Copyright resides with the original holder.
This is the ten year anniversary show of Pebble Mill at One, from 1982. It features the landing of the Harrier, amongst other memorable items. Some, like the ‘Black and White Minstrels’ are very much of their time, and seem quite shocking when viewed today. It is presented by Marian Foster, Donny Mcleod and Bob Langley.
Screen grab of the opening titles. Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
Arthur Binnie’s leaving do. Photo from Jane Mclean, no reproduction without permission.
“I first met Arthur in 1977 when I was on attachment to BBC Glasgow to direct a series called ‘The Energy File’ with Raymond Baxter and Michael Buerk. Arthur was the producer drafted in from the oil capital of Britain, Aberdeen. He and I got on very well, we shared a sense of humour and a lack of admiration for the series producer we were working for. It was Arthur who weaned me back onto whisky – as a young man I’d had an unfortunate encounter with Uiscea Beatha – one New Year’s Eve in Kidderminster. The host was a Scot. I had arrived late – ‘you’ll be having a dram’ note the absence of the word ‘wee’ – I demolished the best part of a bottle of Johnnie Walker RED Label. ‘God, you weren’t drinking that toxic shite’ said Arthur. ‘What you need is a wee dram of the finest – The Glenlivet.’ One sip and I was cured… I have been a whisky drinker ever since.
I returned to Brum, left the BBC for a short time motivated by a lack of admiration for the Executive Producer running the department. In 1982 I got a job as producer/director Pebble Mill at One. There was a new Assistant Editor. Arthur and I were re-united!
In 1984 Arthur was approaching retirement and came up with the idea that PM@1 should do a series on Singapore – where he’d served his National Service. I got the plum job as director and off we set, for five weeks, based in Raffles Hotel – with Nicky Barfoot, Dick Bentley, Don Cooper, Norman McLeod, Ian Dewar, Nigel Evans, Andy Frizzell and Bill Youell and an effing sack truck carting a monitor (flat screen hadn’t been invented) an oscilloscope, an Ampex VPR20, and a load of car batteries… This was at the time that Sony had just launched the BetaCam. Crews from around the world congregated on Singapore for the annual Dragon Boat Race. They all came equipped with their shiny new Onesies. i.e.Betacams. We dragged our sack truck through the sand… got it a bit wet and the VPR20 crashed.
Throughout all the challenges in the humid Far East, Arthur remained calm, supportive and was full of his memories of life in Singapore as a squaddie. We were there with another great, late, Scotsman Donny McLeod and a wee laddie called Paul Coia. Oh yes, and there was a contribution from Essex boy Peter Seabrook, who refused to eat anything ‘foreign’ and lived on Dunkin’ Donuts…
We returned to the UK with a great deal of satisfaction, having produced a wealth of material for the 84/85 season of PM@1. Arthur retired later that summer. His retirement party was a wonderfully moving occasion which I remember most for the way he delivered his farewell speech – leaning nonchalantly against a pillar in the boardroom on the 5th floor of ‘t Mill, telling it like it was, or had been, without a wee dram of bitterness or regret. A lovely man, and although we lost contact, I shall miss him, yet treasure the memories.
Sadly, Arthur’s happy and positive retirement was overshadowed by the untimely death of Donny in September at the very young age of 52.
I was shocked to learn this week of Arthur’s death on Radio 4’s PM programme. It not just announced the loss to the world of journalism by one of Scotland’s finest but also told a story which, in all the time I knew him, Arthur never mentioned… dear reader you can find out more here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-35493518
Roger Casstles,
The Ancient Civil Parish of Stowe,
Shropshire”
The following messages were posted on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Johannah Dyer: ‘Is that Ellie Lacey (Baldwin) on the left? And Fran in the window at the back?’
Ellie Lacey: ‘Well spotted Joh! Yes, that’s me back in the very early eighties and Fran too. Arthur was a lovely and very dear man, popular with everyone – especially the girls! I was so sad to hear of his death but happy to know he had such a long life. RIP Arthur.’
photo by Ben Peissel, 2003, no reproduction without permission
History of the BBC in Birmingham
(taken from notes held at the BBC Archives in Caversham)
1922 Nov 15 British Broadcasting Company begins transmitting from rooms at the GEC Works at Witton. Managed by Percy Edgar and Pat Casey, it consisted of three room: one contained the transmitter, one was the office and the other was the 12x20ft studio.
