Betti Moretti – What Was Pebble Mill?

Christopher Timothy speaking on Radio 2

Kevin Lakin, Christopher Timothy and Terry Ford, on location in the Yorkshire Dales, for All Creatures Great and Small. No reproduction without permission.

Christopher Timothy just spoke during an interview, by Graham Norton on BBC Radio Two (Saturday 18^th June 2016, 10am), of Pebble Mill saying what a fantastic place it was. A great hub full of so much activity and talent. 32 years of my life spent there. Thirteen years of All Creatures Great & Small of which Ivor [Annie’s husband] edited some. Loved seeing Christopher there. My Dad spoke to him once in the lift, Christopher was in a wheelchair as he had broken his leg! Chatted to him like an old friend. Made my Dad’s day.

Annie Gumbley-Williams

(Here is the link to BBC iPlayer to Graham Norton’s interview with Christopher Timothy and Martin Shaw: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07fl1d8 )

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

Betti Moretti: ‘Loved working at Pebble Mill with Chris on Doctors – I’d been such a fan of All Creatures when I was a child it was like a dream come true. I was Production Secretary, but also played the wife to Mark Frost’s Dr Steve Rawlings – until I was killed off! Happy memories of that time – especially down at the club.’

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Countryfile – John Craven in the bath

Still of presenter John Craven in the bath, during a Countryfile item.

Does anybody know what the item was? Please add a comment if you can add any information.

Thanks to Ian Collins for making the still available.

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

Andrea Buffery: ‘I think it was a compilation programme directed by Joanna Brame. JC is wearing my snorkel mask.’

Andrew Chorlton: ‘I’m sure that was me on sound. Probably Foster, B or Evans, D on camera. A long time ago!’

Garry Jordan: ‘COUNTRY FILE, Transmission date: 14 May 1989, Clip #: BBC_253004’

Betti Moretti: ‘Can’t help with the story sorry… but when I worked on The Countryside Hour, the most mortifying thing would occur every Thursday… when I was little, Mum would hoover when Newsround came on – white noise? And I’d immediately drop off on the sofa… every Thursday, John would rehearse his script for Countryfile in my room… and you would not believe the struggle I had to keep my eyes open! Thank god for the Club & Mick Murphy! Happy days!

Rosalind Gower: ‘I directed one on lavender growing for essential oils in Norfolk which ended with John in a bath, but I don’t recognise the bathroom or the duck and snorkel! On my shoot we did this as a last minute idea and asked one of the farm workers if we could borrow their cottage bathroom for a short time. When she saw it was for the famous John Craven she readily agreed. To save John’s modesty we asked if she had any bubble bath…no…so we used washing up liquid instead but had to use loads of it to make any sort of decent bubbles. By then the hot water had run out so poor JC has to do his PTC in gloopy lukewarm water, trying not to shiver and pretending he was having a luxuriously scented relaxing bath. What a trooper! When we’d finished the woman asked for John’s autograph as she thought otherwise none of her friends would believe she’d had John Craven in her bath that afternoon!’

Director Chris Wright on Pebble Mill at One – Steve Weddle

Director, Chris Wright, deep in thought, during Tom O’Connor Roadshow. Photo Jane Mclean

That’s a classic Chris Wright pose. He would often wander off on his own to think things through prior to going into the gallery or scanner. Mind you, there was that time on a certain infamous edition of Pebble Mill At One when, dressed as a teddy boy, he leapt out of the director’s chair, to be replaced by Mark Kershaw, so he could dance a rock and roll routine downstairs, on camera, in the foyer. It worked a treat, except one of the prgramme guests had imbibed too much and went on air somewhat worse for wear. Consequently, the entire edition went under the microscope, and questions were asked in high places why the programme director was to be seen rocking and rolling with Josephine Buchan, the presenter. How do I know this? … I was Producer of what was our last show before Christmas in that particular year…circa 1984. Hope you don’t mind me mentioning this Chris. It still makes me smile.

Steve Weddle

Mark Kershaw directing Pebble Mill at One. No reproduction without permission

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

Jane Clement: ‘All the shows leading into Christmas were great fun. And – given the generosity of the green room – inebriated guests were not exactly a rarity, but never a big problem. I’m having a drink with Chris this afternoon, as it happens. We both live in the same city (Auckland, New Zealand) so I expect we’ll be reminiscing about old times.’

Steve Weddle: ‘I should stress that Chris was totally sober when he danced on the show. It was the guest who was was worse for wear! If Chris was a celebrity he would have been on Strictly by now!’

Ruth Kiosses: ‘Drunken guests! I want to know what they put in the audience’s tea? That warm-up guy telling the audience the cameraman would be like a rat up a drainpipe if legs weren’t kept together on the front row. Must have heard that over the monitor everyday for years! It always livened them up with giggles.’

Betti Moretti: I’ was a bit late to Pebble Mill… but I had so much fun there! I remember a particularly merry Pudsey Bear after a long Children in Need taking a tumble from top to bottom of the stairs into the green room where Anne & Nick were based… wiped a couple of people out at the bottom – Jeremy Paxman included… so many funny memories… happy days indeed’