Eurwyn Jones

Photo of floor manager Eurwyn Jones, taken by Peter Poole circa 1977, in the Review Theatre.

Nanny, was a BBC drama series, starring Wendy Craig. It was set in 1930s England. There were three series of ten episodes each, transmitted in 1981, ’82 and ’83. Pebble Mill hosted the third series, although I don’t know if the first two series were made in Birmingham or London.

These photos are from the third series.

Thanks to costume designer, Janice Rider for sharing the photos.

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

Eurwyn Jones: “I worked on most of the series and if I remember rightly they started in the 30s through to WW2 into the forties. I believe it was all done at Pebble Mill. Joy Pugh was Wendy Craig’s dresser. It was hosted by Pebble Mill for Drama, Series and Serials London. I have some pics somewhere myself.”

Susie Astle (Bankers): “I was the make up designer on one of the series done from Pebble mill. Samantha was Wendy’s assistant. Carole Brady, Linda, Lesley Weaver and more worked on the show when we had lots of extras. It was a nice series to work on with a lovely cast and crew.”

Lynda Kettle: “Margaret Peacock was the designer, I was her art director on some of them and I designed one of the episodes.”

Link 125 cameras

Link 125 camera on Pebble Mill at One

Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission. Thanks to floor manager, Eurwyn Jones, foreground in this photo, for sharing it.

The photo shows the Link 125 cameras during a rehearsal with cook Michael Smith, on Pebble Mill at One, circa 1981.

The Link 125 cameras replaced the EMI 2001 cameras, which were extremely popular with cameramen. The Links did not enjoy the same popularity.

The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook group about the camera:

Keith Brook: ‘Luckily for me I left before the Links came in. My ex-colleagues told me how bad they were and how difficult it was to focus. If you wound up the peaking, the camera noise became a white fog over the whole viewfinder. If you turned it down, the focus was likely to be soft, but you couldn’t tell. Engineers chose cameras and cameramen had to make do with what they were given. Despite far, far better cameras being available from Japanese manufacturers, the BBC had decided to ‘do the patriotic thing’ and use a British company. Fortunately, the Links didn’t last long.’

Matthew Skill: ‘The patriotic thing being to use a camera company that hadn’t been around that long compared to the real camera-makers…? And then to eventually indirectly/inadvertently drive same late-comer company to the wall as it tried to satisfy BBC requirements for a ‘modern’ studio camera (130) to replace the 110s and 125s. A curious tale all round….’

Stuart Gandy: ‘That’s certainly true what Keith says about the Links. After the crispness of the 2001’s, they never seemed sharp. There was also an odd condition that could happen that resulted in a strange slight loss of focus in the middle of the screen, which became known as the ‘teardrop’, because of its shape. The cause was never fully explained, but I think adjusting the registration controls fixed it – for a while. Even now, I remember the words of the late Mike Lee, when he would come across the line up area and say quietly, ‘we’ve got a teardrop’.’

Eurwyn Jones in Studio A Quick Change

Photo from Eurwyn Jones, no reproduction without permission.

Floor Manager, Eurwyn Jones, liked to pop in to the quick change room of Studio A, for a chat with the girls in Costume.

The Costume girls include Alison Mitchell top left, Di Lester top right, Joy Pugh front left and Janet Sandles front, right hand side.

The photo probably dates from the early/mid 1980s.

It was probably taken during a Studio day for the drama series ‘Nanny’, which featured Wendy Craig. Joy Pugh was Wendy Craig’s dresser.

PABX Ladies inspecting the Harrier

Photo by Eurwyn Jones, no reproduction without permission.

Two ladies from PABX (private automatic branch exchange) checking out a Harrier Jet that landed at Pebble Mill, 1982. Left – Iris White, Right – Ruth Smith (Supervisor).

The Harrier Jump Jet was part of a Pebble Mill at One item, arranged by producer John Smith.

Thanks to Eurwyn Jones for making the photo available.