Photo from Tony Wadsworth, no reproduction without permission.
Area 5, was one of the studios used by Radio WM. The sign dates from after the 1999 studio refit.
Thanks to Tony Wadsworth for sharing this photo, and to Gareth Jones for adding the date.
The following comment was added on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Pete Simpkin: ‘Certainly were not there in my day although the ban was in force without the signs….l left in 1988. Wish they had been there as it would have avoided an altercation l had with the late Lord Lichfield who l had to stop from lighting up just before we began a live interview. I had to explain that if he did begin smoking l would have to delay the interview and play music whilst l asked higher authority to come to the studio to help me enforce the no smoking ban which was already in operation. The interview turned out to be of less duration than planned with short, terse answers and his Lordship getting up and noisily leaving the studio whilst l was attempting to go through the usual courtesy of thanking him for coming in to talk about his book of lovely photographs!’