Helen O’Rahilly outside Pebble Mill, copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission
My first BBC job….1988-89…researcher at Daytime Live. Great days, great people: Simon Shaw, Mary Clyne, David Morgenstern, Vikki Kimm, David Lancaster, David Weir, Alan Titchmarsh, Judi Spiers….loved the Friday baltis with the team in Moseley. A wonderful place that welcomed this young Irish woman from RTE. Fond memories.
Helen O’Rahilly
Don Pinchbeck
Don, in the centre
Children in Need: Jason (postroom) (left), Marie Phillips (Children in Need Organiser) (centre) next to Don
My dad, Don Pinchbeck, worked at Pebble Mill between 1977-2001 as a Studio Attendant, he absolutely loved working for BBC Pebble Mill, he always had great stories about stars that he’d seen and the lovely people he worked with, unfortunately he passed away on 27 Dec 2015 aged 80, a great dad, husband and grandad, much loved and missed. His funeral will be taking place at St Edwards Church, Selly Park on Wed 20 Jan 2016 at 9.30am.
My dad worked at the BBC from retired in 2001 (though he really didn’t want to) he was always based at Pebble Mill, the shows I know he worked on were:
Pebble Mill at One
Telly Addicts
Basil Brush Show
I can’t remember if he worked on the Clothes Show, I know he worked on a similar show with John Leslie hosting it.
The Alan Titchmarsh show
Maybe Top Gear
Children in Need
He mentioned lots of celebrities over the years, probably when Pebble Mill at One was still on, Barry Manilow, Joan Collins, Roger Moore, the stars from the shows above and lots of others. He received lots of commendations for his hard work over the years which my mom kept. He took me to a few staff kid’s Christmas parties at the BBC, we went to see Basil Brush a few times, we attended an open day they had for the public in the early 90’s I remember which are great and we went in the audience a few times at Children in Need. He was very hard working, dad to 5, grandad to 3, great grandad to 2. He lived in Selly Oak all his life, so he loved working locally and for the Beeb as he called it.
Catherine Pinchbeck
(The show that Catherine mentions, presented by John Leslie, would have been Style Challenge).
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Les Podraza: ‘I remember Don very well. A great charachter and hard working part of Studio A. Always ready to muck in and help out. So sad he has now departed this world. ‘
Richard Smith: ‘Sad to learn of Don’s death. A lovely, friendly and hard working man, would do anything to help you. Many happy times with him in House Services. In the photos are Jason Edwards, Robert Pash, Alan Evans, Billy Gardner, Frank Barber and Marie Phillips. Condolences to Don’s family.’
Donald Steel: ‘I remember Don very well and with fondness – always the same always cheerful. It was a great gang in those days everybody helped you. So very sorry to hear of his passing.’
Marie Phillips: ‘The group photo was my retirement party in March 1998. Don was not fond of “does”so I was thrilled he and the rest of “my lads” came along. I honestly could not have done so many events for Children in Need without the enthusiasm and often out of hours help given by Don and all of them. He and they were a breed apart and I was forever grateful. Fond memories Don.’
Gill Thompson: ‘I worked with Don looking after the audiences at Pebble Mill, a lovely man and excellent at his job, always smiling and very professional.’
Mary Sanchez: ‘I remember him well from my Pebble Mill days – always really nice and friendly. I also used to see him out and about around Selly Park and we’d wave .’
Photos by Karen Bond, no reproduction without permission.
These photos are of a Children in Need night with a Hollywood theme. The show took place in Studio A. The first photo has floor manager, Dave Brazier on the far left hand-side, with Laurel and Hardy look-a-likes. They date from the early 1990s. The girl in black, centre, in the second photo is presenter Jenny Powell.
The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Carole Lowe: ‘I have my photos of that night found them the other day it was inside the studio with a Hollywood theme for Children in Need Marie Phillips was at the helm maybe she might know , the only OB I remember for Children in Need was in the city centre with Alan Titchmarsh and Lesley Joseph I was helping on that day as well. Happy memories.’
