Andy Morton – What Was Pebble Mill?

Feasts for a Fiver

Alan Duxbury recording Feasts for a Fiver, Andy Morton sound recordist to the left of Alan, Sue Watson on the left

Alan Duxbury recording

Sophie Grigson location shoot

Micci Bamford with Sophie Grigson

Sophie Grigson and Micci Bamford, Alan Duxbury in back of shot

These photos were taken in a shoot for Feasts for a Fiver, a cookery series starring Sophie Grigson.

The series was transmitted in 1999 on BBC2. This episode may be the one shot in Kent. Here is the entry from the Radio Times:

“Sophie Grigson prepares battered plaice and herb sandwich with griddled potato, tomato and red-onion salad, plus a vegetarian supper that includes beetroot curry and cucumber sambal, and a cut-price picnic for five. Directors Micci Billinger. Lynda Maher ; Producer Sara Kozak.”

During one episode the crew stayed in the coastal Devon village of Appledore. The location inspired producer Sue Watson, who is now a novelist. Appledore is the setting for Sue’s latest novel, Ella’s Ice Cream Summer.

Here is the link to Ella’s Ice Cream Summer: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ellas-Ice-Cream-Summer-romantic-sprinkles-ebook/dp/B06XK5PLYF%3FSubscriptionId%3D0V4JT1H35KWYMF0SKQR2%26tag%3Dnovelrank-21%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB06XK5PLYF

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

Andy Frizzell: ‘Bumped into Sophie Grigson a couple of times over the last couple of years. Ran a café in the Story museum, Oxford then a frozen food shop in Summertown, Oxford’

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Behind the scenes of a Pebble Mill rehearsal

FM Steve Pierson mimes Curtis Steiger

AFM Debbie Hood in the audience seating area

Peter Poole and Andy Morton adjust sound

Peter Poole and Andy Morton sorting out sound

Wilf Welch, cameraman, walks through shot

These grabs are taken from a rehearsal of the lunchtime studio entertainment show, Pebble Mill, which went out from Studio A from 1991-6. The rehearsal was recorded by Paul Vanezis.

Thanks to Laura McNeill for taking the grabs and sharing them.

‘Nobby Berghaus’s’ leaving do – photo by Laura McNeill

Photo by Laura McNeill, no reproduction without permission.

This photo was taken on the occasion of ‘Nobby Berghaus’s’ leaving the BBC.

He’s being seen off the premises by Sound friends Andy Morton, Paul Scurrell, Paul Clarke and John Cole, in the BBC Pebble Mill bar!

Seed – photo from John Greening

‘Seed’ was a single drama which went out in 1996, it was part of a new writers’ competition, the script was written by Cole Bradley. The BFI database includes the following synopsis for it:

“Rites-of-passage drama set in Birmingham. Les is just out of prison and wants to see his baby but the mother Julie and her family are against the idea. Together with his friend Ben, Les decides to plant a field of wheat on a piece of waste ground for the baby. Ben has to decide whether to go to Jamaica or not and his decision depends on his girlfriend Hashi. She plans that they will make love three times in extraordinary places in order to make their decision.” http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/553215

The drama starred Jim Pyke as Les, Terence Maynard as Ben, Nicola Arumugam as Hashi, Ram John Holder as Ben’s grandad, and Sudha Bhuchar as Aunt Minah.

Photo includes: John Greening – director, Kevin Lakin – location manager, Peter Lloyd – script editor, Amanda Neal – 1^st AD, Barbara Mackie – Producer, Midge Ferguson – AD, Janice Rider – Costume Designer, Bev Dartnall – Associate Producer, Leigh Ashurst – design, Jim Gray – camera, Andy Morton – sound, Jo Mainwaring – PA, Vivienne Oldham – make-up designer. Dave Bushell, was the lighting director, although I can’t see him pictured.