Andrew Chorlton – What Was Pebble Mill?

Several Careful Owners

Several Careful Owners was transmitted between 1996 and 2001 on BBC 2, and BBC Choice. There were several series of the motoring programme, which traced the previous owners of different individual iconic cars, to learn the history of particular vehicles.

Directors included Dennis Jarvis, Justine Linnane and Ed Taylor, with Richard Pearson being the series producer. The cars involved included a Rolls Royce, and Hillman Pullman, a Rover 3.5 Coupe, an Austin Healey Frogeye, a Gordon Keeble, and a Dodge Ambulance – all with interesting stories to tell.

Thanks to Ian Collins for making the titles grab available.

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

Robin Sunderland (cameraman): “Yes, remember doing a number of these. Very enjoyable. Remember one about a ford capri, which started it’s life as a police traffic car! Always loved the irony of it having ‘careful owners’ !!”

Andrew Chorlton (soundman): “I recorded most if not all of them. Robin Sunderland on camera too.”

Langley Country

This still is from the titles of the series, Langley Country. Bob Langley presented the 30 minute, BBC 2 countryside programme, which was transmitted circa 2000. It seems to have formed half of ‘The Countryside’, a lunchtime hour of rural programming shown on BBC 2.

Thanks to Ian Collins for making this titles grab available.

The following comment was left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Andrew Chorlton: ‘Did a couple of shoots on this, Isle of Man and Somerset both with Robert Pike on camera. I Know the IOM shoot was 1997 or thereabouts because we shared our digs with the cast of Waking Ned which was being shot on the island.’

The Car’s The Star

Image copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without pemission.

The Car’s The Star was a series about classic cars, presented by Quentin Willson. It began in 1994. Quentin would tell the story of a particular car, which was interspersed with interviews from its various owners. Jon Bentley was the series producer, with Dennis Adams as executive producer. David Lowe wrote the theme music. Brian Watkiss and Peter Shannon were editors on the early episodes, Gary Vollans did the graphics, and the cameramen included Keith Schofield, John Couzens, Nigel Davey, and Keith Froggatt.

The following comment was added on the Pebble Mill Facebook group:

Andrew Chorlton: ‘I recorded at least two episodes, Citroen DS and Land Rover, messrs Couzens and Foster on camera respectively. Highlights? Taking a DS down the runway at RAF Wroughton with one wheel removed and checking into a hotel down south with John Wilcox who’s room had been booked in the name of Sir John Wilcox.’