Copyright Chris Harris, no reproduction without permission.
The photos show a ‘Pebble Mill at One’ programme, which featured the landing of a Royal Navy, Sea King helicopter on the front lawn at Pebble Mill. It looks like Bob Langley was the presenter.
It was probably a show by producer John Smith, who had very good contacts in the military.
Photos by Chris Harris, no reproduction without permission.
The parachutists over Pebble Mill, must have been a John Smith special for ‘Pebble Mill at One’. Today, I don’t suppose you’d be able to do such a potentially dangerous item, Health and Safety, wouldn’t allow it.
Floor manager Eurwyn Jones remembers the ill-fated parachutist jump well, “I was with Marian Foster when the paras came down, some landed in the trees, in gardens, one just missed a bus and one came crashing down on the concrete by the security hut, we heard his bones crunch as he hit the ground.”
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group:
Julian Hitchcock: ‘Dear John Smith. He was brilliant at getting military stuff on the programme. It was all rather brash, but it didn’t matter at all because it was such fun. Except for the bone crunching parachutist, of course. Mention of health and safety puts me in mind of an escapologist we had on Saturday Night at the Mill programme, called Malik. He was suspended, in a straightjacket, from a flaming rope supported by a crane located in the quadrangle. A week or so later, he killed himself doing the same trick (somewhere else).’
David Ackrill: ‘I guess that it was incidents like this that ushered in the Health & Safety requirements…’
Julian Hitchcock: ‘Indeed. Floor managers had the most basic health and safety training; essentially concerning the use of weapons. There was a common sense approach, but floor managers, most of whom were looking to move up the career ladder, were easily cowed into submission. H&S legislation didn’t need the BBC to come into existence, but incidents such as that on Noel Edmonds programme lead to changes. That incident failed to surprise me: the degree of sycophancy surrounding Noel and his ilk was both nauseating and intimidating.’
Photos by Chris Harris, no reproduction without permission.
The photos show the landing of a harrier jump jet on a ‘Pebble Mill at One’ programme, produced by John Smith.
The first photo shows the harrier coming in over the Pershore Road.
The second shows presenter Marian Foster, and cameraman Keith Brook waiting for the pilot to climb out of the cockpit.
The third photo is of the interview itself, and includes Philip Thickett as cable basher.
Copyright resides with the original holder, probably Willoughby Gullachsen. No reproduction without permission.
‘After You, Hugo’, was basically a silent play – starring Nola Rae a mime artist. It was a comedy, set backstage at a seedy ‘30’s Music Hall. The Music Hall company develops a new mime act because of members’ difficulty in communicating with each other. It was directed by Bob Jacobs, and produced at Pebble Mill by Roger Gregory. The ‘Summer Season’ drama was transmitted in 1985. The script was written by John David, Chris Harris and Nola Rae.
The drama featured Chris Harris, Nola Rae, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hale, Derek Tansley, Pip Hinton, Nick Cursi, Lyn Farrell, Tina Grundy, Donna Kellie and Barbi Levard.
First photo, features Chris Harris (in bag) and Nola Rae, Australian mime artist
Second photo, includes Andy Meikle (FM/PM), John Greening (AFM), tying up Chris Harris, and props guy, Dave Bushell (known as Gonzo) on the right.
Thanks to John Greening for making the photos available.