Chris Bates – What Was Pebble Mill?

Midlands News 1992

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This page from the internal newspaper, Midlands News from 1992, shows what a vibrant place Pebble Mill was at this time, with both radio and television programmes winning all kinds of accolades, and even the restaurant winning an award for healthy food! Jeremy Clarkson is looking very youthful in the top right-hand corner, but down at the bottom the photographs for Countryfile‘s day out and Sarah Rowlands and Mark Decker’s digital editing session seem to have been swapped over – oops!

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Top Gear on the Isle of Man – Prospero April 2016

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This article was published in the BBC retirees’ newsletter, Prospero, in April 16. The photo of a Top Gear shoot in the Isle of Man was originally posted in February by ex-press officer, Chris Bates, and asked readers to identify the cameraman and director, which a number of familiar BBC Pebble Mill names duly did. The cameraman is Jim Knights from Magpie, with Ian Thomas the director, on the far right of the shot.

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

Jim Knights: ‘What great memories of great times and great program makers. All contributed to what laid the foundation for “Top Gear” and many other “follow this” program ideas! Many thanks for all the kind comments from colleagues of that ground breaking era. Today I’m still into horse power but at the Royal Windsor Horse show!! As far as name checks go, I don’t think Pete Smith was on that shoot and I think the late Brian Jennings was the Recordist or a freelance called Robin?’

Tail-less Top Geat cats – Chris Bates

Here is an article by Senior Press Officer, Chris Bates, published in the February 2016 edition of the BBC retirees magazine Prospero: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mypension/en/prospero_feb_2016.pdf. He tells of the efforts he made to get Top Gear into the papers in the 1990s.

The two men on the right of the camera, who aren’t named in the cutting are Jim Knights, a Magpie cameraman (right next to the camera), and director Ian Thomas, in the foreground.

Chris Bates MBE

Pebble Mill press officer, Chris Bates, after receiving his MBE from Prince Charles recently.

The photo above featured in the February 2016 edition of the BBC retirees’ newsletter, Prospero: http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/mypension/en/prospero_feb_2016.pdf.

Countryfile goes primetime

This photo was taken at the press launch of ‘Countryfile’s’ first mid-week primetime transmission.

The photo includes, left to right: Michael Collie (reporter), Caroline Jones (producer), Alan Miller (director), John Craven (presenter), Tim Manning, Ann Chancellor-Davies, Chris Bates (press officer), ?.

Thanks to Tim Manning for making the photo available.