Eric Knowles – What Was Pebble Mill?

Going for a Song cast and crew

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Thanks to Gill Thompson for sharing this photo of the cast and crew of Going for a Song, the antiques panel game show.

Included are: Michael Aspel (presenter), Eric Knowles (antiques expert), Claire Hobbs (producer, front, black jacket), Helena Taylor (series producer, sat on the camera), Dave Wilkins (camera), Toby Horwood (camera), Mark Scott (director), Gill Thompson (audience organiser, pink top behind camera), Adam Schoon (antiques consultant), Dave Bushell (lighting director), Keith Knowles (engineer) in orange top next to Dave Bushell, Pete Eggleston (with beard, engineer), Dave Ballantyne and Keith Salmon (cameras) on the right, Sue Russell (production secretary and hospitality, left-handside, beige patterned top), Dave Brazier (blue shirt and tie, floor manager), Ron Poston from the BBC Club is next to Dave. Back row, top left in pink is Chris Reely (sound), Jim Gray (camera, back row, black jumper, moustache), James French (camera, black top, centre back), at the back on the left is Dave Savage (black top with white stripes) and Chris Reeley in the red t-shirt is at the top left – both Senior Audio Supervisors

Thanks to the following for their help in identifying people: Shareen Worthington, Dave Bushell, Jane Mclean, Jan Poston, Steve Admans,

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Going for a Song – titles

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Going for a Song was a long running popular quiz show about antiques. The original series went out between 1965-77, and was made in Bristol. John King directed on the original series, and it was him who was responsible for reinventing the show and bringing it to Pebble Mill, when he was executive producer of the Entertainment Department. The relaunch was between 1995-2001 for BBC1 Daytime, with presenters Michael Parkinson (1995-9), Anne Robinson (2000), and Michael Aspel (2001). Eric Knowles was the antiques expert.

The show was recorded in Studio A.

Sue Robinson directed many of the shows, with Helena Taylor being one of the series producers, as well as Claire Hobbs. Vicky Jepson and Kate Southcott (now Hillman) worked on the series, as did gallery PA, Jane Mclean.

Thanks to Ian Collins for making this titles grab available.

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

Dave Bushell: ‘I had the pleasure of not only working on the Pebble Mill series but also the original when it was produced in Bristol Studio A in the late 60s/early 70s.’

Mike Hayes: ‘There was an incident with a hand wound electrical generator that some guest put his finger in, his partner then just wound it up giving a shock and a good laugh for everyone else.’

Sue Johnson: ‘I did the autocue for this and remember Dave brazier telling us how happy Michael P was with the production team – very fond memories.’

Helena Taylor: ‘I was the Series Producer and great fun it was too and a great team both in front and behind the camera.’

Michael Wood: ‘First TV show I ever saw get recorded – Anne Robinson was presenting. Made me realise I really wanted to work in telly!’

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Going for a Song group photo

Going for a Song team

Photo from Jane Mclean, no reproduction without permission.

The photo includes left to right:

Standing: Harry Middleton (on screen porter, red coat), Vicky Jepson (AP), Clair Sawtell (researcher),Dave Balllantyne (cam), Lee Harrigan, Keith Salmon, Dave Ashton, Dave Bushell (lighting director), James Patterson, Louise Willcox (sound), Mark Smithers, Sue Needs, Dave Brazier (FM), John Carney (lighting director) left of Michael Parkinson (Pres), Adam Schoon (antiques consultant), Eric Knowles (Pres), Natalie (AFM in black behind Jane Mclean), Herbie Donnelly (sparks, next to Eric), Dave Farline (long hair), Ian Cull, Mike Johnson, Nick Harris (studio director, at back, blonde hair, glasses), Dougie (warm up guy in yellow shirt), Paul Woolston (beard, Cam supervisor), Juliet Henson? (in front of Paul, in black).

Seated: Claire Hobbs (SP), Cathy (Parkinson’s PA), Parkinson’s mother, Jayne Mclean (PA), Andy Payne (camera), Howie Dartnall (camera)

Going for a Song – Sue Robinson

Sue Johnston – Autocue, Jane Mclean, Dave Brazier, Sue Robinson

Claire Hobbs, Jane Mclean, Kate Southcott (now Hillman)

Roger Sutton, Sue Robinson, Jane Mclean, Claire Hobbs

Gallery A lighting – Mark Smithers, Dave Ashton, Ian Cull, Pete Eggleston, John Cooke

Photos from Sue Robinson, no reproduction without permission.

These photos are from the daytime antiques quiz show: ‘Going for a Song’. The show was recorded in Studio A. Claire Hobbs was the series producer, Sue Robinson the studio director, Kate Southcott (now Hillman) was an assistant producer on the series and Jane Mclean was the gallery production assistant. Dave Brazier was the floor manager, and Roger Sutton, the vision mixer.

The photos date from Christmas 1998, the show was presented by Michael Parkinson and Penny Smith, with Eric Knowles as the antiques’ expert.

This was Jane Mclean’s last ever programme before leaving the BBC.

The following information was added via the Pebble Mill Facebook Group:

Stuart Gandy: ‘Also note that by that date this was the new digital widescreen refurbished Studio A, you can tell that by the purple colour scheme as well. It went into use in the spring of 1998 and as we all know only lasted 3 years until its closure as a fully fledged studio in 2001.’

Mike Workman: ‘Yes, the equipment was either left to rot or sent down to London, why didn’t Midlands Today get dibs on any of it?! Interestingly enough though, does that purple colour scheme not remind anybody of the Mailbox, look the Mill was forward thinking, even predicted how its sucessor would look!’