Tag: Asian Network

Network Radio – We are BBC Birmingham

We are BBC Bham Network RadioCopyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

This grab is from a brochure called We are BBC Birmingham, which was given to all staff, and others, when Pebble Mill closed in 2004, and BBC Birmingham moved to the Mailbox.

It shows the diversity of Network Radio being produced at BBC Birmingham at the time, including radio drama and factual rural affairs series on Radio 4, and 30% of Radio 2’s output, as well as Asian Network and interactive services.

Thanks to Dharmesh Rajput for keeping the brochure safe for the last decade, and for sharing it.

Radio WM – Sunday Night Party

left to right: Clive Payne (presenter), Ian Wood (main presenter and producer), front Nermin Aaron (presenter), right Paul Flower (presenter)

left to right: Clive Payne (presenter), Ian Wood (main presenter and producer), front Nermin Aaron (presenter), right Paul Flower (presenter)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I presented for Radio WM of a weekend between 1989 and 2000.  I also did some bits for television too but predominantly, my time was spent in radio.

I co-presented a Sunday night locally networked programme called the Sunday Night Party and it’s main presenter, Ian Wood, would occasionally allow me to go off and interview people, some of them famous, for the programme.
For those people who remember the configuration of Radio WM’s studios, they were basically five cubicles or ‘Areas’ as they were locally known.  Areas One and Two were self-op studios, Area Three, although designed as a studio but without self-op desk was used as the telephone answering area.  Area Four was the same as one and two and Area Five was set up with a round discussion table and a number of mic sources, which were controlled as ‘slaves’ from Area four.

The Sunday Night Party was transmitted live from Area Five because of the number of contributors participating in each programme and driven by me, also presenting from Area Four.  It was taken by WM, Hereford and Worcester, Shropshire and Stoke and in the earlier years Coventry and Warwickshire had us too, all under the local branding of ‘Midlands BBC’.  WM’s jingles were re-sung to reflect this.

On one occasion I became aware of a new band gigging in Birmingham and the SNP was a good platform to promote local talent.  I invited the band, whose name I can’t remember now, into the studios to record a couple of songs for the SNP early one evening.  I duly ordered up some extension leads and extra mics from Paul Hunt our engineer in charge and some acoustic screens too, to ‘encase’ the drummer in so the sound didn’t spill.
We cleared the furniture in Area five and prepared for a sound check.  I’m not saying they were loud but I’ve never seen PPM meters on a Mark 3 desk wrap themselves around the stop quite so quick!   Oddly enough the floor seemed to vibrate too.

The evening continued and we were about ready to record the two songs after I’d interviewed the band.
Radio WM provided locally networked programmes during the week too and ready to go out live in Area two was Tony Wadsworth and Julie Mayer.
The band started to play and rocked the first floor.  I heard that Tony and Julie had to apologise to their listeners as the sound of the band could be heard in their studio and therefore by their listeners.
Radio WM’s studios were above the Daytime Live offices downstairs.  Unbeknown to me, there were a couple of people working late in there that evening and they could feel the ceiling vibrate from the sound of the drums from the band immediately above their heads.  Rumour had it that a diffuser shade came loose off a light fitting in their office as a result of the vibration.
I never got to apologise for disturbing their evening so if they know who they are then perhaps this can go some way to being a belated apology.

As this was a one off band session, I did ask WM management if I could hire Studio 2 in Network Radio as this would have been easier but WM were unwilling to spend that kind of money in those days.  I therefore had to resort to the cheap option.

So that was the one and only time I made the earth vibrate for various people in Pebble Mill.

Clive Payne 1Clive Payne

 

 

 

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

Andy Walters: ‘Area 1 was Asian Network, Area 2 was the self op one that looked into Area 3, Phone in room. Area 4 was the other self op cubicle that could also drive the mics in Area 5 which was just a talks studio. Apparently Area 1 was the Editor’s office in the days of BBC Mk2 desks and the third studio was sat next to the record library.

