Tag: Eurwyn Jones

Parachute jump on Pebble Mill at One

Photos by Chris Harris, no reproduction without permission.

The parachutists over Pebble Mill, must have been a John Smith special for ‘Pebble Mill at One’.  Today, I don’t suppose you’d  be able to do such a potentially dangerous item, Health and Safety, wouldn’t allow it.

Floor manager Eurwyn Jones remembers the ill-fated parachutist jump well, “I was with Marian Foster when the paras came down, some landed in the trees, in gardens, one just missed a bus and one came crashing down on the concrete by the security hut, we heard his bones crunch as he hit the ground.”

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

Julian Hitchcock: ‘Dear John Smith. He was brilliant at getting military stuff on the programme. It was all rather brash, but it didn’t matter at all because it was such fun. Except for the bone crunching parachutist, of course. Mention of health and safety puts me in mind of an escapologist we had on Saturday Night at the Mill programme, called Malik. He was suspended, in a straightjacket, from a flaming rope supported by a crane located in the quadrangle. A week or so later, he killed himself doing the same trick (somewhere else).’

David Ackrill: ‘I guess that it was incidents like this that ushered in the Health & Safety requirements…’

Julian Hitchcock: ‘Indeed. Floor managers had the most basic health and safety training; essentially concerning the use of weapons. There was a common sense approach, but floor managers, most of whom were looking to move up the career ladder, were easily cowed into submission. H&S legislation didn’t need the BBC to come into existence, but incidents such as that on Noel Edmonds programme lead to changes. That incident failed to surprise me: the degree of sycophancy surrounding Noel and his ilk was both nauseating and intimidating.’

Videotape in the ’70s (part 4) Ray Lee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still from Ian Collins, no reproduction without permission.

Peter Wood-Fisher’s electronic clock. Grab from Keith Brook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VT Clock

The countdown clock was initially a mechanical clock on a kind of blackboard in the studio, and was recorded at the beginning of each section of recording. It had sections for the programme title, tape number, take number, sequence title and other important identifying information. This was written on by the floor manager, (or assistant FM) prior to the recording. One of the difficulties was that when a tape was edited, the clock information could not be updated in VT to indicate this was an edited master, unless a separate clock had been recorded previously. The clock was generally started at around 30 seconds and allowed to count past 0, although in shows recorded as live the vision mixer would cut to black at 3. Where a series of clocks for editing purposes were recorded, the cut to black would be done in the edit by VT.

In the late 70’s Peter Wood-Fisher, a keen engineer built an electronic VT Countdown clock using a large quantity of integrated circuits, and housed it in a home made plywood box. It was around 18inch square with a full size keyboard at the front, then an up-stand housing the rest of the electronics, on which there was just room for a pair of 9inch monitors. This allowed VT to add clocks to edited items and recorded inserts without tying up studio time. This was the forerunner of using the BBC Micro as a VT Clock, which only became possible in the mid 80’s. (the BBC Model A was first produced in 1984). In those early days studio recordings often still recorded the clock from the studio, but the VT clock was used for subsequent edits. As there was only one VT Clock, various routing arrangements were made in order to make it available to the other VT areas. It sat on the back shelf in VTA cubicle.

Ray Lee

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

Peter Poole: “BBC Norwich still used these VT clocks long after Pebble Mill changed to electronic. I went on attachment as a Tech Op. The studio looked like a museum of broadcast equipment!”

Eurwyn Jones: “Just read the article on the Pebble Mill site. I remember the clock well – on live shows like ‘Farming Today’ on Sunday mornings,the clock was used at the end of the show as well. It faced the presenter in the studio and on cue from the PA counting down to the end on the show we would start the clock and they would see how long they had left. Some would ignore it though!!”

Peter Poole: “Pebble Mill engineers had a great talent for building ingenious electronics.”

Ned Abell: “Its ironic this surfaced the day after Ceefax closed…now wheres my BBC B from September 1982?”

Juliet Deane Recording Session – Peter Poole

Recording copyright resides with Peter Poole, no reproduction without permission.

This recording session was in Studio 3 probably in the late 1970s. This was a drama studio but it was often empty in the evenings. And back then the BBC made it available free of charge for this private recording. At that time I was working for Film Unit as an assistant film recordist. So Roger Seward from Audio Unit booked the studio and supervised the session. Roger is a bit of a legend in the Audio Unit and and great character! He was great teacher and gave me a quick “driving lesson” of the studio. He then left the recording and mixing to me.

Juliet worked in the film unit office and welcomed the chance to record a few songs. We soon got a few other members of Film Unit to back her. They were Eurwyn Jones, piano, Andrew Godsall, drums and Steve Saunderson, guitar. The folk songs were recorded with Steve playing guitar with Juliet’s live vocal. Eurwyn and Andrew recorded the backing tracks for the other songs. On another session Juliet added her vocal to produce the final mix.

