L-R Katie Carey, Linsey Beauchamp, Emrys James, director Martyn Friend
F/g Dir Martyn Friend, make-up Linda Webster, Engineering Manager Dick Bentley
Possible location Port Erin, Isle of Man
Publicity photographs taken on location for the 1985 drama: Anna of the Five Towns. Most of the locations are at the Black Country Museum.
Anna of the Five Towns was transmitted from 9 Jan 1985 on BBC 2.
Copyright resides with the original holders, no reproduction without permission
Promo card inside cover
Promo card inside
Promo card back page
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission
Fighting Back, was a 5 part drama on BBC1, transmitted in 1986, starring Hazel O’Connor, as Viv. It featured on the front of the Radio Times, as well as a feature inside.
Here is the entry from the Radio Times, from the BBC Genome project:
“Fighting Back by GARETH JONES
The first of a five-part serial based on an idea by VICTORIA HINE
Viv Sharpe hurtles down the motorway, kids in tow, towards the Bristol she used to call home. Not only has
Bristol changed, but Viv finds no one wants to know her and there’s nowhere to go. Is this the start of Viv the vagrant? Or can she keep fighting back?
Incidental music PAUL JONES, Script editor BETH PORTER, Lighting DICK BENTLEY, Designer ROB HINDS, Producer CHRIS PARR, Director PAUL SEED. BBC Pebble Mill”
http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d3665caef0db4a94a441b93945661e10
Thanks to Beth Porter, who was the script editor, for sharing the stills.
Beth Porter’s (long and amusing) autobiography Walking on my Hands, is available for a couple of pounds on Kindle, on the link below. Chapter 12 includes Beth’s adventures with the BBC.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Jane Green: ‘This was the first thing I ever worked on – as a work experience floor assistant with Gareth Williams I think. I had to look after Hazel. Can’t print what she did here !!! But goodness me. What memories. Feb 1986.’
John Greening: ‘I was assistant floor manager…’
Susan Astle: ‘I was the make up designer on it, goodness so long ago! And before Derek Thompson became so famous!’
Les Podraza: ‘I think the filming was in Bristol for a month. I was on the crew. Fab times!!!’
TM’s and EM’s
The studio engineers all worked to the TM’s (Technical Manager). Each studio day had a TM1, who was senior and looked after the studio lighting, and a TM2 who dealt with all the other technical issues, and liaised with the producer and director.
The TM1 was always in the lighting gallery, and the TM2 in the production gallery. Between them they were the final arbiters of technical quality during the production. TM2’s quite often acted as TM1’s and there were quite few movements in the early days, so I cannot be exactly sure who was in post at the time (mid 1970s). Bob Gell and Barry Hill were the main TM1’s, joined soon by Dick Bentley together with TM2’s who I think were Bob Chaplin, Derek Price, John Jevons and later Ron Irvine. They were joined later by George Allen and Barry Chatsfield. (who moved from being a Cameraman to TM fairly early on as I recall).
The two EM’s (Engineering Managers) at that time were Gordon White and John Endall. They were in charge of all technical planning of O.B.’s . Normally only one EM would be allocated to an OB. as there was rarely any major lighting to be done.
Ray Lee
Studio A lighting gallery
Photos by Tim Savage, no reproduction without permission.
‘Pickwick Papers’ was a BBC drama series from 1985. It was hosted at Pebble Mill. The director was Brian Lighthill, the producer was Barry Letts and the script was written by Terrance Dicks. Bob Chaplin was the lighting designer, Sue Peck and costume designer, Gill Hughes the make-up designer and Myles Lang, the production designer.
The series starred Nigel Stock, Clive Swift (gardening presenter Joe Swift’s father), Jeremy Nicholas, Alan Parnaby, and Colin Douglas.
The first photo features Paul Higton from costume. The subsequent photos show a horse drawn carriage hired for the shoot. The location was a stately home near Telford.
In the carriage photos (l to r): John Couzens (camera) in navy jumper, centre in blue short-sleeved shirt, Elson Godbolt, Dick Bentley, second from right, it is probably David Robinson, to the right of Dick.