Barry Chatfield – What Was Pebble Mill?

A Sort of Innocence photographs – James French

A Sort of Innocence was recorded in October 1986. James French was cameraman, and has shared and captioned these photos taken on location in Hereford.

Don’t know who the extra is leaning against the wall. Guy with cigarette is Production Manager, Peter Rose; not sure about stripey, guy with white fleck in hair is Director, John Gorrie; lady is Producer, Ruth Boswell; on right is Sound Supervisor, Ray Bailey.

Grip is Ron Fleet, then Director, John Gorrie and me (2nd Camera) on Elemack dolly.

Me and John Gorrie again

Ron and me again in the foreground. Tim Everett holding the sound boom. I think the actor standing is Linus Roache and sitting in the Jaguar XJS is Kenneth Cranham.

Leaning on tripod is Rigger Supervisor, George Stevenson; Grip, Ron Fleet; cable-bashing is Rigger, Barry Clarke; on dolly is Camera Supervisor, Keith Salmon, with back to camera is Tim Everett (sound) and holding the boom pole is Tony Wass.

No caption necessary as all folk are named elsewhere.

Lighting Director, Barry Chatfield with Lastolite.

Grip, Ron Fleet; Rigger, Barry Clarke; Camera Supervisor, Keith Salmon

Lighting technicians (Sparks!): Roger Hynes and Dave Walter, with Rigger Supervisor, George Stevenson.

Dresser, Paul Higton; Designers, Martin Boddison and John Lindlar; Dresser, Shaun Lowe.

Me again (one of my favourite pics – I actually look like I know what I am doing!)

The only additional people on here are the boy, Actor, Neil Jeffery and with his back to us (next to Neil), Actor, Michael Byrne.

Forget Carter – Chris Phipps

Chris Phipps, who used to present on Look! Hear! at Pebble Mill in the early 1980s, and was the BBC’s Black Country correspondent in the 1970s, has written a book about the films and television of Newcastle.

Here is the publicity material from Chris:

“We associate Newcastle with TV and Film icons Get Carter, Byker Grove, The Tube and Our Friends in the North. However, do you know where Ralph Richardson stole money from in 1939? Why a den of spies were living in Jesmond in 1951? Who met Tommy Lee Jones on the High Level Bridge in 1988? Why Gateshead High Street was under siege in 2009? and which Newcastle flats seem to appear in every programme or film made in Newcastle?

In his new book, media historian Chris Phipps takes us on his tour of Newcastle’s film and TV covering old favourites like Payroll and Auf Wiedersehen Pet and shining light on some hidden gems such as The One and Only, Unconditional and The Clouded Yellow. Newcastle continues to be the perfect film set, seeing filming for Vera and Transformers: The Black Knight in 2016. Forget Carter! What could be next for this photogenic city?

With contributions from directors Ken Loach (I, Daniel Blake, Kes) and Bryn Higgins (Unconditional), writers Peter Flannery (Our Friends in the North, George Gently), Ian La Frenais (The Likely Lads, Porridge, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet) and Lee Hall (Billy Elliot)and actors Melanie Hill (Bread, Coronation Street), Victoria Elliot (Hebburn , Emmerdale, The Kennedys, 55 Degrees North, Get Carter stage play), Charlie Hardwick (Amber Films, Emmerdale, Byker Grove) and Dave Johns (I, Daniel Blake), this book explores the background to the filming of many television programmes and films in Newcastle.”

The book is now available from AMAZON, The Tyneside Cinema and www.tinyurl.com/toonbooks but will be available from Tyne Bridge Publishing:

Tyne Bridge Publishing

Newcastle Libraries

33 New Bridge Street West

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE1 8AX

Phone +44 (0)191 2774174

david.hepworth@newcastle.gov.uk

www.tynebridgepublishing.org.uk

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

Andy Frizzell: ‘Co-presented look hear with Toyah Wilcox. One of the first things I worked on and the first time I met Barry Chatfield. A long, long time ago.’

Save

Keith Moreton

Pebble Mil scene dock, photo by Jim Gregory, no reproduction without permission

Tony Wolfe, Barry Chatfield, Annie Morris, Keith Moreton. Photo Jane McLean, no reproduction without permission

Keith Moreton and Jane McLean. Photo from Jane McLean, no reproduction without permission

Derek Price and Keith Moreton, photo by Jane McLean, no reproduction without permission

Keith Moreton sadly died last Thursday 3rd November 2016, after a short illness. Keith was a Charge-hand Electrician at Pebble Mill, along with Phil Vaughan, Keith Bullock, Roger Hynes and Derek McCulloch.

(Thanks to Annie Gumbley-Williams for passing on this news).