This was my first experience of music recording in a professional studio. We all had a very enjoyable time and I learnt a lot about music recording.

Peter Poole

Pebble Mill Canteen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Tim Savage, no reproduction without permission.

This photograph is of the Pebble Mill Canteen on the 7th floor of the office block. Tim took the photo in autumn 2004 when Pebble Mill had been emptied, prior to the building being demolished in 2005.

The Canteen was at the heart of Pebble Mill, sadly it looks so clean and lifeless in this photo.  It had a excellent line in cheese scones, mid morning, and delicious cakes for afternoon tea.  You never knew who you’d meet in the Canteen, you’d frequently bump in to actors in full costume and make-up taking a break from recording a drama in Studio A.

The following comments were posted on the Pebble Mill Facebook Group:

Becky Land: ‘I remember that if you timed it right you could get a warm banana and chocolate scone for elevenses. Welcoming when on an early news reading shift. Loved sitting amongst the Archers cast and listening to the well known voices.. and the brilliant view on a clear sunny day. ‘

Gordon Astley:..’I loved the canteen/restaurants from Gosta Green/ Broad st/ Pebble Mill. Only problem I had was with the whingers who complained daily…bearing in mind it was good, honest food, served by nice people…and it was all subsidised by some old lady lady’s licence fee.’

Stuart Gandy: ‘Oh! Pebble Mill Puddings – legendary’

Brian Johnson: ‘Canteens at Broad St and Carpenter Road were great too!’

Susan Astle: ‘Cheese scones……made it easier to cope with a hangover!’

Donald Steel: ‘And Sunday roasts! I knew staff who would come in specially !’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Well said Susan, you had to be in the queue at the prompt time of 1030!’

Neil Wilson: ‘Carl’s kingdom for many years. So much missed.’

Eurwyn Jones: ‘Who can remember some of the women who worked there ?
I remember Lil, Edna, Miss Rose and a blonde Scottish girl………’

Gordon Astley: ‘Donald…..after my WM Sunday show I would often had 4 Sundays plated up..took 2 round to Mum and Dad..and 2 for us. Had to smuggle the green plates and the covers back in on Monday !!!’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Eurwyn there was an Irish lady on the canteen staff called Mary, my wife who is Irish taught me some Irish phrases to try out on her, I think I was set up by some of these! Great and friendly staff in the canteen…sorry restaurant!’

Eurwyn Jones: ‘I well remember Lil that worked there took pity on me during the bread strike and she used to smuggle various loaves to me….. Bless her.’

Gordon Astley:. ‘talking of strikes (BTW I was the first person in the BBC in Birmingham to go on strike !) There was a strike on behalf of the canteen staff who were then berated by the pickets because they went into work. They told me “It’s ok for those journos etc…they earn a lot…we can’t afford to strike !”‘

Lynn Cullimore: ‘I remember Edna’s singing in the canteen. The cheese scones were to die for…nowhere else can you get a cheese scone the same! Many memories of christmas lunches there…served by management!’

Gordon Astley: ‘.Lynn..sometimes it was only time in the year you found out who was management !! Anyone got the scones recipe ?’

Pete Simpkin: ‘Re management I recall the times there were lift failures and those of us who could manage it would think nothing of stepping it out up the whole flight of stairs and then it became clear who were the management…..they were the ones appearing to be nonchalantly taking in the view on each landing trying hard to disguise their lack of breath!!

Gordon Astley:’..just out of interest re: the 1st ABS strike I remember walking out on a Saturday morning with Barry Lankester. The press was waiting. It was the 1st BBC strike. Barry said we had been set up. Most members weren’t working that day, took the day off, there was a trip to London, (and my dad was very upset with me)..I had only just joined the Beeb. My boss (Eddie Deighton?) told me to go..and see him on Monday. I did and he said that I should not worry….but it was a shame that no other union members turned up to back us in Broad Street. It still leaves a nasty taste in my mouth. Does anyone else have memories of that day…and what was the strike about…methinks it was Broadcasting in the ’70s. ?’

Pebble Mill at One – Michael Smith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Eurwyn Jones, no reproduction without permission.

The photo is of a rehearsal of a Michael Smith cookery item for ‘Pebble Mill at One’ circa 1981.  Michael is in the white jumper, behind the worktop.

The cameraman on the left is probably Alan Duxbury, camera 2 might be Doug Smith, floor manger in the foreground in Eurwyn Jones.  In the audience seating it could be producer, Pam Creed and producer and director, John Smith.

Thanks to everyone who has identified the people in this photo.  If you can identify anyone else, please leave a comment.