I remember the night of the earthquake well which disrupted WM’s programmes as well as Edwina Currie on Radio 5 Live.’

Tony Wadsworth: ‘If I recall the studio configurations correctly, area one wasn’t a self-op studio. I presented the breakfast show from there 94/95 and Chris Christopher Baxter drove me from area two. And the late show came from area four….I think!’

Ian Wood: ‘So that was what went on when I was elsewhere! Sorry about that, Daytime Live office. And hats off to Clive for the blog and the photo.’

Mahabharat

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Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

Mahabharat was a drama series which went out in 1988-90. It told the epic story of a family feud between the noble Pandava princes and their scheming cousins.

Thanks to Ian Collins for making this titles grab available.

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

Adam Trotman: ‘I tech reviewed hundreds of these …Often the quality was so bad It was impossible to pass them. I really got into it though I must say.’

Russell Parker: ‘I used to love this for its awfulness Adam, back when I first saw it as a student, knowing now what I do, I can only imagine (fairly and appropriately badly) what it must’ve been like to tech rev.’

Adam Cooke: ‘I hadn’t joined the BBC at that time but I do remember watching this on TV… I think it was on a Sunday morning. I just remember thinking how brilliantly weird the whole series was. As a young 16 year old at the time I enjoyed the whole ‘fantasy’ aspect of the show.’

Dharmesh Rajput: ‘It was a B R Chopra production that APU showed – I wasn’t working there then though. It’s one of two ancient Sanskrit epics in Hinduism. There’s lots of philosophy contained in it – though I’ve yet to read / watch it properly. However, I do remember I had just started working at BBC Asian Network and had my uher training when the cast of the series did a live show at the NEC and were hosted at a tea by The Lord Mayor. I interviewed the cast – including in Hindi which I didn’t speak fluently – and my first pieces were broadcast on radio.’

Tony Fisher – graphic artist and one time producer

Tony Fisher

Tony Fisher

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.

Tony Fisher sadly died on Wednesday 15th January 2014.

Tony was an extremely talented graphic artist, who joined BBC Pebble Mill in 1984, and worked there until the Graphics Department closed, a little while before the building shut in 2004. He was a real gentleman, and always impeccably dressed – he was definitely the best-turned out man at Pebble Mill!

I had the privilege of working with Tony on several occasions, but the one I remember most was on a series called Countdown to Christmas. Tony had applied for an attachment as a producer, and was taken on by Executive Producer Steph Silk, on the factual Christmas series – I was his researcher. It was the winter of 1989. Pebble Mill was so busy at the time that we had to use offices in Selly Oak, next to the BBC costume store. The series was a five parter, which went out daily at 10.30am on BBC 2 in the run up to Christmas – 4-8th December. Bob Davies, then known as Bob Chippriott, was the director, and Marian Foster was the main presenter. The main location was the On The House house, set in the back garden of Pebble Mill, which operated as the studio.

I can remember a little about the programme. It was a magazine show packed with helpful advice about how to survive Christmas. There was a daily cookery strand, presented by the Observer food journalist and writer, Katherine Whitehorn; a guide to the must have presents; and a wrapping and decorating insert with a very camp window dresser and stylist from Libertys in London.

Tony found the producing part of the programme quite stressful, but what he really relished was the planning and designing of the title sequence and graphics. He commissioned a friend of his, who I think worked at Bournville College, to make a series of models, of almost childlike figures of a family, preparing for Christmas. The figures moved around a board with Christmassy activities. I think it was stop-frame animation. The title sequence was probably the best part of the programme, and Tony was very proud of it!

The whole experience of working on Countdown to Christmas was enough of a foray into production for Tony, and after the series was transmitted he returned to the Graphics Department, and subsequently designed the titles and graphics for many Pebble Mill programmes. I remained firm friends with Tony from then on.