The following memories of working with Keith were added to the Pebble Mill Facebook page:

Lesley Weaver: ‘Many happy memories of working with Keith. What a lad! I especially remembering him sitting in the Make up room at Pebblemill showing me how to fill in my T&D’s the ‘Sparks Way’ for a block of filming we both did on the same programme .. It may have been Nannys. Needless to say it was instantly rejected in our office… unlike his no doubt!’

Bridget Jenkins: ‘Coming into my office on Friday lunchtimes to encourage me down to the club. And me a fine upstanding Personnel Officer! He lightened up many a dull day.’

Save

A Sort of Innocence – James French

Behind the Scenes; A Sort of Innocence from pebblemill on Vimeo.

Video copyright, James French, no reproduction without permission.

James French has provided the following information about this behind the scenes footage which he recorded on location for A Sort of Innocence, known as ‘The Hereford Project’ at the time. The first sequence is by the river in Hereford and the other involves a low-loader being rigged at Chateau Impney in Droitwich Spa:

This was a two camera shoot using CM2 and I (James French) was second camera, Keith Salmon camera supervisor. The cameras were Philips LDK 514s with Angenieux lenses for the techie-types.

The Director was John Gorrie. You hear him but don’t see him in the first sequence. The 1st AD is Peter Rose, who went on to direct several soaps including Crossroads, Eastenders and Coronation Street. Main actor: Kenneth Cranham. Boy: Neil Jeffery, LD: Barry Chatfield, Sparks: Dave Walter, Sound: Tony Wass, Tim Everett.

It was 1986.

The grip’s name was Ron Fleet, and I think the cable basher is rigger, Barry but can’t remember his surname.

behind the scenes on A Sort of Innocence

EM: Dave Robinson, Spark: Roger Hynes (can’t remember the other guy), Director: John Gorrie seen sitting on the kerb in the early panning shot, Engineer: Peter Eggleston, Vision Mixer: Roger Sutton, Rigger: George Stephenson, Editor: Mike Bloore.

Here is the Radio Times entry from the first episode courtesy of the BBC Genome project:

A six-part serial by ALICK ROWE Episode 1 starring
Kenneth Cranham Cheryl Campbell Michael Byrne
Introducing Neil Jeffery Elizabeth Fellowes seems well suited to life in a small cathedral town. Her husband, Mark, teaches at the cathedral school where her son, Tim, is a chorister. Unknown to the family, boardroom battles are taking place elsewhere. These are to have a dramatic effect on their future lives together.
Music composed by RICHARD HARVEY Script editor JENNY SHERIDAN Designers
MYLES LANG. AMANDA ATKINSON Producer RUTH BOSWELL Director JOHN GORRIE

genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/56046536e8054c6fb2167b2d10c5920f

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

Diana Lester: ‘Thanks James, I cannot believe that was over 30 years ago. …lovely to see faces from the past, many who unfortunately are no longer with us ….and we all look so young !!’

Karen Lamb: ‘Hearing Keith’s voice again was so special saying “don’t point it at the sun” such wonderful memories working on crew 5.’

Dawn/Kevin Hudson: ‘Great memories,the grip was Ronnie Fleet, and the fella brushing the path was affectionately known as Gonzo.’

Richard Stevenson: ‘Great clip. Is Tim booming wearing a tie?! Those were the days.’

Vote for Them group shots

Photos by Willoughby Gullachsen (Gus), no reproduction without permission.

These publicity stills are from the BBC2, 1989, three part drama, Vote For Them, by David Edgar and Neil Grant.

Thanks to costume designer, Janice Rider, for sharing the photos.

Here is the Radio Times entry for the second episode, transmitted on 9th June 1989, from the BBC Genome project, which almost certainly contains some of the scenes shown here: http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e9decff99d7e467786837144615f5319

‘by DAVID EDGAR and NEIL GRANT
The ‘Music for All’ Forces
Parliament is a great success. A general election is held to decide who should be the Government and who the Opposition. Government
Opposition
Speaker
Civilians
Drama Club
Backbenchers
Present Day
Sound ANDY REDFERN
Lighting BARRY CHATFIELD Executive producer MICHAEL WEARING
Producer CAROL PARKS
Director JAMES ORMEROD BBC Pebble Mill’

If you can add more information about the scenes that these stills are from, please add a comment.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Neil Grant (referring to the 3rd photo): ‘David Cardy front row, on the left, and Billy Hartman, the sergeant in the foreground facing away. From an early meeting of the ‘Music for All Parliament’.’
Ian Barber (also referring to the 3rd photo): ‘Looks like Jane Gurnett in the 2nd row’