a try: Front row L to R – David Robinson, John Noble, Chris Donovan, Stan Smith, Keith Lindsey, Graham Hewitt: : Second Row L-R Shaffiq, John Nestor, Brian Johnson, Ian Gordon, Roy (Cyril) Thompson (peering over his shoulder), Glynn Benbow, Roy Winson, Jon Parker, Bob Allison, Mike Day, Fred Norton, Nigel Harris, Keith Brown, Paul Wheeldon, Derrek Smith, Malcolm Hickman,: Back Row R-L- John Malby, Phil Partridge, Guy with Glasses (??), then Graham Todd, Richard Taylor.
Can anyone fill in the (??) .

Great Photo. but what a male orientated lot we were’

Malcolm Hickman:’Guy over Roy’s shoulder is John Parker. Went to VT. Nigel Harris with beard, Keith Brown looking sideways.’

Andy Marriott: ‘Graham (on the right, with his hand on the trolley looking thing) was one of the Comms supervisors when I started.’

 

Pot Black

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photo is of Jim Dumighan and producer Reg Perrin on the popular snooker series, Pot Black, which was made at Pebble Mill. It looks like the programme planning blackboard in the background.

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

Julian Hitchcock: ‘We recorded it just after Christmas. Wonderful convivial days.’

Gordon Astley: ‘Pot Black was my first job when I joined the Beeb. On the first episode it was my responsibility to press ‘play’ on the tape machine for the iconic theme tune !’

Dawn and Kevin Hudson, with their Pot Black T-shirts

Nicola Katrak shoot

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On location on the 1986, Nicola Katrak documentary with the Asian Programme Unit. In the photograph are Barrie Foster (then camera assistant), Steve Saunderson (film cameraman), Waseem Mahmood (director).

Here is the entry for the documentary from the Radio Times:

“A Dancer’s Story – Nicola Katrak
Narrated by Marian Foster An Asian Magazine special that takes a look at the hard, dedicated profession of dancing through the eyes of Nicola Katrak , a young
Principal with the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet.
Nicola is descended from a distinguished Parsee family in Karachi, Pakistan. The film shows Nicola rehearsing at Sadler’s Wells, relaxing at home in London with her husband Charles, and also working with young children teaching them to appreciate ballet.
Research ELISABETH SEABOURNE Film editor JOHN BLAND
Director WASEEM MAHMOOD
Executive producer ASHOK RAMPAL BBC Pebble Mill”

https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/f2419193cf7142e9ab22b9469926b9fb