Vanessa Jackson

The following are some of the comments left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Liz Munro: ‘What a lovely tribute, Vanessa. And how sad. I do remember him because he was impeccably turned out. Also, he sounds typical of quite a few people at Pebble Mill – quietly talented and unassuming. As for the chap from Liberty’s, I think that if the recent series is anything to go by, it is not altogether surprising. Your comments made me smile.’

Dharmesh Rajput: ‘Oh how sad – as Liz says – he was such a gentleman and always took time to chat – and yes personifies a specific time and atmosphere at the beeb particularly at Pebble Mill that was pretty wonderful’

Janice Rider: ‘Very sad news . Lovely , witty, immensely talented , gentle soul and the Dandiest dresser of Pebble Mill . Worked with Tony on Boogie Outlaws and we seemed to instinctively both come up with a matching colour palette for the record producing character played by Ian Hogg . Always remember that moment of osmosis . My heart goes out to Camilla and his daughter .’

Louise Bagley: ‘So sorry to hear the sad news about Tony Fisher. Such a lovely guy, always impeccably turned out, a true gent!’

Pam Renoata: ‘Tony was a wonderful and hugely talented man. I met Tony through my husband Gurpreet Renoata who worked with him in the graphic design department. They’ve stayed good friends long after the section closed. Tony was always such fabulous company. Witty, charming, articulate, cultured, modest. A true gent. His passing is a tremendous loss to everyone who knew him and indeed the world. Talking about him in the past tense just doesn’t feel real. It’s lovely he’s being remembered here. Thank you.’

Dharmesh Rajput:  ‘If I’m not mistaken – I’ve just remembered he creates the map for Silver Street on BBC Asian Network.’

Harriet Fisher: ‘Thank you for writing this fond tribute Vanessa. It is lovely to read about other parts of Dad’s life and how many people he touched. And to all the other kind people who have written, thank you. Pam, what lovely words. I only wish he could read these comments and see the cards, flowers and tributes that have arrived. He deserves to see them, there are so many people that love him. He was a inspirational man, so kind, dignified, stylish and warm. He was witty and quick, even until the day he left us. I will miss my wonderful Dad forever. Thank you for your kind words’

John Greening: ‘So sorry to hear this sad news. I had the privilege to work on a number of shows with Tony, the most stylish man I ever met. If you seek a suitable memorial to his genius just watch the opening titles of “Martin Chuzzlewit”…’

Jane Brocklehurst Curry:  ‘So sorry to hear about this. I worked for a long time in the Graphic Design department at Pebble Mill and Tony was such a charming colleague. As everyone else has pointed out – a true gentleman. I’ve great memories of working with him and of his fabulous Christmas and graphic design dept invites.’

Ian Wood: ‘Greatly saddened to hear this. Tony was supremely talented, a wit and a gentleman – always had been, from the days when he taught Graphic Design while I was at Bournville School of Art in 1981-2, when he and Chris Brett steered and cajoled me into my degree course. It was a pleasure to renew my acquaintance with him when he joined Pebble Mill.’

Marie Phillips: ‘Tony Fisher is someone you never forget when you think of kindness and a willingness to help. He was never too busy when I asked for cards posters, leaflets etc for Children in Need. Aside from that, he willingly gave my daughter, Ruth, invaluable help with a major project for her Art and Design studies. A man a pleasure to have known.’

John Peries: ‘Yes, Tony created the drawing of the Silver Street location that got it out of our imaginations and onto the page to share with others. He was lovely to work with, and it was always good to see him when he passed by Pebble Mill or The Mailbox.’

Mandy Glynn: ‘Really sorry to hear the sad news. I worked with Tony in the Graphics Department at Pebble Mill for 7 years. Tony was a lovely, kind, caring and very talented man. A true gentleman.’

Kim Finch: ‘Lovely Tony took me on as work experience many years ago when I was at uni. It was his enthusiasm that led me to work in the fab graphics department for six years. Lovely memories. Thank you Mr Fisher.’