CM1 – Page 2 – What Was Pebble Mill?

North 3 Outside Broadcast Interview

(Creative commons licensed video produced by Amanda Murphy as part of Royal Holloway’s ADAPT project)

BBC Radio Wales reporter Robert Thomas interviews Steve Harris (On The Air Ltd.) and Prof. John Ellis (Media Arts, Royal Holloway University of London) about the ADAPT re-enactment based simulation exercise with North 3/CM1 (CMCR9). Steve, the restorer of the vintage truck explains about the history of CMCR9, and John Ellis tells us about the ADAPT research project and the reconstruction being staged with the truck.

This video was recorded just over a year ago (May 2016), during a reconstruction of the outside broadcast truck CMCR9 recording a darts match. This OB truck was Pebble Mill’s original CM1 and later became Manchester’s North3.

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ADAPT Outside Broadcast video

Crew in CM1. Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

Production in CM1

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A year ago (spring 2016) the ADAPT project attempted their most ambitious reconstruction to date – the recreation of an outside broadcast, using the original equipment from 50 years ago. They used the restored CMCR9 OB truck, Pebble Mill’s original CM1, which later became North 3. The truck was reunited with the men who originally operated it in Manchester.

There were technical glitches, and they nearly didn’t make it, but finally they succeeded in recording a live darts match.

This is a promotional video to highlight the work of the project, especially fitting with the 50th anniversary of colour television, which started with Wimbledon coverage in 1967.

ADAPT is a academic research project from Royal Holloway, University of London. It is led by Professor John Ellis, with producer Amanda Murphy being responsible for producing the re-enactments.

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CMCR9 show season 2017

CMCR9, in the 1970s, with rigger driver, Ron Lane. Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission

I have received the message below from Jerry Clegg, which gives details about the events that CMCR9, Pebble Mill’s original CM1 scanner, and another OB truck, LO23, CMCR54, will be exhibited at:

“The new show season is almost upon us. Steve Harris will be exhibiting the heritage scanner North 3/CMCR9 together with the former Lo23/CMCR54 (type-7) at the Kelsall Steam Rally near Tarvin in Cheshire on Saturday and Sunday 24th and 25th June 2017. Steve is planning to have both vehicles powered up. You can find details about the Kelsall show on their website using this link :-

http://www.kelsallsteamrally.co.uk/costs-2/

After Kelsall, the next event for North 3 will be the Wilmslow Show on Sunday 9th July, which this year is at a new venue which is :-

The Carnival Field, Altrincham Road, Wilmslow SK9 5NG

The website for the Wilmslow Show is :-

www.wilmslowshow.co.uk

We look forward to meeting up with some of you at these shows.”

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Ron Lane with CM1

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The photo is of rigger driver, Ron Lane, with OB scanner, CMCR9, which was his pride and joy. Apparently he used to regularly black the wheels, and keep the truck looking its best. The truck was built in 1969 and was BBC Birmingham’s original CM1. The scanner is probably stationed at the Royal Show, Stoneleigh.

It is this scanner that has been restored by Steve Harris and his team, and now tours round different exhibitions each year.

This photo was originally shared on the Pebble Mill Engineers Facebook group. Thanks to Stuart Gandy for making it available.

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

Malcolm Hickman: ‘Ron was a great guy. Always had a tin of tyre black gloss in the cab.’

Louis Robinson: ‘The Royal Show is my best guess too. The OB team from Birmingham did a great job for us (Michael Coley, John Miller and me) with the Exhibitions Unit. Then the BBC (London) decided to go with Manchester… mistake.’

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Eagle Tower at Silverstone

Photo by Steve Dellow, no reproduction without permission

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This photo shows a couple of heavily rigged Eagle Towers at the Silverstone Grand Prix. The towers were self-erecting and had to carry the transmitter so that the signal from the outside broadcast truck could be relayed to a radio links vehicle at a mid-point, which had to be in line of sight with the tower.

I understand that the Eagle Towers were manufactured in Warwick, at Eagle Engineering.

Thanks to Steve Dellow for sharing the photograph.

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

Malcolm Hickman: ‘I believe you are correct, Eagle was at Warwick. They were fitted on Bedford chassis. They were transported laying down onto the top of the cab and pumped upright by using levers at the back to control the hydraulics. After rigging at 30′ the centre could be extended to 60′.’

Kate White: ‘We only had one Eagle Tower in Birmingham, the other would have come from London. The 4ft dish was probably pointing at a midpoint at Dunstable Downs and on to Crystal Palace. The 2ft dishes pointing at a midpoint at Charwelton near Daventry, that would then have gone into the receivers at Sutton Coalfield. This is based on my memories from the 90s.’

Chris Harris: ‘Wouldn’t the 2ft dishes be pointing to Stowe Corner and CM1?’

Malcolm Hickman: ‘Quite right Chris. We used to have vans at Stowe, occasionally Maggots and Becketts. I was with Rod Batch at Maggots when a car spun off. The cameraman on his scaffolding was tracking the car and saw the line up card go through the shot. The car just bumped the scaffold and all we saw was a bit of camera shake.’

Mike Jordan: ‘In later years, we rigged all the links on a platform above the grandstand.’

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