1923 Dec 6 The first ever Children’s Hour comes from Birmingham. Children’s circle established, proceeds of which were donated to West Midlands Children’s charities.
1924 Witton premises too small. Moved to top storey of 105 New Street. One studio and a suite of offices.
1926 New Street premises too small (and rat infested). Purpose built studios at 282 Broad Street acquired. Largest studio could accommodate a full orchestra and chorus.
1927 Jan 1 British Broadcasting Company dissolved and the British Broadcasting Corporation constituted under Royal Charter.
1927 Daventry ‘Experimental Transmitter’ replaces 5 IT at Witton.
1938 First episode of Paul Temple attracts 7,000 fan letters.
1949 Sutton Coldfield transmitter opens bringing television to the Midlands.
1951 Jan 1 The Archers first appears on the Light Programme. Brookfield Farm was located in Studio 2 at Broad Street for 20 years.
1951 BBC acquired the lease for Pebble Mill site.
1954 Carpenter Road, Edgbaston became the new Broadcasting House.
1955 Dec 29 First Midland Region television studio opened at Gosta Green, Birmingham.
1956 Gardening Club (now Gardeners’ World) began.
1957 Sept 30 First BBC Midlands TV News broadcast each weekday evening. 6.10-6.15.
1962 Nightly TV magazine programme – Midlands at Six
1962 A model of proposed BBC Pebble Mill Broadcasting Centre was show to the press.
1964 Sept First episode of Midlands Today presented by Barry Lankester and produced by Michael Hancock. News items were a football bribery trial, a new course on local government, Swedish sport and an item called ‘the body beautiful’.
1965 Immigrants Unit set up by Patrick Beech to provide Hindu/Urdu programmes. BBC’s first bi-media department, making programmes for both radio and television.
1967 First BBC Local Radio Station in Leicester.
1967 Pebble Mill – first sod was cut by then Director General Sir Hugh Greene.
1970 Nov 7 Pebble Mill began with Radio Birmingham, later became Radio WM.
1971 HRH Princess Anne officially opens the new Pebble Mill studios.
1972-86 Pebble Mill at One, presenters included Donny Macleod, Bob Langley, Ross King, Judi Spiers and Alan Titchmarsh.
1976 Saturday Night at the Mill – live. All staged in either one of the studios or outside the front of Pebble Mill. The courtyard around the back was constructed into a mini ice-rink with a canopy area for if it rained when live bands were on.
1977 The Horror of Fang Rock, only episode of Dr Who to be filmed here at The Mill. The set consisted of a lighthouse built in the studio, and it was the setting for a battle with an alien shape shifter. The story featured the one and only appearance in the series of a Rutan – seen in its natural state as an amorphous green blob with trailing tentacles. It was the fifteenth season of the series and the Doctor at the time was Tom Baker. It was transmitted between 03/09/1977 and 24/09/1977.
1988 Oct Midlands Today became the first regional news programme to include a nightly sports section.
Photos from Jane McLean, no reproduction without permission.
The photos are from Maggie Walne’s (nee Kidger) leaving party, from ‘Pebble Mill at One’. It looks as if the party was held in the Pebble Mill Bar.
Back L-R: Carol Morgan and Judy Hill’s husband (Roy Winston); Maggie Walne with arm around Dave Williams. Steve Weddle at back. Clare Stride in front of him. John Stride with beard. It is Mick Murphy in the dicky bow. Sitting L-R: David Walker (Lis’s husband), Annie Morris, Judy Hill, Yvonne Ackrill, me (Jane McLean) in dungarees, Ellie’s boyfriend, Ellie Lacey, friend of Maggie (Cynthia), Pam Creed. Lis Walker on floor.
In the second photo are Donny McLeod, Jim Dumighan, Peter Hercombe, Bob Langley.
Photos by Pebble Mill VT engineer and supervisor John Burkill, no reproduction without permission.
These photos of a Pebble Mill at One outside broadcast from October 1981.