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
This title grab is from the lunchtime studio magazine show: Pebble Mill, which was the successor of Pebble Mill at One, and ran from 1991-6. The show focussed on celebrity interviews, performance and entertainment. It was presented by Alan Titchmarsh on some days, and Judi Spiers on others, and I think Ross King also presented the show. Pebble Mill was transmitted from Studio A.
Thanks to Ian Collins for making the grab available.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Page:
Denny Hodge: ‘I worked on this show did the warm up they had a very small audience but the presenters were great fun.’
David Lowe: ‘I wrote the theme tune for that – I was very proud! One of my first ones for Network TV – On The House was another’
photo by Ben Peissel, 2003, no reproduction without permission
History of the BBC in Birmingham
(taken from notes held at the BBC Archives in Caversham)
1922 Nov 15 British Broadcasting Company begins transmitting from rooms at the GEC Works at Witton. Managed by Percy Edgar and Pat Casey, it consisted of three room: one contained the transmitter, one was the office and the other was the 12x20ft studio.
1923 Dec 6 The first ever Children’s Hour comes from Birmingham. Children’s circle established, proceeds of which were donated to West Midlands Children’s charities.
1924 Witton premises too small. Moved to top storey of 105 New Street. One studio and a suite of offices.
1926 New Street premises too small (and rat infested). Purpose built studios at 282 Broad Street acquired. Largest studio could accommodate a full orchestra and chorus.
1927 Jan 1 British Broadcasting Company dissolved and the British Broadcasting Corporation constituted under Royal Charter.
1927 Daventry ‘Experimental Transmitter’ replaces 5 IT at Witton.
1938 First episode of Paul Temple attracts 7,000 fan letters.
1949 Sutton Coldfield transmitter opens bringing television to the Midlands.
1951 Jan 1 The Archers first appears on the Light Programme. Brookfield Farm was located in Studio 2 at Broad Street for 20 years.
1951 BBC acquired the lease for Pebble Mill site.
1954 Carpenter Road, Edgbaston became the new Broadcasting House.
1955 Dec 29 First Midland Region television studio opened at Gosta Green, Birmingham.
1956 Gardening Club (now Gardeners’ World) began.
1957 Sept 30 First BBC Midlands TV News broadcast each weekday evening. 6.10-6.15.
1962 Nightly TV magazine programme – Midlands at Six
1962 A model of proposed BBC Pebble Mill Broadcasting Centre was show to the press.
1964 Sept First episode of Midlands Today presented by Barry Lankester and produced by Michael Hancock. News items were a football bribery trial, a new course on local government, Swedish sport and an item called ‘the body beautiful’.
1965 Immigrants Unit set up by Patrick Beech to provide Hindu/Urdu programmes. BBC’s first bi-media department, making programmes for both radio and television.
1967 First BBC Local Radio Station in Leicester.
1967 Pebble Mill – first sod was cut by then Director General Sir Hugh Greene.
1970 Nov 7 Pebble Mill began with Radio Birmingham, later became Radio WM.
1971 HRH Princess Anne officially opens the new Pebble Mill studios.
1972-86 Pebble Mill at One, presenters included Donny Macleod, Bob Langley, Ross King, Judi Spiers and Alan Titchmarsh.
1976 Saturday Night at the Mill – live. All staged in either one of the studios or outside the front of Pebble Mill. The courtyard around the back was constructed into a mini ice-rink with a canopy area for if it rained when live bands were on.
1977 The Horror of Fang Rock, only episode of Dr Who to be filmed here at The Mill. The set consisted of a lighthouse built in the studio, and it was the setting for a battle with an alien shape shifter. The story featured the one and only appearance in the series of a Rutan – seen in its natural state as an amorphous green blob with trailing tentacles. It was the fifteenth season of the series and the Doctor at the time was Tom Baker. It was transmitted between 03/09/1977 and 24/09/1977.
1988 Oct Midlands Today became the first regional news programme to include a nightly sports section.